I am informed that Peridot has only set once before, so this is a rare bird. When the first answer is ‘Setter’, you wonder if there’s going to be some sort of message, but I can’t see one. Heavy on the anagrams but enjoyable and fairly straightforward. COD 15dn
| Across | |
| 1 | One Barking High Street (6) |
| SETTER – anagram (‘high’) of STREET | |
| 4 | Regret holding “escape” and “save” (6) |
| RESCUE – RUE (regret) outside of ESC (‘escape’ key on a keyboard) | |
| 8 | Beginning to see, except when lacking light (7) |
| SUNLESS – S[ |
|
| 10 | Impenetrable contents of hidden secret (5) |
| DENSE – hidden word | |
| 11 | Figure lacking a horse (5) |
| MOUNT – [ |
|
| 12 | Turn over decisive factor in what’s fitting for head? (7) |
| CAPSIZE – cryptic definition | |
| 13 | Gate allowing one to enter until rest dispersed (9) |
| TURNSTILE – anagram (‘dispersed’) of UNTIL REST | |
| 17 | Greek character not favouring Italian wine (7) |
| CHIANTI – CHI (greek letter) + ANTI (not favouring) | |
| 19 | Small, tricky splinter (5) |
| SHARD – S + HARD | |
| 20 | Some volume of books teaching religion (5) |
| LITRE – LIT (books) RE (teaching religion) | |
| 21 | Put in shifts almost the whole of marriage (7) |
| NUPTIAL – anagram (‘shifts’) of PUT IN, plus AL[ |
|
| 22 | Dessert that’s frozen, or best whipped (6) |
| SORBET – anagram (‘whipped’) of OR BEST | |
| 23 | Ace fellow is a looker (6) |
| ADONIS – A + DON + IS | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Source of oil in southeast unaltered (6) |
| SESAME – SE + SAME | |
| 2 | Sure it won’t get muddled? It’s hard to say (6,7) |
| TONGUE TWISTER – anagram (‘muddled’) of SURE IT WONT GET | |
| 3 | One choosing e-reader? (7) |
| ELECTOR – E-LECTOR | |
| 5 | Ultimately become parody, losing head (3,2) |
| END UP – SEND-UP minus the first letter | |
| 6 | Conservative faction getting share as payment (13) |
| CONSIDERATION – CON + SIDE + RATION. | |
| 7 | Level, containing the French football team (6) |
| ELEVEN – EVEN with LE inserted | |
| 9 | Sees coins, tossed, splitting (9) |
| SECESSION – anagram (‘tossed’) of SEES COINS | |
| 14 | Trendy drink I had is bland (7) |
| INSIPID – IN + SIP + I’D | |
| 15 | What may cover Pisces or Libra (6) |
| SCALES – cryptic/double definition. Nice. | |
| 16 | Goes off seat, second to last (6) |
| ADDLES – SADDLE with S for second put last | |
| 18 | French city hosting English relation (5) |
| NIECE – NICE with E inside | |
Very tough – too clever for me and a DNF.
Scales and litre very good but I missed the LIT bit.
A super puzzle – new setter for me, but a very satisfying solve, with plenty of misdirection and some lovely PDMs. More, please!
11:41
Once again failing in the 50/50 choice of spelling for the suffix that indicates a doer of things. I went for ER and it was of course OR.