Clue
stringlengths 6
133
| Answer
stringlengths 3
46
| Explanation
stringlengths 5
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|---|---|---|
Agitated rant on perusal of corporate results (6,7) | ANNUAL REPORTS | Agitated rant on perusal of corporate results (6,7)
*(rant on perusal) |
To titillate and tease is a talent (9) | TANTALISE | To titillate and tease is a talent (9)
*(is a talent), with "tease" as the anagrind |
Unrestricted approach of swimming yelts, let out earlier (9) | FREESTYLE | Unrestricted approach of swimming yelts, let out earlier (9)
FREE *(yelts). I'm not sure on the parsing of this clue. Is "swimming" doing double duty, as part of the definition (unrestricted approach to swimming) and as the anagrind? If so, I don't like the clue. Yelts, by the way, are young sows – don't think I've ever seen a pig swim?) |
Equip a party to capture sick anteater (9) | ARMADILLO | Equip a party to capture sick anteater (9)
ARM A D(ILL)O – some species of armadillo feed entirely on ants. |
Bath for a peacekeeper in Saudi Arabia (5) | SAUNA | Bath for a peacekeeper in Saudi Arabia (5)
S(A UN)A where SA = Saudi Arabia and UN = United Nations ("peacekeeper") |
Resin found in fuel emission (5) | ELEMI | Resin found in fuel emission (5)
fu(el emi)ssion. Elemi is an oil resin from a Philippine tree of the same name. |
Headless dog is a benefit (5) | ASSET | Headless dog is a benefit (5)
(B)asset |
Manner of swimming river in Potteries town (6) | STROKE | Definition: Manner of swimming
ST(R)OKE |
Soldier in overturned wagon? That's dreadful! (6) | TRAGIC | Definition: dreadful
GI in <=CART |
Said to be planted in the grass (7) | REPUTED | Definition: Said to be
RE(PUT)ED |
Staple put through compendia of instruments (7) | SPINET | Definition: instruments
S(PIN)ETS |
An abstainer cut with stiletto when driving (2,3,5) | AT THE WHEEL | Definition: when driving
A TT(teetotaller)-HEW-HEEL Are stiletto and heel interchangeable? (maybe requires "for example" or some such, but that woudl impact on the surface of the clue) |
This setter is certain (4) | SOME | Definition: certain
SO ME! |
Keen to get a point for vault (5) | CRYPT | Definition: vault
CRY-PT |
Tory leader mimics judge in Arras (8) | TAPESTRY | Tory leader mimics judge in Arras (8)
T(ory)-APES-TRY |
Mark is upset by latest advertising (8) | M-AILS-HOT | Definition: advertising |
Winger not fully putting on clothes (5) | ROBIN | Definition: putting on clothes
ROBIN(G) |
Lockers in Manx house (4) | KEYS | Definition: Lockers |
Doctor hit general for hiding (10) | LEATHERING | Definition: hiding
*(hit general) |
Compassion is touching inventor (7) | REMORSE | Definition: Compassion |
Immigrant proceeds right (7) | INCOMER | Definition: Immigrant
INCOME-R |
Spice in stone container rejected (6) | NUTMEG | Definition: Spice
<=GEM-TUN |
Matches underwear with a spouse's initially (6) | VESTAS | Definition: Matches
VEST-A-S(pouse) |
Shelter in the road in bad weather (5) | SLEET | Shelter in the road in bad weather (5)
S(LEE)T |
Approaching with violence (7) | ROUGHLY | Definition: Approaching
Double definition |
Guard to glance over timepiece (4,5) | KEEP WATCH | Definition: Guard
<=PEEK – WATCH |
Offend sick person being laid up (5) | REPEL | Definition: Offend
<=LEPER |
Seeing new son's birth (7) | GENESIS | Definition: birth
*(seeing) S |
Boat in a river in Canada (9) | CATAMARAN | Definition: Boat
C(A TAMAR)AN – The River Tamar forms much of the boundary between Cornwall and Devon, although I believe there's also a Tamar river in Australia. |
Crumbling path rated one that's highly unsafe (9) | DEATHTRAP | Definition: one that's highly unsafe
*(path rated) |
Changeable creature to clean home anew (9) | CHAMELEON | Definition: Changeable creature
*(clean home) |
Maybe settle on a new church (9) | PERCHANCE | Definition: Maybe
PERCH-A-N-C.E. |
The French call to spend extravagantly (4,3) | LASH OUT | Definition: spend extravagantly
LA-SHOUT |
Failure of vessel in battle (4-3) | BURN-OUT | Definition: Failure
B(URN)OUT – Two consecutive clues with OUT – American editors would hate that, but we're not in America. |
Left key for material (5) | LISLE | Definition: material
L-ISLE |
Manipulates stated prerequisites (5) | NEEDS | Definition: prerequisites
homophone of KNEADS ("manipulates") |
Keep one's place – international race in view (3,5) | SIT TIGHT | Keep one's place – international race in view (3,5)
S(I TT)IGHT
TT = Time Trial |
Burn most of the grain found in school (6) | SCORCH | Burn most of the grain found in school (6)
COR(n) in SCH.
Why would there be grain in a school? |
Mark's weary on return! Goodness! (5) | MERIT | Mark's weary on return! Goodness! (5)
M <=TIRE |
Accessory upset Celia's orchestra (5,4) | ALICE BAND | Accessory upset Celia's orchestra (5,4)
*(Alice) BAND
I don't like this one, as the anagrind only applies to Alice, not to Alice**'s**. |
Yardstick for one in command (5) | RULER | Yardstick for one in command (5)
Double definition |
Falsify and lie leading to dismissal (6) | DENIAL | Falsify and lie leading to dismissal (6)
*(and lie) |
Hesitated with, say, a journalist (7) | WAVERED | Hesitated with, say, a journalist (7)
W-AVER-ED |
Writer's offensive relations (7) | PUSHKIN | Writer's offensive relations (7)
PUSH-KIN |
Vegetable in pot found in rubbish dump (6) | TURNIP | Vegetable in pot found in rubbish dump (6)
T(URN)IP |
Plagiarist is model husband? That is fine! (5) | THIEF | Plagiarist is model husband? That is fine! (5)
(Model) T H i.e. F |
Living without Mike? That's a thought! (9) | SENTIMENT | Living without Mike? That's a thought! (9)
SENTI(M)ENT – Mike being M in the phonetic alphabet. |
Food left in hacienda demolished (9) | ENCHILADA | Food left in hacienda demolished (9)
*(hacienda l) |
A feudal lord in Belgium (5) | LIEGE | A feudal lord in Belgium (5)
Double definition, although "in Belgium" isn't much of a definition? |
Old Bob or Edward put right (6) | SORTED | Old Bob or Edward put right (6)
S-OR-TED
S = shilling = old bob |
Embarrassed about a series of poems being used again (8) | RECYCLED | Embarrassed about a series of poems being used again (8)
RE(CYCLE)D |
Missile to track boat (6) | SAMPAN | Missile to track boat (6)
SAM (Surface to air missile) PAN.
Having just returned from a three-week break in China, this one was topical to me! |
Unpunctuality of sailors holding banquets (9) | TARDINESS | Unpunctuality of sailors holding banquets (9)
TAR(DINES)S |
Imprisoned owing to sentence made at the last minute (2,3,4,2,4) | IN THE NICK OF TIME | Imprisoned owing to sentence made at the last minute (2,3,4,2,4)
IN THE NICK OF (owing to) TIME |
Veteran in the lobby produces bag (7) | HOLDALL | Veteran in the lobby produces bag (7)
H(OLD)ALL |
Cover trials only perhaps in a questionable way (15) | CONTROVERSIALLY | Cover trials only perhaps in a questionable way (15)
*(cover trials only) |
Railway goes over river in the country (5) | RURAL | Railway goes over river in the country (5)
R-URAL |
Lots of old invaders keeping Danish leader angry (8) | HUNDREDS | Lots of old invaders keeping Danish leader angry (8)
HUN(D-RED)S |
Dog had to be eaten by pig (6) | SHADOW | Dog had to be eaten by pig (6)
S(HAD)OW |
Her allies arranged to cause trouble (5,4) | RAISE HELL | Her allies arranged to cause trouble (5,4)
*(her allies) |
Notice the French head of state is immaculate (8) | SPOTLESS | Notice the French head of state is immaculate (8)
SPOT-LES-S("head of state") |
Point dimwit to the French capital (6) | NASSAU | Point dimwit to the French capital (6)
N-ASS-AU |
Weight carried by horse in match (7) | TONNAGE | Weight carried by horse in match (7)
TON(NAG)E – I think, if TONE = "match", although I don't think it does? |
Look after Athenian leaders first – be there! (6) | ATTEND | Look after Athenian leaders first – be there! (6)
AT ("Athenian leaders") TEND |
Expose oneself to some maudlin curiosity (5) | INCUR | Expose oneself to some maudlin curiosity (5)
Hidden in "maudlIN CURiosity" |
A tad sad museum's rearranged to display waxy effigies (6,8) | MADAME TUSSAUDS | A tad sad museum's rearranged to display waxy effigies (6,8)
*(a tad sad museum's)
A slightly clumsy &lit? |
Involves sex in space stations ultimately (9) | ENGENDERS | Involves sex in space stations ultimately (9)
EN-GENDER-(station)S
EN is a small block used by printers to create a space (half an EM) |
Solid equation (5) | CUBIC | Solid equation (5)
Double definition |
Cut left out of window frame (4) | SASH | Cut left out of window frame (4)
S(L)ASH |
To remove salt entailed a small adjustment (10) | DESALINATE | To remove salt entailed a small adjustment (10)
*(entailed a s) |
Section of good turf in deserted Emirate (7) | EPISODE | Section of good turf in deserted Emirate (7)
E(PI-SOD)E
I don't recall seeing "deserted" used this way, but I have seen "empty" and something that's deserted could be empty? |
Former tax is just too much (6) | EXCESS | Former tax is just too much (6)
EX-CESS, with CESS being an old word for a tax or rates
I don't think the "just" was necessary in the clue. |
Swordsman in the Grand National? (6) | FENCER | Swordsman in the Grand National? (6)
Play on words – as horses in the Grand National have to negotiate 30 fences |
Energy unit – do not feature in air-cooled device (7) | CALORIE | Energy unit – do not feature in air-cooled device (7)
*(air cooled – do)
This doesn't work for me grammatically – the voice of "do not feature" is wrong. The setter has seen a clever device, but hasn't been able to make it work properly, in my opinion. |
Fascination of king in a dry process (10) | ATTRACTION | Fascination of king in a dry process (10)
A (TT R) ACTION
TT = teetotal = dry |
A mistake, whichever way you look at it (4) | BOOB | A mistake, whichever way you look at it (4)
Palindrome |
Cold dish for South American boy (5) | SALAD | Cold dish for South American boy (5)
S.A.-LAD |
Creole barred from general election conducted without grace (9) | INELEGANT | Creole barred from general election conducted without grace (9)
*(general election – creole) |
A UK mum with sex rows unfolding like 1, 4 in London (8,6) | WAXWORKS MUSEUM | A UK mum with sex rows unfolding like 1, 4 in London (8,6)
*(A UK mum sex rows) |
Cheese churning unrest with me (8) | MUENSTER | Cheese churning unrest with me (8)
*(unrest me) |
Biscuit I have shortly after break down (9) | DIGESTIVE | Biscuit I have shortly after break down (9)
DIGEST – I'VE |
Setter accepting article on hair (4) | MANE | Setter accepting article on hair (4)
M(AN)E
The "on" is superfluous |
Outshine at college drama (7) | UPSTAGE | Outshine at college drama (7)
UP-STAGE
UP is a (slightly archaic?) way of saying "at college or university or even boarding school", but unless it's in a dictionary I don't have access to here, I'm not comfortable with STAGE = "drama" |
Tear down cult cynics in a concise manner (10) | SUCCINCTLY | Tear down cult cynics in a concise manner (10)
*(cult cynics) |
Hesitate to support uninvited guest (5) | UMBRA | Hesitate to support uninvited guest (5)
UM-BRA
It may just be me, but I'm not keen on this – UM indicates hesitation, rather than "hesitate" and BRA is a noun, not a verb. Am I being picky here? |
Victim's audible relief (6) | SUCKER | Victim's audible relief (6)
homophone of SUCCOUR |
Remove obstruction in river (6) | DELETE | Remove obstruction in river (6)
DE-LET-E |
Critical not to linger after meet (5-3-2) | TOUCH AND GO | Critical not to linger after meet (5-3-2)
Nice clue |
Art rogues knocked off substitute (9) | SURROGATE | Art rogues knocked off substitute (9)
*(art rogues) |
Silver bat I'm holding literally (8) | VERBATIM | Silver bat I'm holding literally (8)
Hidden (but only just?) in "silVER BAT I'M" |
Have second thoughts about the endless writing material (7) | RETHINK | Have second thoughts about the endless writing material (7)
RE-TH(e)-INK |
Military jail's not so warm (6) | COOLER | Military jail's not so warm (6)
Double definition |
Hostility sighted in capital (6) | WARSAW | Hostility sighted in capital (6)
WAR-SAW |
Message from Hotel Excelsior (5) | TELEX | Message from Hotel Excelsior (5)
hidden in "hoTEL EXcelsior" |
Beano number substituted with socially acceptable Dandy (4) | BEAU | Beano number substituted with socially acceptable Dandy (4)
BEA-U
U ("socially" acceptable" substituting for NO)
My favourite clue – very clever. |
Make certain of result by capturing castle (6) | ENSURE | Make certain of result by capturing castle (6)
Not sure how this works – sorry! Is ENSURE a chess term? |
Fielder desperately wants spinner (4,4) | LONG STOP | Fielder desperately wants spinner (4,4)
LONGS TOP
You need to know your cricket fielding positions to be good at cryptic crosswords! |
Guard of honour provides tea for each individual (9) | CHAPERONE | Guard of honour provides tea for each individual (9)
CHA-PER-ONE |
Small recliner is more smart (5) | SLIER | Small recliner is more smart (5)
S LIER |
Ring bank back (4) | LOOP | Ring bank back (4)
POOL=> |
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