This looks like quite a gentle solve in hindsight that I didn’t make especially light work of, coming in a minute-or-so under target. No particular hold-ups, although I was slow to unravel the anagram at 10ac, my LOI. All good fun – many thanks to Hurley!
| Across | |
| 1 | Criticize a gripe, sad, out of order (9) |
| DISPARAGE – anagram (out of order) of A GRIPE SAD | |
| 6 | Decline swim (3) |
| DIP – double definition | |
| 8 | Enthusiastic soccer official recalled opening (7) |
| FERVENT – FER (Ref = soccer official, recalled = reversed) VENT (opening) | |
| 9 | 55 in river search (5) |
| DELVE – LV (55 in Roman numerals) in DEE (river) | |
| 10 | Cautious — vet one’s vicar? Strange! (12) |
| CONSERVATIVE – anagram (strange) of VET ONES VICAR. | |
| 12 | Son tries to find garden tool (6) |
| SHEARS – S(on) HEARS (tries – in court) | |
| 13 | Courteous E European welcoming Italian (6) |
| POLITE – POLE (E European) welcomes IT(alitan) | |
| 16 | Cheerful, like Blighty, and flighty? (5-7) |
| LIGHT-HEARTED – as per the “hearts” of both bLIGHTy and fLIGHTy. | |
| 19 | Evidence found in Somali bin (5) |
| ALIBI – “found in” somALI BIn. A piece of supporting evidence, as well as a plea, that one was elsewhere at the time. | |
| 20 | Praise quite regularly received by large group (7) |
| TRIBUTE – U T (q U i T e “regularly”) received by TRIBE (large group). | |
| 22 | Pressure to abandon agreement? It may be just a pose (3) |
| ACT -P(ressure) to abandon pACT (agreement) | |
| 23 | Where housing’s lacking, inexperienced run fast (5,4) |
| GREEN BELT – GREEN (inexperienced) BELT (run fast) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Frivolous daughter near back of boat (4) |
| DAFT – D(aughter) AFT (near back of boat) | |
| 2 | Unfortunate score, own goal let in, seeing Ebenezer? (7) |
| SCROOGE – anagram (unfortunate) of SCORE, with OG (own goal) let in. | |
| 3 | Guitar used by Texan on rise (3) |
| AXE – employed by tEXAn “on rise” = reverse. | |
| 4 | Clothes tear: it’s awful! (6) |
| ATTIRE – anagram (is awful) of TEAR IT | |
| 5 | Purpose English favour, heading off making effort (9) |
| ENDEAVOUR – END (purpose) E(nglish) fAVOUR with the heading off. | |
| 6 | Indian city food shop husband enters (5) |
| DELHI – DELI (food shop), H(usband) enters. | |
| 7 | Anticipate page referring to fancied player, we hear (7) |
| PRECEDE – P(age) RE (referring to), CEDE we hear the same as SEED (fancied player) | |
| 11 | It is likely to succeed — rush, get in lively! (4,5) |
| SURE THING – anagram (lively) of RUSH GET IN. I don’t know much about gambling, but I know to be wary of something called a sure thing. | |
| 12 | Muslim ruler with a dried grape (7) |
| SULTANA – double definition. Edit: yes, this just about works, but see Cedric’s better parsing below. | |
| 14 | Reserve 27, for example, for dropping in the drink? (3,4) |
| ICE CUBE – ICE (reserve, coldness) CUBE (27, for example: 3x3x3). I spent a few increasingly irritated seconds trying to get the clues to scroll down to 27. | |
| 15 | Take up residence and pay (6) |
| SETTLE – double definition | |
| 17 | Remorse of GI after pinching uniform left just outside (5) |
| GUILT – GI pinches U(niform), and then just the outside of LefT | |
| 18 | Time of self-denial will have an effect finally (4) |
| LENT – wilL havE aN effecT “finally” | |
| 21 | Popular Northern pub (3) |
| INN – IN (popular) N(orthern) | |
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