Weekend Quick Cryptic 139 - 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...

Here are a few hints and tips.

• 17A You may not know this word, but trust the wordplay along with the checkers.
• 18A The ... is unnecessary but is a hint to join the clue and answer for a thematic word.
• 5D The soldiers can sometimes be found at breakfast.
• 7D "Cycling" means take the letters of a word and rotate them.

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 Rusty colour of old cooker (6)
ORANGE – O (old) RANGE (cooker)
4 Hybridisation of melons leads to less sweet fruit (6)
LEMONS – [Hybridisation of] (melons)*.
8 Key to easy smoked chicken starters (3)
ESC – Initial letters of Easy Smoked Chicken [starters].
9 Disguised abnormal cognition (9)
INCOGNITO – [abnormal] (cognition)*.
11 Initially Simon isn't a very good man (5)
SAINT – First letter of Simon, A’INT (isn’t).
12 Former pope was merciful (7)
CLEMENT – Double definition.
14 Dire cameraman spoiled fantasy of Tarantino, for one (8,5)
AMERICAN DREAM – (Dire cameraman)* [spoiled].
17 Part of Misato's hibachi makes a tiny amount of money online (7)
SATOSHI – Hidden in MiSATO’S Hibachi. Probably a new word to you. It’s one hundred millionth of a Bitcoin.
18 Abandon land away from shore... (5)
DITCH – Double definition. The ellipsis is not necessary but is a hint to joining up the end of the clue with the answer to get a thematic word SHOREDITCH. The second meaning of DITCH is for a plane to crash-land in the sea, hence "land away from shore".
19 Classic stonewall defence in Central Criminal Court (3,6)
OLD BAILEY – OLD (classic) BAILEY (stone wall defence of a castle).
21 Yo-Yo Ma takes this before and after performing (3)
BOW – Cryptic definition. If you haven’t heard Yo-Yo Ma play the Bach Cello suites, you can find a recording of him playing them at the BBC proms in 2015 here.
22 Able to engineer LED light intensity (6)
CANDLE – CAN (able to) [engineer] (LED)*.
23 A new hair product's financial backers (6)
ANGELS – A N (new) GEL’S (hair product’s).
 
Down
1 Deliveries heading for Eastern area abroad (7)
OVERSEA – OVERS (deliveries at cricket) and first letters, [heading for], of Eastern Area.
2 He designed "The Arctic" (9)
ARCHITECT – [designed] (The Arctic)*.
3 Feeling of shame when you are surrounded by gold (5)
GUILT – U (you) in GILT (gold).
5 Breakfast fit for soldiers, schoolmaster and boffin (7)
EGGHEAD – EGG (breakfast fit for toast soldiers) HEAD (schoolmaster).
6 Japanese wear this in desert topless (3)
OBI – {g}OBI (desert) without the first letter [topless].
7 Overweight cycling ticket-sellers (5)
STOUT – TOUTS (ticket-sellers) [cycling] -> STOUT. “Cycling” as a wordplay indicator means put the letters in a circle and start at a different one – in this case the S at the end.
10 Parrot seen in gnarly Celtic oak (9)
COCKATIEL – [gnarly] (Celtic oak)*.
13 Capable of being put up changing sides to be capable of being put in (9)
ELECTABLE – ERECTABLE (capable of being put up) changing the R (right) to an L (left) -> ELECTABLE.
15 Set up location for choristers? (7)
INSTALL – IN STALL (location for choristers).
16 After a short time sells haircuts (7)
MOHAWKS – MO (short time) HAWKS (sells).
17 Endless criticism about old philosopher (5)
STOIC – O (old) in STIC{k} (criticism) without the last letter [endless].
18 Respected senior member's urge to support party (5)
DOYEN – YEN (urge) under [to support] DO (party).
20 Some climbing arachnids make a loud noise (3)
DIN – Reverse hidden in arachNIDs.