Author name: crosswordanswers

1-across – Metaphorical : FIGURATIVE

7-across – Remove crown from : POLLARD

8-across – Flower from bulb : TULIP

10-across – Metal : IRON

11-across – Lay aside indefinitely : MOTHBALL

13-across – Evasive : SHIFTY

15-across – Detective game : CLUEDO

17-across – Criminal : OFFENDER

18-across – Coagulate : CLOT

21-across – Dance – for two? : TANGO

22-across – Army officer : COLONEL

23-across – Act with which to entertain friends : PARTYPIECE

1-down – Folded sheet – or book made from such : FOLIO

2-down – Snatch : GRAB

3-down – Nearly incandescent? : REDHOT

4-down – Gay activist : TATCHELL

5-down – Small residential area : VILLAGE

6-down – One who won’t play? : SPOILSPORT

9-down – Conversations in bed : PILLOWTALK

12-down – Be prominent : STANDOUT

14-down – Spanish princess : INFANTA

16-down – Scene of unnecessary storm! : TEACUP

19-down – Sudden thrust : LUNGE

20-down – Run away : FLEE

1-across – Dog akin to spitz : POMERANIAN

7-across – Non-sexual : PLATONIC

8-across – Pipe – Underground? : TUBE

9-across – Story : TALE

10-across – Deprive : UNFROCK

12-across – Low walls round top of building : BATTLEMENTS

14-across – Disjointed : SCRAPPY

16-across – Leave out : OMIT

19-across – Flying insect : MOTH

20-across – Relevant : APPOSITE

21-across – Lancashire confection : ECCLESCAKE

1-down – Guide : PILOT

2-down – Sailor : MATELOT

3-down – Hard outer skin : RIND

4-down – Not the one one is christened with : NICKNAME

5-down – Change : ALTER

6-down – Counter : ABACUS

11-down – Vessel phased out of prisons : SLOPPAIL

12-down – Make signs to summon : BECKON

13-down – I am seen : NEMESIA

15-down – For one particular purpose : ADHOC

17-down – Source of church revenue : TITHE

18-down – Musical work : OPUS

1-across – Exaggerated publicity : HYPE

3-across – Sheath for sword : SCABBARD

8-across – Colleague : ALLY

9-across – Large mushroom : PUFFBALL

11-across – Useful and rewarding : WORTHWHILE

14-across – The physical world : NATURE

15-across – Without sense of right and wrong : AMORAL

17-across – Practice of refraining : ABSTINENCE

20-across – Line of shrubs : HEDGEROW

21-across – Compassion : PITY

22-across – Fearfulness : TIMIDITY

23-across – Network : GRID

1-down – Contrary breeze : HEADWIND

2-down – It is positive or negative : POLARITY

4-down – Apprehended : CAUGHT

5-down – Utter perplexity : BAFFLEMENT

6-down – Not at home : AWAY

7-down – Valley, as in Yorkshire : DALE

10-down – Crumbly biscuit rich in butter : SHORTBREAD

12-down – Border : FRONTIER

13-down – Favourite : BLUEEYED

16-down – Greatest possible : UTMOST

18-down – Informal conversations : CHAT

19-down – Early man : ADAM

1-across – Butt of ridicule : LAUGHINGSTOCK

8-across – Overtake – get through : PASS

9-across – Monocle : EYEGLASS

10-across – Personification : EMBODIMENT

12-across – Reveal : UNMASK

14-across – Space station : SKYLAB

15-across – One undertaking specific business : CONTRACTOR

19-across – Notes of chord played separately : ARPEGGIO

20-across – : IVAN

21-across – Select apartment at top of building : PENTHOUSEFLAT

2-down – Scary : ALARMING

3-down – Relish : GUSTO

4-down – Place for skating : ICERINK

5-down – Aquatic bird : GREBE

6-down – Russian writer : TOLSTOY

7-down – Snug : COSY

11-down – All-round view : PANORAMA

13-down – Old : ANCIENT

14-down – Earnest – important : SERIOUS

16-down – Black : NEGRO

17-down – High steep rock face : CLIFF

18-down – Tall woody plant : TREE

1-across – Cult of eg tribal art : PRIMITIVISM

9-across – Refusal – treatment as worthless : REJECTION

10-across – Wildebeest : GNU

11-across – Wanderer : NOMAD

13-across – Vent in earth’s crust : VOLCANO

14-across – Opposite to : FACING

15-across – Davy Jones’s locker : SEABED

18-across – Lachrimose : TEARFUL

20-across – Bad-tempered woman – earth mother? : VIXEN

21-across – Period : ERA

22-across – Get one’s own back : RETALIATE

24-across – : PASTTHEPOST

2-down – British rule in India : RAJ

3-down – Alexander the Great’s country : MACEDON

4-down – Steal : THIEVE

5-down – Plastic records : VINYL

6-down – Cabin where rail movements are controlled : SIGNALBOX

7-down – Relative Ü clock : GRANDFATHER

8-down – Now likely to survive : OUTOFDANGER

12-down – Irish band leader : MACNAMARA

16-down – Wrap around completely : ENVELOP

17-down – Grasp – of eggs? : CLUTCH

19-down – Method used in elections : FIRST

23-down – Fool : ASS