I hope your wavelengths were better tuned in than mine – but I have no complaints – I’d rather have a bit of a struggle to get my brain going in the morning than an easy stroll.
ACROSS
1. Strike a light – expression of surprise. Come out (strike), a, mild (light).
8. Ebony – wood. (E)dinburgh, lad (boy) around northern (n).
9. Whistle – blow me! I have to confess that I know of Whistler’s Mother more because of the Mr. Bean film than any cultural learning. (Whistle)r.
10. Tragedy – play like King Lear. Hear (try – as in court case) around old (aged).
11. Taper – narrow. Measure (tape), counte(r).
12. Hearth – home. Centre (heart), now(h)ere.
14. Status – position. Briefly express (stat)e, American (us). The benefit of taking longer to fully parse clues is shown by my quick dash at ‘states’ resulting in a DNF.
17. Rated – considered. Price (rate), daughter (d).
19. Anagram – crossword compiler may use one. A, nag, ram.
21. The Wash – English estuary. Anagram (lost) of ‘what she’.
22. Haydn – composer. Had, note (n) about unknown (y).
23. Royal Marines – part of our navy. Anagram (new) of ‘serial on army’.
DOWN
1. Sweet Charity – Broadway show. Cautious (chary) about ‘it’ after delightful (sweet).
2. Rioja – wine. Anagram (smashed) of ‘jar I’ and Barol(o).
3. Key West – Florida city. ‘We’ inside important (key), street (st).
4. Always – every time. Means (ways) supporting (Al) Capone.
5. Idiot – dope. One (I) inside ‘I’, spot (dot).
6. Hotspot – popular place of entertainment. Son (s) inside ‘hotpot’.
7. Refreshment – snacks. First year students (freshmen) dividing an anagram (prepared) of ‘rest’.
13. Art Deco – design style. Anagram (original) of ‘traced’, old (o).
15. Teacher – tutor. Pain (ache) inside (ter)m.
16. Mayhem – madhouse (a state of uproar or confusion). Month (May) on top of edge (hem).
18. Drama – play. Wee drink (dram) before (a)fternoon.
20. Rayon – material. C(rayon) is something to draw with so is a drawer.
Brian
Edited at 2016-03-29 09:45 am (UTC)
Rita
I wasn’t sure of the status of THE WASH as an estuary as it’s fed by four rivers but it seems to be the correct terminology along with “bay”.
SWEET CHARITY was a film as well as a Broadway show so might be better known to some for that. Its most famous song is “Big Spender” – a huge hit for Shirley Bassey.
Good workout, this one.
Assuming that dope had something to do with either drugs or lacquers did not help at all. So last one in.
Good challenge. Well done setter.
PlayupPompey
Sweet Charity is not a musical I’ve heard of, and “chary” is an uncommon word, so this took a while to get. MAYHEM and ANAGRAM were last ones in.
Pretty pleased to have got 1d from the wordplay alone as I’ve never heard of the musical but my COD goes to 16d mainly because I somehow managed to avoid the temptation of biffing asylum.