Times Quick Cryptic 2788 by Orpheus

Solving time: 9 minutes

I found this quite easy but I shall be interested to hear how you all got on.

I imagine that not everyone who visits the Quick Cryptic blog also reads the 15×15 so I’m taking this opportunity to re-post Vinyl1’s reminder from his blog last Monday:

I have been asked to remind everyone – bloggers and commenters  alike- that off-topic discussions of politics and religion are not required here. While living people can now be included in these puzzles,  and this  includes politicians and religious leaders, the fact that they exist and are who they are is sufficient for the purposes of the puzzle.  If you wish to discuss these matters, there are thousands of other web sites available devoted to these topics.

As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.

Across
1	Adorn well fantastically, being native of central Scotland, perhaps (9)
	LOWLANDER
	Anagram [fantastically] of ADORN WELL
6	Educationalist’s sleeping-place (3)
	BED
	Two meanings. B Ed = Bachelor of Education.
8	Drawing of box with nothing in it (7)
	CARTOON
	CARTON (box) containing 0 [with nothing in it]
9	Calm musical offering, by the sound of it (5)
	PEACE
	Aural wordplay [by the sound of it]: “piece” (musical offering)
10	Mean rebuke over fellow with evidence of debts (12)
	PARSIMONIOUS
	RAP (rebuke) reversed [over], SIMON (fellow), IOUS (evidence of debts)
12	Suit, one seen in part of West London (6)
	ACTION
	I (one) contained by [seen in] ACTON (part of West London)
13	Mistake originally riling boss (6)
	GAFFER
	GAFFE (mistake), R{iling} [originally]
16	Order distribution of gas in Ontario (12)
	ORGANISATION
	Anagram [distribution] of GAS IN ONTARIO
19	Greeting welcoming a small number in Asian capital (5)
	HANOI
	HI (greeting) containing [welcoming] A + NO (small number)
20	Bill — and what he hopes to be when singing? (7)
	INVOICE
	IN VOICE (what he – Bill – hopes to be when singing)
22	Twisted-sounding grain (3)
	RYE
	Aural wordplay [sounding]: “wry” (twisted)
23	Vessel of little weight giving warning at sea? (9)
	LIGHTSHIP
	LIGHT (of little weight), SHIP (vessel)

Down
1	Going north, pass over end of rich expanse of water (4)
	LOCH
	COL (mountain pass) reversed (going north), {roc}H [end of…]
2	Justify women’s set finally touring Scottish island (7)
	WARRANT
	W (women’s) + {se}T [finally] containing [touring] ARRAN (Scottish island)
3	A turn in the past (3)
	AGO
	A, GO (turn)
4	Energetic person upset a large number in party (6)
	DYNAMO
	MANY (a large number) reversed [upset] contained by [in] DO (party)
5	Contrite worker shut up again (9)
	REPENTANT
	RE-PENT (shut up again), ANT (worker)
6	Little sibling digesting Authorised Version? Well done! (5)
	BRAVO
	BRO (little – abbreviated – sibling) containing [digesting] AV (Authorised Version – The Bible)
7	Theatre employee — Welsh, possibly? (7)
	DRESSER
	Two meanings.  A Welsh dresser is a sideboard.
11	Canoodle on promontory, finding wading bird (9)
	SPOONBILL
	SPOON (canoodle), BILL (promontory e.g. Portland Bill)
12	A different head of art — him, presumably? (7)
	ANOTHER
	A{rt} [head of…], NOT HER (him, presumably?)
14	Possible dessert is hot? That’s silly (7)
	FOOLISH
	FOOL (possible dessert), IS, H (hot)
15	Making request in capacity of monarch (6)
	ASKING
	AS KING (in capacity of monarch)
17	Information about category of literature or art (5)
	GENRE
	GEN (information), RE (about)
18	Act as custodian of castle (4)
	KEEP
	Two meanings
21	Check out   surgeon (3)
	VET
	Two meanings