Guardian Cryptic by Picaroon for Friday 18th, July

I thought I would give the Guardian a go. Wow that was hard! So many comments about what a delight,  fun, puzzle this was but it was really hard for me. I'm not sure how to parse most of the clues. I can grasp bits here and there, but most of them are beyond my abilities. I hit that cheat button a lot just to see where the clues were going, then tried breaking the clues back down in reverse. So many fails.

I did find a few that worked for me like 26A, 3D, 4D and 7D. Then there was 1D which is a complete mystery. I'm not at all up on my history of British PMs or common UK puzzle slang, although I did know a "Johnny" was slang for a condom.

This is still a journey for me, even though I try my hand at the role of teacher - I'm not. I'm just trying to sort all of this cryptic solving stuff as I hope some of you are. Come along with me, let's work together, let's learn together how to break these codes.

Apologies up front, I didn't red pen the grid this time. I admit to cheating a lot, let that be enough. The good thing about these Guardian crosswords in that they are a challenge with an answer key right there to help. If we can break down the harder puzzles, they'll eventually become easier once we know the tricks and shortcuts. (Oh, now it sounds like I'm overcompensating!)

1A - Twirling journalist wearing clown's suit (6)
Right from the start, I got lost. "Twirling" had me thinking it was an anagrind, then I thought maybe it meant "journalist" had to go in backwards? Wearing clown's? The definition is "suit" and the answer is SPADES. Even if "journalist" = ED backwards, what do clowns and SPAS have to do with anything? I don't think they do, not any spa I want to be a part of,anyway. Yuck, clowns in speedos
"wanna honk my horn?" No, please make the images stop!

5A - Explorer back in country, one caught spying on royalty (8)
"Explorer" = POLO (Marco Polo) "back IN" = NI, "country" = US to give us "one caught spying on royalty" POLONIUS.

9A - Acceptable payment to occupy empty London club (4,4)
I cheated here, the answer is LONG IRON for "club"  I could get that "empty London" meant we want the first and last letters LN, but I couldn't think of an "acceptable payment" to then "occupy" LN. "Payment" = GIRO, so does that leave "Acceptable" = ON?

10A - Most of sheep in the rain? One of them (6)
I'm not exactly sure if we are supposed to take most of the beginning of "sheep", the end or just the middle. Are we supposed to think sheep in the rain being WET? Is it that simple? Does "one of them" have to mean HER? It could've been him, but that doesn't make a word like WETHER, does it?

11,23A - Conferred with footballer needing to be paid off? (8)
I've not encountered a clue like this before. It's an 8 letter answer, split into two. The full definition is an eight letter word, but the cluing is for a (4,4) Definition is "Conferred" meaning to bestow, or following clue tense BESTOWED; "footballer" = BEST (George Best, I'm guessing and if it isn't cricket it's soccer) and "needing to be paid off" = OWED.

12A - Scots bash vessels navy moored in bay (5,5)
"Scots bash" is our definition and knowing there are only two Scottish holidays to choose from, Hogmanay or BURNS NIGHT. Now, Do we take the B from "Bash"  and have "vessels" = URNS? How do we get "navy moored in bay" to become NIGHT?

13A - PM losing head in conflict with European (6)
I got this with cross letters and a list of prime ministers on wikipedia. I'm guessing "losing head in conflict" means conflict = BATTLE -B "with European"  means to take the E for ATTLEE.

14A - What makes baker stop (5,3)
As cross letters fell in, I'd try different combinations and hit the "Check" button. Finally guessing BREAK OFF.  It doesn't make much sense to me. When thinking of work, we usually go ON a break, so I'm unsure why it's OFF here.

16A - Verbally abuse Tory minister? Party leader's appalled (8)
Definition is "appalled" and to "verbally abuse" is to DISS a Tory minister...well I don't know any of them in UK anymore, "Party's leader" doesn't want a P...I don't get it. Answer by deduction and thesaurus DISMAYED.

19A - Nothing wrong with a car that's kind of blue (6)
"A car" that is also a "kind of blue" is OXFORD. Well, the FORD part for car, anyway. I guess "nothing" = O and "wrong" = X because we mark wrong answers with an X.

21A - Reluctant to explore a hot and steamy novel (4-2-4)
I took a guess with cross letters. "Reluctant to explore" means you STAY AT HOME. I could also see "A HOT and STEAMY" would make STAY AT HOME but I didn't appreciate or recognise "novel" as an anagrind until much later. (it is one right? or was it explore?)


24A - Not public school receiving royal backing (8)
"Not public" is the definition and "school" = SECT "receiving royal backing" = ER(Elizabeth regina) reversed RE going into SECT for SECRET.

25A - Uncovered bird or rodent or mammoth (8)
Definition is "mammoth" and an "uncovered bird" = HEN -H, "or rodent" means to "uncover" a rodent but this time from the end as MOUSE -E to give EN + MOUS so if we take the extra "OR" before mammoth we can get ENORMOUS.

26A - Farm fertiliser has stable particle (8)
"Farm fertiliser" makes us think of manure, right? What manure maker has a stable? And a particle in its name? STALLION.

27A - Decline in the west has society getting soft (6)
I cheated. SUNSET. The Sun sets in the west but I can't figure out how "society getting soft" fits.

2D - Left idea for saucy yarn's beginning with one's newspaper (8,2,5)
I'm genuinely without any clue. Nothing. No part makes sense. PROPERTY IS THEFT. What does the answer mean, never mind the clue. Wiki offers old French anarchy. Still not clear.

3D - Like some computers? Very nearly like the whole lot! (7)
You just have to think laterally. Answer is like, DIGITAL.

4D - Flora and Johnny involved in fling (9)
I, being filthy minded, imagined butter lubed condoms - as you do. That said, this clue took me a while because I had not anticipated the use of American slang. "Flora" = SHRUB and "Johnny" = RUBBER put together for SHRUBBERY. You just have to add the Y?

5D - Criticise American pressure about promoting political unity (3-4) 
Definition is "political unity" and "criticise" = PAN "American" = A as we take the proper noun's first letter and from here I get lost. Pressure in science is reduce to PA and I thought promoting would be PR but somehow we need RAB. Full answer is PAN-ARAB.

6D - Cruciverbalist's sidekick with some incredible wisdom (5)
I don't get it. Sorry, you have to hear that a lot this time around. Answer is LEWIS. I know "cruciverbalist" is a cryptic crossword compiler but if there's one named Clark, I don't know him. "with some incredibLE WISdom" shows the answer but I never twigged the hidden word, or its meaning.

7D - Tip for cooking, stuffing cut carp (7)
I did get this one! "for cooking" is an anagrind and we want to mix TIP and "stuffing" it into a synonym for "cut" = NICK to give NI (TPI) CK or NITPICK, meaning to carp.

8D - Seek out cheerful, hazy line in futuristic picture (3,3,5,4)
There were hints in the comments for this puzzle, which was interesting because they seem very averse to blatant hints. I knew it was Star Wars related, and when a few cross letters showed I knew it. USE THE FORCE LUKE.

15D - English wound up? In France, we could be easily aroused (9)
Answer is EROGENOUS. I think we take the E from "English" "wound" = GORE and being a down clue those will be put in the grid backwards as the instruction "up" indicates, EROG + E then "French" = NOUS for EROGENOUS meaning "easily aroused"

17D - After 31 days, Examination of a government official (7)
"Government official" is the definition and I got this with cross letters. MAY does have 31 days and a type of "Examination" is ORAL for MAYORAL.

18D - Teacher, with age defends right to be a bore (5,2)
Not too dissimilar from the DA clue from Friday, here our "Teacher" is a DR with "age" = EON but not sure how we parse the middle ON which gives DRONE ON (or is the ONE the EON with an extra ON on the end?)

20D - Diver, turning up gold fish's head, fed (7)
"Diver" is our definition and I could only get the "gold fish's head" part meant GF but the rest I don't understand. Answer is FROGMAN, a term I have heard.

22D - Taunt a trio intermittently, giving musical instruction (5)
"Intermittently" is the word we want to hone in on, and the words before reveal "TaUnT a TrIo" to give TUTTI, a "musical instruction"

There, sorry it wasn't more informative. I have to keep challenging myself. See you Tuesday.

The Age cryptic by DA Friday 18th July

Is it someone's birthday? I just have to wonder because this puzzle was a gift! It had some easy clues, some generous parsing and a few naughty giggles. I solved all but five on my own, then went to the D.A. Trippers (DAT) for some hints. I learned some new definitions of words I've always used, but apparently not enough. 26A required Mort at DAT to explain the answer because I'm not classically trained nor religiously inclined.

I managed to get all the big answers in first. I know, how could that happen? I'm telling you, this was a gift. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. We're going to get slammed next week, aren't we. Puzzle mind and soul crush.

1A - Exotic spice diets proven bug-killers (10)
Definition is "bug-killers" and "Exotic" is an anagrind. Mix up "spice diets" to reveal PESTICIDES.

7A - Flirt hosts bishop and uncle for breakfast (4)
I needed some help with this one as I'd initially put in the wrong answer, and thought it was a pretty good one (even though it ignored the "bishop and uncle") So Mort hinted "7A a three-letter word for “flirt” is around the usual abbreviation of bishop. Some have Uncle 7A for breakfast " That gives "Flirt" = TOY (as in to toy with someone, I hope) and we take the B from "bishop" to give TOBY, where Uncle Toby is a popular breakfast cereal brand.

9A - Republican inciting debate? (4)
I figured I was looking at "debate" to be the definition. I couldn't figure out what the clue wanted me to do. I had the cross letters and thesaurus listed "SPUR" as a synonym for "incite" and I thought, yeah, Republicans (Australian Liberals as if that's not confusing!) do like to put the boot heel in, why not add a spur? The real answer is SPAR, but I'll leave my political bias out there.


10A - Triple-cream cheese, melted on top, together casing fish. (10)
This clue made sense up until "casing fish" which I was convinced was some kind of anagram, but it's not. I then thought about (googled) triple-cream cheeses and what types there are because I have no idea - I'm not a cheese person. I'm a cake person. (I should become a cheese person, instead) "melted on top" means take the M from melted, "together" = AS ONE and "casing fish" can be read like encasing CARP to give M + AS (CARP) ONE for MASCARPONE.  Anyone else read that clue as if someone was spying on fish? Casing the fishtank for future fish rustling? Too much cartoon gangster crime?

11A - Flakes fall for this pirate on-line? (8)
I had cross letters and figured the beginning of the clue "Flakes fall" = SNOW  but wasn't sure of the rest. I put in SNOWDROP. Later checking the DAT and Arthur and Gayle both confirmed that another name stealing clothes from washing lines is known as Snowdropping. "pirate" being a thief and the "on-line" being a washing line, not internet.

12A - State is alert to screening vehicular fee (6)
We are looking for a state in the USA. "Is alert" = ON and "vehicular fee" = REGO (Aussie slang for registration) now I'm not sure if "screening" means to split the O and N but our answer is OREGON. I will scrutinise "screening" closer from now.

13A - An outfit storing bomb or house arrest requirement (5,7)
"House arrest requirement" is our definition and I got the answer with cross letters. ANKLE MONITOR is the answer. I can guess "storing a bomb" gives the middle part LEMON, but "an outfit" as ANKTOR?

17A - Vamp got influence kneeling (12)
"Vamp" is an anagrind and the definition is "kneeling" so rearrange "got influence" to reveal GENUFLECTION.

20A - Veto domestic Manx chook (6)
Definition is "chook" "Veto" = BAN and we can take the M from Manx, but I'm not sure how "domestic" = TA (territorial army?) to give BANTAM.

22A - Dylan pointlessly (and cryptically) suggests another singer (4,4)
"Dylan pointlessly" means remove the compass point from Dylan -N to leave DYLA (and cryptically) means to mix those letters into LADY and "suggest another singer" would be LADY GAGA.

24A - Darling turned to skillet for rabbit, a Japanese meal (10)
I may not know cheese, but I know Japanese cuisine! I got this with cross letters and had been searching for specific meal - time wasted! "Darling turned" = PET but backwards TEP "skillet" = PAN and "rabbit" = YAK (as in to rabbit on) and we need an I for the end to make TEPPANYAKI. (Is the I in the clue?)

25A - Fiddle 60 pre-50? (4)
Definition is "Fiddle" and I'm not wholly sure I get the roman numeral conversion but I think it's 6 = VI 0 = O and 50 = L for VIOL. I don't know what the "pre" is about. I also wasn't sure a Viol was a real thing and had to google. See, puzzles make us all smarter.

26A - Air of hostility ends calmness, essentially (4)
Definition is "Air" and "HostilitY ends" means take the first and last letters HY and "calmness essentially" means take the core from "calMNess" giving HYMN. But I didn't understand "Air" = Hymn until Mort helped out again "CC: Bach wrote an air on a G-string. " (Oh, now I have Pride and Prejudice yearnings)

27A - Supreme hand required to clean throne? (5,5)
What's the highest hand in poker that could also be said to clean the household "throne"? ROYAL FLUSH.

2D - Pole enters web-show before champion (8)
I got this with cross letters and a thesaurus. Definition is "champion" and the answer is EXPONENT and I can see "Pole enters" where the P is in the word, but I don't know what exonent means in regard to "web show"

3,14D - Expose town plight with hour to waste (5,5,4)
I got this with guesswork, but looking now I think "Expose" is our definition and "to waste" an anagrind leaving "TOWN PLIGHT with HOUR"  having 10 letters to remix gives THROW LIGHT UPON. This did not work in the anagram solvers and I had to do side by side comparisons and draw lines to each letter. That's not old school, that's pre-school, but we do what we have to do to get the solve.

4D - Paparazzi showed up noodles (9)
"Paparazzi" is the definition and "showed up" = CAME and "noodles" = RAMEN for CAMERAMEN.

5D - Cleaner prop for improv stand-up (7)
"Cleaner prop" is the definition and "improv" is an anagrind so rearrange "stand-up" for DUSTPAN.

6D - Residents polish a Korean soldier's hat (5)
I'd gone the long way and googled "soldier's hat" and got the answer that way and as I was writing that in, I thought "Residents" looked like a hidden word signpost (edited, thanks Robin!) and it is! hidden in "poliSH A KOrean" is the answer SHAKO. I was well chuffed I found the right word because I'd never heard of it before.

7D - Classified locale reviewed on island, closer to the north (3,6)
I'd lightly penciled in TOP SECRET and as the cross letters began to match, I put it in solid as the definition as "Classified" but how to get that from the clue, I cannot tell you. Is the island CRETE? Does "locale" = SPOT? Does "north" = TOP? Arg!

8D - Correct harp (4,2)
Because I'd had 7A wrong, this one went in last. We want to think of "harp" as to harp on about something, on and on and on...BANG ON. Mort helped out with "CC, 8D harp is a verb not an instrument. " Was good to have that confirmed.

15D - I melt lard, rotating! (9)
I'm so suspicious of these easy clues, it means something terrible is coming next week, right? Looking at this, though - it's a very clever because "I melt lard" is a gorgeous anagram of TREADMILL. "Rotating" serving as anagrind but treadmills do rotate.


16D - Striking to defile American with nothing to hide (8)
Wow, I needed help with this one. My brain jammed up with "defile American" and I couldn't go any further. Thankfully DAT Dave told me "1st word of 16d clue is def. ‘Defile’ is not a verb. " and I went to the dictionary to find out this mysterious other definition of "defile" = GORGE  it does? Wow! With "Striking" as the definition I could guess GORGEOUS where American = US and "nothing" = O

18D - Cocky-sounding deception? (7)
Risqué clue alert! Ooer!  Right, "cocky-sounding" = PHALLUS with "deception" as the definition we want a homophone-like answer FALLACY.

19D - Hardly how streakers operate (6)
I'm surprised this clue didn't have a question mark on the end. No real cryptic way to solve, answer is BARELY.

21D - Mimicked fashion house (5)
"Mimicked" is a homophone signpost and we want a word that sounds like a house and a fashion MANNER/MANOR, we want the answer with five letters. MANOR. (That and "house" is on the end of the clue and definitions are at the beginning or end of clues)

23D - Offered old insider a hearing aid? (5)
I liked this clue because I'd stared at it for ages, confounded and then Aha! The answer was there. I love those moments! Definition is "hearing aid" if we think of a hearing in the courtroom sense. "Offered" = GAVE and "oLd insider" means take the letter L from inside old to give us GAVEL.

Wow, we're done! I had this finished before the kids got back from school. Wonderful.

I'm sure next week will be in all Latin, every clue a pun and referenced from an Encyclopaedia Britiannica from 1947, with the odd whimsically slang Spooner just to make me cry.

Have a great weekend.

The Age Cryptic by DP from 16/7/14

I am highly distracted and have fluff for brains today. Sorry. Days of a cold, managing teen with a sore face has left me in need of a brain break. I did manage most of yesterday's puzzle with only 6 clues left over and two of those were partially solved.

No big disappoints, a few nebulous clues I could guess and I really liked 18A, I thought it was a great clue.

1A - Italian flower has to leave modern paintings (3,3)
I did get the answer but it was not an encouraging start. I'm not sure how the clue works. I figured the definition to be "modern paintings" and rather than scanning through a list of Italian rivers or flowers, I took a stab with POP ART and got it. I don't know if the "flower" is a Poppy, or if "has to leave" is a portion of "Depart".

4A - Ready to be trimmed ahead of time (8)
Double definition; something "ready to be trimmed" that is also "ahead of time" is PREPARED. Or maybe "Ready" is the only definition, and "to be trimmed ahead of time" is the rest?

10A - Fruit taken in by prehensile monkeys (5)
Hidden word clue, We want to find a "Fruit" hidden "in" "prehensiLE MONkeys" answer is LEMON.

11A - Would Blyton character be appropriate protective wear (5, 4)
I don't understand the answer to this, as it's not really a common a phrase, is it? Is this an Aussie/Brit thing? My Scottish husband think's it odd.  With cross letters I could discern NODDY as our "Blyton" character, but I would've thought his distinctive hat or vest would be more apt as a "protective wear" than a SUIT. I've googled NODDY SUIT and get nothing, so I can't explain the answer.

12A - How efficient waiter give you just retribution? (6,3,5)
I guessed the first two words, but needed to wait on the third until I could figure out the set phrase of SERVES YOU RIGHT.

15A - Heartless piety and shame (4)
"Shame" is our definition and "Heartless piety" means to remove the heart of the word "piety" or the middle letter -E to get PITY.

16A - Singularly effective member of Consorting Squad (10)
I got this via cross-letters and guessing, it seems to be the way of solving these kinds of lateral thinking clues. GANGBUSTER.

18A - Cape, red perhaps, for mounted thug (6,4)
Good clue. We want a matching phrase for "mounted thug" and the "cape, red perhaps" further hint to RIDING HOOD. Just imagine Little Red Riding Hood as a highwayman, robbing carriages.

20A - Look at what poetry should do! (4)
"Look at" is our definition and somehow we're to get SCAN. I didn't get this clue.

23A - Bay with durable comic duo (6,3,5)
"Bay" is a type of LAUREL and a synonym of "durable" is HARDY to give LAUREL AND HARDY as our "comic duo"

25A - Gear suitable for bowling with energy (9)
With cross letters I could guess OVERDRIVE by thinking of gears in a car instead of clothing, but I'm not sure how bowling fits this, but "energy" can give an E.

27A - Font displayed by safari elephants (5)
Notice the word "displayed" as it's a hidden word signpost. Our definition is "Font" and hidden in "safARI ELephant" is ARIEL. Let's just pause a moment, because that is not correct. The font is spelled ARIAL  with an A not an E. Ariel is many things, but not a font.

28A - Broke fellow following in princess (8)
"Broke" is our definition and "fellow" = GENT and that is to follow "in princess" or IN DI to give INDIGENT.

29A - Shoot through a blemish (6)
I didn't get this. I can see "blemish" is the definition but now how "shoot through a" gives DEFECT.

1D - Disparate, like divorcees from Krakow (5,5)
"Disparate" is our definition and knowing Krakow is in Poland, and divorced couples there could be considered POLES APART. Groanworthy clue, moving on...

2D - Would an Englishman lose sleep over fish? (7)
I needed google and thesaurus for this. I had cross letters, and guessed "Englishman" = POMME and  "lose sleep over" = FRET but had to look up what a POMFRET was.  I used One Across to get this.

3D - Scout thus telephoned the Queen (6)
"Scout" is the definition, "telephoned" = RANG and "Queen" = ER for RANGER.

5D - Sunburnt due to bare-headed hatred (3)
"Sunburnt" is the definition and "bare-headed hatred" is a tricky instruction, because when need to imagine making a head bare, by maybe removing a -HAT from "hatred" which leaves RED, the colour of sunburn.

6D - Another way to equip shy body structure (8)
"Body structure" is the definition and "another way to" is an anagram indication to mix-up "equip shy" to get PHYSIQUE.

7D - Badly hurt, I go without comforts (5,2)
"Without comforts" is the definition and I figured "Badly" was an anagrind where "hurt, I go" had enough letters for the answer (and it is) but the anagram solver didn't work - they sometimes fail. answer is ROUGH IT, had to get it the old fashioned way.

8D - Customs obligation? (4)
Double definition, DUTY.

9D - 1-across exponent gets involved in Normandy war hold-up (4,6)
A "pop-art exponent" is "in" where in works as a container signpost, look close to see "normANDY WAR HOLd-up." I'm very annoyed I didn't get that one. Well concealed in the surface of the clue.

13D - Blended drug undone without proof (10)
"Without proof" is the definition and "Blended" is an anagrind, so when we mix "drug undone" we get UNGROUNDED.

14D - Nanna no longer bubbly in garden unit (6,4)
"Garden unit" is the definition and "Nanna" = GRANNY and "no longer bubbly" if we think of soda, is FLAT for a GRANNY FLAT.

17D - It's unworthy when inside brother mine (5,3)
I've never heard of this phrase. Definition is "it's unworthy" and answer is INFRA DIG. I managed to guess "mine" = DIG but used One Across to get the rest of this.

19D - No future in this cul-de-sac (4,3)
Double definition giving DEAD END.

21D - A bright red motor vehicle belonging to me! (7)
"A bright red" is the definition and "motor vehicle" = CAR and "belonging to me" = MINE for CARMINE. I'd thought  we were looking at DP being in there somewhere.

22D - Sack which the lumberjack needs? (3,3)
Here the type of "Sack" we want is when we get fired from a job. Mix that with "lumberjack needs" and we get THE AXE. My brain wouldn't go there yesterday. I even had the word AXE in place but couldn't figure out THE - frustrating brain fart.

24D - Velocity stripped by mathematical curves (4)
Definition is "mathematical curves" and you don't need to know math to get this, "Velocity stripped" means to remove outer letters from the word Velocity to leave the inner four LOCI, which doesn't seem like a proper word but Google reassured, that's right.

26D - Zero cash taken out of innocent hostelry (3)
Definition is "hostelry" and looking at the rest "(Zero) (cash) taken out of innocent" where the word innocent is to lose a zero, or letter -O and some cash -CENT leaving a synonym for hostelry INN.

There! Done! Onto the rest of the day. DA day tomorrow and I've printed out today's NS and the Guardians Boatman puzzle and yesterday's Paul...or was it Pasquale? I have so many print outs and not enough time to solve them all!

I did give the recent Rufus a try and was impressed by how few words his clues have, but they work so well. A very different style from any I've encountered so far. I'll need to try a few more to decide if I'm a fan or not but I certainly have respect.

Solving these kinds of puzzles are far more personal than doing quicks. I couldn't tell you who compiled the Boston Herald crossword, which I used to solve every morning over breakfast in the local diner. Often with my dad  a natural at solving jumbles) or mom (who is a Clavin of general knowledge) and the lady who ran the diner, who'd come solve a few clues before frying bacon and omelettes for her customers. It was the company, camaraderie and the homefries that brought me there most days. Oh and the American trend for a bottomless cup of coffee. I'm glad to be finding a group of enthusiastic solvers again these 20 years later. I do miss the homefries, though.

Guardian Cryptic by Puck on 11/7/14

I printed off the last run cryptic from the Guardian website. I've heard of Puck, so I'm happy to have a go although I've heard he's tough. There were a few hard to follow clues, a few easy-peasy ones and few WTF?! clues as well. A fair mix. Here's the good and the bad thing about these Guardian clues: you can get instant gratification by clicking the "cheat" button. There's also a "check" button which will delete any incorrect letters you've entered into the online grid, or just say 'screw it' and get a full peek! Tempting! Dangerous! Lazy, but gosh it sure it helpful to a new solver. Not there's a major hardship in waiting a day for the solution to be published. So, yes. I hit those button a few times.

There was a theme, but it wasn't like one I'd encountered before because it wasn't confined to one clue, or a combination clue like I've seen printed before. Here the theme ran as "2 in the 22" and goof that I am, I thought that was some different kind of code and not references to clues 2D and 22D, which when put together make a popular phrase. We'll look at those first:

2D - Women moved out of complete dump (4)
I'm not sure I've got this right but here's how I solved this; Definition is "dump" and "Women moved out of complete" if "complete" = WHOLE -W leaves HOLE.

22D - Barrier hit after leaving work (4)
I read this like a quick clue and thought of runners "hitting the WALL" hit that "check" button and it was right. How to solve as a cryptic? I don't know! I'm just shocked it's not a pub.

So the theme is HOLE IN THE WALL for "2 in the 22".

Here's my pic:

Hey it's the 4H grid, again! We saw NS use this  recently.


1A - Therapy with effervescent sounding ring to it (6)
"Therapy" is our definition. "effervescent" = FIZZY but it's "sounding ring to it" So a homophone of Fizzy with a "ring" = O on the end PHYSIO. Sweet clue.

5A - Force employees to save hospital filling teeth (8)
"Teeth" is the definition. "Force employees" if we think of the police force, are COPPERS and I'm not sure what "to save" is about but I thought "hospital filling" meant to put the H from hospital into Coppers for CHOPPERS.

9A - Native American has not a lot to go on, nose to tail with relatives (8)
This clue annoyed me, and on reading the comments on the Guardian page, I'm not alone. I grew up near this tribe and heard of them often. I'm a Dorothy Parker fan, but Algonquin had too many letters. As the cross letters fell into place and it looked likely but wrong. I'm not sure how to parse the clue but "relatives" = KIN not quin. ALGONKIN. I can see "A Lot to GO ON" in the clue but how would I know to remove certain letters? what's "nose to tail" mean unless to reverse something?

10A - Mawkish medic, one with flowers in 'is 'air (6)
"Mawkish" is our definition where "medic" = DR  and "one with flowers in 'is 'air" is a HIPPY but since we're dropping H's like a Cockney it's IPPY, put together it becomes DRIPPY.

11A - Pretty, witty mistress, famously involved in making a 2 in the 22 (12)
Couldn't solve this. Even knowing the answer it's tough. I even had to google the answer. CRENELLATION.

13,7D - 2 in the 22 of shop one can't get repaired (9)
"Hole in the wall" is the definition and "get repaired" is an anagrind with "shop" + ("one" = I) + "can't" as the fodder. Mix them up to get CASH POINT.

14A - 22 must not get rebuilt with a 2 in it (3,5)
Previous clue used "get repaired" as an anagrind, this one uses "get rebuilt" and the words before that are "must not" with 7 letters. "with a 2 in it" means master clue had 2 = HOLE but here want to reduce that further to one letter, O. Mix up "must not O" to get TOM SNOUT. Tom Snout was a tinker who played the wall in the play within a play in Midsummer's Night Dream. Yes I had to look that up, don't judge me.

17A - One Turin game that's free of charge (8)
"Free of charge" is our definition, but what is free of charge? "Game" is an anagrind and luckily "One Turin" has eight letters, so mix them up to get NEUTRINO. (Not the last science question, but the other one is awesome.)

18A - Finished deliveries in Llandovery (4)
"Finished" is our definition and I think "deliveries in" is a container signpost, and a four letter word for finished is there, OVER.

20A - Bloody landlord always stashes away a penny for a special occasion (3-6,3)
"Special occasion" is the definition. I've had this answer recently in another puzzle, so when I saw "Bloody landlord" I thought RED (bloody) LETTER(landlord, one who lets flats) DAY (well, it just fit) straight off. How does "stashes away a penny" fit the clue? Is that for a rainy DAY?

23A - Servant uses 2 in the 22 in common location, withdrawing large amount (6)
I didn't get this one. Definition is "Servant" "uses a hole in the wall" could be ATM, I'm not sure what "in common location" means. Answer is BATMAN.

24A - Club I visit briefly, comic saying the opposite of what is meant (8)
"The opposite of what is meant" is the definition. "Club" = IRON (yeah, that club) plus I and "visit briefly" = CALL -L for IRONICAL. Perhaps "Comic" is supposed to in the definition?

25A - Those taking over position initially held by moneylenders (8)
I forgot to red pen the beginning. Definition is "Those taking over" and "moneylenders" = USURERS then "Position initially held" or take the first letter of position and put it into usurers to get the answer USURPERS.

26A - Agile doctor into line dancing (6)
"Agile" is our definition. "doctor" = MB (Ha, not DR this time) "into line dancing" So insert the MB into a mixed-up LINE for NIMBLE.

2D - *solved above*

3D - Deployment of cloth has covered uniform headgear (6,3)
I guessed the three letter word was HAT, but couldn't  and can't get the beginning word SLOUCH.


4D - Alternative name held by island archipelago (6)
Got this in late with cross letters but I cannot parse this clue. I think "Alternative" means OR, like either/or but I know my Scottish isles so put in ORKNEY and hit that check button.

5D - Force nieces into cooking lots of sweets? (15)
What a great surface to the clue. "lots of sweets" is the definition and "cooking" is the anagrind.  Mix up "Force nieces into" to get CONFECTIONARIES.

6D - Ex-moll, almost faded away (3,5)
I didn't get this one and not sure how to work this unless it's a double definition, which makes a bit more sense.

8D - Had kittens, possibly cloned (10)
Double definition clue and it's so clever! I love it. REPRODUCED. Give me some cloned kittens, please!

12D - Same as belt fashioned in lead and zinc (4,6)
"Fashioned" is an anagrind and "same as belt" the fodder. Scramble that to get BASE METALS, which are what "lead and zinc" are. I'd cone and looked up the symbols for them first and tried to work something that way, which didn't work.

15D - DIY mum, one surprisingly in element appearing nude regularly at 60 (9)
Ok, this looks dreadful, but believe me when I say that is the most generous clue I've ever come across. First it has a complete anagram, then it has a container hint and a further science-type hint. The anagrind is "surprisingly" and the nine letters before that "DIY mum one" get mixed-up to reveal NEODYMIUM. Now just to reassure us we're told "element appearing NuDe regularly" where ND is the symbol for neodymium, but also "at 60" because 60 is neodymium's atomic number. To put so much information into one sentence is astoundingly smart work!

16D - Aloofness first seen in Scandinavian that's cold inside (8)
"Aloofness" is our definition and here "first" = IST "seen in Scandinavian" = DANE so we need to put IST into DANE, or D (IST) ANE which is a word, but we're one letter short, "That's Cold inside" we need to take the C and put that inside, too for DISTANCE.

19D - Meet a radio presenter at 2 in...
Definition is "Meet" and we use the A + ("radio presenter" = DJ) + (2 = O) + IN = ADJOIN. Look at that, the woman with dyscalculia made it look like math.

21D - ...the 22 in Paris - an African native, often nocturnal (5)
I didn't get this one, and I could slap myself.  The second part of the clue didn't help much either because we don't think of this "native" as African and they're listed as diurnal, not nocturnal. So with that, it made the answer more difficult. "The 22 (wall) in Paris" French for wall is MUR or LE MUR, which is the nocturnal African native we were to look for. I'm sure there's a cryptic way to read the second half but it eludes me.

22D - *Solved above, maybe. Possibly*

And that's that. Offer suggestion in the comments and I'll get to work on The Age's RM after coffee. Have a great day!

The Age cryptic by DA from 11/7/14

These puzzles really are a process. I start off looking at them and read them as quick clues, become disenchanted at the gobbledegook, then steel myself to try and break into the clues.  Eventually I stop reading them as quick clues and now am able to ignore the gobbledegook to see the instructions.

That said, I was into this puzzle by several hours before I could even glean the theme. I had about six answers, all over the place, not helping much with other clues but once I grasped the theme, with help of a google cheat sheet, I was "off like a frog in a sock" as the Aussies say. I ended the night with only three unsolved, for which I'm delighted! Ok, well technically four as I got 30A wrong, but still! Four!

Let's work the theme clue first. It's  21-down 11-across Code reported 17-down dynasty's director (7,5) 

Oh, wait... to get the theme you have to solve 17D first - well ok, thanks for the hoops. Not like 21-down 11-across isn't hard enough. (I had a rabbit hole of looking up the director of the TV series Dynasty and thought Irving Moore was like Morse, which is code...right? Yeah it is. Moore's code, it makes complete sense)

Dictator's mocking bread choice (3)  It's only three letters, how hard could that be? How about over an hour of googling and zero confidence in the answer I came up with? I'm not even able to replicate the search path but I found I was mixing up "dynasty" with "dictator" and narrowing it down to one with three letters. I had gotten 21A which ruled out Mao. I worked backwards and thought of a three letter kind of bread, RYE and googled for any corresponding dictators or dynasties and found RAI. But Rai was such a long shot it was lightly pencilled, erased and pencilled in again a few times.

Working that back into 21-down 11-across: "reported RYE dynasty" where reported is hinting to a further homophone (RAI - RYE- RHY) and "dynasty" = MING for RHYMING, then the second word fell into place. "Director" = ANG for Ang Lee. So I'm guessing we take the L from "Lee" and the "s" in "dynasty's" for the SL ANG. (DATripper Rupert got this using Fritz Lang,German- Austrian director. However/whichever gets the answer is a win.)

The answers of some are in RHYMING SLANG. That was many hours of google, fail, google more and getting hints for me to figure it out. I needed an Aussie rhyming slang list to help me out with the rest and most of that was working the enumeration into the slang and then finding the part of DA's clue that fit a definition.


1A - Soparanos group in opera, if amplified from rear (5)
This is a container clue.  Definition is "Sopranos group" and we need to think of the TV show Sopranos and not chorus (or this guy if you've had the pleasure of hearing a male soprano.) Here "in" is our simple container signpost and we should note "from rear" as the container is reversed. "operA IF AMplified" MAFIA.

9A - Play before escorting model to a bridal bash (6,3)
I did not get this one. I've never heard this phrase. "Bridal bash" is our definition, "play" = SHOW and "model" = T, usually. Anyway, the answer is SHOWER TEA. I know bridal shower and a tea party but not a shower tea.

10A - Top fruit variety (5)
Here we want to remove the "top" or first letter of a fruit to get a synonym for "variety" ORANGE -O = RANGE.

11A - *See above for theme explained.* SLANG

12A- In 21-down 11-across, solitary cash source stops mate being solitary (3,6) 
I first had ONE put in for the three letter word for solitary before knowing the theme. "Cash source" = ATM and "being solitary" = ALONE. the answer is PAT MALONE for definition "solitary" = alone so I'm unsure where the P comes before ATM.

14A - Senior earl sides with middle man, quitting at great cost (7)
"Senior" is our definition and "earl sides" means take first and last letters from earl for EL and here I get lost. "middle man" doesn't mean take the A from "man" and I can't see how the rest works. I got help from cross letters: ELDERLY.

18A, 4A - In 21-down 11-across, partner ranted, fist waving, after foreign capital investment (7,3,6)
I got this purely with cross letters and the Aussie RS guide. I knew the rhyming slang as it's the same in the UK; TROUBLE AND STRIFE = Wife for "Partner". I'm guessing "ranted fist waving" where waving is an anagrind and "ranted fist" is partial fodder. "foreign capital investment" = ROUBLE  (oh were you thinking Paris? Rome? Minsk? Yes I totally thought Minsk, too) then "ranted fist ROUBLE" mixed together give TROUBLE AND STRIFE.

21A - Grappled precise formulae (7)
Very straightforward anagrind + fodder = definition. mix-up "precise" to get RECIPES. See, DA can be kind, sometimes.

25A, 16A - Carry out boring barrister's case on boorish flop in 21-down 11-across (5,7)
I had many cross letters and my Aussie List of rhyming slang. Otherwise, I'm not very sure here. Rupert from the DA Trippers posted "25A/16A: Carry out = letters 2 – 6; barrister’s case = 1, 7; boorish = 8 – 12 " So "carry out" = Carry - C for ARRY, "barrister's case" = BR short for brief? and "boorish" = OCKER gives us BARRY CROCKER. I'm guessing this makes our definition "boorish flop" but my goodness whatever did he do to be immortalised like this?

28A - Alien race diverted NY channel (4,5)
Definition is "NY channel" and "diverted" is an anagrind. Mix-up "Alien race" to get ERIE CANAL.

29A - Familiar terrier type halved hassle after tax (6,3)
I really don't get this clue. I don't know if it's some Aussie particular thing or what. "Familiar terrier type" = SCOTTY and "halved hassle after tax" if we are DOGGED and then half that is DOG for SCOTTY DOG, which is a "familiar terrier type"

30A - Please come back behind (5)
I got this wrong. I don't know how to solve it. I thought "Please come back" was a request with "behind" meaning someone was hiding so I went with EVADE. The real answer is ELATE, a word for "Please"

1D - Compelling Spooner investigated author (4-3)
I'm weak at solving Spooner clues so I didn't get this. Definition is "Compelling" and something compelling is a MUST SEE which when spoonered, I think reads "Sussed me" if we think of "author" as DA being "investigated"

2D - Awfully grand of Oscar, in a little way, as per  21-down 11-across  (4,3,4)
I got this by using the cross letters and Aussie RS guide. Definition is "way" and the rhyming slang origin is "road" which in rhyming slang is FROG AND TOAD. I can now see"Awfully grand of "
 being "awfully" = anagrind and "grand of" = FROG AND. Then we take "Oscar" = O "in a little" = TAD or TOAD as the O goes in TAD.

3D - Steed perhaps nibbling margins during a turn (7)
I had cross letters and put this in last having exhausted all horse based ideas.  I figured "nibbling margins" was a signpost to remove letters, or outer letters but nothing made sense. I finally had to think of another Steed and *POP* there it was John Steed, the famous AVENGER. How we get that from the clue? I just do not know. It's really hard to let go of a line of thought, but freeing and cathartic when we do and the answer is just there.

4D - Snoop, head lowered under car - the final check?
I had this empty for ages and then cheekily put in ALIMONY, as "the final check" knowing full well you expats spell that cheque. Then I singled out words "Snoop" = SPY "car" = AUTO. That's when I realised this was a manipulation clue where "Snoop, head lowered" means to move the S in SPY one place over for PSY then those are placed "under" AUTO for AUTOPSY. These aren't the hardest puzzles of the week for nothing!

5D - Extreme medico restricted to a paste (7)
"Extreme" is our definition and "medico" = DR and I think the rest is to take the A and "restrict" a word for "paste" or STICK - K but that doesn't really make sense but the answer is DRASTIC.

6D - Home-wrecker divided flap (7)
Definition is "Home-wrecker"  and "divided" = TORN and I guess "flap" = ADO although that's a new one on me. Answer is TORNADO. I got the answer from a DAT hint by Rupert "6D: Your home is unlikely to be wrecked by this; those living in trailers in Oklahoma and Texas, much more so. "

7D - Bar 27-down accessing news? (3)
I did not get this. Three letter clue and I had the first and last letter and I knew the definition was "Bar" and how does that become INN? I don't know, not all Inns are bars and not all bars are inns. I suppose NN is News Network?

8D - Contacts English listener  hugging tree (7)
Definition is "Contacts" and we want the ones we put in our eyes. "English" = E and "listener" = EAR "hugging a tree" and the tree we want a YEW put together for EYEWEAR.

13D - Regarding 1000 articles written about cutting digit in 21-down 11-across (11)
This is stinker. PU! I got this with DAT hints (Rupert mentioned "It’s a suburb of Adelaide " and google-fu. Even with the answer, breaking down its parts proves difficult. I think it's "Regarding" = ON (why not RE?) 1000 = K for kilo "Articles" = A but being plural perhaps we want two AA, "Cutting digit" = Finger -F which somehow brings us ONKAPARINGA (scroll down) which is Aussie RS for finger/digit. I'm not sure about the PAR = "written". Unless "cutting" = PARING and that leaves "digit" for the definition with the AA being "about" PARING. Oy vey.

15D - In seconds, clown to elicit teen chuckle (3)I
Definition is "chuckle" and I had the top letter and the bottom letter revealing the answer is LOL. Otherwise, cryptically, I don't know how to solve this.

17D - Dictator's mocking bread choice (3)
*solved at the beginning of the post...I think* RYE

18D - Volcanic tuffs, engineer asserts (7)
Arg! What an annoying clue! It looks so straightforward. "Volcanic tuffs" as definition "engineer" as anagrind and "asserts" the fodder. I couldn't see anything, then put it through an anagram solver and got...nothing! I left the clue, got all the cross letters and then put the letters through One across and got TRASSES. Put Trasses through the word-finders and it comes up, but trasses doesn't come with any of its synonyms - I started with pumice and went through a few before quitting. What a diabolical, sneaky word trick! Even my spellcheck doesn't recognise trasses; it's an assault of red squiggly lines.

19D - Beef cut - lean rib - covers eatable marrow in hamper (7)
"Beef cut" is our definition and I think "lean rib" is anagrind and partial fodder. I don't know what "eatable marrow" is about but another word for "hamper " = BASKET so I mashed up RIB and BASKET to get BRISKET. Not the most elegant solution but it worked!

20D - US sitcom lifted lid on disgraced judge (7)
"Disgraced judge" is the definition and we want an Australian disgraced judge, not just any old disgraced judge. "US sitcom" = SEINFELD and "lid lifted" means take the first letter -S for ENFIELD, a disgraced judge I've never heard of before.

21D, 11A - Code reported 17-down dynasty's director (7,5)
*solved at length at beginning* RHYMING SLANG

22D - Writer stuffed cryptic clue for 'workspace' (7)
This one was taunting me. It was sitting there, looking obvious and simple but so damned elusive. Definition was "workspace" and then I thought,  but why is that in quotes? Is it not really the definition? Do I really want a writer? Oh my...oh dear. Which end is the definition? I waited until I had all the cross letters. A "writer" here is a BIC and that is "stuffed" into "cryptic clue" where cryptic is an anagrind, clue the fodder, all together we get CUBICLE.

23D - Azure loft adult assembled (3-4)
I'm very confused. "Assembled" looks like an anagrind but it's not. I solved with cross letters and crossed fingers SKY BLUE  a shade of "Azure". Are we to think of "Loft" = SKY? It's the attic so far as I know.

27D - I regularly boogied, being retro (3)
I could see "regularly" was a signpost for an even/odd container clue. I even had the O from 29A to help. I wasn't confident to guess "being retro" meant to search the clue backwards but there is a synonym for "I" in "bOoGiEd" EGO.

There we go. Done. As always, if you can give support by offering a solution where I've flagged I'd be delighted for the input.

I was thinking I'd tackle a few of the Guardian Cryptic crosswords mid-week. I really like the Monday LR and Friday's DA but mid-week I think it would be good to try other compilers and learn from other styles. Also the Guardian puzzles are free so there's a wide circle of solvers and motivation for new solvers here to print and work some clues at no cost, except for their paper and ink.

Have a great weekend!

The Age Cryptic by DH for 8/7/14

This was a pun chore. 12 question mark clues. I see them and seize up.  It turned out it wasn't that pun filled but more "please think in a lateral kind of way to solve" kind of way. That is the guts and core of of a cryptic crossword anyway, right?

To be honest, there were a few very clever clues. 1D, which I did not get, but really wish I had. It showed a completely new way to view a clue. So much going on with just two words! Other clues could be worked and left me with new words I'd never known before which is always a pleasure. I know I've complained about that before but really, no one should begrudge learning something new. That said, I had to do a lot of googling to get answers, and often guessed from info online instead of parsing the clues.

I do like the puzzle's design, too and can see this in colours as a blanket.

Now; my daughter is having her wisdom teeth out today and I'll be the beck-and-call nurse from today. I'll hammer through these quick. A few I may just say DNG - Did Not Get and move on.

8,9A - Strong, see? Opens out without any reaction (4,2,8)
I got most of this with cross letters and even then I got the 8A wrong. I put in SHOW NO RESPONSE. but we needed GETS NO RESPONSE.

10A - Pay attention! When 2200 hours comes round, start dancing! (6)
I have doodles on how I tried to get this - so close! I knew 2200 meant TEN for 10:00 but I found the parsing too difficult. ATTENDS is the answer and I can see how "start dancing" gives us D, but not how we get AT from "Pay attention" I mean how am I to know to take the AT from "attention"?

11A - May gala's organised for Madagascar now  (8)
I figured "organised" for an anagrind and "May gala's" had enough letters. I put in through an anagram solver and got MALAGASY which I had to google to discover it meant someone native to Madagascar.

12A - Ron tip me off it's arsenic trisulphide (8)
"Ron tip me off" sounded a clunky sentence so I tried "off" as an anagrind and "Ron tip me" as the fodder run through an anagram program to get ORPIMENT, which I had to google "arsenic trisulphite" to match with.

14A - Pass the last rider in PNG coastal town (6)
"Pass the last" is our definition. "The last rider" where a rider here means an additional note on a document starting with PS, which is to be inside a "PNG coastal town" The answer becomes ELAPSE and, well there's isn't a PNG town called Elae, just LAE. I don't know where the first E in the answer comes from. Oh! I see. The definition is just "Pass" and "the last" means use the final E from "the". Right, got it.

16, 21A - Distant inaccessible place in Australia D (4,2,6)
I didn't understand, and the lonely D made no sense. Answer is BACK OF BEYOND.

17A - Hungarian wine? Last claret satisfactory? (5)
I had a cross letter to help with this. "Last claret" means take the final T from claret and "satisfactory" means OKAY put together for TOKAY, a Hungarian wine grape.

18A - The last block cheese (4)
I had no idea, really and had pencilled in BRIE, because there's not many four letter cheeses and I chose the wrong one. I had thought 18D began with a B and it sorta worked but not really at all. EDAM was our cheese.

19A - Australian fellow crossing have the means to pay? (6)
Again I'm not sure how we get this. "have means to pay" is the definition and AFFORD the definition. I guess we take the A from "Australian" and the F from "fellow" and crossing means FORD but was never confident enough to just take letters.

23A - Same cold treatment for threatened old Greek character (8) 
Quickly spied "treatment" as a possible anagrind with convenient eight letters in front, which mixed up nicely to give DAMOCLES, the "threatened Greek character"

26A - Thai disturbed about sex appeal in Holiday Island (6)
"Thai disturbed" mens mix up THAI "about" a two letter word for "sex appeal" or IT to get THAHITI, the "holiday island"

27A - Gene Morton maltreated in part of Tito's old domain (10)
"Gene Morton maltreated" Well poor Gene! No don't google him, he's a red herring, he's nothing but fodder for the anagrind "maltreated" so beat up Gene Morton a bit more to get MONTENEGRO. But what does "Tito's old domain" mean? I don't really know. I checked and got a few links to train travel holidays.

28A - Low bar? That's debatable! (4)
I had no confidence or cross letters to help me here. While checking for synonyms of "debatable" MOOT was there, and I left it out. Coward.

1D - Wife bet? (6,4)
This is a clever clue! I like this. I didn't get it myself, but yes it's great! BETTER HALF, where the word "better" is halved in the clue.

2D - Writing star sir? Kate's problem (8)
Definition is "Writing star" and I was searching for a person. A Sir someone. Ignoring the word "problem" which was silly as it's an anagrind. The question mark distracted me from the fodder "sir kate's" which when mixed gives us ASTERISK, the literal writing star. (I call them splats)

3D - A little poisoned; gets nervous (2,4)
I had to think "When I'm nervous I'm on edge." before the bloody words "poisONED GEts" popped out before my eyes. Still learning container signposts.

4D - Lily showing Australian spirit (4)
I had cross letters and google to help me get ARUM. "Australia" = A and "spirit" = RUM.

5D - Rider to change my last ancient stringed instrument (8)
We learned earlier that "rider" = PS and "to change" = ALTER and "mY last" = Y for PSALTERY. No I'd never heard of one before, thank google for double checking.

6D - Bjorn is arranging opening for Cesare and Lucrezia (6)
Again I had to google "Cesare and Lucrezia" to get our answer to fit the cross letters for BORGIA. Now in solving, I'd have struggled because "Bjorn" being arranged does not have the G and "Arranging opening" would give the A. If I'd not googled, and not known the historical couple, I'd have been stuffed.

7D - Snakes make head prefect fool around (4)
DNG, answer is ASPS. I can't parse this. I knew "snakes" was definition and had to be BOAS or ASPS. Not many three word snakes.

13D - Putting money into Kyoto? Some major Asian capital? (5)
"Asian Capital" is our definition. "Putting money into Kyoto" where we see the letter K as the marker for money - if I say I bought a car and it cost $20K you know that means thousand as in kilo = 1000. We need to put that K "into" Kyoto to get TOKYO.

15D - Stillness in land for strictly male groups only? (10)
Definition is "stillness" and we want a land for men only? STAG NATION.

17D - Woodbridge fish while walking unsteadily (8)
DNG. I messed about with various words for "walking unsteadily" that began with a W from "Woodbridge" but got nothing. I tried to insert various fish to get a synonym but got nothing. How is this answer TODDLING?

18D - Redness of the skin there may be change (8)
Definition is "Redness of the skin" and I tried many ways to work in Blushing as the answer (with Brie at the top across) Nope. Not working. I wasn't convinced "change" was an anagrind because the word "be" was there. If we mix up "there may" we get ERYTHEMA. I was thrown by a be.

20D - Ducks left in Portuguese city (6)
We've seen earlier that "duck" = O (I have no idea why) so we can guess "Ducks" plural = OO I don't know why "left" is there as we don't want the "L" nor are we reading anything towards the left. answer is OPORTO, a Portuguese city,

22D - Thomas Bachelor previously showing insincere poignancy (6)
I got this with a bit of google and thesaurus. I had cross letters and had put in PATHOS but I was certain the "previously showing" was telling me the answer needed the B from "Bachelor" so I eventually found BATHOS. So we need the "THomas BAchelor" but I'm not sure how "showing" may lead to OS.

24D - Leave Georgia, returning eagerly expectant (4)
"Leave" = GO and "Georgia" = GA the abbreviation for the US state. "Returning" means read them backwards for AGOG.

25D - Starchy cereal makes duck fall over (4)
We can see the "duck" right off now, right? It's our second duck clue. Definition is "starchy cereal" but without the cross letters, and having seen similar clues I'd not get this. I know we have an O but I don't know "makes duck fall over" means SAGO. I'm not sure if this is a manipulation clue? Where we're supposed to shift letters along to get a different word. GOSA? OSAG? AGOS? I don't know.

Anyway, that was Tuesday. Sorry I didn't publish yesterday. I've not even seen Wednesday's puzzle. I'm just going to hang out with my puffy-faced girl, make her soup and we're watching series 1&2 of Life On Mars (UK) which will be fantastic.

Have a great day!

The Age Cryptic by LR from 7/7/14

Notice the date is mathematically sound, I don't think that happens very often.

Monday's puzzle was great fun, and I say that because I got ALL the answers. Look, no red pen! I also finished in under two hours. It had several cute clues and I only struggled with 16A, which was my last one solved. I particularly liked 1A and 13A. I had anticipated some Harry Potter questions upon seeing the lightning bolt in the centre, but no. Must have been some fluke.

Here's the pic:

1A - Samurais sometimes swing such sharp sabres! (6)
Stop! Before anything - look at that clue. Look at it...notice anything interesting? Oh yes we do! All the words begin with the letter S. Searching for a definition it's quicker to discount "Samurais" as there aren't many synonyms so looking at "Sabres" we can guess those S-words are leading us to SWORDS.

5A - Discard actors out of form? (4,3)
Definition is "Discard" and with a question mark you have to think puns. I know, it's painful but you can do it. A group of actors could be a CAST and when we're not on form we are said to be OFF. We get CAST OFF.

9A - Public relations: reef damage is in favour (6)
"Public relations" = PR "reef damage" where damage is our anagrind and reef the fodder. Mix up PR + REEF to get PREFER, a word meaning "in favour"

10A - Brandishing one in metal trade (8)
Definition is "Brandishing" and "one" = I and "in metal trade" = WELDER put the I inside that for WIELDER.

11A - Old person ordering size ten, ironic (6,7)
I got the first bit easily enough but I don't know how to parse the second. A synonym for "Old person" is a SENIOR and the 7-letter word is CITIZEN but how we get that from "ordering size ten, ironic" I'm not sure. I've tried evens and odds and anagrams but where is it? How is "ironic" being used here? Is "size ten" supposed to be a sort of homophone?

13A - Point weapon at Turkish extremists in heat (6)
"Point" usually means a compass point, but which one? "weapon" = ARM "at Turkish extremists" means take the extremes, or first and last letters, from Turkish to get TH leaving ARMTH and we're left with our definition "heat" so we'll use W for WARMTH.

15A - Certain liquids crack nuts (not uranium) (8)
This took me a while. "Certain liquids" is our definition. "crack" = SOLVE and "nuts (not uranium)"should remind us when we see an element we should take it's chemical symbol, in this case uranium = U but it's "not uranium" so we will take away the -U from "nuts" to leave NTS for SOLVENTS.

16A - Greens voters hide around in forests, it felt...(8)
I got this last. It is a container clue as hinted by the word "hide" and "Greens voters" is our definition, only we don't have a straightforward hidden word. No, even that is hidden. The letters are reversed in "foreSTS, IT FELt" for LEFTISTS.

18A - ...right to interrupt result as safeguard (6)
I had the cross letters and tried to find a synonym for "safeguard" with a letter R from "right" "interrupting" the word. ENSURE is our answer. I don't know how "ensue"  (our answer -R) fits.

19A - Lucille loves grandma, Sorting mail for kid's party attraction (7,6)
The "Lucille" in question is BALL "loves" = O and "grandma" = NAN then "sorting mail" is a partial anagram with sorting being the anagrind. In this instance, "loves" means OO (Is that because loves is plural?) so we ultimately get BALLOON ANIMAL, something we may find at a "kid's party"

22A - Tyrannised and defeated one court ace Edward (8)
Definition is "Tyrannised" and I may have this cocked up but I think it's: Take the D from "defeated" and one = I, the C from "court" the A from "ace" and a short version of Edward is TED but that solution misses a letter T as the answer is DICTATED. So where does the middle T come from?

23A - Devo live! Take out ID to progress (6)
Follow the instructions. We have a bold statement to start and are then told to "take out ID" and when we remove those letters from "Devo Live" we get EVOLVE, a word for "to progress"

24A - Cricket score trial? 4,3)
Aw, yuck! A cricket question! I waited until I had the cross letters and guessed TEST RUN as an answer for this double definition.

25A - Nobleman enters top yacht twice annually (6)
A "Nobleman" here is an EARL and that word "enters, top yacht" which means take the first letter from , or top of, "yacht" to get Y but we need it "twice" for YY, then the EARL "enters" those to get YEARLY, a synonym for "annually"

2D - Term for the Western Ring Road (4)
"Term" is our definition and we want the W from "Western" "ring" = O and an abbreviation for "Road" is RD for WORD.

3D - In war, I fled gun (5)
We have a short container clue hint with "In" and we want a synonym for "gun" so look closely to see "waR I FLEd" RIFLE. I do wonder why LR didn't write "I fled with gun" does the word "with" alter the clue too much?

4D - Sniper who's honest? (8,7)
Question mark clues mean pun fun. STRAIGHT SHOOTER.

5D - Cattle around a road - they're easily spooked (7)
Definition is "they're easily spooked" "cattle" = COWS and add to that an abbreviation for road = RD, but that's a letter short. If we take the A and throw those together we get COWARDS.

6D - Terrific bowl from express courier? (7,8)
I'm not sure how this is solved. "Terrific bowl" gives me crickets. Tumbleweeds. Is this another cricket clue? Am I to think cricket and not cereal or soup? I got this as "anything from an express courier" would be a SPECIAL DELIVERY.

7D - Sundials and hourglasses for 11-acrosses? (3,6)
Looking back to 11A being Senior Citizens, what are "sundials and hourglasses"? OLD TIMERS.

8D - Cooler renters get mail from admirers (3,7)
"Cooler" = FAN and then I left this clue for a bit because I wasn't sure how "renters" fit in this but "mail from admirers" brought me back around to FAN LETTERS. So help me understand how "renters" fits this. **Sorry, a bit letter and I see now. It's a very British word usage. I get it now, slow on the uptake.

12D - Invents breath-freshener and hits the jackpot? (5,1,4)
Question mark clues! Gosh they're everywhere. How about MAKES A MINT.

14D - Disfigures silly metal suit (9)
Definition is "disfigures" and "silly" is an anagrind and "metal suit" the fodder to give MUTILATE. It also gives stimulate and ultimates, so a versatile word,

17D - Put boot into understudy (5,2)
Something of a double definition, I got it be looking at "understudy" = STAND IN, but I'd think "Put the boot into" would be STAND ON. Answer key says...IN.

20D - Smell of warm-centred doughnut from mum (5)
What is with so many puzzles having doughnut clues? Are these compilers all pastry fiends? Thinking cryptically now; definition is "smell" and "warm-centred" means take the middle letters from wARm for AR, a "doughnut" = O and "mum" = MA for AROMA.

21D - Corrupt England gets six on last ball (4)
"Corrupt" is our definition. Seeing a proper noun we usually (not always) take the first letter: E "gets six" means roman numerals VI and "last ball" means take the last letter from ball for L all together, EVIL.

Only 26 clues! Here's a puzzle where I would've been happy with more to solve. I like this feeling that I can win. It's much nicer than feeling like I'm a dunce.

Have a great day!