January 2024 Puzzles

Across

• 1 Exhaust silly threats (7)
• 5 Best part of yeti legend from the east (5)
• 8 A number must be this but destruction of dodo never came up (3,2,4)
• 9 Hair is scruffy in the middle when backcombed (3)
• 10 African mummy's top notch (5)
• 12 Utter bliss to go topless for idle hours (7)
• 13 Show those with credentials around new pianos (7,6)
• 15 Presume no fire (7)
• 17 Upper rate (5)
• 19 Formerly Indian state bringing the end forward (3)
• 20 Advise patient to get some baggage (9)
• 22 Dead, as not initially cared for (5)
• 23 Extremely eccentric hiding places for cakes (7)

Down

• 1 Disturbance coming from holy man and alternative mystic leader (5)
• 2 Count three notes (3)
• 3 Worker is terribly embittered after losing bed (7)
• 4 Transform Noel? Virtue is incredibly having no end (13)
• 5 Dumps some rotten nuisance (5)
• 6 Regulate power (9)
• 7 They make money from stealing the hats off novices (7)
• 11 Presence of mind if dragons run wild (9)
• 13 Weather around the capital of Peru gets extremely terrible (7)
• 14 Frantic fluster to become calm (7)
• 16 Crazy woven braid (5)
• 18 Fights expected with gutted losers (5)
• 21 Muhammad written in italics? (3)