CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS

7. To the head of the household he’s as familiar as pet can be (13)

8. Their job is setting (11)

12. Was, equally, cut in two (6)

14. Receptacle for what’s shelled (6)

16. Start couching lance in order to cross it off (6)

18. Did see whirlpools in variety (6)

19. Where chef is only concerned with what he can ladle? (4,7)

23. Tiny Clive isn’t disposed to be reactionary? Yes! (13)

DOWN

1. Mineral powder used by ancient alchemist (4)

2. A number of sheets are shuffled before term ends (4)

3. Yield, if one can bear the expense (6)

4. How pure I’m turning as a game official (6)

5. When voice is broken a lot changes (4)

6. Get through and hand it over (4)

9. Otherwise come down on nothing but a place in Florida (7)

10. Stand in line to greet Eve, rice being thrown (7)

11. An invocation to a Manx cat that’s the work of a musician (4)

12. Make cuts with a commercial sort of writer (4)

13. Before it can go up as well as down (3)

15. Leave on the day a deity appears (3)

17. One may have a partiality for affection (6)

18. A private park is all one has got (6)

19. Make a fuss with this and dance, tuneful as it is (4)

20. It could be put with nothing until that time (2,2)

21. Scene of industry he found when about four (4)

22. Top of head shown up in pictorial long-shot (4) YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

Across: 1. Comprehends 7. Extreme 9. Over 11. Blood

12. Battle 14. Terminology 18. Pardon 20. Noyes 22. Raid

23. Iceberg 24. Keep abreast

Down: 2. Outcome 3. Ewes 4. Divot 5. Herbs 6. Green

8. Endymion 10. Parlance 13. One 15. Geysers 16. Spark

17. Usage 19. Raise 21. Limb