Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2021-04-12 (28/28)
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The clues:
1a – Girl seen at daybreak (4)
DAWN
Double definition, with Dawn being a girl‘s name and dawn also meaning daybreak
3a – Finding fault is crucial (8)
CRITICAL
Double definition, with critical meaning finding fault and also meaning crucial
9a – An outgoing woman crazy for marsupials (7)
WOMBATS
Marsupials is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: WOM (an outgoing woman, subtract an from woman) + BATS (slang for crazy)
10a – The pain of being clever? (5)
SMART
Double definition, with smart meaning clever but also indicating pain (like if something smarts)
11a – Stick duck in boat (5)
CANOE
Boat is the definition, with in as an indicator that O (duck, a duck egg, a cricket term) goes into CANE (stick), resulting in: CAN(O)E
12a – Almost making noble entry into New York (6)
NEARLY
Almost is the definition, with into as an indicator that EARL (noble) goes between NY (New York), resulting in N(EARL)Y
14a – Boasts about wooden shoes (6)
SABOTS
Wooden shoes is the definition, with about as an anagram indicator for boasts
16a – Young kittens, perhaps, making a mess (6)
LITTER
Double definition, with litter meaning making a mess and also a litter can be full of young kittens
19a – Horse carrying half of blue stone (6)
MARBLE
Stone is the definition, with carrying as an indicator that BL (half of blue, half of the word blue) goes into MARE (horse), resulting in MAR(BL)E
21a – Ordering sacks or barrels (5)
CASKS
Barrels is the definition, with ordering as an anagram indicator for sacks
24a – Arranging bail, one has a legal defence (5)
ALIBI
Legal defence is the definition, with arranging as an anagram for BAIL + I (bail one)
25a – Bear with a blemish following us around (7)
SUSTAIN
Bear is the definition, with following as an indicator that STAIN (blemish) goes after SU (us around, with around as a reversal indicator for us)
26a – Little battleship in trial of strength? (3-2-3)
TUG-OF-WAR
Trial of strength is the definition, with the rest a cryptic definition; a little battleship could be a tug of war
27a – Use sound trees (4)
YEWS
Trees is the definition, with sound as a homophone indicator for use
1d – Doc wants to bend low (8)
DOWNCAST
Low is the definition, with bend as an anagram indicator for doc wants
2d – Point to sign for females (5)
WOMEN
Females is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: W (point, abbreviation for West) + OMEN (sign)
4d – Iroquois and Sioux leaders call out for insurrection (6)
RISING
Insurrection is the definition, with out as an indicator that IS (Iroquois and Sioux leaders, first letters of Iroquois and Sioux) go into RING (call)
5d – Opera produced by a Scot (5)
TOSCA
Opera is the definition, with produced as an anagram indicator for a Scot
6d – Fellow permitted to make a garland (7)
CHAPLET
Garland is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: CHAP (fellow) + LET (permitted)
7d – Reluctant to be seen in clothes (4)
LOTH
Reluctant is the definition, with seen as a hidden word indicator for c(loth)es
8d – It protects an inventor’s rights, that’s obvious (6)
PATENT
Double definition, with patent meaning obvious and also being something that protects an inventor's rights
13d – Journalists accepting ten varied gifts (8)
PRESENTS
Gifts is the definition, with accepting as an indicator that ENT (varied is an anagram indicator for ten) goes into PRESS (journalists), resulting in PRES(ENT)S
15d – Not a big turn-out for messing about on the river? (7)
BOATING
Messing about on the river is the definition, with turn-out as an anagram indicator for not a big
17d – Old Peruvians going to the capital of Ecuador as a precaution (2,4)
IN CASE
As a precaution is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: INCAS (old Peruvians) + E (capital of Ecuador, first letter of Ecuador)
18d – A Japanese entertainer’s part onstage is happy (6)
GEISHA
Japanese entertainer is the definition, with part as a hidden word indicator for onsta(ge is ha)ppy
20d – Artificial fibre that’s not long-lasting (5)
BRIEF
Not long-lasting is the definition, with artificial as an anagram indicator for fibre
22d – Small fish tremble (5)
SHAKE
Double definition, with shake being a kind of fish and also meaning tremble
23d – Actors having a fling? (4)
CAST
Double definition, with cast meaning actors and also fling (like to cast into the sea)