Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2020-07-11 (22/24)
Still trying to understand these clues: — thanks, Lesli!
Vandal’s buddy? (6)Rich oil producer wasn’t perfectly upright (4-6)
The clues:
1a – Assign property (9)
ATTRIBUTE
Double definition, with attribute meaning assign, and an attribute being a property of something
8a – American uncle raised backward cats (5)
PUMAS
Cats is the definition, with backward as a reversal indicator on the charades clue: SAM (American uncle) + UP (raised)
9a – Insect in secure US city (5,2)
SANTA FE
US city is the definition, with in as an indicator that ANT (insect) is contained in SAFE (secure): S(ANT)AFE
10a – Little Dorothy embraces large fool (4)
DOLT
Fool is the definition, with embraces as an indicator that DOT (little Dorothy, or a nickname for Dorothy) contains L (large): DO(L)T
11a – Fashion on sale as at certain periods (8)
SEASONAL
At certain periods is the definition, with fashion as an anagram indicator for on sale as
13a – Skater forced to move very fast (6)
STREAK
Move very fast is the definition, with forced as an anagram indicator for skater
14a – Read super novel – Trollope’s latest (6)
PERUSE
Read is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: PERUS (novel is an anagram indicator for super) + E (Trollope's latest, or the last letter of Trollope)
17a – Bird of colourful origin (8)
REDSTART
Bird is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: RED (colourful) + START (origin)
19a – Actual component of cereals (4)
REAL
Actual is the definition, with component of as a hidden word indicator for ce(real)s
21a – Wrathful when grenade explodes? (7)
ANGERED
Wrathful is the definition, with explodes as an anagram indicator for grenade
22a – A ringleader captured by police is bitter (5)
ACRID
Bitter is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: A (a) + C(R)ID (captured by is an indicator that R (ringleader, or the first letter of ring) goes into CID (police))
23a – Not wanting to be shot (6-3)
CAMERA-SHY
Cryptic definition; a person who is camera-shy does not want to be shot (with a camera)
2d – Glass for the acrobat (7)
TUMBLER
Double definition, with tumbler being a type of drinking glass, and an acrobat being one who tumbles
3d – Blackadder’s last to take advantage of cunning plan (4)
RUSE
Cunning plan is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: R (Blackadder's last, or the last letter of Blackadder) + USE (take advantage of)
4d – Vandal’s buddy? (6)
BUSTER*
Double definition, with buster being kind of a cryptic word for vandal (vandals bust stuff up) but also a term similar to buddy (as in “listen here, buster“) — thanks, Lesli!
5d – Metal making gent nuts (8)
TUNGSTEN
Metal is the definition, with making as an anagram indicator for gent nuts
6d – Observed pole being cut (4)
SAWN
Cut is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: SAW (observed) + N (abbreviation for North pole)
7d – Rich oil producer wasn’t perfectly upright (4-6)
WELL-HEELED
Rich is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: WELL (oil producer) + HEELED (wasn't perfectly upright, a nautical term) — thanks, Lesli!
8d – Walker confused dean and priest (10)
PEDESTRIAN
Walker is the definition, with confused as an anagram indicator for dean priest
12d – Organisms present in dressed crab I ate? (8)
BACTERIA
Organisms is the definition, with dressed as an anagram indicator for crab I ate
15d – Find a hunter going astray (7)
UNEARTH
Find is the definition, with going astray as an anagram indicator for a hunter
16d – Game span (6)
BRIDGE
Double definition, with bridge being a card game and also a word meaning to span
18d – Accommodation where archaeologists are working? (4)
DIGS
Double definition, with digs being slang for accommodation and also sites where archaeologists work
20d – Asian monk heard beast (4)
LAMA
Asian monk is the definition, with heard as a homophone indicator for LLAMA (beast)