A hold up on 1ac and 3dn delayed my finish to 10 seconds outside my target of 10 minutes. No grumps from me, though, as I enjoyed this one a lot. Clues to enjoy around the grid but 1ac takes COD for me.
ACROSS
1. Traitor in Paris who attracts support (8)
QUISLING – rather than springing to mind, my mind had to crawl laboriously towards this one. A great word though – which I did know so no excuses. In the language used in Paris ‘who’ is ‘QUI’ with the not so obvious support = SLING next to it.
5. Type of seabird others rejected (4)
SKUA – auks are other seabirds – which, when rejected/backwards = SKUA.
9. Member of clergy beheaded for crime (5)
ARSON – our clergyman is a pARSON without the first letter.
10. A model unexpectedly receiving right noble rank (7)
EARLDOM – anagram (unexpectedly) of A MODEL with right (R).
11. Decline of French people of similar age (12)
DEGENERATION – ‘of’ in French – DE, people of similar age – GENERATION.
13. Going to ground, getting beating (6)
HIDING – double definition.
15, Greek character concealing source of this disgrace (6)
STIGMA – Greek character – SIGMA holding (T)his.
17. Memory concerning offertory (12)
RECOLLECTION – concerning RE, offertory COLLECTION.
20. Condition backed by more senior cricketer, perhaps (7)
FIELDER – condition – if – backed – FI, more senior – ELDER. I liked the unusual if = condition.
21. Instruction to supply goods called for by the Speaker? (5)
ORDER – double definition – the second was amusing – being the parliamentary pantomime.
22. Symbol of rank crack troops held at first (4)
SASH – crack troops SAS, (H)eld.
23. Lines by English novelist identifying vegetation (8)
GREENERY – lines – RY (railway), next to English novelist – GREENE.
DOWN
1. Crucial-sounding place for loading and unloading ships (4)
QUAY – homophone (sounding) of crucial – key.
2. Affair producing children? (5)
ISSUE – double definition.
3. Transparency islander lent freely (7,5)
LANTERN SLIDE – anagram (freely) of ISLANDER LENT. The transparency used in a slide projector or magic lantern.
4. Reportedly worked flour into dough, as required (6)
NEEDED – homophone of kneaded.
6. Giving birth on farm? – not being serious! (7)
KIDDING – a goat giving birth on a farm could be said to be ‘kidding’.
7. Caucasian soldiers initially installed in Irish islands (8)
ARMENIAN – soldiers – MEN and (I)nstalled inside Irish islands (ARAN – the isles of).
8. Breaks rest to develop a mode of swimming (12)
BREASTSTROKE – anagram (develop) of BREAKS REST TO.
12. She plays a series of jazz chords for law officers (8)
SHERIFFS – she (SHE), plays a series of jazz notes (RIFFS – the verb).
14. Noblewoman‘s daughter beginning to understand board game (7)
DUCHESS – daughter (D), (U)nderstand, board game (CHESS).
16. One who endures being a carrier of equipment? (6)
BEARER – double definition.
18. Senior citizen taken in by soldiers (5)
OLDIE – well, oldie is in Collins – and quite rightly as it’s the name of a magazine which contains the ever enjoyable genius crossword. Inside s(OLDIE)rs.
19. Cook disturbed by a noisy quarrel (4)
FRAY – affray is similar but with a greater element of fighting. Cook (FRY) holding a (A).
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