Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2020-02-20 (23/23)
Still trying to understand these clues:
22a – No specialists in a 50-50 game (3-8)— thank you, @orangeaurochs!6d – Hint that’s very personal (8)— thank you, @orangeaurochs!
The clues:
7a – Wavering badly in the holidays (11)
VACILLATION
Wavering is the definition, with in as an indicator that ILL (badly) should go into VACATION (holidays): VAC(ILL)ATION
8a – A long trip to a country in Africa (6)
ANGOLA
Country in Africa is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: ANGOL (trip is an anagram indicator for a long) + A (a)
9a – Irish city gettin’ twice as big, we hear (6)
DUBLIN
Irish city is the definition, with we hear as a homophone clue for gettin' twice as big (doublin')
10a – Suit passed out (6)
SPADES
Suit is the definition, with out as an anagram indicator for passed
12a – Indian city for crazy artists (6)
MADRAS
Indian city is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: MAD (crazy) + RAS (RA is a bits and pieces clue for artist, short for Royal Academician)
13a – Some other age or epoch (3)
ERA
Epoch is the definition, with some as a hidden word indicator for oth(er a)ge
14a – Pressed for De Niro production (6)
IRONED
Pressed is the definition, with production as an anagram indicator for De Niro
16a – Injured hothead with weapons (6)
HARMED
Injured is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: H (hothead, first letter of hot) + ARMED (with weapons)
18a – Threaten people with an expert (6)
MENACE
Threaten is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: MEN (people) + ACE (expert)
20a – Told jokes with one’s mouth covered? (6)
GAGGED
Double definition, with gagged meaning both told jokes and with one's mouth covered
22a – No specialists in a 50-50 game (3-8)
1d – Terrible Russian providing one with transport (4)
IVAN
Terrible Russian is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: I (looks like a one) + VAN (transport)
2d – Harmony provided by one of the strings, we hear (6)
ACCORD
Harmony is the definition, with we hear as an homophone indicator for a cord (one of the strings)
3d – Send lace out to be purified (8)
CLEANSED
Purified is the definition, with out as an anagram indicator for send lace
4d – Fat boy? About right! (4)
LARD
Fat is the definition, with about as an indicator that R (bits and pieces clue for right) should go into LAD (boy): LA(R)D
5d – Vice and evil for an Arabian sailor (6)
SINBAD
Arabian sailor is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: SIN (vice) + BAD (evil)
6d – Hint that’s very personal (8)
INTIMATE
Double definition, with intimate meaning very personal, but also being a verb meaning hint — thank you, @orangeaurochs!
11d – Cheese chopped by spearman (8)
PARMESAN
Cheese is the definition, with chopped as an anagram indicator for spearman
12d – Wood ordered for Hogmanay (8)
MAHOGANY
Wood is the definition, with ordered as an anagram indicator for Hogmanay
15d – Almost noble in New York (6)
NEARLY
Almost is the definition, with in as an indicator that EARL (noble) goes into NY (bits and pieces clue for New York)
17d – Untidy sort of dagger (6)
RAGGED
Untidy is the definition, with sort as an anagram indicator for dagger
19d – Observe revolutionary public school (4)
ETON
Public school is the definition (Eton College), with revolutionary as a reversal indicator for NOTE (observe)
21d – Some conversed in Gaelic (4)
ERSE
Gaelic is the definition, with some as a hidden word indicator for conv(erse)d