Weekend Quick Cryptic 165 - 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 10A "the setter" is first person.
• Susie in 23A is the well-known UK lexicographer.
• The answer to 4D has nothing to do with Washington.
• In 5D "perhaps" indicates a definition by example.
• "getting" in 13D is an inclusion indicator.

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 Pull child back (4)
DRAW – WARD (child) reversed [back] -> DRAW.
4 Settles last month and middle of month? (7)
DECIDES – DEC (December; last month of the year) + IDES (Roman date around the middle of the month).
8 Meal is new in American restaurant (6)
DINNER – N (new) in DINER (American restaurant).
9 Extremely risqué type in beach club, say (6)
RESORT – Outside letters [extremely] of RisquÉ + SORT (type).
10 Gather the setter texts regularly? (4)
MEET - ME (the setter) + Alternate letters of tExTs [regularly].
11 Buyer in credit acquiring American book (8)
CUSTOMER -  CR (credit) outside [acquiring] US (American) + TOME (book).
12 Briefly select pleasant food outside (6)
PICNIC – [briefly] PIC{k} (select) NIC{e} (pleasant).
14 Confused, I meant 'Prisoner' (6)
INMATE – [Confused] (I meant)*.
16 Issue to be raised (8)
CHILDREN – Cryptic definition.
18 Run one competition (4)
RACE – R (run) + ACE (one in dice, cards, etc.).
20 Require old boy to tell story about golf (6)
OBLIGE – OB (old boy) + LIE (tell story) [about] G (golf in the phonetic alphabet).
21 Remained in a bed I'd made (6)
ABIDED –  (a bed I’d)* [made].
22 Plays here at time arranged (7)
THEATRE – (here at t (time))* [arranged].
23 Susie, perhaps, to make an impression (4)
DENT – Double definition.
 
Down
2 Artist I see briefly in rear (5)
RAISE – RA (Royal Academician; artist) + I + SE{e} [briefly].
3 Churchill gains weight (7)
WINSTON – WINS (gains) + TON (weight).
4 Show in DC? (6,7)
DIRECT CURRENT – DIRECT (show) + CURRENT (popular now; in).
5 Peter, perhaps, trains machine to develop (9,4)
CHRISTIAN NAME – (trains machine)* [to develop].
6 Dancing inside shed is cosy (5)
DISCO – Hidden in [inside] sheD IS COsy.
7 Snake present all over the place (7)
SERPENT – (present)* [all over the place].
13 Soon getting hard to occupy (7)
INHABIT – IN A BIT (soon) outside [getting] H (hard; pencil lead designation).
15 United not perfect, I accepted (7)
MARRIED – MARRED (not perfect) including I [accepted].
17 See soldiers crossing island in French river (5)
LOIRE – LO (behold; see) + RE (Royal Engineers; soldiers) outside [crossing] I (island).
19 Wash the French container on the outside (5)
CLEAN – LE (the in French) with CAN (container) [on the outside].