Weekend Quick Cryptic 162 - 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 with the clues click the label below.

Hints and tips...

Here are a few hints and tips.

• In 8A "tidy" is an anagram indicator.
• In 12A both "regularly" and "very little" are letter selection indicators.
• 20A is a cryptic definition.
• It helps to know the phonetic alphabet for 4D.
• The river in 11D is in North America.

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 lads in Cuba, say (6)
ISLAND – [Crazy] (lads in)*.
4 Discharge a lot shortly with you and me (5)
MUCUS – MUC{h} (a lot) [shortly] + US (you and me).
7 Leapt from step on outside of shop (6)
SPRUNG – RUNG (step) after outside letters of ShoP.
8 Kept Dorset tidy (6)
STORED – (Dorset)* [tidy].
9 Used to be hard to clean (4)
WASH – WAS (used to be) + H (hard).
10 Reject cryptic clue for 'worth' (5,3)
THROW OUT – A cryptic clue for ‘worth’ might be the anagram (throw)* [out].
12 Tried beans regularly, scoffed drinking very little alcohol (11)
ENDEAVOURED – bEaNs [regularly] + DEVOURED (scoffed) including [drinking] first letter [very little] of Alcohol.
17 Rebel largely saying nothing at home ever (8)
MUTINEER – MUT{e} (saying nothing) [largely] + IN (home) + E’ER (ever).
19 Man holding oversized socks (4)
HOSE – HE (man) outside [holding] OS (oversized).
20 Covers when one might retire (6)
DUVETS – Cryptic definition.
21 Enter a building which is tidier (6)
NEATER – (enter a)* [building].
22 At first tutor queries assignments (5)
TASKS – First letter of [at first] Tutor + ASKS (queries).
23 Spray gel for the rich and successful? (3,3)
JET SET – JET (spray) + SET (gel, the verb).
 
Down
1 Popular spot is ready (2,5)
IN PLACE – IN (popular) + PLACE (spot).
2 Roared as huge lad falls over (7)
LAUGHED – (huge lad)* [falls over].
3 Dark horse - could be scary? (9)
NIGHTMARE – NIGHT (dark) + MARE (horse).
4 Satisfied with two Oscars? I am as well (2,3)
ME TOO – MET (satisfied) + O O (two Os; Oscar is the phonetic alphabet word for O).
5 Bar in centre is rust (7)
CORRODE – ROD (bar) in CORE (centre).
6 Girlfriend, possibly from London area, is knock out? (6)
SEDATE – SE (from the London area) + DATE (girlfriend).
11 Order a gin cocktail on river (3,6)
RIO GRANDE – (Order a gin)* [cocktail].
13 Original people sent via roundabout (7)
NATIVES – (Sent via)* [roundabout].
14 Warms up again and runs races conserving energy (7)
REHEATS – R (runs) + HEATS (races) including [conserving] E (energy).
15 Leave a bit of stone inside plum pudding, perhaps (7)
DESSERT – DESERT (leave) with [a bit of] Stone [inside].
16 In Birmingham I'd stop hiding (6)
AMIDST – Hidden in BirminghAM I’D STop.
18 Takes in fivers, perhaps (5)
NOTES – Double definition.