Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2020-06-22 (21/25)
Still trying to understand these clues:
- 12a – Social occasion – central bit in backyard? (6,5)
The clues:
1a – Beginner in Athens (5)
ALPHA
Cryptic definition; alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet
4a – Long poems involving spice? (5)
EPICS
Long poems is the definition, with involving as an anagram indicator for spice
7a – Loose chips are heavenly (8)
SERAPHIC
Heavenly is the definition, with loose as an anagram indicator for chips are
8a – A cereal, we hear, that’s crooked (4)
AWRY
Crooked is the definition, with hear as a homophone indicator for a rye (which is a cereal)
9a – Ancient city not completely destroyed? (4)
TROY*
Ancient city is the definition, with not completely as an indicator that we’re looking for part of des(troy)ed
10a – Garment daughter ripped off (7)
FLEECED
Ripped off is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: FLEECE (garment) + D (abbreviation for daughter)
12a – Social occasion – central bit in backyard? (6,5)
DINNER PARTY
Social occasion is the definition, but what is the wordplay?
14a – Sit and read awkwardly with legs apart (7)
ASTRIDE*
With legs apart is the definition, with awkwardly as an anagram indicator for sit and read
16a – Small animal in boat (4)
SCOW
Boat is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: S (abbreviation for small) + COW (animal)
19a – Captain in submarine movies (4)
NEMO
Captain is the definition, with in as a containment indicator for submari(ne mo)vies
20a – Examination, as soon as it’s finished (4-4)
ONCE OVER
Examination is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: ONCE (as soon as) + OVER (finished)
21a – Times leader censures pitfalls (5)
TRAPS
Pitfalls is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: T (times leader, or first letter of times) + RAPS (censures)
22a – Fibre used in optics is altered (5)
SISAL
Fibre is the definition, with in as a containment indicator for optic(s is al)tered
1d – Porter right on the ball (5)
ALERT
On the ball is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: ALE (porter) + RT (abbreviation for right)
2d – Group of soldiers taking philosopher forward (7)
PLATOON
Group of soldiers is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: PLATO (philosopher) + ON (forward)
3d – A colleague of Castro is hurt (4)
ACHE
Hurt is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: A (a) + CHE (a colleague of Castro, Che Guevara)
4d – Get away having swallowed half of loaf or slice of meat (8)
ESCALOPE
Slice of meat is the definition, with swallowed as an indicator to put LO (half a loaf, or half of the word loaf) into ESCAPE (get away)
5d – Characters from China needlessly silly (5)
INANE
Silly is the definition, with characters from as a containment indicator for Ch(ina ne)edlessly
6d – Theatre work that could have you in stitches (7)
SURGERY
Double definition, with surgery being work done in a theatre (an operating theatre), and also a place to get stitches
11d – Mortality figures may be a complete write-off (4,4)
DEAD LOSS*
Complete write-off is the definition, with the rest as as a cryptic definition or charades clue
12d – Family tree reveals this sudden visit (7)
DESCENT*
Double definition, with descent meaning sudden visit, but also something revealed by a family tree
13d – Judges playing conkers? (7)
RECKONS
Judges is the definition, with playing as an anagram indicator for conkers
15d – Woman distributing hoard (5)
RHODA
Woman is the definition, with distributing as an anagram indicator for hoard
17d – Revolver we’ll hear (5)
WHEEL
Revolver is the cryptic definition (a wheel revolves), with hear as a homophone indicator for we'll
18d – Cast about for laws (4)
ACTS
Laws is the definition, with about as an anagram indicator for cast