The Times Cryptic December 22 2020 Crossword Solutions

 

The Times - Cryptic - Times Cryptic No 27854
Clues	Answers
Arctic wasting away	PERISHING
Artist escaping sweet animal	CAMEL
Call from drinker as he put in blue straws	down the hatch
Confident, furthermore, entering business	can-do
Cut doubled, quickly	chop-chop
Entrance with pipes passing back	DEBUT
Freshener spraying patterns in air to mask pong, primarily	ANTIPERSPIRANT
Fruit hangs loosely, it's said?	DRUPES
Hibiscus originally captured by artist, a flowering plant	DAHLIA
House party I left, vermin hosts	DOMICILE
Important figure in the Met once in action, wandering round capital of Spain	TOSCANINI
In the morning, bus dropping back behind schedule __ walk!	AMBULATE
Introducing sliding scale to work, what makes sparks fly?	Tesla coil
Mallet finally breaking bones in fish	STURGEON
Military official elected __ for a second term?	AGAIN
Needing no introduction, top series set apart	ESTRANGE
Part of the family's great talent avoiding one	GENUS
Question on insurance claim form: how much should we pay?	whats the damage
Restore checks meeting sugar daddy?	REINSTATE
Rotter is gathering people together	compos mentis
See red, green and yellow items	go bananas
Such as British beef in kitchen container	EGGBOX
Suggestion of G 12	MIDNIGHT
The necessary part of the orchestra	BRASS
Time repeatedly invested in game __ it's a gamble	LOTTO
Vessel arrives on land with it	LIGHTSHIP
Wipe face on tablecloth, kids!	TISSUE
Wood in fire is offered up	OSIER
The Times - Cryptic - Times Quick Cryptic No 1771
Clues	Answers
Addictive form of cocaine reduced in repressive measure	CRACKDOWN
An objection to touch	ABUT
Backed exams taken again eliminating English winter sportsperson	SKATER
Change outside of one meteorological flight instrument	ALTIMETER
Chicken when headless	HEN
Circulate gold piece	ORBIT
Dangerous creature runs round outside hotel and inside	RHINO
Financier having 100 for northern supporter	BACKER
Formal agreement dropping the first parliamentary statute	ACT
Hearing test	TRIAL
I must replace what's at heart of bad offer	BID
In diamonds I go for blue colour	INDIGO
Like Hals' cavalier with reputation as an object of ridicule	laughing stock
Make division time stand up before court	TRISECT
Mass at church with the French saint is without equal	MATCHLESS
Men bash titles for representing upper echelon	ESTABLISHMENT
Occupy one new hospital a little time	INHABIT
Painter's way of working with black to speed up task	BRUSHWORK
Priest perhaps given lodging by Uncle Richard	CLERIC
Reformed lamina including uranium metal oxide	ALUMINA
Rough sketch of simple boat on delta	DRAFT
Take a gamble importing European root crop	BEET
Talk about milliner	CHATTER
Tell Romeo story in reverse, with end at the start	RELATE
Turned over furrow to pinch root vegetable	TURNIP
What can protect wood in burnt arboretum	TAR