Across
1 Across Bread at counter scrambled makes a sweet snack (4,3) → DATE BAR Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “bread at”.
4 Across Makeshift floats found in aircraft steered off course (5) → RAFTS Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “aircraft steered”.
8 Across Silky fabric with wrongdoing, followed by arriving, gives total earnings (5,6) → GROSS INCOME Charade
Join three pieces end to end, 4, 3 and 4 letters long.
11 Across Wanderer housed by lead gives words of wisdom (7) → PROVERB Container
Put a 5-letter run inside a 2-letter word.
12 Across Caught in rag, turned round, forms trimmings for the plate (5) → GARNI Reversal
Reverse a run of letters to build the answer, which begins with “G”.
13 Across Every autumn, tourists initially consume (3) → EAT Initialism
Take the first letter of each: Every, Autumn, Tourists.
14 Across Fireplace docked leaves seat of emotion (5) → HEART Deletion
Remove 1 letter from the start of a longer word.
15 Across We hear it'll jell into a hair styling substance (3) → GEL Homophone
The answer sounds like “jell”.
16 Across In, then a friar, refers you further down the page (5) → INFRA Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 2 and 3 letters long.
18 Across Cecil is, oddly, frozen drips (7) → ICICLES Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “Cecil is”.
19 Across Reverse the situation, or alter the course of events (4,3,4) → TURN THE TIDE Double definition
Look for two different meanings of the same word.
20 Across More cunning, with caustic solution held between south and right (5) → SLYER Container
Put a 3-letter run inside a 2-letter word.
21 Across A son with acne, oddly arranged, produces a sound (7) → SONANCE Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “son acne”.
Down
2 Down A pull on a small craft is essentially a towboat (7) → TUGBOAT Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 3 and 4 letters long.
3 Down A brother, Ken, wrecked by deep grief (6,5) → BROKEN HEART Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “a brother Ken”.
5 Down Ground wheat sounds like a garden bloom (5) → FLOUR Homophone
The answer sounds like “flower”.
6 Down Experts, especially senior physicians in a hospital (11) → SPECIALISTS Double definition
Look for two different meanings of the same word.
7 Down Values highly, as currency does over time (11) → APPRECIATES Double definition
Look for two different meanings of the same word.
9 Down Underwater vessel, also a long filled sandwich (9) → SUBMARINE Double definition
Look for two different meanings of the same word.
10 Down Ability to see in darkness, secretly found in a knight visionary (5,6) → NIGHT VISION Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “knight visionary”.
15 Down Bitterness with a long age gives old trading ship (7) → GALLEON Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 4 and 3 letters long.
17 Down Cook clutching a hesitation crosses the water (5) → FERRY Container
Put a 2-letter run inside a 3-letter word.
