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)