Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2020-07-18 (27/28)
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The clues:
1a – Fast food order in African republic? (4)
TOGO
African republic is the definition, with the rest as a cryptic definition (at a fast food restaurant, you can order food to-go)
3a – Start of our undertaking? What’s been left out? (8)
OMISSION
What's been left out is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: O (start of our, or the first letter of our) + MISSION (undertaking)
9a – A little power hurts Geronimo’s people (7)
APACHES
Geronimo's people is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: A (a) + P (little power, or just one letter of the word power) + ACHES (hurts)
10a – Russia’s leader employs crafty tricks (5)
RUSES
Crafty tricks is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: R (Russia's leader, or the first letter of Russia) + USES (employs)
11a – Animal getting more ‘eated (5)
OTTER
Animal is the definition, with the rest as a cryptic definition; hotter means more heated, but said similarly to 'eated would be 'otter
12a – A boat turning south on every occasion (6)
ALWAYS
Every occasion is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: A (a) + LWAY (yawl) + S (abbreviation for south)
14a – Mass on small island for primate (6)
MONKEY
Primate is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: M (abbreviation for mass) + ON (on) + KEY (small island)
16a – Clever sort of statue (6)
ASTUTE
Clever is the definition, with sort as an anagram indicator for statue
19a – Old man and woman providing Spanish dish (6)
PAELLA
Spanish dish is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: PA (old man) + ELLA (a woman‘s name)
21a – Stop providing cold comfort (5)
CEASE
Stop is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: C (abbreviation for cold) + EASE (comfort)
24a – Left after splendid Scottish fight (5)
BRAWL
Fight is the definition, with after as an indicator to put L (abbreviation for left) after BRAW (a Scottish word for splendid)
25a – Country girl following bishop (7)
BOLIVIA
Country is the definition, with following as an indicator to put OLIVIA (a girl‘s name) after B (abbreviation for bishop)
26a – Jack leaving Lady Jane’s bust to be carefully examined (8)
ANALYSED
Carefully examined is the definition, with leaving as an indicator to remove J (abbreviation for Jack) from Lady Jane's, and then do an anagram of that (indicated by bust)
27a – Dirty and depressed (4)
BLUE
Double definition, with blue meaning depressed, but also meaning dirty (as in blue humor or blue language)
1d – More oats may be ordered for small restaurants (3,5)
TEA ROOMS
Small restaurants is the definition, with ordered as an anagram indicator for more oats
2d – Some Glaswegian tycoon – Mr. Big? (5)
GIANT
Mr. Big is the cryptic definition, with some as a hidden word indicator for Glaswe(gian t)ycoon
4d – His map is incorrect, causing an accident (6)
MISHAP
Accident is the definition, with incorrect as an anagram indicator for his map
5d – Drinker may use this bedding on a farm (5)
STRAW
Double definition, with a straw being something a drinker might use, but also being bedding on a farm
6d – Quizmaster’s explanation of his role? Really! (1,3,3)
I ASK YOU
Cryptic definition; a quizmaster asks you things
7d – Sense organ is acquainted with sound (4)
NOSE
Sense organ is the definition, with sound as a homophone indicator for KNOWS (is acquainted with)
8d – Get someone to pay for explosive (6)
CHARGE
Double definition, with charge meaning explosive and also to get someone to pay for something
13d – First in bar, always having time for a drink (8)
BEVERAGE
Drink is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: B (first in bar, or the first letter of bar) + EVER (always) + AGE (time)
15d – Hard core once more rises and falls (7)
NIAGARA
Falls is the definition (as in Niagara Falls), with rises as a reversal indicator for AR (hard core, or the middle of the word hard) + AGAIN (once more)
17d – Island in south without warmth (6)
SICILY*
Island is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: S (abbreviation for south) + ICILY (without warmth)
18d – Mix up clothes with loose ends (6)
GARBLE
Mix up is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: GARB (clothes) + LE (loose ends, or the outer letters of the word loose)
20d – Money for a sticky sweet! (5)
LOLLY
Double definition; a lolly is a sticky sweet, and is also slang for money (possibly rhyming slang linking lollipop to copper)
22d – Smith’s block found in Roman villa (5)
ANVIL
Smith's block is the definition, with found as a hidden word indicator for Rom(an vil)la
23d – Graduate going up and down for Swedish singers (4)
ABBA
Swedish singers is the definition, with going up and down meaning to take BA (graduate, abbreviation for a bachelors of arts degree) backward and forward: AB + BA