CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ACROSS 2. A morsel of the soft part of bread (5) 5. Drink we are about to have at home (4) 7. Remove the top of the mask I must hold (4) 8. A bit North and South about hesitation, or maybe East and West (8) 9. Agitated by the one and the other deer that turns (8) 11. A London district soon halved: oh, it will make a comeback (4) 12. Like an eight find themselves sharing unfortunate experience (2,3,4,4) 15. Is repeatedly seen in the Thames at Oxford (4) 17. Not the least idea of it being the farthest away (8) 19. Wrote of a change of boots (8) 21. It doesn’t sound innocent, this coat of gold (4) 22. Propitiatory gift, about a litre of which will spill over (4) 23. Article the Leathernecks take to be a heating unit (5)

DOWN 1. The X factor, perhaps, one is stranger to (7) 2. Projection on shaft turning up in machine (3) 3. This the crust of first-class snobs (5) 4. Tedium arising in a fashion to steal from one (7) 5. Be successful in following Welsh leader (3) 6. Direction given in Latin or Thai (5) 10. Fences in ditches constructed by a Shah (2-3) 11. Wooden shoe would take an age to damage the war effort (5) 13. Too much of it to fit: sure needs altering (7) 14. So a lamb was exchanged for a son of David (7) 16. Plunder one found in 22 somehow (5) 18. Blend in with Reg and me like this (5) 20. A useful hint was to leave it under the plate (3) 21. An adhesive that will hold teeth (3)