Weekend Quick Cryptic 123 - Solution

Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce our series of Weekend Quick Cryptic crosswords. We take turns, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's Sawbill's turn. 

You can find a link to the crossword here and the answers below.  Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on  TfTT .  You can find an index to the complete series of crosswords here. 

Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.

Hints and tips...

Some hints and tips:

• 9A "suggest" is used in the sense of suggest or propose an agenda item.
• 14A "3" refers to the answer to 3D.
• 24A It's Boston Mass. not Lincolnshire.
• In 4D "over" is a containment indicator.
• 12D is a 4-part charade.
• In 13D “by” is a juxtaposition indicator, with X "by" Y leading to YX.

And click on this label to get the solution.

Solution and explanation of the answers...

Definitions  underlined in bold italics , ( Abc )* indicating anagram of Abc,{deletions} and [] other indicators.

 
Across
1 Plant that's right inside tangled bush (5)
SHRUB – R (right) in [tangled] (bush)*.
4 Officer getting around island (7)
MAJORCA – MAJOR (officer) CA (circa; about; around).
8 Recalled time before Edward's discharged (7)
EMITTED – TIME reversed [recalled] -> EMIT, TED (Edward).
9 Suggest club is rejected by the French (5)
TABLE – BAT (club) reversed [rejected] -> TAB, LE (the in French). TABLE as in suggest or propose an agenda item.
10 Decided engineer needed trim (10)
DETERMINED – [engineer] (needed trim)*.
14 3 now and again on street not moving (2,4)
AT REST – Alternate letters of the answer to 3 D, bAtTeRsEa, ST (street).
15 I start to turn after road diversion. That's clever (6)
ADROIT – (road)* [diversion], I and first letter of [start to] Turn.
17 Main skill? (10)
SEAMANSHIP – Cryptic definition,
20 Fruit? I love bananas (5)
OLIVE – (I love)* [bananas].
22 Lynn, say, in time is mean (7)
AVERAGE – VERA (Lynn, say) in AGE (time).
23 Authorise workers' organisation before employee finally leaves (7)
LETTUCE – LET (authorise) TUC (workers’ organisation) and last letter of employeE [finally].
24 Measures gardens in Boston (5)
YARDS – Double definition.
 
Down
1 Bit of plant in waste matter (4)
STEM – Hidden in waSTE Matter.
2 Mess up race I entered (4)
RUIN – I in [entered] RUN (race).
3 Hit the drink in part of London (9)
BATTERSEA – BATTER (hit) SEA (the drink).
4 Annoy me over total number (6)
MADDEN – ADD (total) in ME N (number). “Over” in this case is a containment indicator.
5 Write a small amount (3)
JOT – Double definition.
6 Crusoe, perhaps, getting bird numbers to go up (8)
ROBINSON – ROBIN (bird), NOS (numbers) going up -> SON.
7 Account from one cadet at sea (8)
ANECDOTE – (one cadet)* [at sea].
11 DIY firm we use for delivery work? (9)
MIDWIFERY – (DIY firm we)* [use].
12 Rod Stewart at first also left seat (8)
BARSTOOL – BAR (rod) Stewart [at first] TOO (also) L (left). A 4 part charade!
13 One who plays first by ear, perhaps (8)
ORGANIST – ORGAN (ear, perhaps) IST (first). “By” is a juxtaposition indicator here, with X by Y leading to YX.
16 Run away getting key (6)
ESCAPE – Double definition, the second a keyboard key.
18 Quiet song for couple (4)
PAIR – P (piano; quiet) AIR (song).
19 Strokes dogs, perhaps (4)
PETS – Double definition.
21 Bird found in some mudflats (3)
EMU – Hidden in somE MUdflats.