Some challenging clues in an enjoyable crossword of mid-difficulty. Travelling at the moment so keeping this brief – please do ask for any clarifications.
Definitions underlined, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition, deletions CROSSED OUT
| Across | |
| 1 Reservoir wall becoming old and harmful (8) | |
|    DAMAGING – DAM, AGING | |
| 5 Wrestling in whole round (4) | |
|    SUMO – Whole (SUM), O. | |
| 8 Cleaner is chap that’s endless personal power (8) | |
|
   CHARISMA – CHAR, IS, MA |
|
| 9 Cut head off thorn tree (4) | |
|
   PINE – |
|
| 11 Dreamt line broke — leading to this (10) | |
|    DERAILMENT – Anagram (broke) of DREAMT LINE. | |
| 14 Place reported as perfect and the best in Surinam regularly (6) | |
|    UTOPIA – The best (TOP) inside sUrInAm. | |
| 15 Argentinian dictator imprisons second individual (6) | |
|    PERSON – PERON holds second (S). | |
| 17 Stopping something happening in Ripon when rambling (10) | |
|    PREVENTION – Something happening (EVENT) in an anagram (rambling) of RIPON. | |
| 20 I am a leader of Muslims (4) | |
|    IMAM – I’M, A, (M)uslims. &lit clue where the word play is the definition. | |
| 21 Sweet-talk pensioner after urgent appeal about foot (4-4) | |
|    SOFT-SOAP – OAP after SOS containing FT. | |
| 22 Information provided about loch in Scottish valley (4) | |
|    GLEN – GEN around loch (L). | |
| 23 Material about eastern Mediterranean (8) | |
|    RELEVANT – About (RE), LEVANT. Material as in pertinent. | |
| Down | |
| 1 Cut back weed where boats tie up (4) | |
|    DOCK – Triple definition! COD. | |
| 2 Average sort of name (4) | |
|    MEAN – Anagram (sort of) of NAME. | |
| 3 Inside leg you finally sorted out, providing yardsticks (10) | |
|    GUIDELINES – Anagram (sorted out) of INSIDE LEG yo(U). | |
| 4 Marsupial dead on middle of path (6) | |
|    NUMBAT – Dead (NUMB), p(AT)h. Haven’t looked it up but it must be a marsupial. | |
| 6 Creation of what might be Oxford poetry (8) | |
|    UNIVERSE – Might be Oxford (UNI), VERSE. Creation as in the whole universe, including the world and all the things in it. | |
| 7 Subtle implication — or very clear one (8) | |
|    OVERTONE – OVERT, ONE. | |
| 10 Fly with navy, perhaps with courage (10) | |
|    BLUEBOTTLE – Navy perhaps – the colour (BLUE), BOTTLE. | |
| 12 Savoury ball made from scrap fish (8) | |
|    DUMPLING – Scrap (DUMP), LING. | |
| 13 Finished in prison for what was printed in papers? (8) | |
|    COVERAGE – OVER inside CAGE. | |
| 16 Street clothing must be light (6) | |
|    STROBE – ST, ROBE. | |
| 18 Fish with a tail (4) | |
|    CODA – COD, A. Tail as in (music) the final, sometimes inessential, part of a musical structure and also, maybe, a concluding part of a literary work, esp a summary at the end of a novel of further developments in the lives of the characters. | |
| 19 See peaks rising up (4) | |
|    SPOT – TOPS backwards/upwards. | |
I didn’t quite finish this one (strobe and derailment) but unlike yesterday the clues were fair and made sense.
Brian
Overall I thought this was an excellent puzzle with several enjoyable clues.