A shit-load of queries

[Withnail]

I've got a lot of queries (which is Queen's English for the Subject: line),
or in other words clues I can't solve -- in the majority of cases I've
understood a bit of the clue, but there's one at least I think where I'm
totally at a loss.

For anyone who finds these things addictive like I do, then have fun...


004
# 27 Dog appears to eat into fish [POMFRET]
- fish = pomfret (i.e. any of several Indo-Pacific butterfishes of the genus
Pampus, much valued for food)
- dog = POM- (i.e. a Pomeranian dog)
- eat (into) = to -FRET (i.e. to fret (vt) = to destroy gradually or
insidiously by corrosion, erosion, disease, etc; to eat (vt) = to destroy
gradually or insidiously by corrosion, erosion, disease, etc, e.g. the acid
was fretting/eating (into) the metal [or: was eating (away at) the metal])
- also: to eat = to bother, vex (as in "What's eating you?" = "What are you
fretting about?", i.e. what are you worring about)
- not sure what "appears" means in the clue - possibly that POM- appears at
the start of the clue?
- possibly: "eat into" might also serve as a contraction indic. here (i.e.
indicating that Pomeranian needs to be shortened to POM-)

# 13 Little money clear person comes up with in this [POVERTY TRAP]
- if you're caught in a poverty trap ("in this"), then you're not going to
be able to come up with much money
- little money (clear) = POVERTY (i.e. the condition of having little money;
if you've little money clear when you get paid, it means you've little money
left over after you've paid out all the essentials)
- is there more to this clue, or have I covered it all?


005
# 1 Turn up and bowl first in the game [WOODCOCK]
- game: woodcock is a type of game-bird


006
# 13 Followers always holding one back [RETINUE]
- followers = retinue (a number or body of people in the service of or
accompanying someone, esp. an important person; a train, a suite, an
entourage; the members of such a body collectively)
- one = unit (e.g. unit cost = the cost of producing one item of manufacture
)
- back = reversal indic.: "unit" becomes -TINU-
- don't get "always holding" ("holding" is presumably a straddling indic.
(RE-TINU-E), but "REE"? "EE"? How does that mean "always"?)
- or is RETINUE "holding" (i.e. containing) -TINU-? (but "always" is still
unaccounted for, unless "followers always" means RETINUE, since the members
of the retinue always follow the person about)

# 21 Having completed short time in firm [THROUGH]
- having completed = through (e.g. we're through, we have finished)
- short time = T
- firm = rough

# 24 Catch unknown creature - a parrot [COPYCAT]
- parrot = copycat (a parrot copies/repeats what people say; a copycat
copies what other people do) (related terms, not true synonyms - this
requires lateral thinking)
- creature = -CAT
- catch (n.) = COP- (capture, arrest)
- unknown = X or Y (Y here)

# 26 Liquor is found inside part of supermarket [AISLE]
- part of supermarket = aisle
- liquor = ALE
- found inside = insert. indic..: insert IS into ALE to get AISLE

# 27 In bad-tempered case, I am willing to appear as witness [TESTIMONY]
- to appear as witness = to testimony (vi, vt) (= give testimony, bear
witness [to])
- bad-tempered = testy (TESTI-) (I'm not 100% sure about this one)
- "case" here can mean "instance" or "court case"
- I am = I'm = -IM-

# 2 Song sequence about love put off [ROUNDELAY]
- song sequence = roundelay (a short simple song with a refrain; (poet.) a
bird's song; a piece of music for such a song; a ring dance)
- about = round (e.g. walk about/round town)
- put <sth> off = delay <sth>
- not sure about "love"

# 9 Fancy needlework covering tail of shirt [CROCHET]
- fancy needlework = crochet (the word "needlework" initially made me think
of a needle and thread as opposed to crochet needles)
- "covering" possibly refers to "rochet" [an ecclesiastical vestment similar
to a surplice, worn chiefly by bishops and abbots; an outer garment of the
nature of a smock or cloak (now dial.)]
- don't get "tail of shirt"

# 15 Aggressive exchange you reported fast [TRUCULENT]
- aggressive = truculent
- fast (n.) (i.e. a day or season appointed for fasting) = -LENT (i.e. the
religious period devoted to fasting)
- don't get "exchange you reported"

# 20 The old leading man comes around - he shows persistence [STAYER]
- he shows persistence: a STAYER is someone who shows persistence, who has
superior powers of endurance
- leading man = STA--R
- old = arachaic indic.: "the" is "ye" in old English (as in Ye Olde Pub)
- comes around = straddling indic.: STAR straddles YE to give STA-YE-R

# 23 Enable old husband to get put up in accommodation [HOTEL]
- accommodation = hotel
- enable = LET
- old husband = OH
put up = rev. indic.: HOTEL

# 25 Soldier, without fuel, sent North on horse [POILU]
- soldier = poilu ([Fr: hairy, virile] a soldier in the French army, esp.
one who fought in the war of 1914-18)
- fuel = -OIL-?
- sent North = UP

007
# 5 Unreliable person - not to be found lurking in Ireland? [SNAKE IN THE
GRASS]
- unreliable person = snake in the grass (i.e. a treacherous or deceitful
person)
- lurking: this word alludes to the sneakiness of a snake in the grass
- some saint (Saint Patrick?) is said to have removed all snakes from
Ireland (can't find mention of this in EE2K St Patrick entry, also don't
know if it's legend or reality)

008
# 3 Schoolmaster's not hard-hearted as employer [USER]
- employer = user (i.e. sb who employs/uses sth, e.g. tools)

# 14 I, for one, may be heard making this affirmation [AVOWAL]
- affirmation = avowal (acc to OTD "to avow" can mean "to affirm"; to avow:
declare as a thing one can vouch for; affirm, maintain. Not sure what either
word actually means though)
- don't get the rest of the clue at all

# 22 Callas, say, making mark with operatic performance [MARIA]
- Maria Callas: an opera singer
- don't get this clue at all - it's hardly a clue at all, let alone a
cryptic one (unless of course I'm missing sth, which I probably am)

# 23 Many an Anglo-Saxon runner initially needed a drink [MANHATTAN]
- drink = manhattan (a cocktail made with vermouth and a spirit, as whisky
or brandy, sometimes with a dash of bitters)
- totally at a loss with this one

# 25 The first fruit peeled, we hear, at St Clement's [ORANGES]
- we hear = homophone indic.: "to peel" (as in peeling fruit) sounds like
"to peal" (as in bells pealing/ringing)
- this clue is a reference to a nursery rhyme that start "Oranges and lemons
say the bells of St Clement's" (?St Clement's is/was a church in ?London?)
(presumably the sound of the multiple bells ringing at once make/made a
sound/rhythm similar to the spoken words "oranges and lemons")
- the first fruit = oranges, since oranges appears first before lemons in
the nursery rhyme

# 5 Surrendered, game being up without warning [RESIGNED]
- surrendered = resigned (e.g. surrender/resign your right to sth)

# 6 Plant that is cut by doctor died [IMBED]
- to plant = to imbed (e.g. plant/imbed an idea in sb's head)
- that is = i.e. = IE
- doctor = MD (Medicinae Doctor = Doctor of Medicine)
- cut by = merging indic., i.e. mege IE and MD to give IM-ED
- don't get "died"
- B is unaccounted for

# 13 Live English concerts initially associated with Henry Wood [BEECH]
- Sir Henry Joseph Wood (1869-1944), English conductor and musician, who
conducted many concerts
- "beech" is a type of wood
- both Henry Wood and Thomas Beecham worked for the Royal Philharmonic
Society
- maybe "initially" refers to/is an indic. for BEECH in Beecham?
- I'll have to google this, because EE2K only has limited information

# 25 Woman being contrary about awfully good witticism [EPIGRAM]
- witticism = epigram (a short poem leading up to and ending in a witty or
ingenious turn of thought)
- woman = MA (i.e. mother)
- being contrary = revers. indic.: MA becomes -AM
- about = RE (e.g. re your letter of the 15th)
- awfully = anag. indic.: RE + -AM becomes E---RAM
- good = G: E--GRAM
- what about P and I?
- I think I need to go back to the drawing board with this clue

# 6 Yank's jailed coming from Peru, once [INCAN]
- coming from Peru = Incan (of or pertaining to the Incas) (Inca: a member
of a S. American Indian people; the city of Cuzco, situated in southern
Peru, served as the Inca capital [the Incan territory covered several S
American countries though, not just Peru])
- jailed = IN CAN (i.e. in the can, in jail)
- don't get "Yank's" or "once"

# 21 Old-fashioned record producer [VINYL]
- old-fashioned record = vinyl (record)
- don't get "producer"

# 23 Less convincing work by Debussy [LAMER]
-

010
# 12 Lacking a match, with no pair, we hear, in love [NONPAREIL]
- lacking a match = nonpareil (i.e. unequalled, unrivalled, unique,
unmatched)
- "no pair we hear" possibly means that "no pair" sounds a bit like
"nonpareil" (I'm not sure though)

# 26 Start to lose one's temper [LEAD OFF]
- to start = to lead off (e.g. lead off the dance = start the dance)

# 1 Relatively unimportant action the army is in, but not RAF [LOWER CASE]
- action = case (i.e. legal action, court case)

# 7 Position fitting beneficiaries of patronage exactly! [PLACEMENT]
- position = placement (work placement = a position in a company to gain
experience; placement = position, positioning)

# 14 Distinctive sign to invest in sterling, perhaps [TRADEMARK]
- distinctive sign = trademark

011
# 16 Treasury stars he's brought in [THESAURUS]
- treasury = thesaurus (a treasury, esp. of a temple)
- "brought in" is presumably an anag. indic., presumably means "brought into
line"
- "stars he" gives THESA-R-S
- the missing Us aren't accounted for

012
# 6 Almost provide complete contents for short book of pictures [FILMIC]
- filmic (of, pertaining to, or resembling cinematography or the cinema;
suitable for reproduction on film)
- pictures = FILM- (e.g. "He's big in pictures/film)
- possibly: almost = -C (i.e. c. = circa = about, approximately)
- the rest of this clue has got me stumped

# 2 Place of work the French set up that's used in art, especially [ATELIER]
- place of work = atelier ([Fr.] a workshop or studio, esp. of an artist or
couturier)
- the French = "le" = LE
- set up = rev. indic.: LE becomes -EL-
- used in art = used in ART = insert EL into ART to give ATEL--R
- the -IE- isn't accounted for they way I've explained it - either I'm
missing something or the clue is incomplete

# 13 One food store caught in check, in other words [VIDELICET]
- in other words = videlicet ((adv). = viz; the word "videlicet" introducing
an explanation or amplification, esp. in a legal document; viz: usu.
introducing an amplification or explanation of a previous statement or word:
that is to say, namely, in other words)
- food store = -DELI- (i.e. delicatessen)
- don't get "caught in check"

013
# 9 A herb gardener's first planted in row [ARGUE]
- to row = to argue (e.g. to row/argue about money)

# 18 A worm, husband behaving dispicably [CADDISH]
- behaving dispicably = caddish (of the nature of or characteristic of a
cad; ungentlemanly; blackguardly)

# 20 Middling warm? Severe heat [ARDOUR]
- severe heat = ardour (fierce or burning heat; fire (arch.))

014
# 19 Authorised to go with exhibition [LEGIT]
- authorised = legit (e.g. authorised/legit expenses)
- possibly: to go = to LEG IT (e.g. having missed the bus we had to go on
foot/leg it)
- don't get "exhibition"

# 20 Prudence given help in training [FORESIGHT]
- prudence = foresight (e.g. have the prudence/foresight to leave early)
- possibly: training = -SIGHT (to sight = to aim <a gun> with sights; to
train = to point or aim <a gun> (freq. foll. by "on"))
- don't get "help"

# 2 In dismay, note what goes on [APPAREL]
- what goes on = apparel (i.e. clothing) ("what goes on" are the clothes
that you put on)
- don't get "in dismay note" (maybe "note" refers to a musical note, here: A
or E)

# 6 Front person - the one ruling now [PRESENTER]
- front person = presenter (i.e. sb who fronts/presents a TV programme)
- now = PRESENT- (the present = the present time; the time now passing or
that now is)
- I don't see how "presenter" could mean "one ruling now" - why "ruling"?

# 8 Running down upstart caught in traffic [TRADUCING]
- running down = traducing (to run sb down = to traduce sb = to
disparage/malign/slander sb)

# 15 Like Disraeli's side, shifting allegiance endlessly [ANGELICAL] (=
angelic)
- Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (1804-81), British Tory
statesman, of Italian-Jewish descent; Prime Minister 1868 and 1874-80. He
played a dominant role in the reconstruction of the Tory Party after Sir
Robert Peel, guiding it away from protectionism and generating enthusiasm
for the British Empire. He was largely responsible for the introduction of
the second Reform Act (1867), which doubled the electorate. In his second
term as Prime Minister he ensured that Britain bought a controlling interest
in the Suez Canal (1875) and also made Queen Victoria Empress of India. At
home his government passed much useful social legislation, including
measures to improve public health and working conditions in factories. He
wrote a number of novels, including Coningsby (1844) and Sybil (1845), which
drew on his experience of political life
- "Disraeli's side" presumably means the Tory Party (it gave rise to the
Conservative Party in the 1830s)
- "allegiance endlessly" means "remove the end" (i.e. the last letter) to
give "allegianc"
- shifting = anag. indic. "allegianc" becomes ANGELICAL
- I'm not sure how the reference to "Disraeli's side" helps find "angelical"

# 16 A way to put on too much rouge going from side to side [ASTRADDLE]
- a way = a street = a St. = AST-
- "to put on" means "is to be added to" (i.e. AST is to be added to -RADDLE)
- don't get "too much"
- rouge = -RADDLE (rouge: a red powder or cream used as a cosmetic to add
colour to the lips or esp. the cheeks; raddle/ruddle: red ochre used as a
colouring, esp. for marking sheep)
- "going from side to side" presumably means "astraddle" (i.e. in a
straddling position; astride (of)), e.g. a bridge that goes from one side of
a river to the other side could be said to straddle the river - it's a bit
cheeky on the part of the setter this one, since "going from side to side"
made me think of "oscillating"

015
# 28 Become dejected listening to Olive, say [DROOP]
- become dejected = droop (i.e. flag in spirit or courage, lose heart)

016
# 18 Solemn pronouncement in betting record that could pull punters in
[BO-AT HO-OK]
- that could pull punters in = boat-hook (i.e. a long pole bearing a hook
and spike, for fending off or pulling a boat; a boat-hook could be used to
pull in "punters", i.e. people who are punting, people in a punt)
- betting record = BOOK (a record of bets made with several different people
on a particular race, etc)
- I think "pronouncement" refers to the exclamation "Ho!" (HO)
- in = insert. indic., i.e. insert -HO- into BOOK
- pull <punters> in = HOOK <punters> (i.e. entice/lure customers)
- don't get "solemn"
- AT is unaccounted for

# 28 Acting head, say, going into 4's payment [RE-GE-NT] (4 down = TENANT)
- acting head = regent (a person invested with royal authority by or on
behalf of another; esp. a person appointed to administer a kingdom or State
during the minority, absence, or incapacity of the monarch)
- say = for example = e.g. = EG = GE (there's no revers. indic. here though)
- "going into" means "inserted into": insert GE into RENT
- or is "going" the revers. indic. (since going home = returning home?), and
is just "into" the insert. indic.?
- 4's payment = tenant's payment = RENT

# 4 One's housed junior officer deprived of place in France [TE-NANT]
- one's housed = a tenant is sb who is housed/who has a house (i.e. a tenant
is sb who rents a house and so is housed/has a roof over his head)
- deprived of place in France = NANT(ES) (i.e. Nantes is deprived of letters
to give NANT)
- don't get "junior" or "officer" (or is it "junior officer")

017
# 18 Splendid opening of tattoo in Edinburgh, okay? [RICHT]
- "tattoo in Edinburgh" refers to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which forms
part of the annual Edinburgh Festival
- splendid = RICH- (e.g. splendid/rich furnishings, splendid/rich
surroundings)
- opening of tattoo = the opening/starting letter of "tattoo" = T
- "in Edinburgh okay?" presumably means that "richt" is Scottish for "right"
(e.g. "I'm going into town, okay?" = "I'm going into town,
richt/right/alright?")
- "richt" isn't in OTD, I'll have to google it

# 25 African hell-hole home to a Scot [ABYSSINIAN]
- African = Abyssinian (an Abyssinian is an African; Abyssinian: a native or
inhabitant of Abyssinia, a country (now officially called Ethiopia) in NE
Africa)
- hell-hole = ABYSS- (the great deep believed in the old cosmogony to lie
beneath the earth; the primal chaos; the bowels of the earth; the infernal
pit, hell)
- home = -IN- (e.g. "Is he home?" = "Is he in?")
- "to a Scot" - not sure about this unless Ian is a Scottish name
originally: -IAN

# 4 Fight round roadblock, initially [SET TO]
- fight = set-to (e.g. a fight/set-to outside a pub)
- possibly: road- = St. = S-T
- possibly: -block = SET (e.g. a block/set of shares)
- don't get "round", don't get "initially"

# 22 Substance it's right to extract from corn before grinding [GIST]
- substance = gist (e.g. the substance/gist of the speech)
- "it's right to extract" presumably means that "gist" can be extracted from
"IT'S riGht"
- don't get "from corn before grinding" (possibly: gist = kernel ["kernel"
is related to the word "corn", diminutive version])

# 23 Possible conclusions reached by trial jury could be just [ONLY]
- just = only (e.g. just three people turned up = only three people turned
up)

018
# 1 Making no progress in set problem [STATIC]
- making no progress = static (static = fixed, stable, stationary; not
changing or moving)
- set = static ("invariable" synonyms: unchanging, changeless, unchangeable,
constant, unvarying, unvaried, invariant, unalterable, immutable, fixed,
stable, ***set***, steady, unwavering, ***static***, uniform, regular,
consistent)
- don't get "problem"

# 10 Despicable type conclusively no great shakes? [TOERAG]
- despicable type (i.e. a despicable person) = toerag (i.e. (orig.) a tramp
or vagrant, (now derog.) a despicable or worthless person, from "toerag", a
rag wrapped round the foot and worn by tramps in place of a sock)
- shake-rag = (arch.) a ragged disreputable person
- no great shakes = mediocre, nothing special
- rag = a low-class or disreputable person (see also "bobtail", "ragtag",
"tagrag")
- I don't fully get this clue - I've got bits of the jigsaw, but not the
whole picture

# 23 Intense anger uncalled for, with seconds out [NEEDLE]
- intense anger = needle (a fit of bad temper or nervousness; anger, enmity;
(esp. in Sport) antagonism provoked by rivalry)
- possibly: if sth (e.g. a comment) is uncalled for, then there is no NEED
for it
- don't get "with seconds out"

# 3 Element found in West when in short supply [TUNGSTEN]
- element (= (here) a chemical element) = tungsten (a dense refractory
steel-grey metal)
- West = W (W is the chemical symbol for tungsten, from its other name
"wolfram") (the letter/element W is found in "West")
- don't get "when in short supply", unless this simply means abbreviate
"West" to W

# 17 Scene that has none of the actors in [EXTERIOR]
- scene = exterior (i.e. an outdoor scene in a play or film; a film or film
sequence shot outdoors)
- don't get this clue, why would an exterior scene have no actors in? an
exterior could have no actors in, but not necessarily

# 18 Film star bound to go to the wall [GABLE END]
- film star = Gable, i.e. (William) Clark Gable (1901-60), American actor
- wall = gable-end (i.e. the triangular-topped end wall of a building)
- don't get "bound"

019
# 13 Fancy line in pattern [IDEAL]
- fancy (adj.) = ideal (adj.) (i.e. both "fancy" and "ideal" in the sense of
"fanciful" or "imaginary"; "fancy" (adj.) meaning "based on
fancy/imagination rather than fact"; "ideal" meaning "existing only as an
idea", "imaginary")
- pattern (n.) = ideal (n.) (e.g. an ideal/pattern we can aim for)
- don't get "line"

# 1 Dance involving sailors, one form of exercise [HORNPIPE]
- dance involving sailors = hornpipe (a lively and vigorous dance, usu. for
one person, orig. to the accompaniment of the hornpipe (a wind instrument
made wholly or partly of horn), and esp. associated with the merrymaking of
sailors)
- possibly: exercise = -PE (i.e. physical education at school)
- don't get "one form of"

# 4 One bowling is carrying the side - a famous spinner [I-XI-ON]
- "a famous spinner" made me think of a famous spin-bowler in cricket, but
here it refers to Ixion of Greek mythology, who was a king of Thessaly and
was punished by being bound to an eternally revolving wheel in Hades (i.e.
Ixion was a "spinner" because he spun on a revolving wheel). Ixion was the
first man to murder one of his kinspeople. He killed his father-in-law to
avoid giving him promised bridal gifts. After obtaining purification from
the god Zeus, Ixion ungratefully sought to seduce Hera, the wife of Zeus. To
foil Ixion, Zeus created a cloud in Hera's image; Ixion was deceived and
consequently sired the monstrous Centaurs. As punishment, Ixion was bound to
a wheel that revolved eternally in the underworld
- side = -XI- (i.e. Roman numerals for eleven, i.e. a team/side of eleven in
soccer, hockey, or cricket, e.g. the 1st XI, the 2nd XI)
- "carrying the side" means "includes -XI-"
- one = 1 = I-
- not sure about "bowling". In cricket, is the bowler said to be "on"? (i.e.
the one who's bowling = the one who's on? [i.e. the one on the pitch?]) --
that would provide -ON; "one bowling" would provide I--ON

# 6 Colourful reflections produced by round trip by tube [KALEIDOSCOPE]
- a kaleidoscope is a tube that produces colourful reflections
- "... produced by round trip by tube" presumably refers to the fact that if
the tube does a "round trip", i.e. is rotated all the way round, then you'll
get a myriad of colourful reflections; possibly these reflections could also
be described as a "trip" (i.e. hallucinogenic)

# 7 Vessel fatal to punters? [BUCKET]
- vessel = bucket (not a synonym, but a specific type of vessel/container is
required here)
- "fatal" because "to kick the bucket" means "to die"
- not sure about "punters"; in rowing, a "bucket" is a "hurried or jerky
forward movement of the body"; if "punters" is taken to mean "people who
punt", then I suppose at a push "punters" could be taken to mean "rowers",
but it seems a bit unlikely to me somehow

# 8 Without effort, very probably [EASILY]
- without effort = easily
- don't get "very probably"

020
# 2 Thoroughly examine and torture a pair of partners imprisoned [RA-NSA-CK]
- thoroughly examine = ransack (i.e. search thoroughly in or throughout <a
place, receptacle, collection of things, etc> for something (formerly esp.
for something stolen), esp. causing disorder or damage as a result)
- to torture = to RACK (vt) (i.e. to torture sb by stretching on a rack;
rack = an instrument of torture, usu. consisting of a frame on which the
victim was stretched by turning rollers fastened to his or her wrists and
ankles)
- don't get "a pair of partners imprisoned": "imprisoned" might be an
insert. indic., although not necessarily
- don't get "a pair of partners" at all; the only thing I can think of is
that the letters required to finish the clue (A, N, S) are separated by
pairs of letters in the word "partners": P(A)RT(N)ER(S), but that seems a
bit far-fetched to me

# 8 Start to recognize something hereditary in girl's size [LARGENESS]
- something hereditary = -GENE-
- girl = -NESS (short for Vanessa)
- size = LARGE- (i.e. clothing sizes: small, medium, large)
- don't get "start to recognize"

021
# 12 Washerwoman needs to use soft soap, putting in cape [BUTTERCUP]
- to soft soap <sb> = to BUTTER- <sb> UP
- cape = C. = -C-
- putting in = insert. indic.: insert C into BUTTER UP to give BUTTER-C-UP
- don't get "washerwoman needs to use"
- google for toad of toad hall + buttercup

# 2 Changing a lot, and not particularly nice about it? [VOLATILE]
- changing a lot = volatile (volatile = <of a person, the mind, etc> readily
changing from one interest or mood to another; flighty, fickle; <of a
market, shares, etc> showing sharp changes in price or value)
- I think the "not particularly nice about it" part of the clue refers to
the fact that volatile people can be fickle, i.e. their loyalties waver,
which is hardly a nice quality
- or else, "not particularly nice" could give V----ILE and "about it" could
give "it" reversed, i.e. TI, which gives V---TILE (not convinced about this
though)

# 11 IOUs, possibly, for such gems? [SEMI-PRECIOUS]
- such gems = semi-precious (stones) (semi-precious = <of a mineral stone>
able to be cut and polished for use in ornamentation and jewellery but not
of sufficient value to rank as a gemstone (i.e. a precious stone, a jewel))
- IOU ("I owe you") (pl: IOUs) = a document constituting a formal
acknowledgement of a debt, usu. bearing the three letters "IOU", a specified
sum, and a signature

022
# 5 Mischievous spirit or goblin of old we recollected [ROBIN GOODFELLOW]
- mischievous spirit or goblin of old = Robin Goodfellow (i.e. the
mischievous sprite or goblin believed to haunt the English countryside in
the 16th and 17th centuries, also called Hobgoblin, Puck)
- don't get "we recollected"

# 13 Damaged - up to a point, 17 given treatment [MEDICATED]
- given treatment = anag. indic.: "decimated" (the answer to 17 across)
becomes MEDICATED
- don't get "damaged up to a point"
- possibly "damaged" is a self-referencing anag. indic., i.e. damage
"damaged" = make an anagram out of "damaged"; this anagram only works "up to
a point", since you get MED--A--D and you're missing the letters to spell
MEDICATED

023
# 15 No use going by smell of decomposing matter [HUMUS]
- decomposing matter = humus (i.e. the organic constituent of soil, formed
by the decomposition of plant materials)
- to smell = to HUM- (e.g. that smells/hums, i.e. that stinks)
- presumably "use going by smell" = add -USE to HUM- to give HUMUSE, but
there's nothing in the clue indicating that the E needs to be removed
- don't get "no"

# 18 Busy step, with a movement to the front [ASTIR]
- a movement = A-STIR (stir = a slight or momentary movement)
- busy = astir (e.g. the beach was busy/bustling/astir)
- possibly: to step = to -STIR (to step on it = to stir your stumps, i.e. to
hurry; stir your stumps = move briskly, become busy or active)
- don't get "to the front"

# 16 Maiden in Nebraska overcoming barrier to become brave's wife
[M-IN-NE-HAHA]
- I think "brave's wife" gives "Minnehaha", which rings a bell, but I can't
remember from where and I'll have to Google it; no OTD entries ("brave" here
meaning "a fighting man", esp. a native American warrior)
- maiden = m. (i.e. a maiden over in cricket) = M-
- in = -IN-
- Nebraska = NE (i.e. NE is the abbreviation for the state of Nebraska in
the US)
- barrier = -HA-HA (ha-ha = a ditch with a wall on its inner side below
ground level, forming a boundary to a garden or park without interrupting
the view from within, being visible only from a close proximity)

024
- all clues solved

025
# 8 Having broken heart, peaceful type was idling [TICKED OVER]
- was idling = ticked over (e.g. the engine was idling = the engine was
ticking over = the engine ticked over)

# 10 Hold flexible opinions - as banditti do? [HAVE IT BOTH WAYS]
- hold flexible opinions = have it both ways (i.e. to choose now one, now
the other of alternatives or contradictories to suit your argument, etc)
- "banditti" is either an archaic form for "bandits" (i.e. outlaws) or an
archaic term for "a company of bandits"

# 13 Taking over from Tom, the sailor [BOWLING]
- "over" presumably means an over in cricket, the person who takes (i.e.
delivers) the over is the bowler, so therefore "taking (the) over" =
"bowling"

# 15 Polished poem turned into opera [FIDELIO]
- opera = Fidelio ("Fidelio" was Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera; it was
written in 1805 and revised in 1806 and again in 1814)


# 23 American form of transport extended by city in Alabama [AUTO-MOBILE]
- American form of transport = AUTO- ("American form of transport"
presumably means that "auto" was originally an American abbreviation for
"automobile" - # check this)
- city in Alabama = -MOBILE (Mobile, Alabama, is Alabama's only seaport and
one of the busiest in the United States)
- extended by city = add -MOBILE

# 1 Bowler, say, beginning to control the wayward cutter [HATCHET] (in
cricket, a "cutter" is a ball that turns sharply after pitching)
- cutter (i.e. sth that cuts) = HATCHET (i.e. a small or light short-handled
axe, adapted for use with one hand)

# 19 Go down to see graduate's record of academic achievement [DIPLOMA]
- graduate's record of academic achievement = diploma

# 20 Extremely lucky as fur-trapper - it's a chancy business [L-OTTER-Y]
- extremely lucky = L(UCK)Y = L-----Y
- fur = -OTTER- (i.e. otter fur)
- chancy business = lottery (i.e. an enterprise or process whose success is
governed by chance)
- don't get "trapper"

[Peter T. Daniels]

Post by Withnail
I've got a lot of queries (which is Queen's English for the Subject: line),
or in other words clues I can't solve -- in the majority of cases I've
understood a bit of the clue, but there's one at least I think where I'm
totally at a loss.
For anyone who finds these things addictive like I do, then have fun...

Please see other threads for how this is usually done here.

Let's hope these aren't from a prize crossword.

Post by Withnail
006
# 13 Followers always holding one back [RETINUE]
- followers = retinue (a number or body of people in the service of or
accompanying someone, esp. an important person; a train, a suite, an
entourage; the members of such a body collectively)
- one = unit (e.g. unit cost = the cost of producing one item of manufacture
)
- back = reversal indic.: "unit" becomes -TINU-
- don't get "always holding" ("holding" is presumably a straddling indic.
(RE-TINU-E), but "REE"? "EE"? How does that mean "always"?)
- or is RETINUE "holding" (i.e. containing) -TINU-? (but "always" is still
unaccounted for, unless "followers always" means RETINUE, since the members
of the retinue always follow the person about)

UNIT inside E'ER all reversed

Post by Withnail
# 21 Having completed short time in firm [THROUGH]
- having completed = through (e.g. we're through, we have finished)
- short time = T
- firm = rough

HR inside TOUGH

Post by Withnail
# 27 In bad-tempered case, I am willing to appear as witness [TESTIMONY]
- to appear as witness = to testimony (vi, vt) (= give testimony, bear
witness [to])
- bad-tempered = testy (TESTI-) (I'm not 100% sure about this one)
- "case" here can mean "instance" or "court case"
- I am = I'm = -IM-

I'M ON inside TESTY

Post by Withnail
# 2 Song sequence about love put off [ROUNDELAY]
- song sequence = roundelay (a short simple song with a refrain; (poet.) a
bird's song; a piece of music for such a song; a ring dance)
- about = round (e.g. walk about/round town)
- put <sth> off = delay <sth>
- not sure about "love"

RUN around O ["love" in tennis] DELAY

Post by Withnail
# 9 Fancy needlework covering tail of shirt [CROCHET]
- fancy needlework = crochet (the word "needlework" initially made me think
of a needle and thread as opposed to crochet needles)
- "covering" possibly refers to "rochet" [an ecclesiastical vestment similar
to a surplice, worn chiefly by bishops and abbots; an outer garment of the
nature of a smock or cloak (now dial.)]
- don't get "tail of shirt"

shirT

Post by Withnail
# 15 Aggressive exchange you reported fast [TRUCULENT]
- aggressive = truculent
- fast (n.) (i.e. a day or season appointed for fasting) = -LENT (i.e. the
religious period devoted to fasting)
- don't get "exchange you reported"

TRUCK YOU LENT (homonym)

Post by Withnail
# 14 I, for one, may be heard making this affirmation [AVOWAL]
declare as a thing one can vouch for; affirm, maintain. Not sure what either
word actually means though)
- don't get the rest of the clue at all

I is an example of A VOWEL (homonym)

Post by Withnail
# 22 Callas, say, making mark with operatic performance [MARIA]
- Maria Callas: an opera singer
- don't get this clue at all - it's hardly a clue at all, let alone a
cryptic one (unless of course I'm missing sth, which I probably am)

M + ARIA

Post by Withnail
# 23 Many an Anglo-Saxon runner initially needed a drink [MANHATTAN]
- drink = manhattan (a cocktail made with vermouth and a spirit, as whisky
or brandy, sometimes with a dash of bitters)
- totally at a loss with this one

M + AN + HATTA + N

("Hatta" is presumably a name from Anglo-Saxon legend.)

Post by Withnail
# 6 Plant that is cut by doctor died [IMBED]
- to plant = to imbed (e.g. plant/imbed an idea in sb's head)
- that is = i.e. = IE
- doctor = MD (Medicinae Doctor = Doctor of Medicine)
- cut by = merging indic., i.e. mege IE and MD to give IM-ED
- don't get "died"
- B is unaccounted for

Perhaps in England MB refers to a doctor for some reason. MB inside IE
+ D

Post by Withnail
# 13 Live English concerts initially associated with Henry Wood [BEECH]
- Sir Henry Joseph Wood (1869-1944), English conductor and musician, who
conducted many concerts
- "beech" is a type of wood
- both Henry Wood and Thomas Beecham worked for the Royal Philharmonic
Society
- maybe "initially" refers to/is an indic. for BEECH in Beecham?
- I'll have to google this, because EE2K only has limited information

BE + E + C + H

Post by Withnail
# 25 Woman being contrary about awfully good witticism [EPIGRAM]
- witticism = epigram (a short poem leading up to and ending in a witty or
ingenious turn of thought)
- woman = MA (i.e. mother)
- being contrary = revers. indic.: MA becomes -AM
- about = RE (e.g. re your letter of the 15th)
- awfully = anag. indic.: RE + -AM becomes E---RAM
- good = G: E--GRAM
- what about P and I?
- I think I need to go back to the drawing board with this clue

MARGIE around P ["perfect" or "passing"] reversed

Post by Withnail
# 6 Yank's jailed coming from Peru, once [INCAN]
- coming from Peru = Incan (of or pertaining to the Incas) (Inca: a member
of a S. American Indian people; the city of Cuzco, situated in southern
Peru, served as the Inca capital [the Incan territory covered several S
American countries though, not just Peru])
- jailed = IN CAN (i.e. in the can, in jail)
- don't get "Yank's" or "once"

Apparently they don't say "in the can" for jailed (or "gaoled") in
England, There are no more Incas in Peru (or anywhere else).

Post by Withnail
# 21 Old-fashioned record producer [VINYL]
- old-fashioned record = vinyl (record)
- don't get "producer"

Looks like a cryptic definition only clue. Those are ok in British
puzzles.


I got bored, only 1/3 of the way through the list.

[Paul E Collins]

Post by Peter T. Daniels
Perhaps in England MB refers to a doctor for some reason.

Yes, it's a Bachelor of Medicine (degree).

Eq.

[Peter T. Daniels]

Post by Paul E Collins

Post by Peter T. Daniels
Perhaps in England MB refers to a doctor for some reason.

Yes, it's a Bachelor of Medicine (degree).
Eq.

Ah -- over here, doctors have to be Doctors.

[Colin Blackburn]

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Post by Paul E Collins

Post by Peter T. Daniels
Perhaps in England MB refers to a doctor for some reason.

Yes, it's a Bachelor of Medicine (degree).
Eq.

Ah -- over here, doctors have to be Doctors.

Over here being a Doctor means undertaking original research work.
That's not thought to be a requirement for being doctor. Though, many
doctors are Doctors too.

Colin

[Old Timer]

On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:43:10 -0700 (PDT), "Peter T. Daniels"

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Post by Paul E Collins

Post by Peter T. Daniels
Perhaps in England MB refers to a doctor for some reason.

Yes, it's a Bachelor of Medicine (degree).
Eq.

Ah -- over here, doctors have to be Doctors.

Firstly there is Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) which can be in many
different disciplines. For example I have a brother-in-law who is a
professional musician but who has a doctorate (PhD) due to research
work he did in his field.

Secondly there is Doctor of Medicine (MD) which is a postgraduate
degree earned by doing research work and presenting a paper in some
branch of medicine.

Most medical doctors, even the most highly skilled specialists such as
neurosurgeons, cardiologists and the like, possess neither of these
degrees, though they will have others equally (and indeed more)
prestigious such as FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons) or
FRCP (Fellow of the Royal College of Physians).

Of course, due to the historical nature of the job (surgeons in the
distant past were barbers) a surgeon, no matter how skilful and
highly-qualified, would today be called Mr Jones while a physician
would be called Dr Jones. Paradoxically, therefore, a surgeon before
obtaining his degree of FRCS would be called Dr and afterward would be
called Mr.

OT

[Peter T. Daniels]

Post by Old Timer
On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:43:10 -0700 (PDT), "Peter T. Daniels"

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Post by Paul E Collins

Post by Peter T. Daniels
Perhaps in England MB refers to a doctor for some reason.

Yes, it's a Bachelor of Medicine (degree).
Eq.

Ah -- over here, doctors have to be Doctors.

Firstly there is Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) which can be in many
different disciplines. For example I have a brother-in-law who is a
professional musician but who has a doctorate (PhD) due to research
work he did in his field.
Secondly there is Doctor of Medicine (MD) which is a postgraduate
degree earned by doing research work and presenting a paper in some
branch of medicine.

Then I suppose our doctors (all MD) are better trained than your
doctors! We also have people who are MD/PhD, who tend to be
researchers and not practicing physicians any more.

Post by Old Timer
Most medical doctors, even the most highly skilled specialists such as
neurosurgeons, cardiologists and the like, possess neither of these
degrees, though they will have others equally (and indeed more)
prestigious such as FRCS (Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons) or
FRCP (Fellow of the Royal College of Physians).

I believe membership in such organizations as the AMA (American
Medical Association) is also merit-based; that is the case for many
professional organizations, though not, as it happens, for the ones I
belong to: the Linguistic Society of America, the American Oriental
Society, and the International Linguistic Association.

Post by Old Timer
Of course, due to the historical nature of the job (surgeons in the
distant past were barbers) a surgeon, no matter how skilful and
highly-qualified, would today be called Mr Jones while a physician
would be called Dr Jones. Paradoxically, therefore, a surgeon before
obtaining his degree of FRCS would be called Dr and afterward would be
called Mr.

Our surgeons are indeed doctors. (So are our dentists, usually but not
always DDS.)

[Peter Biddlecombe]

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Post by Old Timer
On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:43:10 -0700 (PDT), "Peter T. Daniels"

Post by Peter T. Daniels

Post by Paul E Collins

Post by Peter T. Daniels
Perhaps in England MB refers to a doctor for some reason.

Yes, it's a Bachelor of Medicine (degree).
Eq.

Ah -- over here, doctors have to be Doctors.

Firstly there is Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) which can be in many
different disciplines. For example I have a brother-in-law who is a
professional musician but who has a doctorate (PhD) due to research
work he did in his field.
Secondly there is Doctor of Medicine (MD) which is a postgraduate
degree earned by doing research work and presenting a paper in some
branch of medicine.

Then I suppose our doctors (all MD) are better trained than your
doctors!

Maybe, maybe not, but it's nothing to do with them having 'MD' after
their name. This simply doesn't mean the same thing in the US and UK.

[Mark Brader]

You might not want to post this many items in one message in future.

Post by Withnail
004
# 27 Dog appears to eat into fish [POMFRET]
- fish = pomfret (i.e. any of several Indo-Pacific butterfishes of the genus
Pampus, much valued for food)
- dog = POM- (i.e. a Pomeranian dog)
- eat (into) = to -FRET (i.e. to fret (vt) = to destroy gradually or
insidiously by corrosion, erosion, disease, etc; to eat (vt) = to destroy
gradually or insidiously by corrosion, erosion, disease, etc, e.g. the acid
was fretting/eating (into) the metal [or: was eating (away at) the metal])
- also: to eat = to bother, vex (as in "What's eating you?" = "What are you
fretting about?", i.e. what are you worring about)
- not sure what "appears" means in the clue - possibly that POM- appears at
the start of the clue?
- possibly: "eat into" might also serve as a contraction indic. here (i.e.
indicating that Pomeranian needs to be shortened to POM-)

I think "appears" is a no-op indicator -- it's saying that POM appears
in the answer.

Post by Withnail
# 13 Little money clear person comes up with in this [POVERTY TRAP]
- if you're caught in a poverty trap ("in this"), then you're not going to
be able to come up with much money
- little money (clear) = POVERTY (i.e. the condition of having little money;
if you've little money clear when you get paid, it means you've little money
left over after you've paid out all the essentials)
- is there more to this clue, or have I covered it all?

"A little money" is a British penny, abbreviated P. "Clear" is OVERT.
And a "person" might be a PARTY (in a legal context, say), which coming
up (reversed) is YTRAP. (I hope this is a down clue.) This is intended
as an &lit, but it's inferior because "in this" takes no part in the
cryptic reading.

Post by Withnail
005
# 1 Turn up and bowl first in the game [WOODCOCK]
- game: woodcock is a type of game-bird

"Turning up" your head might be COCKing it, and "first" might be a sequence
indicator, but I don't know why "bowl" would be WOOD.

Post by Withnail
006
# 13 Followers always holding one back [RETINUE]
- followers = retinue (a number or body of people in the service of or
accompanying someone, esp. an important person; a train, a suite, an
entourage; the members of such a body collectively)
- one = unit (e.g. unit cost = the cost of producing one item of manufacture
)
- back = reversal indic.: "unit" becomes -TINU-
- don't get "always holding" ("holding" is presumably a straddling indic.
(RE-TINU-E), but "REE"? "EE"? How does that mean "always"?)
- or is RETINUE "holding" (i.e. containing) -TINU-? (but "always" is still
unaccounted for, unless "followers always" means RETINUE, since the members
of the retinue always follow the person about)

"Always" is E'ER, which is "holding" (containing) -TINU-.

Post by Withnail
# 21 Having completed short time in firm [THROUGH]
- having completed = through (e.g. we're through, we have finished)
- short time = T
- firm = rough

No, "time" is an HOUR, which when "short" becomes HR. "Firm" is TOUGH.

Post by Withnail
# 24 Catch unknown creature - a parrot [COPYCAT]
- parrot = copycat (a parrot copies/repeats what people say; a copycat
copies what other people do) (related terms, not true synonyms - this
requires lateral thinking)
- creature = -CAT
- catch (n.) = COP- (capture, arrest)
- unknown = X or Y (Y here)

Makes sense; why not?

Post by Withnail
# 26 Liquor is found inside part of supermarket [AISLE]
- part of supermarket = aisle
- liquor = ALE
- found inside = insert. indic..: insert IS into ALE to get AISLE

I guess so.

Post by Withnail
# 27 In bad-tempered case, I am willing to appear as witness [TESTIMONY]
- to appear as witness = to testimony (vi, vt) (= give testimony, bear
witness [to])

No, TESTIMONY is not a verb; but "witness" can be a noun with more
or less the same meaning (as in "bear witness to the facts"), so
that's the definition. "To appear as" is another no-op.

Post by Withnail
- bad-tempered = testy (TESTI-) (I'm not 100% sure about this one)

It's TESTY.

Post by Withnail
- "case" here can mean "instance" or "court case"

No, "in...case" is the insertion indicator.

Post by Withnail
- I am = I'm = -IM-

"Willing" = ON, or more precisely, "I'm willing" = "I'M ON". Put TESTY
as a "case" around this, and Bob's your uncle. Er, not guilty. Whatever.

Post by Withnail
# 2 Song sequence about love put off [ROUNDELAY]
- song sequence = roundelay (a short simple song with a refrain; (poet.) a
bird's song; a piece of music for such a song; a ring dance)

No, that's just "song". "Sequence" is a RUN.

Post by Withnail
- about = round (e.g. walk about/round town)

No, it's an insertion indicator.

Post by Withnail
- put <sth> off = delay <sth>

Yes.

Post by Withnail
- not sure about "love"

Tennis strikes again. It's 0, representing O.

Post by Withnail
# 9 Fancy needlework covering tail of shirt [CROCHET]
- fancy needlework = crochet (the word "needlework" initially made me think
of a needle and thread as opposed to crochet needles)
- "covering" possibly refers to "rochet" [an ecclesiastical vestment similar
to a surplice, worn chiefly by bishops and abbots; an outer garment of the
nature of a smock or cloak (now dial.)]
- don't get "tail of shirt"

"Tail of" could be a last-letter indicator. A dictionary search tells
me that a CROCHE is a bud or knob at the end of a deer's antler; I suppose
that could be considered as a "covering" for the antler, hence CROCHE + T.
But I'm not confident here.

Post by Withnail
# 15 Aggressive exchange you reported fast [TRUCULENT]
- aggressive = truculent
- fast (n.) (i.e. a day or season appointed for fasting) = -LENT (i.e. the
religious period devoted to fasting)
- don't get "exchange you reported"

"Reported" is usually a soundalike indicator, and "truck" can refer
to trade, although I'm not sure "exchange" defines it. So I think
it's "sounds like TRUCK YOU".

Post by Withnail
# 20 The old leading man comes around - he shows persistence [STAYER]
- he shows persistence: a STAYER is someone who shows persistence, who has
superior powers of endurance
- leading man = STA--R
- old = arachaic indic.: "the" is "ye" in old English (as in Ye Olde Pub)
- comes around = straddling indic.: STAR straddles YE to give STA-YE-R

I'm sure that's the intent. It's defective, though -- the notion that
"'the' is 'ye' in Old English" is a myth, as you can find explained at
<http://www.plexoft.com/SBF/thorn.html>, for example.

Post by Withnail
# 23 Enable old husband to get put up in accommodation [HOTEL]
- accommodation = hotel
- enable = LET
- old husband = OH
put up = rev. indic.: HOTEL

I suppose so, except I think old = O and husband = H are two separate
components. Having said that, I don't remember ever seeing "husband"
abbreviated in that way.

Post by Withnail
# 25 Soldier, without fuel, sent North on horse [POILU]
- soldier = poilu ([Fr: hairy, virile] a soldier in the French army, esp.
one who fought in the war of 1914-18)
- fuel = -OIL-?
- sent North = UP

No, "on horse" is UP; "sent North" is a reversal indicator (again, for
a down clue). "Without" is in the sense of "outside", thus an insertion
indicator.

Post by Withnail
007
# 5 Unreliable person - not to be found lurking in Ireland? [SNAKE IN THE
GRASS]
- unreliable person = snake in the grass (i.e. a treacherous or deceitful
person)
- lurking: this word alludes to the sneakiness of a snake in the grass
- some saint (Saint Patrick?) is said to have removed all snakes from
Ireland (can't find mention of this in EE2K St Patrick entry, also don't
know if it's legend or reality)

Yes. This is basically a double definition. And it's a legend, of course.

Post by Withnail
008
# 3 Schoolmaster's not hard-hearted as employer [USER]
- employer = user (i.e. sb who employs/uses sth, e.g. tools)

"'s not hard-hearted" could be an indicator to remove H (hard) from
the center of a word. Is there a way that a "schoolmaster" could be
an USHER?

Post by Withnail
# 14 I, for one, may be heard making this affirmation [AVOWAL]
declare as a thing one can vouch for; affirm, maintain. Not sure what either
word actually means though)
- don't get the rest of the clue at all

"I, for one, may be" A VOWEL. (I consider this construction incorrect,
as it defines a predicate, not a noun.) "Heard" = sounds like, and there
you are.

Post by Withnail
# 22 Callas, say, making mark with operatic performance [MARIA]
- Maria Callas: an opera singer
- don't get this clue at all - it's hardly a clue at all, let alone a
cryptic one (unless of course I'm missing sth, which I probably am)

Presumably "mark" = M, although I can't think of a context for that
particular abbreviation; and operatic performance = ARIA.

Post by Withnail
# 23 Many an Anglo-Saxon runner initially needed a drink [MANHATTAN]
- drink = manhattan (a cocktail made with vermouth and a spirit, as whisky
or brandy, sometimes with a dash of bitters)
- totally at a loss with this one

"Many" could be M (Roman numeral, 1,000), "an" could be AN, and
"initially" could be a first-letter indicator giving N. So if there
is or was a famous Anglo-Saxon runner named HATTA, we have the
explanation. I don't know of such a person, though, so maybe this
is all wrong.

Post by Withnail
# 25 The first fruit peeled, we hear, at St Clement's [ORANGES]
- we hear = homophone indic.: "to peel" (as in peeling fruit) sounds like
"to peal" (as in bells pealing/ringing)
- this clue is a reference to a nursery rhyme that start "Oranges and lemons
say the bells of St Clement's" (?St Clement's is/was a church in ?London?)
(presumably the sound of the multiple bells ringing at once make/made a
sound/rhythm similar to the spoken words "oranges and lemons")
- the first fruit = oranges, since oranges appears first before lemons in
the nursery rhyme

Right.

Post by Withnail
# 5 Surrendered, game being up without warning [RESIGNED]
- surrendered = resigned (e.g. surrender/resign your right to sth)

Game = DEER, "being up" = reversal indicator, "without" = insertion
indicator (as above), "warning" = SIGN.

Post by Withnail
# 6 Plant that is cut by doctor died [IMBED]
- to plant = to imbed (e.g. plant/imbed an idea in sb's head)
- that is = i.e. = IE
- doctor = MD (Medicinae Doctor = Doctor of Medicine)

No, "doctor" is MB. It's British.

Post by Withnail
- cut by = merging indic., i.e. mege IE and MD to give IM-ED

Insertion indicator.

Post by Withnail
- don't get "died"

That's D.

Post by Withnail
- B is unaccounted for
# 13 Live English concerts initially associated with Henry Wood [BEECH]
- Sir Henry Joseph Wood (1869-1944), English conductor and musician, who
conducted many concerts
- "beech" is a type of wood
- both Henry Wood and Thomas Beecham worked for the Royal Philharmonic
Society
- maybe "initially" refers to/is an indic. for BEECH in Beecham?
- I'll have to google this, because EE2K only has limited information

"Live" is a verb meaning BE. "English" is E and "initially" is a
first-letter indicator, giving C. "Associated with" is a no-op and
I suspect that the scope of "initially" is supposed to extend to "Henry"
(which I consider dubious with the words in that order), giving H.

Post by Withnail
# 25 Woman being contrary about awfully good witticism [EPIGRAM]
- witticism = epigram (a short poem leading up to and ending in a witty or
ingenious turn of thought)
- woman = MA (i.e. mother)
- being contrary = revers. indic.: MA becomes -AM
- about = RE (e.g. re your letter of the 15th)
- awfully = anag. indic.: RE + -AM becomes E---RAM

That would be an indirect anagram, which most puzzles don't use.

Post by Withnail
- good = G: E--GRAM
- what about P and I?
- I think I need to go back to the drawing board with this clue

Hmm. The woman being reversed could also be MAE, MARIE, MARGIE, and
maybe other possibilities. If it's MARGIE, then "awfully" could be a
grade of P for POOR, and "good witticism" could be the definition.
Or I could be wrong too.

Post by Withnail
# 6 Yank's jailed coming from Peru, once [INCAN]
- coming from Peru = Incan (of or pertaining to the Incas) (Inca: a member
of a S. American Indian people; the city of Cuzco, situated in southern
Peru, served as the Inca capital [the Incan territory covered several S
American countries though, not just Peru])
- jailed = IN CAN (i.e. in the can, in jail)

Right.

Post by Withnail
- don't get "Yank's"

"In the can" is American slang.

Post by Withnail
or "once"

Because there is no Inca culture any more.

Post by Withnail
# 21 Old-fashioned record producer [VINYL]
- old-fashioned record = vinyl (record)
- don't get "producer"

Cryptic definition. The record is produced from vinyl, therefore the
vinyl produces the record. (I don't exactly like it, but it'll do.)

Post by Withnail
# 23 Less convincing work by Debussy [LAMER]
-

Double definition. Debussy painted "The Sea" or LA MER.

Post by Withnail
010
# 12 Lacking a match, with no pair, we hear, in love [NONPAREIL]
- lacking a match = nonpareil (i.e. unequalled, unrivalled, unique,
unmatched)
- "no pair we hear" possibly means that "no pair" sounds a bit like
"nonpareil" (I'm not sure though)

I'm thinking that "with" is a link, "no" is NON (either the prefix or
the French word), "pair, we hear" is PARE, and "in love" is I.L. But
if this is correct, a number of indicators are missing that ought to
be provided.

Post by Withnail
# 26 Start to lose one's temper [LEAD OFF]
- to start = to lead off (e.g. lead off the dance = start the dance)

No idea.

Post by Withnail
# 1 Relatively unimportant action the army is in, but not RAF [LOWER CASE]
- action = case (i.e. legal action, court case)

Yes. "Relatively unimportant" is LOWER, and the words "the army" are
written in LOWER CASE (while "RAF" is in UPPER CASE).

Post by Withnail
# 7 Position fitting beneficiaries of patronage exactly! [PLACEMENT]
- position = placement (work placement = a position in a company to gain
experience; placement = position, positioning)

Don't know. I note that the word consists of MEN inserted into PLACET,
the latter being a Latin verb meaning "it pleases", which could mean
"it is fitting". But I can't make that fit the clue, exactly!

Post by Withnail
# 14 Distinctive sign to invest in sterling, perhaps [TRADEMARK]
- distinctive sign = trademark

How old is this puzzle? These days if you sell your "perhaps"
German money to "invest in sterling" you TRADE the euro, not the MARK.

Post by Withnail
011
# 16 Treasury stars he's brought in [THESAURUS]
- treasury = thesaurus (a treasury, esp. of a temple)
- "brought in" is presumably an anag. indic., presumably means "brought into
line"

No, an insertion indicator.

Post by Withnail
- "stars he" gives THESA-R-S
- the missing Us aren't accounted for

The stars are the constellation TAURUS, in which HE'S is inserted.

Post by Withnail
012
# 6 Almost provide complete contents for short book of pictures [FILMIC]
- filmic (of, pertaining to, or resembling cinematography or the cinema;
suitable for reproduction on film)

And therefore "of pictures" should be the definition.

Post by Withnail
- pictures = FILM- (e.g. "He's big in pictures/film)
- possibly: almost = -C (i.e. c. = circa = about, approximately)
- the rest of this clue has got me stumped

"Almost" is a truncation indicator and "provide complete contents for"
is FILL, I think. "Short" could be another truncation indicator, but
I don't see a word for "book" that could shorten to MIC, so maybe I've
gone wrong.

Post by Withnail
# 2 Place of work the French set up that's used in art, especially [ATELIER]
- place of work = atelier ([Fr.] a workshop or studio, esp. of an artist or
couturier)

Or the whole thing is the definition, including "place of work" and
"especially", neither of which (as far as I can see) takes part in the
cryptic reading.

Post by Withnail
- the French = "le" = LE
- set up = rev. indic.: LE becomes -EL-
- used in art = used in ART = insert EL into ART to give ATEL--R
- the -IE- isn't accounted for they way I've explained it - either I'm
missing something or the clue is incomplete

"That's" = "that is" = I.E. But I don't see an anagram indicator for ART:
we seem to have ARELIET. So I may be wrong as well.

Post by Withnail
# 13 One food store caught in check, in other words [VIDELICET]
- in other words = videlicet ((adv). = viz; the word "videlicet" introducing
an explanation or amplification, esp. in a legal document; viz: usu.
that is to say, namely, in other words)
- food store = -DELI- (i.e. delicatessen)
- don't get "caught in check"

"One" = I (Roman numeral or digit 1), and to "check" on someone or something
is to VET it/them. I suppose there is some context where "caught" can be
abbreviated C, and "in" is an insertion indicator and there we are: I DELI C
in VET.

Post by Withnail
013
# 9 A herb gardener's first planted in row [ARGUE]
- to row = to argue (e.g. to row/argue about money)

I never heard of the stuff myself, but apparently there is a a herb
named RUE. "A" is A, and "'s first" is a first-letter indicator, giving G.

Post by Withnail
# 18 A worm, husband behaving dispicably [CADDISH]
- behaving dispicably = caddish (of the nature of or characteristic of a
cad; ungentlemanly; blackguardly)

Another word I never heard of: CADDIS is a type of worm. And again
we have "husband" abbreviated H with no indicator. I suppose the
spelling "dispicably" was your error.

Post by Withnail
# 20 Middling warm? Severe heat [ARDOUR]
- severe heat = ardour (fierce or burning heat; fire (arch.))

No idea.

Post by Withnail
014
# 19 Authorised to go with exhibition [LEGIT]
- authorised = legit (e.g. authorised/legit expenses)
- possibly: to go = to LEG IT (e.g. having missed the bus we had to go on
foot/leg it)
- don't get "exhibition"

Perhaps the idea is that if you walk you're "exhibiting" your legs?

Post by Withnail
# 20 Prudence given help in training [FORESIGHT]
- prudence = foresight (e.g. have the prudence/foresight to leave early)
- possibly: training = -SIGHT (to sight = to aim <a gun> with sights; to
train = to point or aim <a gun> (freq. foll. by "on"))
- don't get "help"

Well, *I* can't give help with this!

Post by Withnail
# 2 In dismay, note what goes on [APPAREL]
- what goes on = apparel (i.e. clothing) ("what goes on" are the clothes
that you put on)
- don't get "in dismay note" (maybe "note" refers to a musical note, here: A
or E)

It is a musical note, but in the other system -- RE. To "dismay", in
this case, is to APPAL.

Post by Withnail
# 6 Front person - the one ruling now [PRESENTER]
- front person = presenter (i.e. sb who fronts/presents a TV programme)
- now = PRESENT- (the present = the present time; the time now passing or
that now is)
- I don't see how "presenter" could mean "one ruling now" - why "ruling"?

"The one ruling" the Commonwealth and various member countries is
Queen Elizabeth, or E.R. in abbreviated Latin. And someone who is a
<something> "now" would be the PRESENT <something>.

Post by Withnail
# 8 Running down upstart caught in traffic [TRADUCING]
- running down = traducing (to run sb down = to traduce sb = to
disparage/malign/slander sb)

I think "traffic" is TRADING (as in drugs, say), "-start" is a first-
letter indicator giving U, "caught" is again abbreviated to C without
an indicator, and "in" is an insertion indicator.

Post by Withnail
# 15 Like Disraeli's side, shifting allegiance endlessly [ANGELICAL] (=
angelic)
- Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (1804-81), British Tory
statesman, of Italian-Jewish descent; Prime Minister 1868 and 1874-80. He
played a dominant role in the reconstruction of the Tory Party after Sir
Robert Peel, guiding it away from protectionism and generating enthusiasm
for the British Empire. He was largely responsible for the introduction of
the second Reform Act (1867), which doubled the electorate. In his second
term as Prime Minister he ensured that Britain bought a controlling interest
in the Suez Canal (1875) and also made Queen Victoria Empress of India. At
home his government passed much useful social legislation, including
measures to improve public health and working conditions in factories. He
wrote a number of novels, including Coningsby (1844) and Sybil (1845), which
drew on his experience of political life
- "Disraeli's side" presumably means the Tory Party (it gave rise to the
Conservative Party in the 1830s)
- "allegiance endlessly" means "remove the end" (i.e. the last letter) to
give "allegianc"
- shifting = anag. indic. "allegianc" becomes ANGELICAL
- I'm not sure how the reference to "Disraeli's side" helps find "angelical"

Disraeli described what he saw as the right side of some dispute
(I presume a political one) as being "on the side of the angels",
thus ANGELICAL.

Post by Withnail
# 16 A way to put on too much rouge going from side to side [ASTRADDLE]
- a way = a street = a St. = AST-
- "to put on" means "is to be added to" (i.e. AST is to be added to -RADDLE)
- don't get "too much"
- rouge = -RADDLE (rouge: a red powder or cream used as a cosmetic to add
colour to the lips or esp. the cheeks; raddle/ruddle: red ochre used as a
colouring, esp. for marking sheep)
- "going from side to side" presumably means "astraddle" (i.e. in a
straddling position; astride (of)), e.g. a bridge that goes from one side of
a river to the other side could be said to straddle the river - it's a bit
cheeky on the part of the setter this one, since "going from side to side"
made me think of "oscillating"

I hadn't heard of RADDLE, but this makes sense to me, so I don't get
the "too much" either.

Post by Withnail
015
# 28 Become dejected listening to Olive, say [DROOP]
- become dejected = droop (i.e. flag in spirit or courage, lose heart)

Don't know.

Post by Withnail
016
# 18 Solemn pronouncement in betting record that could pull punters in
[BO-AT HO-OK]
- that could pull punters in = boat-hook (i.e. a long pole bearing a hook
and spike, for fending off or pulling a boat; a boat-hook could be used to
pull in "punters", i.e. people who are punting, people in a punt)
- betting record = BOOK (a record of bets made with several different people
on a particular race, etc)
- I think "pronouncement" refers to the exclamation "Ho!" (HO)
- in = insert. indic., i.e. insert -HO- into BOOK
- pull <punters> in = HOOK <punters> (i.e. entice/lure customers)
- don't get "solemn"
- AT is unaccounted for

I can't improve on this. I doubt that "pronouncement" = HO, but I can't
suggest what it does mean.

Post by Withnail
# 28 Acting head, say, going into 4's payment [RE-GE-NT] (4 down = TENANT)
- acting head = regent (a person invested with royal authority by or on
behalf of another; esp. a person appointed to administer a kingdom or State
during the minority, absence, or incapacity of the monarch)
- say = for example = e.g. = EG = GE (there's no revers. indic. here though)
- "going into" means "inserted into": insert GE into RENT
- or is "going" the revers. indic. (since going home = returning home?), and
is just "into" the insert. indic.?
- 4's payment = tenant's payment = RENT

All of this is correct except that EG is *not* reversed before being
inserted into RENT. You were looking at the wrong insertion position.

Post by Withnail
# 4 One's housed junior officer deprived of place in France [TE-NANT]
- one's housed = a tenant is sb who is housed/who has a house (i.e. a tenant
is sb who rents a house and so is housed/has a roof over his head)
- deprived of place in France = NANT(ES) (i.e. Nantes is deprived of letters
to give NANT)
- don't get "junior" or "officer" (or is it "junior officer")

"In France" indicates translation into French, "place" giving LIEU.
"Deprived of" is a deletion indicator, and the "junior officer" in
this case is a LIEUTENANT. Delete LIEU and you have...

Post by Withnail
017
# 18 Splendid opening of tattoo in Edinburgh, okay? [RICHT]
- "tattoo in Edinburgh" refers to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which forms
part of the annual Edinburgh Festival
- splendid = RICH- (e.g. splendid/rich furnishings, splendid/rich
surroundings)
- opening of tattoo = the opening/starting letter of "tattoo" = T
- "in Edinburgh okay?" presumably means that "richt" is Scottish for "right"
(e.g. "I'm going into town, okay?" = "I'm going into town,
richt/right/alright?")
- "richt" isn't in OTD, I'll have to google it

Makes sense. I don't know the Scottish word, but if it's the same as
in German, that works.

Post by Withnail
# 25 African hell-hole home to a Scot [ABYSSINIAN]
- African = Abyssinian (an Abyssinian is an African; Abyssinian: a native or
inhabitant of Abyssinia, a country (now officially called Ethiopia) in NE
Africa)
- hell-hole = ABYSS- (the great deep believed in the old cosmogony to lie
beneath the earth; the primal chaos; the bowels of the earth; the infernal
pit, hell)
- home = -IN- (e.g. "Is he home?" = "Is he in?")
- "to a Scot" - not sure about this unless Ian is a Scottish name
originally: -IAN

I think so, yeah. "To" is a concatenation, i.e. a no-op, indicator.

Post by Withnail
# 4 Fight round roadblock, initially [SET TO]
- fight = set-to (e.g. a fight/set-to outside a pub)
- possibly: road- = St. = S-T
- possibly: -block = SET (e.g. a block/set of shares)
- don't get "round", don't get "initially"

I don't get this one.

Post by Withnail
# 22 Substance it's right to extract from corn before grinding [GIST]
- substance = gist (e.g. the substance/gist of the speech)
- "it's right to extract" presumably means that "gist" can be extracted from
"IT'S riGht"
- don't get "from corn before grinding" (possibly: gist = kernel ["kernel"
is related to the word "corn", diminutive version])

Actually GIST is obtained by "extract"ing R ("right") from GRIST, or
corn before grinding (milling).

Post by Withnail
# 23 Possible conclusions reached by trial jury could be just [ONLY]
- just = only (e.g. just three people turned up = only three people turned
up)

"Possible" is ON, as in "I'm sorry, but what you ask is just not on".
"Conclusions reached by" is a last-letter-of-multiple-words indicator,
so it's ON-L-Y.

Post by Withnail
018
# 1 Making no progress in set problem [STATIC]
- making no progress = static (static = fixed, stable, stationary; not
changing or moving)
- set = static ("invariable" synonyms: unchanging, changeless, unchangeable,
constant, unvarying, unvaried, invariant, unalterable, immutable, fixed,
stable, ***set***, steady, unwavering, ***static***, uniform, regular,
consistent)
- don't get "problem"

No, interference due to the discharging of static electricity, known as
STATIC, is a "problem" for your TV "set" -- thus a "set problem". "In"
is a link word (no-op).



Hope this helps.

[Colin Blackburn]

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 20 Middling warm? Severe heat [ARDOUR]
- severe heat = ardour (fierce or burning heat; fire (arch.))

No idea.

Could be AR + DOUR
AR in middle of warm.
DOUR = severe (in the sense of stern)

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
015
# 28 Become dejected listening to Olive, say [DROOP]
- become dejected = droop (i.e. flag in spirit or courage, lose heart)

Don't know.

homophone of "drupe" a fruit containing a stone of which an olive is an
example (say).

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
017
# 18 Splendid opening of tattoo in Edinburgh, okay? [RICHT]
- "tattoo in Edinburgh" refers to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which forms
part of the annual Edinburgh Festival
- splendid = RICH- (e.g. splendid/rich furnishings, splendid/rich
surroundings)
- opening of tattoo = the opening/starting letter of "tattoo" = T
- "in Edinburgh okay?" presumably means that "richt" is Scottish for "right"
(e.g. "I'm going into town, okay?" = "I'm going into town,
richt/right/alright?")
- "richt" isn't in OTD, I'll have to google it

Makes sense. I don't know the Scottish word, but if it's the same as
in German, that works.

RICHT is the Scots for of right, as you suggest.

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 4 Fight round roadblock, initially [SET TO]
- fight = set-to (e.g. a fight/set-to outside a pub)
- possibly: road- = St. = S-T
- possibly: -block = SET (e.g. a block/set of shares)
- don't get "round", don't get "initially"

I don't get this one.

A SETT is a paving block making up a road. So it's

SETT+O

O = round, with SETT first.

Colin

[Gareth Rees]

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 14 Distinctive sign to invest in sterling, perhaps [TRADEMARK]
- distinctive sign = trademark

How old is this puzzle? These days if you sell your "perhaps"
German money to "invest in sterling" you TRADE the euro, not the MARK.

Maybe the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mark is meant, not the Deutschmark?

[Chris Shore]

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
005
# 1 Turn up and bowl first in the game [WOODCOCK]
- game: woodcock is a type of game-bird

"Turning up" your head might be COCKing it, and "first" might be a sequence
indicator, but I don't know why "bowl" would be WOOD.

In a game of bowls, the "balls" you use are called "woods".

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
008
# 3 Schoolmaster's not hard-hearted as employer [USER]
- employer = user (i.e. sb who employs/uses sth, e.g. tools)

"'s not hard-hearted" could be an indicator to remove H (hard) from
the center of a word. Is there a way that a "schoolmaster" could be
an USHER?

Yes. It's an archaic word meaning teacher or schoolmaster's assistant.

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 23 Many an Anglo-Saxon runner initially needed a drink [MANHATTAN]
- drink = manhattan (a cocktail made with vermouth and a spirit, as whisky
or brandy, sometimes with a dash of bitters)
- totally at a loss with this one

"Many" could be M (Roman numeral, 1,000), "an" could be AN, and
"initially" could be a first-letter indicator giving N. So if there
is or was a famous Anglo-Saxon runner named HATTA, we have the
explanation. I don't know of such a person, though, so maybe this
is all wrong.

Google tells me that there was an Anglo-Saxon messenger called Hatta (ref'd
in Alice Through the Looking Glass).

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 25 Woman being contrary about awfully good witticism [EPIGRAM]
- witticism = epigram (a short poem leading up to and ending in a witty or
ingenious turn of thought)
- woman = MA (i.e. mother)
- being contrary = revers. indic.: MA becomes -AM
- about = RE (e.g. re your letter of the 15th)
- awfully = anag. indic.: RE + -AM becomes E---RAM

That would be an indirect anagram, which most puzzles don't use.

Post by Withnail
- good = G: E--GRAM
- what about P and I?
- I think I need to go back to the drawing board with this clue

Hmm. The woman being reversed could also be MAE, MARIE, MARGIE, and
maybe other possibilities. If it's MARGIE, then "awfully" could be a
grade of P for POOR, and "good witticism" could be the definition.
Or I could be wrong too.

The woman is MARGE and PI is short for Pious and commonly used to mean
"awfully good".

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 23 Less convincing work by Debussy [LAMER]
-

Double definition. Debussy painted "The Sea" or LA MER.

Actually he composed is - he was a composer, not an artist!

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
012
# 6 Almost provide complete contents for short book of pictures [FILMIC]
- filmic (of, pertaining to, or resembling cinematography or the cinema;
suitable for reproduction on film)

And therefore "of pictures" should be the definition.

Post by Withnail
- pictures = FILM- (e.g. "He's big in pictures/film)
- possibly: almost = -C (i.e. c. = circa = about, approximately)
- the rest of this clue has got me stumped

"Almost" is a truncation indicator and "provide complete contents for"
is FILL, I think. "Short" could be another truncation indicator, but
I don't see a word for "book" that could shorten to MIC, so maybe I've
gone wrong.

Micah - in the Bible.

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 2 Place of work the French set up that's used in art, especially [ATELIER]
- place of work = atelier ([Fr.] a workshop or studio, esp. of an artist or
couturier)

Or the whole thing is the definition, including "place of work" and
"especially", neither of which (as far as I can see) takes part in the
cryptic reading.

Post by Withnail
- the French = "le" = LE
- set up = rev. indic.: LE becomes -EL-
- used in art = used in ART = insert EL into ART to give ATEL--R
- the -IE- isn't accounted for they way I've explained it - either I'm
missing something or the clue is incomplete

we seem to have ARELIET. So I may be wrong as well.

The anagram indicator is "especially".

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 20 Middling warm? Severe heat [ARDOUR]
- severe heat = ardour (fierce or burning heat; fire (arch.))

No idea.

"AR" is the middle of WARM. Severe = DOUR.

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 20 Prudence given help in training [FORESIGHT]
- prudence = foresight (e.g. have the prudence/foresight to leave early)
- possibly: training = -SIGHT (to sight = to aim <a gun> with sights; to
train = to point or aim <a gun> (freq. foll. by "on"))
- don't get "help"

Well, *I* can't give help with this!

The FORESIGHT on a gun will help you to TRAIN it (i.e. aim it).

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
016
# 18 Solemn pronouncement in betting record that could pull punters in
[BO-AT HO-OK]
- that could pull punters in = boat-hook (i.e. a long pole bearing a hook
and spike, for fending off or pulling a boat; a boat-hook could be used to
pull in "punters", i.e. people who are punting, people in a punt)
- betting record = BOOK (a record of bets made with several different people
on a particular race, etc)
- I think "pronouncement" refers to the exclamation "Ho!" (HO)
- in = insert. indic., i.e. insert -HO- into BOOK
- pull <punters> in = HOOK <punters> (i.e. entice/lure customers)
- don't get "solemn"
- AT is unaccounted for

I can't improve on this. I doubt that "pronouncement" = HO, but I can't
suggest what it does mean.

OATH (solemn pronouncement) in BOOK (betting record).

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 4 Fight round roadblock, initially [SET TO]
- fight = set-to (e.g. a fight/set-to outside a pub)
- possibly: road- = St. = S-T
- possibly: -block = SET (e.g. a block/set of shares)
- don't get "round", don't get "initially"

I don't get this one.

A SETT is a type of paving stone used for making roads.

Chris

[Mark Brader]

Post by Mark Brader
Double definition. Debussy painted "The Sea" or LA MER.

Actually he composed [it] - he was a composer, not an artist!

(Slaps self) I knew that!

Post by Mark Brader
we seem to have ARELIET. So I may be wrong as well.

The anagram indicator is "especially".

Ah, meaning "specially" (arranged). I see.

[Peter T. Daniels]

Post by Chris Shore

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 23 Many an Anglo-Saxon runner initially needed a drink [MANHATTAN]
- drink = manhattan (a cocktail made with vermouth and a spirit, as whisky
or brandy, sometimes with a dash of bitters)
- totally at a loss with this one

"Many" could be M (Roman numeral, 1,000), "an" could be AN, and
"initially" could be a first-letter indicator giving N.  So if there
is or was a famous Anglo-Saxon runner named HATTA, we have the
explanation.  I don't know of such a person, though, so maybe this
is all wrong.

Google tells me that there was an Anglo-Saxon messenger called Hatta (ref'd
in Alice Through the Looking Glass).

Do you remember where? All I could think of was Hengist & Horsa, and I
don't recall anything around the Mad Hatter.

[Chris Shore]

Post by Chris Shore

Post by Mark Brader

Post by Withnail
# 23 Many an Anglo-Saxon runner initially needed a drink [MANHATTAN]
- drink = manhattan (a cocktail made with vermouth and a spirit, as whisky
or brandy, sometimes with a dash of bitters)
- totally at a loss with this one

"Many" could be M (Roman numeral, 1,000), "an" could be AN, and
"initially" could be a first-letter indicator giving N. So if there
is or was a famous Anglo-Saxon runner named HATTA, we have the
explanation. I don't know of such a person, though, so maybe this
is all wrong.

Google tells me that there was an Anglo-Saxon messenger called Hatta (ref'd
in Alice Through the Looking Glass).

Do you remember where? All I could think of was Hengist & Horsa, and I
don't recall anything around the Mad Hatter.

Thye reference said Chapter 7 but I didn't look any closer than that.

[Peter Biddlecombe]

[....]

Maybe just clues from one or two puzzles per message in future.
And it's nice to know where the puzzles came from (presumably a book
of newspaper puzzles)

Picking up the back end, and erring on the side of explaining too much
rather than too little.

019
# 13 Fancy line in pattern [IDEAL]
- fancy (adj.) = ideal (adj.) (i.e. both "fancy" and "ideal" in the sense of
"fanciful" or "imaginary"; "fancy" (adj.) meaning "based on
fancy/imagination rather than fact"; "ideal" meaning "existing only as an
idea", "imaginary")
- pattern (n.) = ideal (n.) (e.g. an ideal/pattern we can aim for)
- don't get "line"

"fancy" is an old word for IDEA. L is an abbreviation for "line" when
discussing poetry, Shakespeare plays and the like.

# 1 Dance involving sailors, one form of exercise [HORNPIPE]
- dance involving sailors = hornpipe (a lively and vigorous dance, usu. for
one person, orig. to the accompaniment of the hornpipe (a wind instrument
made wholly or partly of horn), and esp. associated with the merrymaking of
sailors)
- possibly: exercise = -PE (i.e. physical education at school)
- don't get "one form of"

This is an &lit - the whole clue is a rather lengthy def., and the
whole clue is the wordplay:
Dance involving sailors = R.N. in HOP = dance (esp. where both mean a
social occasion)
one = I
form of exercise = P.E.

# 4 One bowling is carrying the side - a famous spinner [I-XI-ON]
- "a famous spinner" made me think of a famous spin-bowler in cricket, but
here it refers to Ixion of Greek mythology, who was a king of Thessaly and
was punished by being bound to an eternally revolving wheel in Hades (i.e.
Ixion was a "spinner" because he spun on a revolving wheel). Ixion was the
first man to murder one of his kinspeople. He killed his father-in-law to
avoid giving him promised bridal gifts. After obtaining purification from
the god Zeus, Ixion ungratefully sought to seduce Hera, the wife of Zeus. To
foil Ixion, Zeus created a cloud in Hera's image; Ixion was deceived and
consequently sired the monstrous Centaurs. As punishment, Ixion was bound to
a wheel that revolved eternally in the underworld
- side = -XI- (i.e. Roman numerals for eleven, i.e. a team/side of eleven in
soccer, hockey, or cricket, e.g. the 1st XI, the 2nd XI)
- "carrying the side" means "includes -XI-"
- one = 1 = I-
- not sure about "bowling". In cricket, is the bowler said to be "on"? (i.e.
the one who's bowling = the one who's on? [i.e. the one on the pitch?]) --
that would provide -ON; "one bowling" would provide I--ON

Yes, "on" does mean "bowling" at cricket. If you've got a good
dictionary published in the UK (which is presumably where these
puzzles are from), this meaning should be lurking somewhere at the
back of the entry for 'on'.

# 6 Colourful reflections produced by round trip by tube [KALEIDOSCOPE]
- a kaleidoscope is a tube that produces colourful reflections
- "... produced by round trip by tube" presumably refers to the fact that if
the tube does a "round trip", i.e. is rotated all the way round, then you'll
get a myriad of colourful reflections; possibly these reflections could also
be described as a "trip" (i.e. hallucinogenic)

I don't think the hallucinogenic bit is intended in this fairly weak
cryptic def. The "round trip by tube" in the surface meaning is a
journey on the London Underground, I think.

# 7 Vessel fatal to punters? [BUCKET]
- vessel = bucket (not a synonym, but a specific type of vessel/container is
required here)
- "fatal" because "to kick the bucket" means "to die"
- not sure about "punters"; in rowing, a "bucket" is a "hurried or jerky
forward movement of the body"; if "punters" is taken to mean "people who
punt", then I suppose at a push "punters" could be taken to mean "rowers",
but it seems a bit unlikely to me somehow.

Go back to "kick the bucket": to punt is to kick

# 8 Without effort, very probably [EASILY]
- without effort = easily
- don't get "very probably"

A listed meaning in the dictionary - Collins gives:
probably; almost certainly: 'he may easily come first'

020
# 2 Thoroughly examine and torture a pair of partners imprisoned [RA-NSA-CK]
- thoroughly examine = ransack (i.e. search thoroughly in or throughout <a
place, receptacle, collection of things, etc> for something (formerly esp.
for something stolen), esp. causing disorder or damage as a result)
- to torture = to RACK (vt) (i.e. to torture sb by stretching on a rack;
rack = an instrument of torture, usu. consisting of a frame on which the
victim was stretched by turning rollers fastened to his or her wrists and
ankles)
- don't get "a pair of partners imprisoned": "imprisoned" might be an
insert. indic., although not necessarily
- don't get "a pair of partners" at all; the only thing I can think of is
that the letters required to finish the clue (A, N, S) are separated by
pairs of letters in the word "partners": P(A)RT(N)ER(S), but that seems a
bit far-fetched to me

In "a pair of partners", a = A, then "pair of partners" = N,S from
bridge as recorded in newspapers, often fairly close to the crossword!

# 8 Start to recognize something hereditary in girl's size [LARGENESS]
- something hereditary = -GENE-
- girl = -NESS (short for Vanessa)
- size = LARGE- (i.e. clothing sizes: small, medium, large)
- don't get "start to recognize"

Just the R at the beginning of the word - LA(R,GENE)SS

021
# 12 Washerwoman needs to use soft soap, putting in cape [BUTTERCUP]
- to soft soap <sb> = to BUTTER- <sb> UP
- cape = C. = -C-
- putting in = insert. indic.: insert C into BUTTER UP to give BUTTER-C-UP
- don't get "washerwoman needs to use"
- google for toad of toad hall + buttercup

Forget Mr Toad. You want Gilbert and Sullivan instead - where the
character called Buttercup is a washerwoman.
"needs" is a def./wordplay link word, indicating that to get the
washerwoman, you need the other stuff.

# 2 Changing a lot, and not particularly nice about it? [VOLATILE]
- changing a lot = volatile (volatile = <of a person, the mind, etc> readily
changing from one interest or mood to another; flighty, fickle; <of a
market, shares, etc> showing sharp changes in price or value)
- I think the "not particularly nice about it" part of the clue refers to
the fact that volatile people can be fickle, i.e. their loyalties waver,
which is hardly a nice quality
- or else, "not particularly nice" could give V----ILE and "about it" could
give "it" reversed, i.e. TI, which gives V---TILE (not convinced about this
though)

This is another &lit - the whole clue is the def, and the whole clue
gives you
OLAT = changing (i.e. anagramming) 'a lot', inside VILE = 'not
particularly nice'

# 11 IOUs, possibly, for such gems? [SEMI-PRECIOUS]
- such gems = semi-precious (stones) (semi-precious = <of a mineral stone>
able to be cut and polished for use in ornamentation and jewellery but not
of sufficient value to rank as a gemstone (i.e. a precious stone, a jewel))
- IOU ("I owe you") (pl: IOUs) = a document constituting a formal
acknowledgement of a debt, usu. bearing the three letters "IOU", a specified
sum, and a signature

This is a "wordplay in the answer" clue. If you interpret SEMI-
PRECIOUS as half of 'precious', it's either PREC or IOUS - so "IOUs
possibly" is the wordplay, and "such gems" is the def

022
# 5 Mischievous spirit or goblin of old we recollected [ROBIN GOODFELLOW]
- mischievous spirit or goblin of old = Robin Goodfellow (i.e. the
mischievous sprite or goblin believed to haunt the English countryside in
the 16th and 17th centuries, also called Hobgoblin, Puck)
- don't get "we recollected"

You've been fooled by cryptic def clues into thinking there's no
wordplay.
The def is just "Mischeivous spirit".
Then "or goblin of old we" is 'recollected' (anagrammed again).
A clue to admire as the 'apparent definition', which you saw, hides
the anagram 'fodder' pretty well.

# 13 Damaged - up to a point, 17 given treatment [MEDICATED]
- given treatment = anag. indic.: "decimated" (the answer to 17 across)
becomes MEDICATED
- don't get "damaged up to a point"
- possibly "damaged" is a self-referencing anag. indic., i.e. damage
"damaged" = make an anagram out of "damaged"; this anagram only works "up to
a point", since you get MED--A--D and you're missing the letters to spell
MEDICATED

I think the idea of "damaged - up to a point" is that you only need to
'damage' the 'decim' part of 'decimated' - the ATED at the end stays
as it is.

023
# 15 No use going by smell of decomposing matter [HUMUS]
- decomposing matter = humus (i.e. the organic constituent of soil, formed
by the decomposition of plant materials)
- to smell = to HUM- (e.g. that smells/hums, i.e. that stinks)
- presumably "use going by smell" = add -USE to HUM- to give HUMUSE, but
there's nothing in the clue indicating that the E needs to be removed
- don't get "no"

U/S is an informal abbrev. for 'unserviceable' or 'useless' - i.e. "no
use"

# 18 Busy step, with a movement to the front [ASTIR]
- a movement = A-STIR (stir = a slight or momentary movement)
- busy = astir (e.g. the beach was busy/bustling/astir)
- possibly: to step = to -STIR (to step on it = to stir your stumps, i.e. to
hurry; stir your stumps = move briskly, become busy or active)
- don't get "to the front"

a STAIR is a step - "a movement to the front" indicates that you need
to move the A in STAIR. (not very well, as the really mean "with a
moved to the front" but that kills the surface.

# 16 Maiden in Nebraska overcoming barrier to become brave's wife
[M-IN-NE-HAHA]
- I think "brave's wife" gives "Minnehaha", which rings a bell, but I can't
remember from where and I'll have to Google it; no OTD entries ("brave" here
meaning "a fighting man", esp. a native American warrior)
- maiden = m. (i.e. a maiden over in cricket) = M-
- in = -IN-
- Nebraska = NE (i.e. NE is the abbreviation for the state of Nebraska in
the US)
- barrier = -HA-HA (ha-ha = a ditch with a wall on its inner side below
ground level, forming a boundary to a garden or park without interrupting
the view from within, being visible only from a close proximity)

Minnehaha was Hiawatha's wife or similar female companion, from
memory.
You've got the rest.

024
- all clues solved
025
# 8 Having broken heart, peaceful type was idling [TICKED OVER]
- was idling = ticked over (e.g. the engine was idling = the engine was
ticking over = the engine ticked over)

the 'peaceful type' is a DOVE (as opposed to a hawk), and colloquially
your heart is your TICKER.
The obvious meaning of "broken heart" is quite difficult to ignore,
but here 'broken' means 'interrupted' to give TICKE(DOVE)R

# 10 Hold flexible opinions - as banditti do? [HAVE IT BOTH WAYS]
- hold flexible opinions = have it both ways (i.e. to choose now one, now
the other of alternatives or contradictories to suit your argument, etc)
- "banditti" is either an archaic form for "bandits" (i.e. outlaws) or an
archaic term for "a company of bandits"

Collins says you can have both bandits and banditti for more than one
bandit.
The point here (and the reason for not saying 'bandits' as any
sensible person would) is that in "banditti", the word IT 'goes both
ways' - bandITti and banditTI.

# 13 Taking over from Tom, the sailor [BOWLING]
- "over" presumably means an over in cricket, the person who takes (i.e.
delivers) the over is the bowler, so therefore "taking (the) over" =
"bowling"

Yes, and there's a sailor in a famous (well, famous about 100 years
ago) song, called Tom Bowling. If you've ever seen the Last Night of
the Proms on the box, it's the cello solo. (Also a sailor in
Smollett's 'Acventures of Roderick Random', Wikipedia tells me. Don't
know which came first.

# 15 Polished poem turned into opera [FIDELIO]
- opera = Fidelio ("Fidelio" was Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera; it was
written in 1805 and revised in 1806 and again in 1814)

Polished = OILED (rather iffy!)
poem = IF - the Rudyard Kipling one with "If you can meet with triumph
and disaster, and treat those two impostors just the same".

Stick 'em together and reverse ("turned") the lot.

# 23 American form of transport extended by city in Alabama [AUTO-MOBILE]
- American form of transport = AUTO- ("American form of transport"
presumably means that "auto" was originally an American abbreviation for
"automobile" - # check this)
- city in Alabama = -MOBILE (Mobile, Alabama, is Alabama's only seaport and
one of the busiest in the United States)
- extended by city = add -MOBILE

I'm sure you've got the lot here.

# 1 Bowler, say, beginning to control the wayward cutter [HATCHET] (in
cricket, a "cutter" is a ball that turns sharply after pitching)
- cutter (i.e. sth that cuts) = HATCHET (i.e. a small or light short-handled
axe, adapted for use with one hand)

Forget the cricket, for once:
Bowler, say = HAT
beginning to control = C,
the wayward = HET - anag. of 'the'

# 19 Go down to see graduate's record of academic achievement [DIPLOMA]
- graduate's record of academic achievement = diploma

Go down = DIP,
to = (next to)
see = LO - as in "Lo! and behold!"
graduate = M.A.

def. is the rest starting at "record of"

# 20 Extremely lucky as fur-trapper - it's a chancy business [L-OTTER-Y]
- extremely lucky = L(UCK)Y = L-----Y
- fur = -OTTER- (i.e. otter fur)
- chancy business = lottery (i.e. an enterprise or process whose success is
governed by chance)
- don't get "trapper"

Just from the fact that Extremely lucky = LY is "trapping" the fur =
OTTER

[Andrew Taylor]

[......]

Post by Withnail
021
# 12 Washerwoman needs to use soft soap, putting in cape [BUTTERCUP]
- to soft soap <sb> = to BUTTER- <sb> UP
- cape = C. = -C-
- putting in = insert. indic.: insert C into BUTTER UP to give BUTTER-C-UP
- don't get "washerwoman needs to use"
- google for toad of toad hall + buttercup

Forget Mr Toad.  You want Gilbert and Sullivan instead - where the
character called Buttercup is a washerwoman.
"needs" is a def./wordplay link word, indicating that to get the
washerwoman, you need the other stuff.

Actually Little Buttercup in "HMS Pinafore" was a bum-boat
woman, not a washerwoman, meaning she sold small
items to the sailors:

"I've snuff and tobaccy, and excellent jacky,
I've scissors, and watches, and knives;
I've ribbons and laces to set off the faces
Of pretty young sweethearts and wives.

I've treacle and toffee, I've tea and I've coffee,
Soft tommy and succulent chops;
I've chickens and conies, and pretty polonies,
And excellent peppermint drops."


BTW "HMS Pinafore" is appropriately an anagram of "Name for ship"


Andrew

[Peter Biddlecombe]

Post by Andrew Taylor
[......]

Post by Withnail
021
# 12 Washerwoman needs to use soft soap, putting in cape [BUTTERCUP]
- to soft soap <sb> = to BUTTER- <sb> UP
- cape = C. = -C-
- putting in = insert. indic.: insert C into BUTTER UP to give BUTTER-C-UP
- don't get "washerwoman needs to use"
- google for toad of toad hall + buttercup

Forget Mr Toad.  You want Gilbert and Sullivan instead - where the
character called Buttercup is a washerwoman.
"needs" is a def./wordplay link word, indicating that to get the
washerwoman, you need the other stuff.

Actually Little Buttercup in "HMS Pinafore" was a bum-boat
woman, not a washerwoman, meaning she sold small
"I've snuff and tobaccy, and excellent jacky,
I've scissors, and watches, and knives;
I've ribbons and laces to set off the faces
Of pretty young sweethearts and wives.
I've treacle and toffee, I've tea and I've coffee,
Soft tommy and succulent chops;
I've chickens and conies, and pretty polonies,
And excellent peppermint drops."
BTW  "HMS Pinafore" is appropriately an anagram of "Name for ship"
Andrew

I yield to your better knowledge of G & S. As
a Google search for "buttercup washerwoman" doesn't find anything
much, I wonder whether the setter made the same careless mistake.

[Withnail]

Thanks to all for your replies & going to so much trouble.
It's going to take me a while to go through them all - I'll post back once I
have.
Regards
Withnail

[s***@gmail.com]

Post by Withnail
010
# 12 Lacking a match, with no pair, we hear, in love [NONPAREIL]
- lacking a match = nonpareil (i.e. unequalled, unrivalled, unique,
unmatched)
- "no pair we hear" possibly means that "no pair" sounds a bit like
"nonpareil" (I'm not sure though)

NO + PARE (sound of 'pair') in NIL (= love).