Quick Cryptic 1944 by Pedro

Grateful for a straightforward one as I am feeling ever-so-slightly fragile this morning. Interesting solve, with any tricky wordplay generally compensated by biffability, e.g. 7dn which I didn’t parse until afterwards, and some nice anagrams. LOI 14ac. I returned a below-par time of 9 minutes, due entirely to unfavourable conditions (hangover). If this was Top Gear they’d call it a ‘wet lap’.

Across

1 In uncomplicated final part of course (4,8)
HOME STRAIGHT – self-explanatory
8 Sort to dance beside curious platform (7)
ROSTRUM – anagram (‘to dance’) of SORT, then RUM
9 First pair of marines aboard harbour vessel, back in range (5)
GAMUT – MA (first two of MARINES) inside TUG, all backwards
10 Rigidly precise, restricting small source of coloured light (5)
PRISM – PRIM with S inside
11 It helps to forget different men in a large part of the world (7)
AMNESIA – anagram (‘different’) of MEN, inside ASIA
12 British avoiding showing intelligence? Correct (5)
RIGHT – BRIGHT minus B for British
14 Bishop with crowd standing beside church yard in an irregular form (7)
BLOTCHY – B (bishop) + LOT (crowd) + CH (church) + Y (yard)
15 Comic greeting America, including North and South American cities (9)
HILARIOUS – HI (greeting) and US (American) with LA and RIO inbetween
17 The writer recalled hugging large tree (3)
ELM – ME backwards with L in the middle
19 Snapshot, as it’s developed, reveals store worker (4,9)
SHOP ASSISTANT – anagram (‘developed’) of SNAPSHOT AS ITS
21 Change with regard to group of students (6)
REFORM – RE + FORM
22 Month with other ranks for council official (5)
MAYOR – MAY + OR

Down
1 Payment arrangement cheaper? I rush, madly (4-8)
HIRE-PURCHASE – anagram (‘madly’) of CHEAPER I RUSH
2 Wanting to see girl in capital of Germany (7)
MISSING – MISS + IN + G
3 Problem involving credit leading to melée (5)
SCRUM – SUM (problem) with CR (credit) inside
4 Sport and business degree? Here may be steps you can take (5)
RUMBA – RU (rugby union) + MBA
5 I modified using one? Very clever (9)
INGENIOUS – I + anagram (‘modified’) of USING ONE
6 Government Minister? Sadly they care more about status, primarily (4,9)
HOME SECRETARY – anagram (‘sadly’) of THEY CARE MORE with S for status
7 Unhappy year when kept outside confines of the stable (6)
STEADY – SAD + Y with TE (the ‘confines’ of THE) inside
13 Faced with dilemma over fuss? That’s a blow (7)
TORNADO – TORN + ADO
14 Horde of people, upset about defeat, to become more mature (7)
BLOSSOM – MOB backwards with LOSS inside
16 Free to fail, getting nothing twice (5)
LOOSE – LOSE with an extra O
18 Doctor has to run a car? (5)
MOTOR – MO (doctor) + TO + R
20 American uncle turning up in Damascus (3)
SAM – backwards hidden word: DaMAScus

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