Weekend Quick Cryptic 129 - 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...

• For 9A you need to know the French word for man,
• In 14A the runs are in stockings.
• Use a Roman Numeral in 21A
• 17D is a double inclusion.

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 Crazy story about transport in African island (10)
 MADAGASCAR – MAD (crazy) SAGA [about] reversed -> AGAS, CAR (transport).
7 Increases levels in drinking vessel (6,2)
CRANKS UP – RANKS (levels) in CUP (drinking vessel).
8 River flowing west in Arno valley (4)
AVON – Reverse hidden [flowing west] in ArNOV Alley.
9 Residence of French man one mile away (4)
HOME – HOM{m}E (French for man) without one M (mile).
10 Try a couple of foreign articles and be overwhelmed? (2,5)
GO UNDER – GO (try) UN DER (one in French and the in German; couple of foreign articles.
12 Each April go bananas in some islands (11)
ARCHIPELAGO – (each April go)* [bananas].
14 Runs from large snakes (7)
LADDERS – L (large) ADDERS (snakes). Runs in stockings.
16 Man cooked rice (4)
ERIC – [cooked] (rice)*.
19 Nothing more than a small lake (4)
MERE – Double definition.
20 New song. It's enjoyed outside? (5,3)
FRESH AIR – FRESH (new) AIR (song).
21 Female pro dancing around ten, say (3,7)
FOR EXAMPLE – X (ten in Roman numerals) in (female pro)* [dancing].
 
Down
1 Walk in church ruin earlier (5)
MARCH – MAR (ruin) CH (church).
2 Energetic detectives returning with many locked up (7)
DYNAMIC – MANY in CID (detectives) all returning.
3 Cut tree after first sign of greenfly (4)
GASH – First letter of Greenfly, ASH (tree).
4 Imagined was naked in an art class, perhaps, needing drink beforehand? (8)
SUPPOSED – SUP (drink) POSED (was naked in art class, perhaps).
5 Arsenal at the start win more times (5)
AGAIN – First letter of Arsenal GAIN (win).
6 Wake up in San Francisco? Me too (4,2)
COME TO – Hidden in San FrancisCO ME TOo.
11 Weapon found in search after broadcast (3,5)
AIR RIFLE - AIR (broadcast) RIFLE (search).
12 Went down with sailor and had a bit of drink (6)
ABATED – AB (Able Bodied Reaman; sailor) ATE (had) and first letter of [a bit of] Drink.
13 I engaged in distribution of parish flyer (7)
AIRSHIP – I in [distribution of] (parish)*.
15 Resulting from two people taking in movie (3,2)
DUE TO – ET (a movie) in DUO (two people).
17 Ring? I am in the middle of Gloucester outside hotel (5)
CHIME – A double inclusion.  H (hotel in the phonetic alphabet), in I’M (I am) in CE (middle letters of GlouCEster).
18 Greek character beginning to argue after wager (4)
BETA – BET (wager) and first letter of Argue..