Weekend Quick Cryptic 124 - 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 my 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:

• The theme is "Brass", from the phrase "Where there's muck there's brass", but the word has multiple meanings - a type of musical instrument, cheek or insolence and a slang word for money, all of which feature in the grid.
• In 5A ignore the capitals - in the cryptic reading vat is not a tax.
• In 9A the "old music maker" is an old brass instrument, a precursor to 1A.
• 19A is a triple definition.
• In 20A you need the chemical symbol for Aluminium.
• In 1D the abstainer is a teetotaller.
• You may not know the word at 3D or 10D but just follow the instructions to assemble the answers.
• 6D includes a reference to a Monty Python film.
• In 16D the football team to equally have been Aberdeen.
• 19D is a sound-alike clue - the answer sounds like a type of big cat.

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 This can be blown by robot men, perhaps? (8)
TROMBONE – (robot men)* [perhaps].
5 VAT on a large instrument (4)
TUBA – TUB (VAT, the container not the tax) A.
8 Perhaps Pavarotti was originally the ENO Romeo (5)
TENOR – First letter, [originally], of The, ENO R (Romeo in the phonetic alphabet).
9 Dismiss objection of old music maker (7)
SACKBUT – SACK (dismiss) BUT (objection). A precursor to the trombone.
11 Cheek or another part of face (3)
LIP – Double definition.
12 Praises log fires I engineered (9)
GLORIFIES – (log fires I)* [engineered].
13 Currency Office of Government Commerce initially saved from clerical clothing (6)
DOLLAR – Remove OGC (standard abbreviation for Office of Government Commerce) from D{og-c}OLLAR.
15 A wafer - can one really not eat this for starters? (6)
CORNET – Initial letters, [for starters], of Can One Really Not Eat This.
18 Impudence of British impetuosity (9)
BRASHNESS – B (British) RASHNESS (impetuosity).
19 Brass metal can (3)
TIN – Triple definition. TIN like BRASS is a slang word for money. See also 21A and 22A.
20 Hi-tec aluminium alloy is environmentally friendly (7)
ETHICAL – (Hi-tec Al)* [alloy], using the chemical symbol for Aluminium.
21 Horn I played for money (5)
RHINO -  (Horn I )* [played].
22 Cash coming from swindle (don't tell anyone) (4)
DOSH - DO (swindle) SH (don’t tell anyone).
23 Deceivers, we hear, are fast movers (8)
CHEETAHS – Sounds like, [we hear], CHEATERS.
 
Down
1 Gossiped about story covering abstainer beginning drinking (7)
TATTLED – TT (teetotaller; abstainer) in TALE (story), and first letter of Drinking.
2 Some grown-ups make a confession (3,2)
OWN UP – Hidden in grOWN-UPs. Rather easy, but my alternative of “Confess to cryptic clue for “now””, was maybe a bit too tricky.
3 Like a chart of pressure readings except with no illustration (11)
BAROGRAPHIC – BAR (except) O (0; no) GRAPHIC (illustration).
4 One who doesn't appear to eat contents of bowl (2-4)
NO-SHOW – NOSH (eat) and middle letters of [contents of] bOWl.
6 He came from central Italy - I'm not sure he wasn't the Messiah (7)
UMBRIAN – UM (I’m not sure) BRIAN (he wasn’t the Messiah) – a reference to the film Life of Brian.
7 Part of the choir visiting cathedral to sing (5)
ALTOS – Hidden in cathedrAL TO Sing.
10 Oriental style of one in trousers on lake (11)
CHINOISERIE – I (one) in CHINOS (trousers) on ERIE (one of great lakes).
14 Hates those LA pants (7)
LOATHES – (those LA)* [pants].
16 All but the goalie of Milton Keynes football team could injure these (7)
TENDONS – TEN (all but the goalie of the eleven) DONS (Milton Keynes football team). Achilles tendon injuries can be nasty and an outfield player is more likely to get one.
17 The Law redistributed valuable possessions (6)
WEALTH – (The Law)* [redistributed].
18 About to tuck into unhealthy food (5)
BREAD – RE (about) in BAD (unhealthy).
19 Catch big cat in subarctic forest (5)
TAIGA – TIGER (big cat) sounds like TAIGA.