Cryptic Crossword, CTC Monthly Puzzle Prompt, Aug 2023

Virginia left wearing pair of short trousers, wanting 16a (4,7)

Orizzontali

1A
Virginia left wearing pair of short trousers, wanting 16a (4,7)
7A
Erratic government caught in tirade against Vatican (7)
8A
Limits of board's responsibilities contain, for example, requests (4)
10A
Fish set ablaze by the sound of it (4)
11A
Common fruit with less sodium, half lithium (5)
14A
Eastern terminus of Bristol railway (2)
16A
Cash in before realizing excessive additional debt to begin with (5)
17A
Taking back bet goes up in flames? (4)
20A
Second-hand currency covers drug (4)
21A
Missing acceleration stuffs run in races (6)
22A
Requirements: Chopped basil. Gin, too. (11)

Verticali

1D
Jar, mainly green copper (6)
2D
Arkansas, forgotten in granary fiasco, becomes furious (5)
3D
Type of atmosphere when criminal, Victor I, departs vessel (4)
4D
Large, out of control lathe could kill someone (6) [credit: bolgat]
5D
Prior to elocute vacuously about essential charity (3)
6D
Home of wise king with no ordinary queen (4)
9D
Grisette changes infant with excess excrement, primarily (7)
11D
Planting degree (3)
12D
Trial Gold Card distribution (6)
13D
Disorganized Attorneys General take time after suggestion of rapprochement (6)
15D
Statesman from Rhode Island visiting country, led by Frenchman (6)
18D
Embrace love for award (4)
19D
Look for hangout without principal annoyance (4)

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merlinnimue 20:40 · 2023-08-15T14:34:12.645Z

I dreamed a dream I could solve a cryptic without checks... maybe I should've held out one day more... Anyway, nice one, and sorry for the intrusion, ill go back to being my miserable self

e costruttore · 2023-08-18T20:23:01.883Z
Thanks for taking the time to solve it, using whatever means you need-- Who am I to speak against using checks? I don't think I've solved any cryptic without help that I didn't write myself...

Aaron Riccio 24:04 · 2023-08-18T17:21:20.369Z

A real toughie, for me, with some rarer (to this US solver) conventions in the triple deletion of 3D, the new-to-me abbreviation in 21A (I'm assuming for "time trial?"), or the definition of 17A. I still enjoyed working through zingers like 22A, 2D, 4D, and 13D (and you'd think I would've spotted 1A after solving this one!). Much obliged for the mental workout!

e costruttore · 2023-08-18T20:52:12.572Z
Thanks for your kind words. I don't have enough setting experience to aim for a particular difficulty level; I'm still trying to make sure that the wordplay is fair and that the surface reading scans well.

Notes on some of the particular clues you mentioned:
- According to Chambers, the abbreviation in 21A stands for "Tourist Trophy"
- My definition for 17A might not be fair; the dictionary calls it "a vessel for heating liquids in a saucer of burning alcohol." I would have preferred a word I'm more familiar with, but that was the last entry to be filled and there wasn't really a choice.
- I spent a long time trying to build 13D as RAGTIME - IME + AG, but couldn't ever make the surface quite work. Fortunately, I spotted the device I ended up using, which makes for a much nicer clue (IMO).

brknfixie 19:40 · 2023-08-27T01:53:19.934Z

Tough!

Cryptic Crossword, CTC Monthly Puzzle Prompt, Aug 2023

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