Clue
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|---|---|---|
Whipped a tycoon boxing king of 8 (8) | OCTONARY | Definition: of 8
R in (A TYCOON)* – itn means relating to the number eight, not a cross-reference to 8d |
Dodge's wings and favoured elevation (8) | SIDESTEP | Definition: Dodge
SIDES (wings) + reverse of PET (favoured) |
Happy with coral being destroyed without proper backing (10) | APOCRYPHAL | Definition: without proper backing
(HAPPY CORAL) |
Draw with articulated flatline textile process (3-3-3) | TIE-AND-DYE | Definition: textile process
TIE (draw, in sports) + AND (with) + homophone of "die" (to flatline) |
Be a tourist with sense to understand (8) | SIGHTSEE | Definition: Be a tourist
SIGHT (sense) + SEE (understand) |
Go out with Anorak Joey? (8) | KANGAROO | Definition: Joey
(GO ANORAK)* – a joey is a young kangaroo |
Peninsula of African country with no western boundary (6) | IBERIA | Definition: Peninsula
LIBERIA less its first or "western" letter. Some might complain that it's the northern boundary in a down clue |
Tasteless Taming of Shrew (5) | WERSH | Definition: Tasteless
SHREW – Scots word for tasteless or insipid: probably unfamiliar to many, but "it couldb't be anything else" |
Classic book author's 12-month record about the rise of a Sussex town (4,6) | ANNA SEWELL | Definition: Classic book author
Reverse of LEWES (Sussex town) in ANNAL. Naturally I spent some time looking for a book rather than its author (the book referred to is of course *Black Beauty *) |
Radar not working to pin down one Aussie convoy (4,5) | ROAD TRAIN | Definition: Aussie convoy
I in (RADAR NOT)*. A road train consists of a number of trailers pulled by a single "engine", so I'm not sure it can really be described as a convoy, which consists of multiple vehicles |
Fabulous bird takes hour to eat a fish (5) | ROACH | Definition: fish
A in ROC + H |
Female? No! (4,3) | IRON MAN | Definition: Female? No
Female = Fe + male = IRON (chimical symbol) + MAN, &lit (though women do take part in Ironman events) |
They emphasise it's about a girl, mostly (7) | ITALICS | Definition: They emphasise
ALIC[E] in IT'S |
Manage to miss ex-PM turning back to wave (5) | EVADE | Definition: Manage to miss
Reverse of DAVE (as David Cameron supposedly asked to be called) + the "back" letter of wavE |
Stoutness of daughter one embraces after decline (9) | ROTUNDITY | Definition: Stoutness
ROT (decine) + D in UNITY |
One's drunk, awake: knowing one should drink less? (6-9) | HEALTH‑CONSCIOUS | Definition: knowing one should drink less
HEALTH (as in drink someone's health) + CONSCIOUS (awake) |
In the event, where John Paul II might have been laid to rest? (4,5) | POLE VAULT | Definition: event
Double definition – John Paul II was famously the "Polish Pope" |
In rubber, move stealthily, advancing quietly (5) | CREPE | Definition: rubber
CREEP with the P (piano, quietly) advanced, i.e. moved nearer the start |
His marvellous royal eggs regularly sent over (7) | FABERGE | Definition: His marvellous royal eggs regularly sent over
FAB (marvellous) + ER (he Queen, a "royal") + reverse of EgGs, &lit, with reference to Fabergé eggs |
Ungenerous to be left in wretchedness (7) | MISERLY | Definition: Ungenerous
L in MISERY |
Breakdown finally in short journey: getting AA (5) | MILNE | Definition: AA
[breakdow]N in MILE, to give the creator of Winne The Pooh et al |
Reference works from which man copied wrongly (9) | COMPENDIA | Definition: Reference works
(MAN COPIED) |
Pleasure craft, one that could launch a missile? (6,4) | CRUISE SHIP | Definition: Pleasure craft
Double definition, with reference to Cruise missiles |
Keep silent, then hurried up with a goodbye (8) | SAYONARA | Definition: goodbye
SAY 0 (keep silient) + reverse of RAN + A. Japanese word for goodbye, literally meaning "if that's the way it is" |
Block son taking my turn in match (6) | STYMIE | Definition: Block
S + reverse of MY in TIE (e.g. a football match, as in cup tie) |
Man and wife accepted by god (4) | PAWN | Definition: Man
W in PAN |
Vague hunch about policeman (10) | INDISTINCT | Definition: Vague
DI (Detective Inspector) in INSTINCT (hunch) |
Work out anagram to get cold drink (8) | ARMAGNAC | Definition: drink
Anagram of ANAGRAM + C |
Area gets diluted covering before I paste (6) | TAHINI | Definition: paste
A[rea] in THIN + I |
Rich husband you seek? Look first for a Welshman (4) | RHYS | Definition: Welshman
First letters of Rich Husband You Seek |
From sports ground, secured criminal is to break out again (10) | RECRUDESCE | Definition: break out again
REC (sports ground) + SECURED |
In the past ate rye doubly cooked, grabbing seconds (10) | YESTERYEAR | Definition: the past
S in anagram of ATE RYE RYE |
Overtax salaried man, not a landlord (8) | TAVERNER | Definition: landlord
Reverse of VAT ("over tax") + EARNER less A – landlord in the sense of one who keeps a pub |
Put aside exhausted horse (8) | OVERRODE | Definition: Put aside
If you OVER-RODE a horse then you may have exhausted it |
Unstable California city's anger (6) | LABILE | Definition: Unstable
L[os] A[ngeles] + BILE |
Pamper commander's circle (6) | COSSET | Definition: Pamper
CO'S SET |
In coal, say, endless money — and smoke (4) | FUME | Definition: smoke
M[oney] in endless FUE[L] |
Selfish clamour that's passed non-genetically? (4) | MEME | Definition: that's passed non-genetically
The selfish clamour is people crying "me! me!". The word meme was coined by Richard Dawkins to describe ideas etc passed between people in a way analogous to the transfer of genes |
Part of foot stumped English player, initially batting first (6) | INSTEP | Definition: Part of foot
IN (batting) + ST[umped] + E + P[layer] |
Judge film — British want something extremely dark (3,5) | JET BLACK | Definition: extremely dark
J[udge] + ET (film) + B + LACK (want something) |
Tail of this one concerning, going over back of body (8) | SCORPION | Definition: Tail of this one concerning, going over back of body
Last letter (tail) of thiS + CORPS (body) with its "back" replaced by I ON (concerning) &lit |
Plant in America around spies (6) | ACACIA | Definition: Plant
A + CA (corca, around) + CIA (spies) |
Signs of growth in tax records (7,5) | STRETCH MARKS | Definition: Signs of growth
STRETCH (to tax) + MARKS (records) |
Ace place to go for Indian food (4) | ALOO | Definition: Indian food
A + LOO (toilet, a place to "go") |
One is fired: character to get sack (3,5) | AIR RIFLE | Definition: One is fired
AIR (character) + RIFLE (to sack) |
Large bunches of bananas over us (8) | HANDSOME | Definition: Large
HANDS (bunches of bananas) + O[ver] + ME (=us, as in "give us a kiss") |
Prepare to leave group (4) | PACK | Definition: Prepare to leave
Double definition |
Try that Viagra, mostly while worried about sex (4,2,1,5) | GIVE IT A WHIRL | Definition: Try that
IT (sex) in anagram of VIAGR[a] WHILE |
Measure and cook herb (6) | DOSAGE | Definition: Measure
DO (cook) SAGE |
Salesperson returning city gentleman's payback (8) | REPRISAL | Definition: payback
REP (salesperson) + reverse of L[os] A[ngeles] + SIR |
Harmful stuff when former footballer so drunk (8) | ASBESTOS | Definition: Harmful stuff
AS + [George] BEST + "anagram" of SO |
Drop sign having changed hands (6) | CANCEL | Definition: Drop
CANCER (astrological sign) with R changed to L |
Can do (4) | NICK | Definition: Can
Double definition – nick=can=prison for the first; for the second, Chambers gives "to defraud" (i.e. to "do") as a meaning of NICK: perhaps slightly obscure, but it makes for a nicely terse clue |
Dawn French very hot inside reserve (9) | THRESHOLD | Definition: Dawn
H[ot] in TRES (French "very") + HOLD (to reserve) |
Morgan, when entertaining live, is a tool (6) | PLIERS | Definition: a tool
L (live) in PIERS (Morgan, journalist), with maybe some commentary in the surface.. |
Dad going out with hat, worn jeans and old jumper (8,7) | JONATHAN EDWARDS | Definition: old jumper
Anagram of DAD HAT WORN JEANS, giving the former Olympic triple jumper |
Long to run into class that's coming up? Do they? (8) | TEACHERS | Definition: they
ACHE (to long) + R in reverse of SET, with an &littish definition |
One male, totally revolting animal that might spit at you? (5) | LLAMA | Definition: animal that might spit at you
Reverse of A M ALL |
Release for women with it? Primarily kiss fellow with tongue (5,5) | CHICK FLICK | Definition: Release for women
CHIC (fashionable, with it) + K[iss] + F + LICK – "release" in the sense of a cinema release |
Supply, eg oil? No, USA is rich in oil (10) | OLEAGINOUS | Definition: rich in oil
(EG OIL NO USA)* with "supply" meaning "in a supple way" |
Drive and change oil in sump (9) | IMPULSION | Definition: Drive
(OIL IN SUMP) |
Support for member to pay balance (8) | FOOTREST | Definition: Support for member
FOOT (pay, as in foot the bill) + REST (balance, remainder) |
Personal feature of writer covering current work (6) | BIOPIC | Definition: Personal feature
I (electric current) + OP (work) in BIC (pen, writer) |
Bottoms of wee babies are turned over for wipe (5) | ERASE | Definition: wipe
Reverse of [we]E [babie]S ARE |
Drink up Earl Grey (4) | PALE | Definition: Grey
Reverse of LAP + E[arl] |
Pudding where we'd expect to see tea, it's said (6) | AFTERS | Definition: Pudding
We have to take a homohone of "tea" to get the letter T, which comes AFTER S in the alphabet |
What some solicitors do on hearing a charge (6) | ACCOST | Definition: What some solicitors do
Homophone of "a cost" |
Lady from Lisbon hears no evil (7) | SENHORA | Definition: Lady from Lisbon
(HEARS NO) |
Most equable ladies regularly appearing in film (7) | MILDEST | Definition: Most equable
Alternate letters of LaDiEs in MIST (film) |
Putting self-portrait on display, bashfully (7,4,4) | HANGING ONE’S HEAD | Definition: Putting self-portrait on display, bashfully
Cryptic/double definition |
Skip university in pursuit of love (4) | OMIT | Definition: Skip
O (zero, love) + MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) |
Patriots withdrawing singular honour for Hollywood legend? (4,6) | STAN LAUREL | Definition: Hollywood legend
Reverse of NATS (nationalists, patriots) + LAUREL (perhaps more often seen as a plural when referring to honours, as in "rest one one's laurels") |
French madame and monsieur have words before ceremony (10) | MARGUERITE | Definition: French madame
M[onsieur] + ARGUE + RITE |
Boat from south Jersey or Guernsey? (4) | SCOW | Definition: Boat
S + COW (Jersey and Guernsey are breeds of cattle) |
Gather where beaver's seen and weather the storm (4,2,2,3,4) | TAKE IT ON THE CHIN | Definition: weather the storm
TAKE IT (to gather) + ON THE CHIN (a beaver is a beard – in this sense from from French *bavière* meaning a child's bib, not the animal) |
Nurses treated current stabbing early in the day (7) | SUNRISE | Definition: early in the day
I (electric current) in NURSES* – perhaps slightly unfortunate wording in view of the recent events in London |
Sailor looking fatigued aboard, running back and forth (7) | ONWARDS | Definition: forth
Reverse of DRAWN (looking fatigued) in O[rdinary] S[eaman] |
Playwright once releasing book to be grabbed by males ready for casting? (6) | MOLTEN | Definition: ready for casting
[B]OLT (Robert Bolt, whose plays include *A Man For All Seasons*) in MEN – the definition refers to the casting of metal |
Judge from Spain comes across the wrong way (6) | ESTEEM | Definition: Judge
E (Spain) + reverse of MEETS (comes across) |
One furnishes capital home with more elaborate fencing (9) | FINANCIER | Definition: One furnishes capital
IN ([at] home) in FANCIER |
Allude to trapping beast coming up from foreign parts (6) | EXOTIC | Definition: from foreign parts
Reverse of (OX in CITE) |
Take out child, heading off after school on vacation (9) | SLAUGHTER | Definition: Take out
S[choo]L (i.e. "vacated") + [D]AUGHTER, with "take out" being slang for "kill" |
Democrat moving in to make changes for promoters (5) | ADMEN | Definition: promoters
AMEND (make change) with the D relocated; Chambers gives this as both a single word and hyphenated |
Merry monarch's order for salad? (8) | COLESLAW | Definition: salad
COLE'S (Old King Cole was a merry old soul) + LAW (order) |
Countryman to consider keeping wife and daughter apart (5) | SWEDE | Definition: Countryman
W and D separately in SEE (consider) |
Young peers happily sharing a mistress? (11) | SCHOOLMATES | Definition: Young peers happily sharing a mistress
Cryptic definition |
Result of making mini bats for children's game? (11) | TIDDLYWINKS | Definition: children's game
Batting your eyelids leads to a wink, so if the bats were "mini" you might get TIDDLY (small) WINKS |
Uneasy and unready to receive, getting out (3,2,4) | NOT AT HOME | Definition: Uneasy
I think this is a triple definition: to be at home with something is to be comfortable with it, so uneasy would be the opposite; the next two literally refer to being not at home |
Careers madly round house for something to put shirt on? (9) | RACEHORSE | Definition: something to put shirt on
HO in CAREERS |
Breed of dog, one lean aggressive type (8) | PUGILIST | Definition: aggressive type
PUG + I + LIST (to lean) |
Bird going up rubbish heap gets very little to eat (6) | PEEWIT | Definition: Bird
Reverse of WEE (very little) in TIP (rubbish heap) |
Japanese art, complete with fine raised frame (5) | KENDO | Definition: Japanese art
END (to complete) in reverse of OK (fine); Kendo is a Japanese martial art that uses bamboo swords |
Eastern firm set up by an Indian, perhaps (5) | OCEAN | Definition: Indian, perhaps
Reverse of (E CO) + AN |
Does for college taking meals round (8) | SCUPPERS | Definition: Does for
C[ollege] in SUPPERS |
What Jock would call humble, taking English in college (5) | POLEY | Definition: What Jock would call humble
E[nglish] in POLY (i.e. polytechnic, college – strange to have this twice in consecutive clues); poley and humble both mean "hornless" (of cattle), with humble being a Scotticism |
Mixed up, so extra antidepressant required (7) | SEROXAT | Definition: antidepressant
(SO EXTRA) |
Folds in damask curtains partly drawn back (5) | RUCKS | Definition: Folds
Hidden in reverse of damaSK CURtains |
Man e.g. given time inside showing fibre (5) | ISTLE | Definition: fibre
T in ISLE (of Man) |
Like worthless demoiselle? One is clothed in purple (8) | MAUVAISE | Definition: Like worthless demoiselle
A IS in MAUVE – feminine version of the French word for bad, worthless |
In a corner round piece of Hepplewhite is giving impression of depth (6) | THREE-D | Definition: giving impression of depth
H in TREED (cornered) |
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