Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2021-04-09 (28/28)
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The clues:
1a – Bengal is strange for some Europeans (8)
BELGIANS
Some Europeans is the definition, with strange as an anagram indicator for Bengal is
6a – Part of circle of a Roman Catholic (3)
ARC
Part of a circle is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: A + RC (abbreviation for Roman Catholic)
9a – One of the musketeers has to reform (5)
ATHOS
One of the musketeers is the definition, with reform as an anagram indicator for has to
10a – Be like Norman William, sounding like a nut (7)
CONQUER
Be like Norman William is the definition (William the Conqueror was a Norman monarch), with sounding like as a homophone indicator for conker (a nut, the seed of the horse chestnut tree)
11a – Continue to make jeering remarks in a West Country town (7)
TAUNTON
West Country town is the definition (Taunton is in Somerset), with the rest as a cryptic definition; to continue to make jeering remarks is to taunt on
13a – Change people appearing in advertisement (5)
AMEND
Change is the definition, with appearing in as an indicator that MEN (people) goes into AD (abbreviation for advertisement), resulting in: A(MEN)D
14a – Delay upsetting trader (6)
RETARD
Delay is the definition, with upsetting as an anagram indicator for trader
15a – Nuts obsess chiefs (6)
BOSSES
Chiefs is the definition, with nuts as an anagram indicator for obsess
19a – Legendary golden sovereign (5)
21a – Italian city designed for romance? (7)
CREMONA
Italian city is the definition, with designed as an anagram indicator for romance
22a – Work around spilt rum, causing great agitation (7)
TURMOIL
Great agitation is the definition, with around as an indicator that URM (spilt is an anagram indicator for RUM), goes inside TOIL (work), resulting in: T(URM)OIL
23a – State I mean to change (5)
MAINE
State is the definition, with change as an anagram indicator for I mean
24a – Fish providing light (3)
RAY
Double definition, with light being made of rays and also a ray being a type of fish
25a – Writer, for example, in building sites (8)
ESSAYIST
Writer is the definition, with in as an indicator that SAY (for example) goes into ESIST (building is an anagram indicator for sites), resulting in: ES(SAY)IST
2d – Fatigue with traffic fumes (7)
EXHAUST
Double definition, with exhaust meaning fatigue and also traffic fumes
3d – Fuel used for heating a stove (3)
GAS
Double definition, with gas being a fuel (like gasoline) and also being something used to heat a stove
4d – Rise as note reaches finale (6)
ASCEND
Rise is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: AS + C (a musical note) + END (finale)
5d – Spa region, resort in a foreign country (9)
SINGAPORE
Foreign country is the definition, with resort as an anagram indicator for spa region
6d – A quaintly pleasing French accent? (5)
ACUTE
French accent is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: A + CUTE (quaintly pleasing)
7d – Mangy hound Edward healed (5)
CURED
Healed is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: CUR (mangy hound) + ED (abbreviation for Edward)
8d – Formidable person seen with a couple of sailors (6)
TARTAR
Formidable person is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: TAR + TAR (tar is slang for sailor)
12d – A wading bird deflects sound (9)
TURNSTONE
A wading bird is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: TURNS (deflects) + TONE (sound)
16d – Accounts signed initially by politicians (7)
STORIES
Accounts is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: S (signed initially, first letter of signed) + TORIES (politicians)
17d – He’s sad, possibly, in sunglasses (6)
SHADES
Sunglasses is the definition, with possibly as an anagram indicator for he's sad
18d – Musicians play them for Prunella (6)
SCALES
Double definition, with scales being something musicians play, and Scales also being the surname of Prunella Scales, the actress who played Sybil Fawlty on Fawlty Towers.
19d – Mother is the one who wins a game of chess (5)
MATER
Mother is the definition (mater is similar to mum or mom), with the rest as a cryptic definition: one who wins a game of chess says “checkmate”, so is a mater
20d – Hat worn in town? (5)
DERBY
Double definition; a derby is a type of hat, and Derby is a city in England
23d – Blossom for a girl (3)
MAY
Double definition; May is a girl‘s name, and a may blossom is a flower