Times 23755

[MCC]

Still puzzled by one or two ....
10 ac - Forty-five cents boy returns (4) - ?I?C
1 ac - Woman's endless task was knitting endless clothes. (8) - ?A?J???E I can see that it might be MARJORIE, with JO as 'endless task' i.e. JOB - B, but can't tie in MARRIE with 'knitting endless clothes'.
4 dn - Most stylish spot to hold last couple of ceremonies - the rest were earlier (8) - ???Z?E?T Looks like RITZIEST, with 'ES' (last couple of [letters of] ceremonies) in 'ZIT' = 'spot', but why 'RIT' for 'the rest were earlier'?
15 ac - Ship-builder's son's old-style jests capturing hearts (7) Think this is 'JAPHETS', with JAPES round H, but where does the T come from?
21 dn - Go round chasing groups in banks, perhaps, wielding blade (6) O?A?N? Looks like it must be OARING (wielding blade) from OG (Go round) but I can't reconcile ARIN with the rest of the clue.
Help!

[kayakamina]

10a Disc......a 45...C (cents) +sid <

[kayakamina]

4d Ritziest....Rites (ceremonies) +Zit (spot)

[kayakamina]

15a Japheth.......Japeth (old japes) +h (heart)

The site is very slow today

[MCC]

As ever, thanks, K. I'd never have thought of 'disc' for 'forty-five' - maybe '45'! I like 'ritziest', now you've clarified it. And 'japeth' is from the verb 'jests', not the noun - I wouldn't have figured that out in a month of Sundays! I hope you can be bothered with 1 ac and 21 dn, too - 21 dn, of course, should be O?R?N?

[kayakamina]

21d Oaring.....Ring (go round) +A O (blood groups) banks

[MCC]

Brilliant! Thanks. Any joy with 1 across?

[kayakamina]

I keep losing my connection but Marjorie seems correct and JO for the endless task looks right. Knitting appears to indicate an anagram of 'endless clothes' -marrrie
I keep thinking Raiment (clothes) but it doesn't fit.

I hate being stuck so let me ponder a bit longer and i'll come back- if I can get on!

Regards K

[swannbaker]

Marrie(d) clothes Jo(b) .

[MCC]

I'm sorry, swannbaker, I still don't get it. Are you saying that 'married' is synonymous with 'knitting'? I can see your point about 'clothes' - using it as a verb, and I reckon you're probably right, but I'm not so sure about the other .... Thanks for your help, though. And, of course, thanks to K for your latest message.

[swannbaker]

Knitting in the sense of matching , uniting , coming together etc . thus past tense "was knitted" = married . Good luck with the cricket .

[MCC]

Thanks - I can see where you're coming from, but I think the compiler is stretching a point if that's his reasoning. And good luck with the cakes!