The Age Cryptic by NS #20420

I've not been getting time to finish a puzzle these days. I did finish the DH late Wednesday and never got a look at the DP. I have finished the NS which is the puzzle I usually never to have a good go at so that's been great. NS likes long anagrams, I have noticed that much. Her anagrams don't usually work in the usual anagram solvers so they need done long hand which is good practice and shouldn't be moaned about. The achievement is better deserved for having put in the effort required. I say this of course as someone who did solve them. If I hadn't I'm sure I'd be moaning.

The puzzle is mostly anagrams, part anagrams and charade clues. I've been saying to myself that a great way to practice clue types and learn the different clue types was if there was a puzzle set of only one clue type that we could practice on. It may sound dull but A whole puzzle of charade clues to practice charades, a whole puzzle of only Reverse Anagrams to get better at recognising that clue style and so on would be invaluable to someone just breaking into cryptic crosswords. It's like learning a new language, you practice and repeat simpler conjugations then work up to more complex ones.

It was a short puzzle with only 24 clues. Here's my pic:

8A - A silent witness in hallway left on order (1,3,2,3,4)
"A silent witness" is our definition and "hallway left on order" is fodder and anagrind to give us:       A FLY ON THE WALL.

9A - Calculator shows first two letters, a semi-custom (6)
"Calculator" is our definition and "first two letters" = AB as first letters of the alphabet, then "A semi-CUStom" = A CUS as "semi" means half and we're to take half of "custom" giving us: ABACUS.

10A - A nickname for company top girl - for the ladies only (8)
"A nickname" is our definition and "COmpany top" = CO, "girl" = G and "for ladies only" = NO MEN for COGNOMEN. A new for me.

11A - Working model with coaches opening every time (5,3)
"working model" is the definition and "coaches" = TRAINS and "opening Every Time" = ET for TRAIN SET.

12A - One very loud, one hesitant and more uncertain (6)
"More uncertain" is the definition and "One" = I, "very loud" = FF for forte forte in music, "one" = I again and "hesitant" = ER to give us IFFIER.

13A - Archers felt this angry and beheaded king (7,3,5)
"Beheaded king" is who we are looking for and "Archers felt this angry" is fodder and anagrind to give us: CHARLES THE FIRST.

17A - Surrounded by open desert in a light fog (6)
"Surrounded by" is our definition and "open Desert" = D as it's the "opening" letter for "desert" which is to be placed "in" a word for "A light fog" = A MIST for AMI(D)ST.

19A - After the last 90, a large tub we finally dig out (8)
"Dig out" is the definition and "thE last" = E and "90" = XC in Roman numerals, "A large tub" = A VAT and "wE finally" = E which comes together to give us EXCAVATE.

22A - Canoe, sir, overturned in the synopsis (8)
"Synopsis" is our definition and "Canoe sir overturned" is fodder and anagrind - it's usually wise to ignore punctuation in clues (and I say this to remind myself as well anyone reading this), to give us: SCENARIO.

23A - Ring us! Edward is expelled (6)
"Expelled" is our definition and "Ring" = O, "Us" = US and "Edward" = TED to give us OUSTED.

24A - The shop reduces the price of the first productive rock (8,5)
"The shop" is the definition and "reduces the price" = DISCOUNTS, "The first" = T and "productive rock" = ORE for DISCOUNT STORE.

1D - Slight curve is yellowish under top coat (6)
"Slight curve" is the definition and "yellowish" = AMBER to be placed "under" "top Coat" = C for CAMBER.

2D - Quiet, more fortunate - and braver (8)
"Braver" is our definition and "quiet" = P for piano is a common cryptic device meaning quiet, "more fortunate" = LUCKIER for PLUCKIER.

3D - Sounds from session rising with a scout leader leaving (6)
"Sounds" is the definition and the focus is around the word SESSION. At the end of the clue there's an instruction "with a scout leaving" which means -S leaving SESION which in a down clue "rising" means to enter the grin in reverse for NOISES.

4D - Persist with this subject or change it to kitchen pots? (5,2,3,5)
"Persist with this subject" is the definition and "change it to kitchen pots" is anagrind and fodder to give us STICK TO THE POINT.

5D - Start up again with Rule One, half-term (8)
"Start up again" is the definition and I got this in late and with cross letters. I got the parsing from "Andy Wain ‏@andywain  reign = rule, I = one, te = half term " giving us REIGNITE. I had the TE and the RE but then had been googling what "IGNI" meant and was getting nowhere so thanks to Andy for putting me out of my misery.

6D - Accompanied to departure point to sever (3,3)
"To sever" is the definition and this was my last clue in. I'm not sure at all how it's parsed I made an educated guess the answer is SAW OFF. Oh! Maybe it's like when you say goodbye to someone at the airport and we "see them off" on their trip only past tense. Yes that works as a double definition.

7D - Having no knowledge but this example is not as much (8)
"Having no knowledge" is the definition and "this example" means this CLUE and "is not as much" = LESS for CLUELESS.

14D - One department of inquiry enters the residence; it's murder! (8)
I had the first letter in place and got the answer from the definition, "It's murder!" but I think we solve this as "One" = I, "Department of inquiry" = CID for Criminal Investigation Dept., which "enters" or is put into a word for "residence" = HOME like this: HOM(I)(CID)E.

15D - Outside! Or I exert punishment (8)
Lovely clue seeing as it's school holidays and many parents can related to this clue. "Outside!" is our definition and "Or I exert punishment," is fodder and anagrind giving us: EXTERIOR.

16D - Military offensive; in first violent action endless noise rises (8)
"Military offensive" is our definition and timely, too. "IN" = IN, "first Violent Action" = VA,  "endless noise rises" means to remove the last letter from NOISE - E = NOIS and that "rises" in a down clue, making the N the last grid letter, to give us: IN+VA+SION.

18D - Scandinavian dish includes a nut topping (6)
"Scandinavian" is our definition and "DISH" is to "include" "A Nut topping" = A N for D(A N)ISH.

20D - Part of house inside cosy but somewhat fussy (6)
"Fussy" is our definition and "part of HOuse" = HO to be placed inside "COSY" to give us: C(HO)OSY

21D - Subjects with extremes of eagerness follow them (6)
"Subjects" is our definition and "extremes of EagernesS" = ES which "follows" THEM for THEM(ES)

There we have it, that was thursday with NS. I'm happy to have had the chance to get through an NS and I'm going to make an effort to get them more in the future. Oh, here's the long anagram solving on the back of the puzzle:

Now to tackle the DA which has started off with a naughty word so this might be good! Happy Friday!