Clue
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Country losing territory on North Island to old Britons (5) | ICENI | Definition: old Britons
ICELAND (country) less LAND (territory) + N I |
One attempting to lose runs level (4) | TIER | Definition: level
TRIER less (one) R |
Strangely tasty cep seen as belonging to the same sort (8) | TYPECAST | Definition: seen as belonging to the same sort
(TASTY CEP) |
Set of clubs given to girl (5) | CLASS | Definition: Set
C + LASS |
Game played by poets nursing sick setter (9) | BILLIARDS | Definition: Game
ILL + I (setter) in BARDS |
Bird that can cough things up? (4) | HAWK | Definition: Bird
Double definition |
Vagrant stealing first part of investigator's brief (7) | DOSSIER | Definition: brief
I[nvestigator] in DOSSER |
Sticky stuff coating large end of rectangular dressing (7) | PLASTER | Definition: dressing
L in PASTE (sticky stuff) + [rectangula]R |
Animal turned up with mother (4) | PUMA | Definition: Animal
Reverse of UP + MA |
One who oversees meeting with Chinese pilot (8) | CHAIRMAN | Definition: One who oversees meeting
CH + AIRMAN |
Spool for thread endlessly going up and down (6) | BOBBIN | Definition: Spool for thread
BOBBIN[g] |
In a rush to charge queen (6) | CAREER | Definition: In a rush
CARE (charge, as a noun – "he is in my care/charge") + ER |
End of scarf covered by moist part of cloth (4) | WEFT | Definition: part of cloth
[scar]F in WET |
Fish go into chippy (9) | CARPENTER | Definition: chippy
CARP + ENTER |
Type of race put down again (5) | RELAY | Definition: Type of race
RE-LAY |
Aides trained to make plans (5) | IDEAS | Definition: plans
AIDES |
Independent publications losing Azerbaijani leaders' pictures (8) | IMAGINES | Definition: pictures
I + MAGAZINES less AZ[erbaijani] |
Experiment involving long container (3,5) | TEA CHEST | Definition: container
ACHE (long) in TEST |
Space given to lean recruit (6) | ENLIST | Definition: recruit
EN (space, in printing) + LIST (to lean over) |
Social 20 across accepting large, grand residence (6) | CASTLE | Definition: grand residence
L in CASTE (social class) |
Hit boy below the belt (4) | BLOW | Definition: Hit
B[oy] + LOW (below the belt) |
Bird heard when crossing river (4) | WREN | Definition: Bird
R in WEN (homophone of "when") |
Bruiser with power breaking additional window (8) | POP-UNDER | Definition: additional window
P[ower] in POUNDER |
Seed covering ball is there? He belts it possibly (4) | ARIL | Definition: Seed covering
Composite anagram: (BALL IS THERE)* = HE BELTS ARIL |
Delayed receiving a present sent back – unusually smooth (9) | LAEVIGATE | Definition: unusually smooth
A + reverse of GIVE in LATE – "unusually" because Chambers describes it as a "non-standard spelling" of "levigate" |
Positive German football team making money (4) | PELF | Definition: money
P + ELF (German "eleven", i.e. a football team) |
Starts going at this speed one's gift for traffic police (5) | GATSO | Definition: gift for traffic police
First letters of Going At This Speed One's |
Party at the opera house? It benefits investors (7) | SCALADO | Definition: It benefits investors
it's a DO at [la] SCALA, or a SCALA DO |
Wolf maybe died having escaped from fair (5) | CANID | Definition: Wolf maybe
CANDID less the first D |
Get even with church introducing Latin bit of old sophistry (6) | ELENCH | Definition: bit of old sophistry
L in E'EN CH |
King, black chess piece (6) | KNIGHT | Definition: chess piece
K[ing] + NIGHT |
Holiday abroad, shortest one if there's no Brie (5) | FESTA | Definition: Holiday abroad
BRIEFEST A less BRIE |
One involved in nocturnal flirting, being of similar character etc (10) | CONNATURAL | Definition: being of similar character etc
A in NOCTURNAL |
It's a tight fit in the dressing room – stars almost late (7) | LEOTARD | Definition: It's a tight fit in the dressing room
LEO (constellation, stars) + TARD[y] |
Republicans having a bit of a knees-up in lively dance (5) | GOPAK | Definition: lively dance
GOP (Grand Old Party, nickname of the US Republican party)+ A K[nees-up] |
Places to stay favoured partners at table? (4) | INNS | Definition: Places to stay
IN (favoured) + NS (bridge partners) |
Help for travellers I upset with dog running wild (9) | GUIDE-POST | Definition: Help for travellers
(I UPSET DOG) |
Sex symbol that is given leading part in India (4) | YONI | Definition: Sex symbol
YON (that) + I[ndia] |
Certainly wood growth having nitrogen applied quite recently (8) | YESTREEN | Definition: quite recently
YES (certainly) + TREE + N[itrogen] |
Part of mum's hose giving dad a whack? (7) | POPSOCK | Definition: Part of mum's hose
POP (dad) + SOCK (punch, whack) |
King Cole in a bad way? Soon one's out at the elbows (9) | OLECRANON | Definition: one's out at the elbows
Anagram of COLE R (king) + ANON (soon) |
Indian tree, one replacing millions of others? (5) | PALAS | Definition: Indian tree
PALMS (other trees than the one in the answer) with the M replaced by A |
It helps steersman, one in bed, laid up (6) | NAVAID | Definition: It helps steersman
A in reverse of DIVAN |
Labiate late, tended poorly (10) | DEAD-NETTLE | Definition: Labiate
(LATE TENDED) |
Channel for water to flow in runnel (6) | RIGOLL | Definition: runnel
GO in RILL |
Cook's jelly I see extracted from fungus (4) | AGAR | Definition: Cook's jelly
AGARIC less I C |
Food cooked in roast (7) | RATIONS | Definition: Food
(IN ROAST) |
Sun rising round East? Many of us enjoy summer birthdays (4) | LEOS | Definition: Many of us enjoy summer birthdays
E in reverse of SOL. The astrological sign Leo covers July 23 – August 22, so perhaps "many of us" could be regarded as redundant |
Vintners to get an early feeling for blend of rouges (10) | BODEGUEROS | Definition: Vintners
BODE (to have a presentiment of, get an early feeling for) + ROGUES* – from the perhaps more familiar "bodega", a Spanish shop or warehouse for wine |
Photo on lake that is showing Walter's bird (9) | PICTARNIE | Definition: Walter's bird
PIC + TARN + I.E. – a name for the tern used by Sir Walter Scott |
Writer I put up in disorderly inn, one of several in alley? (7) | NINE-PIN | Definition: one of several in alley
Reverse of (PEN I) in INN |
Favouring active involvement (7) | HANDS-ON | Definition: Favouring active involvement
The competition word |
Not strictly a Mohican cut for harvest celebration (6) | HAWKEY | Definition: harvest celebration
In James Fenimore Cooper's novel *The Last of the Mohicans* (and the many film versions of it), the character Hawk-eye (real name Nathaniel Bumppo) was raised by Native Americans, so is "not strictly a Mohican". Truncating his nickname we get a kind of harvest celebration |
Fug, with being kept in by cold weather (6) | FROWST | Fug, with being kept in by cold weather (6)
W[ith] in FROST |
Region of SW France suggested by the French? (5) | LANDE | Definition: Region of SW France
French "the" is LE, or L AND E |
Such a face suggests one foolish cracksman, first to last (4) | EGGY | Definition: Such a face suggests one foolish
YEGG (safe cracker) with the first letter moved to the end. A foolish person may be said to have egg on their face |
In hollow, a dip through which river runs (4) | WADI | Definition: through which river runs
Hidden in holloW A DIp |
Old lecturer enters competition with authority (6) | ORACLE | Definition: authority
O + L in RACE |
Joker breaks into school for change (6) | SWITCH | Definition: change
WIT in SCH |
Egypt is regularly overturning complaint (4) | STYE | Definition: complaint
Alternate letters in reverse of EgYpT iS |
A fake prophecy: 'Earth's lost metal' — it's doubtful (10) | APOCRYPHAL | Definition: doubtful
A + PROPHECY* less E + AL (Aluminium) |
Text about new hit fashions (6) | SMITHS | Definition: fashions
HIT* in SMS (text message) |
English bowler moves around leg — wicket falls! (8) | ANDERSON | Definition: English bowler
WANDERS (moves around) + ON (leg side in cricket) less W. I have no interest in cricket and hadn't heard of James ANDERSON, but apparently he's quite successful… |
Is footballer blocking Everton's last delivery? (9) | INSWINGER | Definition: delivery
[everto]N in IS WINGER – more cricket: an inswinger is a kind of bowling delivery |
Drunk hides whiskey in study (4) | SWOT | Definition: study
W in SOT |
Following kick-off, running back for corner (4) | NOOK | Definition: corner
Reverse of KO + ON (running) |
Work in bed? Initially, employer to play along (9) | COOPERATE | Definition: play along
OPERA (a work) in COT + E[mployer] |
Animated figure's bearing American god (8) | MORPHEUS | Definition: god
MORPH (animated clay figure of children's TV) + E (compass bearing) + US |
In speech ex-PM beguiles table (6) | MATRIX | Definition: table
Homophone of [Theresa] "May tricks" |
Perhaps email in the latest style? (4-6) | POST-MODERN | Definition: in the latest style
Email is a kind of POST that is MODERN |
Type of film only showing in visible and ultraviolet light? (4) | NOIR | Definition: Type of film
If you only have visible and UV light, then you have NO I[nfra]R[ed] |
Fancy pheromone contains secret message (6) | CYPHER | Definition: secret message
Hidden in fanCY PHERomone |
Timid setter's crossing river (6) | MOUSEY | Definition: Timid
OUSE (river) in MY (setter's) |
Turkish delight at last — after starter of olives, am not upset! (7) | OTTOMAN | Definition: Turkish
O + [deligh]T + (AM NOT) |
Spy gets kind of crimson once cover's blown (5) | AGENT | Definition: Spy
[m]AGENT[a] |
Singer Moyet left first to hide one love affair (7) | LIAISON | Definition: love affair
ALISON (Moyet) with the L moved to the front and then an I (one) inserted |
Line in what you're reading to classes (6) | WORLDS | Definition: classes
L in WORDS. Chambers gives "a class or division" as one of its definitions of "world", as in "the animal world" |
Lift prize cup of the highest quality (3-6) | TOP-DRAWER | Definition: of the highest quality
Reverse of REWARD POT |
Listen to the end of our bust-up in anger (4,3) | HEAR OUT | Definition: Listen to the end of
OUR* in HEAT (anger) |
Second chicken drinks beer on top of barn for encouragement … (6-7) | MORALE‑BOOSTER | Definition: encouragement
ALE B[arn] in MO (moment, second) ROOSTER |
… as Goldberg and sheep celebrate raucously (5,2,2) | WHOOP IT UP | Definition: celebrate raucously
WHOOPI (Goldberg. Actor) + TUP (another name for a ram) |
Ozone damaged, I see, by this age (7) | NEOZOIC | Definition: age
OZONE* + IC |
Pepper pot shaken over fried carbon-free mince (7) | PIMENTO | Definition: Pepper
Anagram of MIN[c]E in POT |
Cambridge college's uprising — can I go outside? (7) | TRINITY | Definition: Cambridge college
Reverse of TIN (can) I in TRY (go) |
Unscramble what Enigma produced? (6) | DECODE | Definition: Unscramble
Not sure about this: I'm guessing the idea is that Enigma was a CODE used by DE (Germany) |
Cheers when husband quits and fails badly (5) | TANKS | Definition: fails badly
THANKS less H |
Plant donor leg set by doctor, initially (9) | GOLDENROD | Definition: Plant
(DONOR LEG)* + D[octor] |
Heard 'Clear off!' in a broad brogue, say (4) | SHOE | Definition: a broad brogue, say
Homophone of "shoo" (clear off!), and playing on the two meanings of "brogue" as a type of speech as well a shoe |
Bounder showing angora creation — knockout all round (8) | KANGAROO | Definition: Bounder
ANGORA* in K.O. |
Attraction of climber getting into lap dancing (6) | APPEAL | Definition: Attraction
PEA (climbing plant) in LAP |
Accordingly, returned flag as an object of worship (6) | OSIRIS | Definition: an object of worship
Reverse of SO (accordingly) + IRIS (flag) |
Long streamer displayed by group, role-playing (8) | BANDEROL | Definition: Long streamer
BAND (group) + ROLE |
Figures holding back in game (6) | TENNIS | Definition: game
Reverse of IN in TENS |
Out of control city mess affecting an entire body (8) | SYSTEMIC | Definition: affecting an entire body
(CITY MESS) |
Prone to an outburst against rough calico around neck opening (8) | VOLCANIC | Definition: Prone to an outburst
V (versus, against) + N in CALICO |
Turnover, spectacular at first, is contained by Pacific island (6) | SAMOSA | Definition: Turnover
S[pectacular] in SAMOA; "islands" would be more accurate |
MacLean's editorial houses purged (8) | CLEANSED | Definition: purged
Hidden ("housed") in maCLEAN'S Editorial |
Husband has love competition, a poet (6) | HORACE | Definition: a poet
H + O + RACE |
Old-time Royal Variety performer? (6) | JESTER | Definition: Old-time Royal Variety performer
Cryptic definition |
Guardian follows one into unlit derelict submarine (8) | NAUTILUS | Definition: submarine
A in UNLIT* + US (The Guardian) – the submarine in Jules Verne's *Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea*, as well as some real-life vessels |
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