The Times - Cryptic - December 17 2018 Crossword Puzzle Answers

The Times - Cryptic - Times Cryptic No 27223
Clues	Answers
A personal assistant, I'm going bust, finally	VALET
Always delivery turns up after a term for musicians	alla breve
American jerk seeing worker maybe with daughter, bowled over	DWEEB
Around South Africa, driest winds blow?	DISASTER
Bridge put out	CROSS
Conceal oneself behind green coat taken from stock	RAWHIDE
Current fine restricts hooligan	OIK
Engulfed by flames, amphibian remains	LEFTOVERS
Figure working alongside someone who never complains?	NONAGON
Food requiring refrigeration in cosy place __ cry about that	single cream
Fun with gas and air __ look out of it!	COMEDY
Furthest away, a vessel into which I must climb	APOGEAN
Game taking day, touring the terraced houses	three-card monte
Giant lacking good complexion	HUE
Giant uphill in pastoral setting	ORCHARD
In Bengal, a thick club	LATHI
Irritating thing this explosive, a bomb	HISTAMINE
North of the ground, steer into that empty part of Liverpool	TOXTETH
Observe, over time, victory inspiring a writer	mark twain
Odd characters rubbed out, maybe detective a forgiving type	ABSOLVER
Opportunity to play in championship finally gone	OPENING
Physicist supreme idiot, they say?	max planck
Seeing that schooner, following ship	ASTERN
Standard type of blood a short distance inside arm	ORIFLAMME
Suffering hilly area, one almost entirely dug up	laid low
The winner, me?	first person
Tree approximately twice the height of oak?	CACAO
Upset over Tibet, on having confined priest, surprisingly?	believe it or not
Weapon in range, however, not the first	CUTLASS
Youngsters finding last of salmon in river	TEENS
The Times - Cryptic - Times Quick Cryptic No 1245
Clues	Answers
A knight with additional decoration somewhere in Northern Ireland	ANTRIM
A US lot losing heart unfortunately in Oklahoman city	TULSA
Any number in peculiar top hats and skimpy female attire	hot pants
Bloke receiving Communion finally in church	MINSTER
Boy comes to end of the big book	TOME
Cloth seen in porch in Oxford	CHINO
Enjoyable experience of a big swimmer from a previous era?	a whale of a time
Female just on the scene, turning up with honoured companion	WENCH
Gloomy, having eaten hard fish	SHAD
Hero in police department	CID
Hesitation about time of abstinence? Back down	RELENT
I? I love to eat	IODINE
Insincere toad sadly thinking of no one else?	INCONSIDERATE
Joy has to keep quiet and languishes	HAPPINESS
Manage to communicate, that's clear	get over
Old car not starting creates fury	ANGER
Pair to perform at front of one church in rehearsal	PRACTICE
Pussy is crossing avenue __ caution!	CAVEAT
Sailor Henry's was a Spanish Catherine	first mate
Shorten a span	ABRIDGE
This writer has a set of religious books planned	MEANT
Vehicle with nothing on? That's funny!	CARTOON
What sounds like common bird sound	CHEEP
Wood used in model-making	ELM