Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2020-06-21 (23/28)
Still trying to fully understand these clues:
- 23a – In a group coming from France (2,5)
The clues:
1a – Midwest journalists love coffee (8)
ESPRESSO
Coffee
is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: ES
(Midwest
, or the middle two letters of west
) + PRESS
(journalists
) + O
(love
, like the score of zero in tennis)
6a – Titled Turk in Madagascar (3)
AGA
Titled Turk
is the definition, with in
as a containment indicator for Mad(aga)scar
9a – Prize for part of the hospital (5)
AWARD
Prize
is the definition, with the rest as a cryptic definition; part of the hospital
is a ward
10a – It ends a shot as a substitute (7)
INSTEAD
Substitute
is the definition, with shot
as an anagram indicator for it ends a
11a – Sovereign with no charm deposed (7)
MONARCH
Sovereign
is the definition, with deposed
as an anagram indicator for no charm
12a – Severely criticise traditional Sunday lunch (5)
ROAST
Double definition, with roast
meaning severely criticise
and also being a traditional Sunday lunch
13a – New scout master’s first convention (6)
CUSTOM
*
Convention
is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: CUSTO
(new
is an anagram indicator for scout
) + M
(master's first
, or first letter of master
)
15a – Repressed youngster ringing hospital department (4-2)
PENTUP
*
Repressed
is the definition, with ringing as an indicator that PUP
(youngster
) goes around ENT
(hospital department
): P(ENT)UP
19a – Legal action involving hard pursuit (5)
CHASE*
Pursuit
is the definition, with involving as an indicator that CASE
(legal action
) contains H
(abbreviation for hard
)
21a – Officer liable to stop brother’s killer (7)
CAPTAIN
Officer
is the definition, with stop
as an indicator that CAIN
(brother's killer
) contains APT
(liable
): C(APT)AIN
23a – In a group coming from France (2,5)
EN MASSE
In a group
is the definition, with coming from France
as an indicator that the phrase is in French?
24a – Firearm found in sack (5)
RIFLE
Double definition, with a rifle
being a firearm
, and rifle
also meaning sack
(as in plunder)
25a – Catch son leaving home (3)
NET
Catch
is the definition, with leaving
as an indicator that S
should be subtracted from NE(S)T
(home
)
26a – Indoor delight? (8)
ENTRANCE
Delight
is the definition, with the rest as a cryptic definition; an entrance
is an in-door
2d – Mark’s heard somewhere in Surrey (7)
STAINES*
In Surrey
is the definition (Staines
is a town in Surrey
), with heard
as a homophone indicator for stains
(meaning marks
)
3d – Haggard equestrian? (5)
RIDER
Double definition, with a rider
being an equestrian
, but also the first name of author Rider
Haggard
4d – Minor discourtesy (6)
SLIGHT
Double definition, with slight
meaning minor
and also being a discourtesy
5d – Watch old boy attend to customers (7)
OBSERVE
Watch
is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: OB
(abbreviation for old boy
) + SERVE
(attend to customers
)
6d – Taking part in warfare, natives reveal battle ground (5)
ARENA
Battle ground
is the definition, with part
as an indicator of a hidden word in waref(are na)tives
7d – Check the accounts of German car trader first (5)
AUDIT
Check the accounts
is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: AUDI
(German car
) + T
(trader first
, first letter of trader
)
8d – Sailor with coat that’s found on road (6)
TARMAC*
Found on the road
is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: TAR
(slang for sailor
) + MAC
(a type of coat
)
14d – What has supervisor to do with poetry in Old English? (7)
OVERSEE
What has supervisor to do
is the definition, with in
as an indicator that VERSE
(poetry
) goes into OE
(abbreviation for Old English
)
16d – Deal with vehicles on the road (7)
TRAFFIC
Double definition, with traffic
meaning deal with
and vehicles on the road
17d – Fruit container, nearly new, in boat (6)
PUNNET
Fruit container
is the definition, with in
as an indicator that NE
(nearly new
, or the word new
missing its last letter) goes into PUNT
(a type of boat
)
18d – A child’s first coin, in a manner of speaking (6)
ACCENT
Manner of speaking
is the definition, with the rest as a charade clue: A
(a
) + C
(child's first
, the first letter of child
) + CENT
(coin
)
19d – Pure niece finally in family group (5)
CLEAN
Pure
is the definition, with in
as an indicator that E
(niece finally
, or the last letter of niece
) goes into CLAN
(family group
): CL(E)AN
20d – Let in to confess (5)
ADMIT
Double definition, with admit
meaning let in
and also confess
22d – Romeo’s first embraced by parents in Italian city (5)
PARMA
Italian city
is the definition, with embraced by
as an indicator that R
(Romeo's first
, or the first letter of Romeo
), goes between PA
and MA
(parents
)