Weekend Quick Cryptic 152 - 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 Phil '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...

Here are a few hints and tips.

• In 13A retreats is a reversal indicator
• The Japanese display in 21A is of flowers
• In 22A the king is Charles III
• In 1D "being broadcast" is a "sounds like" indicator
• The wine in 3D is Hungarian
• The Lawrence in 5D is DH Lawrence

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 Spying sea pigeon in flight (9)
ESPIONAGE – (sea pigeon)* [in flight]. As well as being a bird Sea Pigeon is the name of a famous racehorse.
6 Knight is coming back before rain starts (3)
SIR – IS [coming back] -> SI + first letter of Rain [starts].
8 Lose hope when Pa rides off (7)
DESPAIR – (Pa rides)* [off].
9 Wax lyrical about Western electoral statistic (5)
SWING – SING (wax lyrical) [about] W (Western).
10 Woman badly hurt (4)
RUTH – [badly] (hurt)*.
11 Bird doesn't fly - and is a traffic hazard (8)
JAYWALKS – JAY (bird) + WALKS (doesn’t fly).
13 Say army corps retreats to break cover (6)
EMERGE – EG (for example; say) + REME (army corps), all reversed [retreats].
14 The upper classes shop so extravagantly (6)
POSHOS – (shop so)* [extravagantly].
17 Footwear for fitness coaches (8)
TRAINERS – Double definition.
18 Cain's brother, we hear, perfectly fit (4)
ABLE – Sounds like, [we hear], ABEL (Cain’s brother).
20 To begin with rowdy and careless kids sling luggage here (5)
RACKS – Initial letters [to begin with] of Rowdy And Careless Kids Sling.
21 President to outlaw a Japanese display (7)
IKEBANA – IKE (Eisenhower; president) + BAN (outlaw) + A. The Japanese art of flower-arranging.
22 King leaves basket for fish (3)
EEL – {CR}EEL (basket) without the CR (King Charles)
23 Portrayed as evil, dines out after protest (9)
DEMONISED – DEMO (protest) + (dines)* [out].
 
Down
1 Back the last one home in race being broadcast (7)
ENDORSE – Sounds like [being broadcast) END HORSE (last one home in race).
2 Cheap psalters ripped up in party game (4,3,6)
PASS THE PARCEL – (Cheap psalters)* [ripped up].
3 It's acceptable to leave wine unopened (4)
OKAY – {t}OKAY (unopened). Tokaji (or Tokay) is a renowned Hungarian dessert wine, celebrated for its high acidity and intense, honeyed sweetness derived from noble rot.
4 Tar on highway - in Spain? (6)
ABROAD – AB (Able Bodied seaman; tar) + ROAD (highway). The ? indicates a definition by example.
5 Clint Lawrence came from here (8)
EASTWOOD – Double definition. DH Lawrence came from Eastwood in Nottinghamshire.
6 Blab, as a careless waiter may do (5,3,5)
SPILL THE BEANS – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint.
7 Is bad tempered crunching gears (5)
RAGES – [crunching] (gears)*.
12 In Pentagon, is Edward feeling anguish? (8)
AGONISED – Hidden in PentAGON IS EDward.
15 Cook has a way with flight attendant (7)
STEWARD – STEW (cook) + A + RD (road; way).
16 Self-evident statement is accepted by Trump (for the most part) (6)
TRUISM – IS in [accepted by] TRUM{p} [for the most part].
17 Brief extract from writer's essay (5)
TERSE – Hidden in, [extract from], wriTER’S Essay.
19 Wail loudly as knee is dislocated (4)
KEEN – (knee)* [is dislocated].