Clue
stringlengths 6
133
| Answer
stringlengths 3
46
| Explanation
stringlengths 5
888
|
|---|---|---|
Conservationist to shoot film (5,4) | GREEN FIRE | Definition: film
GREEN + FIRE
Not exactly a famous movie, but gettable via wordplay, *Green Fire* was a 1954 adventure starring Stewart Granger and Grace Kelly. |
Little Richard song and dance leaving American actress (7,4) | LUCILLE BALL | Definition: American actress
LUCILLE (song by Little Richard) + BALL |
The making of cartoons may get one male in a state (9) | ANIMATION | Definition: The making of cartoons
A N(IM)ATION |
Awful ham, pants in horror film (8) | PHANTASM | Definition: horror film
*(ham pants) |
Bishop in Wesker play and film (6) | ROBOTS | Definition: film
RO(B)OTS
*Roots* is a play set in Norfolk, while *Robots *is a 2005 animated movie about, well, robots. |
A young man who is in love with Lolita in the film (5) | SWAIN | Definition: A young man who is in love
Double definition.
Dominique Swain appeared as Lolita in the 1997 film version of the Nabokov novel. |
Actor, Trevor, in The Verdict (3) | EVE | Definition: Actor, Trevor
Hidden in Th**E** **VE**rdict
Trevor Eve appeared on TV as Eddie Shoestring, and in *Waking the Dead*, but he wasn't actually in *The Verdict*. |
Cat nearly pulled back up (10) | HEAVENWARD | Cat nearly pulled back up (10)
HEAVE + <+DRAWN
One definition of HEAVE is "retch" and, something I only learned today, to cat is to vomit, therefore "cat nearly" = HEAVE. As HEAVE also means "vomit" the nearly could be considered superfluous. |
"Two pairs of happy shoppers @M&S #plural" (9) | HASHMARKS | "Two pairs of happy shoppers @M&S #plural" (9)
HA(ppy) + SH(oppers) + MARKS (& Spencer) |
Film of her one-night stand bodes ill (7,3,3,10) | BIGFOOT AND THE HENDERSONS | Film of her one-night stand bodes ill (7,3,3,10)
*(of her one night stand bodes) |
Promised money to leave North East? (7) | FIANCEE | Promised money to leave North East? (7)
FI(n)ANCE + E |
Has 40/40 vision? (4,6) | SEES DOUBLE | Has 40/40 vision? (4,6)
Cryptic definition
If you see perfectly, you have 20/20 vision, so cryptically, seeing double could involve 40/40 vision. |
Sport I developed out of unconventional photojournalism (5,4) | LOMU | Sport I developed out of unconventional photojournalism (5,4)
*(hojounalm) i.e. "photojournalism" less the letters in "sport I"
Jonah Lomu dies on the 18th November, 2015. |
Arsenal legend carrying kilo Mike spots (7,6) | MACNEE | Arsenal legend carrying kilo Mike spots (7,6)
PAT RIC(K M ACNE)E
Patrick MacNee died on the 25th June, 2015. |
Sadly departed, send-off for jockey (3,6) | EDDERY | Sadly departed, send-off for jockey (3,6)
*(departed) + (jocke)Y
Pat Eddery died on the 10th November, 2015. |
Asian flower people in group are about to close up hospital (9) | EUPHRATES | Asian flower people in group are about to close up hospital (9)
<=SET ARE about UP H
Asian flower = Asian river |
A sweet Yankee, close to claiming right to have wager logged (5,5) | BROWN BETTY | A sweet Yankee, close to claiming right to have wager logged (5,5)
BY("close to") around ("claiming") RT ("right") around OWN ("have") BET("wager")
B(R)(OWN BET)(T)Y
A brown betty is an American baked pudding. |
Caught by decimal trick on counter? Go figure! (8) | TETRAGON | Caught by decimal trick on counter? Go figure! (8)
(<=ART) + GO in TEN
I'm assuming "on counter" is a reversal indicator here. |
Rolls I live on in spiritual discipline (4,5) | BERRA | Rolls I live on in spiritual discipline (4,5)
YOG (I BE RR)A
Yogi Berra died on the 22nd September, 2015. |
Want to give away daughter named as 14? (3) | NEE | Want to give away daughter named as 14? (3)
NEE(d) |
Closely follow villain (4) | HEEL | Closely follow villain (4)
Double definition |
Love Fashion House's endless woven silk dresses (6,5) | SACKS | Love Fashion House's endless woven silk dresses (6,5)
O + VERSAC(e) in *(silk)
Oliver Sacks died on the 30th August, 2015. |
Clots a husband's spotted in balls (9) | BONEHEADS | Clots a husband's spotted in balls (9)
B(ONE H)EADS |
Secured, like cat incapable of ratting? (2,3,3) | IN THE BAG | Secured, like cat incapable of ratting? (2,3,3)
Letting the cat out of the bag ~ "ratting" so if the cat is IN THE BAG, ratting isn't possible. |
Criminally, this writer bans DVD about book (5,5) | NOBBS | Criminally, this writer bans DVD about book (5,5)
B in *(io bans DVD)
David Nobbs died on the 8th August, 2015. |
Taking care over orchestration of early 007's demise? (7,5) | NIMOY | Taking care over orchestration of early 007's demise? (7,5)
Can't think of any other celebrity death that belongs in here, but can't parse it at all. |
Oxygen for one rejected by poor El Greco (6,4) | COLE | Oxygen for one rejected by poor El Greco (6,4)
<=O E.G. + *(el greco)
George Cole died on the 5th August, 2015 |
Order helicopters to carry this woman (11,3) | LEE | Order helicopters to carry this woman (11,3)
*(helicopters) around HER
Christopher lee died on the 7th June, 2015. |
Working in footballers' wives cars (6) | WAGONS | Working in footballers' wives cars (6)
ON in WAGS |
Three little piggies – one's not English – in close proximity (3,2,3) | TOE TO TOE | Three little piggies – one's not English – in close proximity (3,2,3)
TOE TO(e) TOE |
Scandinavian myths collected by gifted Dane (4) | EDDA | Scandinavian myths collected by gifted Dane (4)
Hidden in "giftED DAne"
As far as I know, although I am no scholar on the subject, the Edda were Icelandic sagas, rather than Scandinavian? |
Me, I'm adult; I can surf all the different channels (10) | MULTIMEDIA | Me, I'm adult; I can surf all the different channels (10)
*(me Im adult I)
Not convinced by "can surf" as an anagrind. |
Pen for hairdresser with no schedule (3) | STY | Pen for hairdresser with no schedule (3)
STY(list) |
A jolly commercial set on a number of ships (6) | ARMADA | A jolly commercial set on a number of ships (6)
A + R.M. + AD + A
"jolly" is a slang word for a Royal Marine |
Take the tops of red and green strips of cloth (4) | RAGS | Take the tops of red and green strips of cloth (4)
"The tops of" **R**ed **A**nd **G**reen **S**trips |
Bell sound welcomes the weak doing work on the farm (7) | TILLING | Bell sound welcomes the weak doing work on the farm (7)
T(ILL)ING |
Girl's wrong to misrepresent (7) | DISTORT | Girl's wrong to misrepresent (7)
DI'S + TORT |
Behold! The city church (4) | ECCE | Behold! The city church (4)
EC + C.E.
*Ecce* was the first word I learned in Latin class, many moons ago. |
Breakfast fare a number heard to consider first (6) | MUESLI | Breakfast fare a number heard to consider first (6)
Homophone of MUSE +LI
"Number" is too vague for my liking. |
Individual comes into money (3) | ONE | Individual comes into money (3)
Hidden in "m**ONE**y" |
Bitter when jungle fever affected all but Jack (10) | REVENGEFUL | Bitter when jungle fever affected all but Jack (10)
*(ungle fever) |
"Dam' right", Roseanne (4) | BARR | "Dam' right", Roseanne (4)
BAR + R
Referes to Roseanne Barr, American comedienne and actress. |
It's grand in Liverpool once a year, of course! (8) | NATIONAL | It's grand in Liverpool once a year, of course! (8)
Cryptic definition, referring to the Grand National, which is run in Aintree every April. |
Parent clumsily handled old medical tool (6) | TREPAN | Parent clumsily handled old medical tool (6)
*(parent)
A trepan was a surgical instrument used to remove fragments of bone from the skull. |
Pirates prohibit song (the way it's sung) (8) | BANDITTI | Pirates prohibit song (the way it's sung) (8)
BAN + homophone of DITTY |
Tone adopted when Queen Victoria was depressed (5,4) | ROYAL BLUE | Tone adopted when Queen Victoria was depressed (5,4)
ROYAL + BLUE |
Radical few recruited by Inland Revenue (6) | ISOMER | Radical few recruited by Inland Revenue (6)
SOME in I.R. |
Girl with recipe having star quality (7) | STELLA + R | Girl with recipe having star quality (7)
STELLA + R
I may be being picky, but this smacks of lazy cluing, given that Stella means "star". |
Tomato and egg starters, some rice and ox I make, Japanese style (8) | TERIYAKI | Tomato and egg starters, some rice and ox I make, Japanese style (8)
T(omato) E(gg) + RI(ce) + YAK + I
Don't like "some" as it's too vague. |
Sediment got with 80% of beer, say (4) | OOZE | Sediment got with 80% of beer, say (4)
(b)OOZE |
Behold! Carol is down (6) | LOSING | Behold! Carol is down (6)
LO + SING |
Consider standard class value (4) | RATE | Consider standard class value (4)
Quadruple definition |
Money gone (almost), determining how life started, some say (8) | NOMOGENY | Money gone (almost), determining how life started, some say (8)
*(money gon) |
Route taken by boxer to the bout? (4,4) | RING ROAD | Route taken by boxer to the bout? (4,4)
Cryptic defintion |
Hitch up, then come down; it happens early in the morning (7) | DEWFALL | Hitch up, then come down; it happens early in the morning (7)
<=WED + FALL |
Contemporary officer takes Ms Herzigova in (6) | COEVAL | Contemporary officer takes Ms Herzigova in (6)
EVA (Herzigova) in COL.
Eva Herzigova is a Czech model and actress. |
Temptress has split loyalties, yes? No! (6) | LOLITA | Temptress has split loyalties, yes? No! (6)
*(loyalties – yes) |
Old writer playing in a doll's house? (5) | IBSEN | Old writer playing in a doll's house? (5)
Cryptic definition.
*The Doll's House* is a play be Ibsen. |
Hears idea revealing alternate water source (4) | ERIE | Hears idea revealing alternate water source (4)
(h)**E**(a)**R**(s)**I**(d)**E**(a)
Refers to Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes. |
Big bird servant pushed back, having got in the way (8) | MEGAPODE | Definition: Big bird
<=PAGE in MODE |
Tastes from hearty kisses (6) | SMACKS | Definition: Tastes
Double definitions |
Nymphs, any number with inordinate desire (7) | NEREIDS | Definition: Nymphs
N ("number") + *(desire)
Nereids were sea nymphs in Greek mythology. There weren't any number of them. Apparently they were the 50 daughters of Nereus and Doris. |
Fabric from South Africa backing paper maybe (7) | ORGANZA | Definition: Fabric
ORGAN + ZA
ORGAN = "newspaper" (example being Pravda being seen as an organ of the Soviet Communists)
.za is the internet domain of South Africa (their equivalent of .uk) |
Visual device behind the bar (5) | OPTIC | Definition: Visual
Double definition. |
Worker old theatre brought back with return of musical show (9) | OPERATIVE | Definition: Worker
O + <=REP = <=EVITA |
Marital arrangement to suit the unconventional man – ie a groper possibly? (4,8) | OPEN MARRIAGE | Definition: Marital arrangement to suit the unconventional
*(man ie a groper) with "possibly as the anagrind. |
For each act of separation tenacity is the answer (12) | PERSEVERANCE | Definition: tenacity is the answer
PER + SEVERANCE |
Two articles on a married man in US collection (9) | AMERICANA | Definition: US collection
A + M ("married") + ERIC ("man") + AN A ("two articles") |
The external form of a European HQ (5) | SHAPE | Definition: The external form
Double definition.
SHAPE stands for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, which is based in Belgium. |
Resilient men avoiding extremes ending in charge (7) | ELASTIC | Definition: Resilient
(m)E(n) + LAST + I.C. |
Platform that is given the ultimate in gorgeous plants (7) | DAISIES | Definition: plants
DAIS + I.E. + (gorgeou)S |
Those people with nothing, British gangsters (3,3) | THE MOB | Definition: gangsters
THEM + 0 + B |
Old landowner, loud and causing anger, no end (8) | FRANKLIN | Definition: Old landowner
F + RANKLIN(g)
In late medieval England, a franklin was a landowner, a level below landed gentry in the class system. |
Servant has skimpy attire on (6) | MINION | Definition: Servant
MINI + ON |
Fellow heartless, gaining speed in spin (6) | GYRATE | Definition: spin
G(u)Y + RATE |
Basic standard the head voiced (9) | PRINCIPLE | Definition: Basic standard
Homophone ("voiced") of PRINCIPAL |
Continues being naughty in rumba, maybe, creating upset (14) | DISCOUNTENANCE | Definition: upset
*(continues) in DANCE ("rumba, maybe") |
Bit of crust good for mother to eat (5) | MAGMA | Definition: Bit of crust
G in MAMA |
Cold Cockney man crossing the Alps, one eating what most of us wouldn't! (8) | CANNIBAL | Definition: one eating what most of us wouldn't!
C + (h)ANNIBAL |
Surrey's opening speed merchants? They are out of this world! (8) | SPACEMEN | Definition: They are out of this world
S(urrey) + PACEMEN ("speed merchants") |
Amphibian disturbing a male red salmon (4,10) | MOLE SALAMANDER | Definition: Amphibian
*(a male red salmon) |
Crises one somehow managed in economic decline (9) | RECESSION | Definition: economic decline
*(crises one) |
A quiet relation readily understood (8) | APPARENT | Definition: readily understood
A + P + PARENT |
Salt mined in Near East (8) | ARSENATE | Definition: Salt
*(near east) |
Judge in province in forefront after uprising (6) | DANIEL | Definition: Judge
N.I. ("province") in <=LEAD
N.I. is Northern Ireland. |
Soldiers accompanying a boy in grounds (6) | REASON | Definition: grounds
R.E. + A + SON
R.E. are Royal Engineers |
What gets things going with any number in terrible riot (5) | INTRO | Definition: What gets things going
N in *(riot) |
Crows about National success (6) | MURDER | Definition: Crows
<=RED RUM
As in a "murder of crows".
Red Rum won the Grand National three times in the 1970s. |
Church leader tucked into mixture of Viagra and Ecstasy in his home (8) | VICARAGE | Definition: his home
C(hurch) in *(viagra E) |
Pelican as tall as some game (7) | CANASTA | Definition: game
Hidden in "peli**CAN AS TA**ll" |
What England does first time old muscles seize (7) | EXPECTS | Definition: What England does
T(ime) in EX PECS
As in Nelson's famous speech on HMS Victory before the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. "England expects that every man will do his duty…" |
Reduce speed of maritime connection (4,4) | REEF KNOT | Definition: maritime connection
REEF + KNOT
I'm assuming that REEF = "reduce" here, as in sailing, to "reef" is to "reduce the size of a sail" |
Like Victoria's children to wave flag carried by Albert? (4-6) | HALF-GERMAN | Definition: Like Victoria's
*(flag) in HER MAN (Alfred being Victoria's man) |
Determine position of Asia (6) | ORIENT | Definition: Determine position of
Double definition |
Certain to mean rapid discharge (7) | EXPRESS | Definition: Certain
Quadruple definition |
Car holds the edge when backed by fleet manager (7) | ADMIRAL | Definition: fleet manager
<=LA(RIM)DA |
One cause of MD being fired may be used in part of 9 18 23 down, 27 1 across (6) | WEAPON | Definition: may be used in part of 9 18 23 down, 27 1 across
The clues referred to give (n)AGAT HA(uled in) CHRISTIE MURDER, but I can't work out the wordplay. *See comment 2 below for a possible explanation. |
Company called City is producer of windy flats etc (3,7) | COR ANGLAIS | Definition: producer of windy flats etc
CO + RANG + L.A. + IS |
Oil drunk a lot (4) | OTTO | Oil drunk a lot (4)
(bl)OTTO – *thanks, Muffyword. |
Rough tarred surface ultimately gives better grip (7) | RETREAD | Definition: gives better grip
*(Tarred + (surfac)E) |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.