1-across – Forceful : PUNCHY

4-across – Silent : TACIT

7-across – Muscle spasms : CRAMPS

8-across – Lay bare : EXPOSE

9-across – One’s in charge : BOSS

10-across – Lunar mission : MOONSHOT

12-across – Non-attendance at school or work : ABSENTEEISM

17-across – Beginner – note hype : NEOPHYTE

19-across – Top bit of carpet? : PILE

20-across – Quantity : AMOUNT

21-across – Overpowers : DROWNS

22-across – Desperate if last : DITCH

23-across – Keep : ADHERE

1-down – Support for climbing plants : PERGOLA

2-down – Captain Hook’s was a crocodile : NEMESIS

3-down – The price of silence? : HUSHMONEY

4-down – Poisonous substance : TOXIN

5-down – Clobber : CLOTHES

6-down – Written agreement : TREATY

11-down – Inconclusive : OPENENDED

13-down – Lavish meal : BLOWOUT

14-down – Beg : IMPLORE

15-down – Jumble : MELANGE

16-down – Not near the coast : INLAND

18-down – Strong suspicion : HUNCH

1-across – Self-examination : INTROSPECTION

8-across – Potential hitch : PITFALL

9-across – One helps an orchestra keep time : BATON

10-across – Feeling of hunger : PANG

11-across – Crushing criticism : TAKEDOWN

13-across – He’ll agree to anything : YESMAN

14-across – Cured sausage : SALAMI

17-across – Make : ACQUAINT

19-across – Like some potatoes : WAXY

21-across – Eucalyptus eater : KOALA

22-across – Ray of light : SUNBEAM

24-across – Experimental approach – riled narrator : TRIALANDERROR

1-down – Little devil : IMP

2-down – Infectious disease caused by bacteria commonly found in soil : TETANUS

3-down – Satisfactory,not great : OKAY

4-down – Supporting structure : PILLAR

5-down – Iconic San Francisco transport : CABLECAR

6-down – Start of a song : INTRO

7-down – One’s nothing special : NONENTITY

10-down – Wages : PAYPACKET

12-down – Enjoyed oneself : HADABALL

15-down – One does it for pleasure,not money : AMATEUR

16-down – : UNISON

18-down – Pseudo- prefix : QUASI

20-down – On bended ___ : KNEE

23-down – Act as a spoiler? : MAR

5-across – Unworldly quality : INNOCENCE

8-across – One’s proverbially meek : LAMB

9-across – Briggs’s Fungus,say : BOGEYMAN

10-across – Fight for : DEFEND

11-across – Get on board : EMBARK

13-across – Sort out a mess : TIDYUP

15-across – Changeable : FICKLE

16-across – Overjoyed : EUPHORIC

18-across – Point of connection : BOND

19-across – Not well-cooked : UNDERDONE

1-down – Belief in one’s own superiority : SNOBBERY

2-down – Obsessed with death : MORBID

3-down – Schulz’s Snoopy,for instance : BEAGLE

4-down – Repugnant : ICKY

6-down – Not meant to be taken seriously : FACETIOUS

7-down – Dreamworld : FAIRYLAND

12-down – Strength of character : BACKBONE

14-down – Bag carrier? : PORTER

15-down – Outward show : FACADE

17-down – It generally has five digits : HAND

5-across – Moving spirit? : POLTERGEIST

7-across – Twisted door handle : KNOB

8-across – Meet : CONVERGE

9-across – Gannet or guillemot,for instance : SEABIRD

11-across – Disjointed : BITTY

13-across – One’s unsettled : NOMAD

14-across – Main player : KINGPIN

16-across – Keep going without making progress : TICKOVER

17-across – Stick with it : TAPE

18-across – Brawny : MUSCLEBOUND

1-down – Talk indiscreetly : BLAB

2-down – Fastest – and smallest – planet : MERCURY

3-down – Intense pain : AGONY

4-down – Mercenary individual or menial drudge : HIRELING

5-down – Total chaos – men and opium : PANDEMONIUM

6-down – Unforthcoming : TIGHTLIPPED

10-down – Slightly salty : BRACKISH

12-down – Tiny organism : MICROBE

15-down – Flap of tissue at the back of the throat : UVULA

17-down – Hence : THUS

1-across – Harmful intention : MALICE

4-across – Property of the deceased : ESTATE

8-across – Defeat in a game or argument : RINSE

9-across – Felicity – Second Coming event : RAPTURE

10-across – Frequently visited : HAUNTED

11-across – Helps to commit a crime : ABETS

12-across – Tasty : DELICIOUS

17-across – It’ll point you in the right direction : ARROW

19-across – Bartender’s tool : ICEPICK

21-across – Party inflatable : BALLOON

22-across – Schedule,squeeze or ship? : TIGHT

23-across – Difficult – work of HMRC : TAXING

24-across – Distress at leaving a person or place : WRENCH

1-down – Actors Cillian and Eddie : MURPHY

2-down – : LANGUID

3-down – Container of medicine : CHEST

5-down – Queen of the Night singer : SOPRANO

6-down – Insults : ABUSE

7-down – Nonetheless : EVENSO

9-down – Cutback – introduce : REDUCTION

13-down – : LOWDOWN

14-down – : SMIDGEN

15-down – Conversation-starter : GAMBIT

16-down – Quick drawing : SKETCH

18-down – Don’t worry! : RELAX

20-down – Cross the threshold : ENTER