Clue
stringlengths 6
133
| Answer
stringlengths 3
46
| Explanation
stringlengths 5
888
|
|---|---|---|
Terrain reimagined for coach (7) | TRAINER | Definition: coach
TERRAIN |
Core competency raised — leader embraces it, excited (6) | HEATED | Definition: excited
The "core" of [comp]ET[ency], reversed, in HEAD |
Insubordination in Spain's greatly outside the box (6) | MUTINY | Definition: Insubordination
TIN (box) in MUY (Spanish "very", "greatly") |
Compact lunch, say, consumed by judge (6) | TREATY | Definition: Compact
EAT (e.g. to lunch) in TRY |
Shallow watercourse, very warm in continent's extremes (5) | CHOTT | Definition: Shallow watercourse
HOT in C[ontinen]T |
Lives with little to go round, requiring support (5) | JOIST | Definition: support
IS in JOT |
Reptilian creature offering extra drinks after moderation (10) | HOMORELAPS | Definition: Reptilian creature
HO (cessation or moderation) + MORE LAPS |
Beer mixed with rum in part of old helmet (7) | UMBRERE | Definition: part of old helmet
(BEER RUM) |
Swellings, start of plague? What often precedes the word going round (5) | MUMPS | Definition: Swellings
P[lague] in MUM'S (as in "mum's the word") |
River that is containing strong current (4) | RIFE | Definition: current
F (forte, strong) in R I.E. |
Midriff showing loss but no sign of age (4) | WAST | Definition: Midriff
WAST[AGE] – an old variant of "waist" |
Direct fan for repair – it's broken (9) | INFRACTED | Definition: broken
(DIRECT FAN) |
Ill-natured female retaining right to desire (8) | SHREWISH | Definition: Ill-natured
R in SHE (female) + WISH |
Like richly decorated chairs? I left pair in keep of one much admired (8) | GILTWOOD | Definition: Like richly decorated chairs
I L TWO in GOD |
Hurricanes? Real pains when flying about (9) | AIRPLANES | Definition: Hurricanes?
(REAL PAINS)*, with the definition referring to the WW2 fighter aircraft – perhaps there should have been some indication that "airplane" is mainly a US term |
Type of binding always backing pages (4) | YAPP | Definition: Type of binding
Reverse of AY (always) + P P |
What Troon gatecrashers do, showing contempt when shunned by clubs (4) | SORN | Definition: What Troon gatecrashers do
SCORN less C |
Trendy gym accepting one that's unfit (5) | INAPT | Definition: unfit
A in IN PT |
Liquidised? Such dry fruit did when pounded (7) | SILIQUE | Definition: dry fruit
LIQUIDISED is an anagram of SILIQUE + DID |
After silence, brook head causing the opposite thereof? (10) | SHRILLNESS | Definition: the opposite thereof
SH ("silence!") + RILL (brook) + NESS (geographical head) |
Turner cut short yard of wood strip (5) | LATHY | Definition: of wood strip
LATH[E]+ Y[ard] (This was wrongly listed as a duplicate 33 in the version I used) |
Combines one agreement incorporating another (5) | YOKES | Definition: Combines
OK in YES |
Sacred charm crafted from a rich nugget, half lost (8) | CHURINGA | Definition: Sacred charm
Anagram of A RICH NUG[get] |
Maize porridge, plain, for consuming at home (6) | HOMINY | Definition: Maize porridge
IN (at home) in HOMY (plain) – I knew this from the longer "hominy grits": a particularly unappetising name, I always thnk |
Content of storeroom for performer in ring (6) | TORERO | Definition: performer in ring
Hidden in sTOREROom |
Opening in a college (Oxford) coming up? Not on (5) | TREMA | Definition: Opening
Reverse of A MERTON less ON – the "trem-" element is seen in the animal group Monotremes |
Essential part of Trinity, one routine seen amid shimmering spires (12) | PERICHORESIS | Definition: Essential part of Trinity
I CHORE in SPIRES* – in spectacularly unhelpful fashion, Chambers defines this with the one word "cirumincession"; in turn is defined as "the reciprocity of existence in one another of the three persons of the Trinity", which still leaves me very little the wiser. I dare say people were burned at the stake for believing or not believing in it. |
I've affinity for negative charges and rile the police awfully? Not I (12) | ELECTROPHILE | Definition: I've affinity for negative charges
(RILE THE POLICE)* less one I |
Cane yielding alternative to honey and source thereof (6) | JAMBEE | Definition: Cane
JAM (alternative to honey) + BEE |
Given to faddish theory, I mostly relish accepting upsurge of it (7) | ISMATIC | Definition: Given to faddish theory
I + reverse of IT in SMAC[K] (relish) |
Rotting snake found on island (6) | SEPSIS | Definition: Rotting
SEPS ("a very venomous snake mentioned by classical writers") + IS (island) |
Two pairs from Towcester's line-up rarely thrown (4) | TOST | Definition: rarely thrown
Two separate pairs of letters from TOwceSTer |
Being so gauche shuns set (8) | THUSNESS | Definition: Being so
(SHUNS SET) |
Plays subtly dividing feet – near-miss space-wise? (7) | FLYPAST | Definition: near-miss space-wise
PLAYS* in FT. I thought this might be an exception to the "no hyphens" feature, but Chambers only gives it as a single word |
Whitebait substitute causing bad angina (6) | INANGA | Definition: Whitebait substitute
ANGINA |
Shot after victory? That's bleak (6) | WINTRY | Definition: bleak
WIN + TRY (a shot) |
Company circulates just like at home in old dance hall (6) | CASINO | Definition: old dance hall
AS IN in CO – a less-familiar meaning of this word, originally from the Italian for "little house" |
What examiners do in university encapsulated by 'dark blue' (6) | PERUSE | Definition: What examiners do
U in PERSE(dark blue) |
Idle year requiring cash, commonly (5) | LOLLY | Definition: cash, commonly
LOLL (to idle) + Y |
E.g. McEwan's best, badly needed after end of austerity (4) | YILL | Definition: E.g. McEwan's best
[austerit]Y + ILL (badly) – a Scots form of "ale" |
Spell single word for Scrabble's elementary rule (8,3) | PERIODIC LAW | Definition: elementary rule
PERIOD (a spell) + CLAW (to scrabble) – law governing the periodic table of the elements |
Finish putting pickle away (4,3) | HOLE OUT | Definition: Finish putting
HOLE (pickle, difficult situation) + OUT (away), with "putting" in the golfing sense |
Stack Beano at first with earlier back issue (7) | LUMBAGO | Definition: back issue
LUM (chimney – stack) + B[eano] + AGO (earlier) |
First motion of club supports extension (9) | BACKSWING | Definition: First motion of club
BACKS (supports) + WING (extension of a house) – more golf! |
Nothing cool for retirement? Chill naked (5) | NIHIL | Definition: Nothing
Reverse of IN (fashionable, cool) + cHILl without its "clothes" |
American's a jerk (4) | YANK | Definition: American
Double definition |
Scared to charge a pound for eggs (7,3) | CHICKEN RUN | Definition: a pound for eggs
CHICKEN (scared) + RUN (to charge) |
Moneylenders mad at Rees-Mogg (10) | MORTGAGEES | Definition: Moneylenders
(AT REES MOGG) |
Figure at a cost of millions (4) | FORM | Definition: Figure
FOR (at a cost of) + M |
Curtail break and work to go over puzzle (5) | POSER | Definition: puzzle
Reverse of RES[t] + OP (work) |
Naive set off without good food (5,4) | GREEN BEAN | Definition: food
GREEN (naive) + BEGAN (set off) less G |
Kept tiger, male, without fences, living close to ground (7) | EPIGEAL | Definition: living close to ground
Inner letters of kEPt tIGEr mALe: helpful clueing for an obscure word |
Pack short underwear that's wild (7) | RAMPANT | Definition: wild
RAM (to pack) + PANT[s] |
Actor might wear this coat on musical (6,5) | GREASE PAINT | Definition: Actor might wear this
GREASE (musical) + PAINT (coat) |
One on the road can, on Spice Girls tours (7,8) | PELICAN CROSSING | Definition: One on the road
(CAN ON SPICE GIRLS)* – for those who don't know, it's a type of pedestrian crossing, the name originally from PEdestrian LIght CONtrolled Crossing |
Hoots from river, one owl primarily hollowed-out trees (5) | RIOTS | Definition: Hoots
R + I + O[wl] + T[ree]S – something or someone very funny can be described as a hoot or a riot |
Over time, ridiculous to bury head in sand like this? (7) | OSTRICH | Definition: this
S[and] in O[ver] T[ime] RICH (ridiculous, as in "that's rich"), with an &littish definition |
Senselessness of sick needing oxygen getting rolled-up cigarette (7) | ILLOGIC | Definition: Senselessness
ILL (sick) + O + reverse of CIG |
After hugging guys, one has regret (8) | LAMENTER | Definition: one has regret
MEN in LATER (after) |
Teacher trained with software, Outlook (7,8) | WEATHER FORECAST | Definition: Outlook
(TEACHER SOFTWARE) |
Buxom partner getting caught on top (6) | CHUBBY | Definition: Buxom
C + HUBBY (husband, partner) |
Staff covering large garden at the back getting fertiliser (6) | POLLEN | Definition: fertiliser
L in POLE + [garde]N |
Trouble with endless Viagra, get off tablet (8) | AGGRIEVE | Definition: Trouble
Anagram of (VIAGR[a] GE[t]) + E[cstasy] |
Flash Power's a floor cleaner (6) | MOPPER | Definition: cleaner
MO (short time, flash) + P[ower] + PER (a, as in "once a/per day") |
Pop singer, mostly with guitarist Paul after good laughs (7) | GIGGLES | Definition: laughs
G + IGG[y] (Iggy Pop, singer) + LES (Les Paul, American guitarist, who also gave his name to particular guitar) |
Ring doctor's surgery for treatment (3-4) | EYE-DROP | Definition: treatment
EYE (in the sense "a wire loop or ring for a hook") + DR + OP (operation, surgery) |
Second home acquired by mum (6) | MINUTE | Definition: Second
IN (home) in MUTE (mum) – minute and second aren't the same, of course, but both can informally mean a short time |
They might have rain in north — declaration after batting for both sides (5) | NIMBI | Definition: They might have rain
N + I'M BI – as a bisexual person (one who "bats for both sides") might say; nimbi are rain-clouds |
There will be a charge in this case (9) | CARTRIDGE | Definition: There will be a charge in this case
Cryptic definition – the "charge" is in a gun cartridge |
Pay attention to what the Spectator does (5) | WATCH | Definition: Pay attention to
"Double" definition – "Spectator" is capitalised to make us think of the magazine, but otherwise it's essentially the same definition twice |
Type of crime committed by a prisoner? (6,3) | INSIDE JOB | Definition: Type of crime
Double/cryptic definition |
Bewitching girl that wails loudly (5) | SIREN | Definition: Bewitching girl
Double definition |
Queen contributed to cultural channel (6) | ARTERY | Definition: channel
ER in ARTY |
Trumpeter amazing the panel (8) | ELEPHANT | Definition: Trumpeter
(THE PANEL) |
Succinct agreement that's put into handbag (7) | COMPACT | Definition: Succinct
Three definitions |
Odds on racehorse are glittering (7) | SPARKLE | Definition: are glittering
SP (Starting price – odds) + ARKLE (racehorse, named after a mountain in NW Scotland) |
Boxer so shattered? (3-5) | DOG-TIRED | Definition: shattered
Double/cryptic definition |
Put down drink (6) | SQUASH | Definition: Put down
Double definition ("put down" as in squashing a rebellion) |
Pigment sounds more likely to ooze (5) | SEPIA | Definition: Pigment
Homophone of "seepier" |
Nice graph represented vicar's work (9) | PREACHING | Definition: vicar's work
(NICE GRAPH) |
Deceived the French teacher (3,2) | LED ON | Definition: Deceived
LE + DON |
Ocean waves go fast, as before (4,5) | ONCE AGAIN | Definition: as before
OCEAN* + GAIN (as in "they're gaining on us") |
Style of plain title girl received (6) | MANNER | Definition: Style
ANNE in MR (a "plain title") |
Knock into the air and begin to play (6,2) | STRIKE UP | Definition: Knock into the air
Double definition ("strike up the band!") |
These London companies providing current to railway (6) | LIVERY | Definition: London companies
LIVE (providing current) + RY – see here to read about livery companies |
Disregarded amendment for redoing (7) | IGNORED | Definition: Disregarded
REDOING |
In plate, an accompaniment to coffee (6) | DANISH | Definition: accompaniment to coffee
AN in DISH – a Danish pastry |
Loose rock needs new barrier (6) | SCREEN | Definition: barrier
SCREE (loose rock on a hillside) + N |
Look before you take such a year (4) | LEAP | Definition: such a year
Double/cryptic definition – "look before you leap" |
Request contents of basket (3) | ASK | Definition: Request
Hidden in bASKet |
Draw something of the old school (3) | TIE | Definition: Draw
Double definition, the second referring to "the old school tie" |
Not real fish (3) | COD | Definition: Not real
Double definition |
This could be raised to part of mouth (3) | MUG | Definition: This could be raised to part of mouth
Reverse of GUM (part of the mouth), and a MUG can be raised to the lips |
It closes the port (4) | CORK | Definition: It closes
Double definition |
Unpleasant period having fibre to eat (8) | ROUGHAGE | Definition: fibre to eat
ROUGH + AGE |
Besotted with Gordian knot (7) | ADORING | Definition: Besotted with
GORDIAN |
Key batsman (6) | OPENER | Definition: Key
Double definition |
Tinker's follower could suit you (6) | TAILOR | Definition: Tinker's follower
Double definition – from the counting rhyme "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor", and a tailor could make you a suit |
Was a rocker in leather, I gather (6) | SWAYED | Definition: Was a rocker
Homophone of "suede" |
Evil family are absorbed (4,2) | SINK IN | Definition: are absorbed
SIN (evil) + KIN |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.