Clue
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| Answer
stringlengths 3
46
| Explanation
stringlengths 5
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|---|---|---|
Having too much on bad for an evil god sacrificing female (11) | OVERLOADING | Definition: Having too much on
*(or an evil god) (The F of "for" is sacrificed.)
This surface is a little awkward for my liking. "Having too much on" leads me to an adjective or past participle like "overladen" rather than the answer. Would have preferrred something like "putting too much on" |
Scots town's bustling estate to incorporate good little entrances (6-5) | WICKET GATES | Definition: little entrances
WICK + *(estate) incorporating G |
Whose feasting may lead to death? (3,5,2,3) | THE WAGES OF SIN | Definition: Whose feasting may lead to death?
Cryptic definition |
Something blessed new hero staying fifty years by temple (4,5) | HOLY WATER | Definition: Something blessed
L Y WAT in *(hero) |
Small over-supply in machine controller (5) | SERVO | Small over-supply in machine controller (5)
S + *(over)
I'm assuming that the anagrind is "supply", which I'm not convinced by. |
Stuff the Tories? That's morally correct (7) | UPRIGHT | Definition: morally correct
UP + RIGHT
Might need some help from a fellow blogger here. UP meaning STUFF? I'm thinking as in "to increase" but I'm not convinced. |
Sinister order in America banks one blood type (7) | OMINOUS | Definition: Sinister
O.M IN (O) US |
They're filled from river sheep must guard (5) | EWERS | Definition: They're filled
EWE(R)S |
Period in pub with alumnus dominating thought (9) | OBSESSION | Definition: thought
OB + SESSION |
Core planet where the last shall be first (5) | HEART | Definition: Core
Moving the H of EARTH to the front gives HEART |
Female monkey in meadow (7) | LETITIA | Definition: Female
LE(TITI)A
A titi is a small South American monkey. |
Worm wants red meat to become rotten (9) | TREMATODE | Definition: Worm
*(red meat to)
A trematode is a parasitic flatworm. |
Journal with influence that keeps work down (5-6) | PAPER-WEIGHT | Definition: keeps work down
PAPER + WEIGHT |
Old solvers start to panic – that's right (3) | YEP | Old solvers start to panic – that's right (3)
YE + P(anic)
"solvers " = YOU, but "old" indicates YE |
Playboy playwright to tell in verse that's heard (5) | SYNGE | Definition: Playboy playwright
Homophone of SING ("to tell in verse"
John Millington Synge wrote "The Playboy of the Western World" |
Flow easily shifting oil produces capital (7) | TRIPOLI | Definition: capital
TRIP ("flow easily" as in "trip off the tongue") + *(oil) |
Shark pair snatches old dog (9) | PORBEAGLE | Definition: Shark
P(O)R + BEAGLE |
Cancel FT to save capital? That's destructive (11) | DELETERIOUS | Definition: destructive
DELETE(RIO)US
"FT" = US
Rio isn't a capital, however. It was, but Brasilia took over when it was built. |
Time at private hotel and river residence (9) | TOWNHOUSE | Time at private hotel and river residence (9)
T-OWN-H-OUSE |
25 fools in society make killers (9) | ASSASSINS | Definition: killers
2 x ASS + IN S(ociety) |
California Tales about one measure of heat (7) | CALORIE | Definition: measure of heat
CA + LOR(I)E |
Ice-cream – there's a lot put into doughnuts (7) | TORTONI | Definition: Ice-cream
TOR(TON)I
TORI is the plural of TORUS (a doughnut shaped surface)
Tortoni is made with cream and cherries, with optional nuts. |
Couple from Brentwood (3) | TWO | Definition: Couple
Hidden in BrenTWOod |
Don or postgrad's official record (3,5) | PRO FORMA | Definition: official record
Prof. + OR + M.A. |
Start to buy pure spread (6) | BUTTER | Definition: spread
B(uy) + UTTER |
Alice married one of these breaking sugar daddy's heart (6) | GUARDS | Definition: Alice married one of these
*(sugar D) where the D is heart of "daDdy"
They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace –
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.
Alice is marrying one of the guard.
"A soldier's life is terrible hard,"
Says Alice.
*(from Buckinghan Palace, by A A Milne) |
Finished Scripture and gym? I'm off (8) | OVERRIPE | Definition: off
OVER + R.I. + P.E. |
Often trite image that is indicative of a big ego! (4) | MEME | Definition: Often trite image
ME ME! |
Scattered queue tear along this? (6,4) | DOTTED LINE | Definition: tear along this?
DOTTED + LINE |
Furious old bird (8) | FLAMINGO | Definition: bird
FLAMING + O |
Fine lubricant is something to battle with pointlessly (4) | FOIL | Definition: something to battle with pointlessly
F + OIL |
In short, like some crosswords before long (4) | ANON | Definition: In short, like some crosswords
Double dedfinition |
Dogged son was in debt beforehand (8) | SHADOWED | Definition: Dogged
S + HAD OWED |
Take the plunge and hike to Barking with tent (3,3,4) | TIE THE KNOT | Definition: Take the plunge
*(hike to tent) with Barking as the anagrind |
Artist concerned with being thin on the ground (4) | RARE | Definition: thin on the ground
R.A. + RE |
Dash up to cafe for what suits you (3,2,3) | CUP OF TEA | Definition: what suits you
*(up to cafe) |
Without basis claim supporter's overcome by beer (6) | ALLEGE | Definition: Without basis claim
AL(LEG)E |
Peculiar scene with a meeting across the divide? (6) | SEANCE | Definition: meeting across the divide
*(scene a) |
Trucks back round trendy place of craftwork? (8) | SHIPYARD | Definition: place of craftwork
HIP in <=DRAYS |
Run out Ozzie pick-up here? (5) | ROUTE | Definition: Run out Ozzie pick-up here
R.O. + UTE (& lit.) |
Flower suitable as a lover's giftt, I'd suggest (6-2-3) | FORGET ME NOT | Definition: Flower
Cryptic(ish) definition |
Hand in what's due to be settled (8) | RESIDENT | Definition: to be settled
RE(SIDE)NT |
An eternity to pray and hymn, you may say (1,5,2,7) | A MONTH OF SUNDAYS | Definition: An eternity
Cryptic definition |
I'll make tea in British pot (6) | BREWER | Definition: I'll make te
Br. + EWER |
Jack's a celeb needing no introduction (3) | TAR | Definition: Jack
(s)TAR |
Dear divorcee is thoughtful (9) | EXPENSIVE | Definition: Dear
EX + PENSIVE |
Biography of a motor manufacturer in easy street? (4,2,5) | LIFE OF RILEY | Definition: in easy street
LIFE OF RILEY (as in Riley Motor, a British motor and bicycle and manufacturer in the early 20th century) |
Dicky led outing in line (9) | LONGITUDE | Definition: line
*(led outing) |
Smoked beef in one market clot picked up (8) | PASTRAMI | Definition: Smoked beef
<= I-MART-SAP |
Box up what's essential for 24? (6) | KETTLE | Definition: what's essential for 24
Need some help here…. |
Moore is one well received and taken on board (5) | ROGER | Definition: Moore is one
Double definition |
Have bumfluff shaved from the beginning (3) | OWN | Definition: Have
(d)OWN |
He cuts open a girl's form for cosmetic effects (7,7) | PLASTIC SURGEON | He cuts open a girl's form for cosmetic effects (7,7)
*(cuts open a girl's) and &lit. |
Previously in detoxification centre (4) | ONCE | Previously in detoxification centre (4)
hidden in detoxificati**ON CE**ntre |
True, Leo is a prophet (10) | SOOTHSAYER | True, Leo is a prophet (10)
SOOTH + (Leo) SAYER |
Comedienne Lucille with commercial song (6) | BALLAD | Comedienne Lucille with commercial song (6)
(Lucille) BALL + AD |
Man's seal broken by representative (8) | SALESMAN | Man's seal broken by representative (8)
*(man's seal) |
Resort to favourite treatment for celebrity (3,6) | RED CARPET | Resort to favourite treatment for celebrity (3,6)
REDCAR + PET
Redcar is a seaside resort in the North East of England. |
His dozen may be unlucky for some (5) | BAKER | His dozen may be unlucky for some (5)
Cryptic definition.
A baker's dozen = 13, which is "unlucky for some". |
Supplied a room for FT chief (5) | ARMED | Supplied a room for FT chief (5)
A-rm.-ed. |
Rendered intoxicated (9) | PLASTERED | Rendered intoxicated (9)
Double definition |
Delightful lake in rustic surrounding (8) | PLEASANT | Delightful lake in rustic surrounding (8)
P(L)EASANT |
Lustre refurbished for effect (6) | RESULT | Lustre refurbished for effect (6)
*(lustre) |
Either way the same like Mum or Dad (10) | PALINDROME | Either way the same like Mum or Dad (10)
Not terribly cryptic definition, and I think the wordplay leads to an adjective (PALINDROMIC) rather than the noun. |
Town in knotty region (4) | TYRE | Town in knotty region (4)
Hidden in "knot**TY RE**gion"
Assuming that this is Tyre n Lebanon, I think their residents would prefer "city" rathern than "town". |
Erudite king rejected study (7) | LEARNED | Erudite king rejected study (7)
(King) LEAR + <=DEN
I must have seen this clue at least four times this year already. |
Predicament of a hummer (7) | STINKER | Predicament of a hummer (7)
Double definition |
Ancestry is sequence of generation (7) | LINEAGE | Ancestry is sequence of generation (7)
LINE + AGE |
Case for the oil company (5) | SHELL | Case for the oil company (5)
Double definition |
Such illegal trading done secretly, right? (7) | INSIDER | Such illegal trading done secretly, right? (7)
INSIDE + R
Not very cryptic. |
One in Paris pronounced completely blasphemous (6) | UNHOLY | One in Paris pronounced completely blasphemous (6)
UN + homophone of "wholly" |
Girl fighting in Georgia for carafes and sniffers, perhaps (9) | GLASSWARE | Girl fighting in Georgia for carafes and sniffers, perhaps (9)
LASS + WAR in GE
GE is the International Car Registration Number for Georgia. |
Work in the theatre? (7) | OPERATE | Work in the theatre? (7)
Not cryptic, although I can see what the setter is trying to do. |
Hercules, perhaps, to clean silt on bananas (13) | CONSTELLATION | Hercules, perhaps, to clean silt on bananas (13)
*(to clean silt on) with "bananas" as an anagrind.
Hercules is a constellation between Lyra and Corona Borealis. |
Knight who thanked heaven for little girls (9) | CHEVALIER | Knight who thanked heaven for little girls (9)
Maurice Chevalier sang "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" in *Gigi |
Publication about tenancy (7) | RELEASE | Publication about tenancy (7)
RE + LEASE |
Too much! Ref upset to be dragged into legal action (7) | SURFEIT | Too much! Ref upset to be dragged into legal action (7)
*(ref) in SUIT |
Expand General Assembly (7) | ENLARGE | Expand General Assembly (7)
*(general) |
Tiger's assistant, a scoundrel to the end (6) | CADDIE | Tiger's assistant, a scoundrel to the end (6)
CAD + DIE
Tiger refers to Tiger Woods, the golfer.
Don't like "to the end" for DIE as these refer to different parts of speech. |
Assembled trendy material (5) | SATIN | Assembled trendy material (5)
SAT + IN |
Policeman round to collect manuscript in crucial time off (3,5) | REM SLEEP | Policeman round to collect manuscript in crucial time off (3,5)
MS in <=PEELER |
Two words that signal splendid ruin (6) | DEFACE | Two words that signal splendid ruin (6)
DEF + ACE |
King stops bastard nation leaving 10 perhaps (6) | GREXIT | King stops bastard nation leaving 10 perhaps (6)
G(REX)IT |
Regret returning to bracing atmosphere in pressured financial area (8) | EUROZONE | Regret returning to bracing atmosphere in pressured financial area (8)
<= RUE + OZONE |
Composer drops in for mutton slice (4) | CHOP | Composer drops in for mutton slice (4)
CHOP(in) |
Getting stuck occasionally in rubble is reason 9 might occur (4,6) | DEBT CRISIS | Getting stuck occasionally in rubble is reason 9 might occur (4,6)
(s)T(u)C(k) in DEBRIS IS |
Populist met with Draco explosively (8) | DEMOCRAT | Populist met with Draco explosively (8)
*(met Draco) |
Film director in bank (4) | LEAN | Film director in bank (4)
Double definition |
One on spit where temperature famously varies (4) | GOBI | One on spit where temperature famously varies (4)
GOB + I
The temperatures can vary by up to 35 degrees within a 24 hour period in the Gobi Desert |
Saw Arab men used to cut tough grass (8) | REALISED | Saw Arab men used to cut tough grass (8)
RE(ALIS)ED
I really don't like "Arab men" for ALIS |
Trading centre in bad weather provides strap for horse (10) | MARTINGALE | Trading centre in bad weather provides strap for horse (10)
MART IN GALE |
Contribute online column (4) | POST | Contribute online column (4)
Double definition |
Ex-PM dies – Blair beheaded in riot (8) | DISRAELI | Ex-PM dies – Blair beheaded in riot (8)
*(dies lair) |
English flower festival (6) | EASTER | English flower festival (6)
E + ASTER |
Money put with account to give emphasis (6) | ACCENT | Money put with account to give emphasis (6)
AC + CENT |
Troubles in the morning over women (8) | MALADIES | Troubles in the morning over women (8)
<=AM + LADIES |
Ground near the middle? (5) | EARTH | Ground near the middle? (5)
n(EAR TH)e |
Player stoked hot passion, receiving kiss (11) | SAXOPHONIST | Player stoked hot passion, receiving kiss (11)
*(hot passion X) |
External layers to the German mark that underpins EC? (8) | ECTODERM | External layers to the German mark that underpins EC? (8)
EC + TO DER ("the German") M |
Repent? Barmy Isis remodelled faith! (15) | PRESBYTERIANISM | Repent? Barmy Isis remodelled faith! (15)
*(repent barmy isis) |
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