Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2020-02-14 (23/23)
Still trying to understand these clues:
13a – Caught with ducks that sound like doves? (3)— thanks, harvel and malcolm!
The clues:
7a – Naval officer never found at the front? (4,7)
REAR ADMIRAL
Cryptic definition; this admiral is found in the back
8a – Twins finding stone in island (6)
GEMINI
Twins is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: GEM (stone) + IN (in) + I (bits and pieces clue for island)
9a – His map is incorrect, causing an accident (6)
MISHAP
Accident is the definition, with incorrect as an anagram indicator for his map
10a – Spoil drink that’s made by the border (6)
MARGIN
Border is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: MAR (spoil) + GIN (drink)
12a – Singers in church or you and me (6)
CHORUS
Singers is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: CH (church) + OR (or) + US (you and me)
13a – Caught with ducks that sound like doves? (3)
COO
Sound like doves is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue using cricket references; C (caught) + OO (a duck is O, getting out with zero runs; plural so there are two O‘s)
14a – Indian father in pain (6)
APACHE
Indian is the definition, with in as an indicator that PA (father) goes into a word for pain (ACHE): A(PA)CHE
16a – Get man to repair an attractive thing (6)
MAGNET
Attractive thing is the definition, with repair as an anagram indicator for get man
18a – Enclosure for fuel entered by Rolls-Royce (6)
CORRAL
Enclosure is the definition, with entered by as an indicator that RR (Rolls-Royce) should go into a word for fuel (COAL): CO(RR)AL
20a – Herdsman finding river in port (6)
DROVER
Herdsman is the definition, with in as an indicator that R (a bits and pieces clue for river) should go into the name of a port (DOVER): D(R)OVER
22a – Actor seen to replant garden shrub (11)
COTONEASTER
Garden shrub is the definition, with replant as an anagram indicator for actor seen to
1d – A Canadian lake – before one plunged in (4)
ERIE
Canadian lake is the definition, with plunged in as an indicator that I (looks like the number one) should go into a word for before (ERE): ER(I)E
2d – Detesting a night that’s wild (6)
HATING
Detesting is the definition, with wild as an anagram indicator for a night
3d – The virtue of a solo game (8)
PATIENCE
Double definition; patience is a virtue, but also a version of solitaire
4d – I’m a leader of Muslims (4)
IMAM
Leader of Muslims is the definition, with the whole thing also as a charades clue: IM (I'm) + A (a) + M (leader of Muslims, first letter of Muslims)
5d – Painting forces in conflict (6)
FRESCO
Painting is the definition, with conflict as an anagram indicator for forces
6d – Entreaty certain to give satisfaction (8)
PLEASURE
Satisfaction is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: PLEA (entreaty) + SURE (certain)
11d – Draw near a very quiet fish (8)
APPROACH
Draw near is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: A (a) + PP (very quiet) + ROACH (a type of fish)
12d – Joker with trick taking in the press, TV, etc. (8)
COMEDIAN
Joker is the definition, with taking in as an indicator that MEDIA (the press, TV, etc.) should go into CON (trick): CO(MEDIA)N
15d – Clergyman a dog devoured (6)
CURATE
Clergyman is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: CUR (dog) + ATE (devoured)
17d – Cave where King George met German emperor (6)
GROTTO
Cave is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: GR (bits and pieces clue for King George) + OTTO (German emperor)
19d – The country is alight (4)
LAND
Double definition, with land meaning country and also alight
21d – Peer almost ahead of time (4)
EARL
Peer is the definition, with almost as an indicator that EARLY (ahead of time) is missing a letter