The Sunday Crossword No 3336, Sunday 15 Dec 2024

ACROSS

1   Chubby harpist, Edenic resident – unearthly being, primarily! (6) CHERUB Acrostic &lit

5   Tiny something taken by secretary (6) MINUTE [DD]

8   Jack’s obstacle making Cedric and Les tickled in part (11) CANDLESTICK [T]

11 Everyman’s going to heads, having complaints (9) ILLNESSES {I'LL}{NESSES}

12 Express view in ode to a Christmas tree? (5) OPINE {O}{PINE}

13 Slapdash, a bit, UEFA’s only partly regular (7) HABITUE [T]

14 Leaves by swish old railway (7) CHICORY {CHIC}{O}{RY}

15 Kind of tense? Ideal (7) PERFECT [DD]

17 Twerp in middle of heath finding track (7) MONITOR {MO{NIT}OR}

20 Coat chicken? (5) LAYER [DD]

21 King, extremely stuck up, beheaded: most awkward! (9) KNOTTIEST {K}{sNOOTIEST}

22 Oath: if doing, perform honestly (2,4,5) IN GOOD FAITH*

23 For himself, the king’s – that is to say – casual apparel (6) ONESIE {ONES}{IE}

24 Cheers! Drink, then eastern casserole (6) TAGINE {TA}{GIN}{E}

DOWN

2   Fruit, N. European, for Tom Sawyer’s pal (11,4) HUCKLEBERRY FINN {HUCKLEBERRY}{FINN}

3   Ken Starr not quite liberal, extremely gross (7) RANKEST {KEN+STARr}

4   Bastille’s stormed, tougher than the rest (9) BALLSIEST*

5   Biblical lawgiver saunters with yen to depart (5) MOSES MOSEyS

6   Book with the writer supporting N. African capital – not about Kenyan city (7) NAIROBI {B}{I}<=>{N}{cAIRO}

7   Inane, thick tot – he misbehaves – grin and bear it (4,2,2,3,4) TAKE IT ON THE CHIN*

9   Drug-addled greeting heard (4) HIGH (~hi)

10 Tax riverside protection in announcement (4) LEVY (~levee)

14 Stop using smartphones, laptops etc? As if (4,3,2) COME OFF IT [CD]

15 What the crossword setter sees as exquisite, friends! (4) PALS {SLAP UP}

16 Tangled dungarees abandoned by Dutch causes vexation (7) ENRAGES duNGAREES*

18 Taking home fishing kit (7) NETTING [DD]

19 Schedule a hill to climb (4) ROTA {A}{TOR}<=

21 Merry after skipping starter: broken bread in Scandinavia (5) KRONE bROKEN*

Reference List

Old = O, Railway = RY, King = K, Cheers = TA< Eastern = E, Yen = Y, Book = B, About = C, Dutch = DU