Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2021-12-29 (23/23)
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The clues:
1a – Inferior supporter precedes superior (6,4)
SECOND BEST
Inferior is the definition, with precedes as an indicator to put SECOND (supporter) before BEST (superior)
7a – Erupt suddenly on holiday abroad? (5,3)
BREAK OUT
Erupt suddenly is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: BREAK (holiday) + OUT (abroad)
8a – Small county in which flowers are grown (4)
BEDS
Double definition; Beds is an abbreviation for Bedfordshire, a small county, and also beds are where flowers are grown
9a – Egypt’s river would be nothing without Egypt’s capital (4)
NILE
Egypt's river is the definition; without is an indicator to remove E (Egypt's capital, first letter of Egypt) from that to get NIL (nothing)
10a – Thai leader held by Japanese leader yields weapon (7)
SHOTGUN
Weapon is the definition, with held by as an indicator to put T (Thai leader, first letter of Thai) into SHOGUN (Japanese leader): SHO(T)GUN
12a – Toleration for animal breaking cane (11)
FORBEARANCE
Toleration is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: FOR (for) + BEAR (animal) + ANCE (breaking is an anagram indicator for cane)
14a – Conductor seen in the morning behind a tree (7)
BEECHAM
Conductor is the definition (Thomas Beecham), with behind as an indicator to put AM (morning) after BEECH (a tree)
16a – Attempt – to use a dagger (4)
STAB
Double definition, with stab meaning attempt (take a stab at something) and also to use a dagger
19a – Manchester footballers not united? (4)
CITY
Cryptic definition; Manchester City is different from Manchester United
20a – Hen that’s red with black spots? (8)
LADYBIRD
Red with black spots is the definition (describes a ladybird or ladybug) with the rest as a cryptic definition (a hen is a lady bird)
21a – Simpleton handed rude letters (10)
DUNDERHEAD
Simpleton is the definition, with letters as an anagram indicator for handed rude
1d – Sound warning for a temptress? (5)
SIREN
Double definition, with a siren being a temptress and also a warning using sound
2d – Toady – one who moves slowly (7)
CRAWLER
Double definition; one who crawls moves slowly, and toady and crawler are both words meaning sycophant
3d – Gas in mine one detected (4)
NEON
Gas is the definition, with detected in as hidden word indicators for mi(ne on)e
4d – Look at these shopkeepers (8)
BUTCHERS
Double definition; butchers are shopkeepers, and butcher's is cockney rhyming slang for look (rhymes with butcher's hook)
5d – Boast about wooden shoe (5)
SABOT
Wooden shoe is the definition, with about as an anagram indicator for boast
6d – Put forward expert holding dud parts (6)
ADDUCE
Put forward is the definition, with holding as an indicator to put DDU (parts is an anagram indicator for dud) into ACE (expert): A(DDU)CE
11d – Thorough girl and boy turning up (8)
DETAILED
Thorough is the definition, with turning up as a reversal indicator for DELIA (a girl‘s name) + TED (a boy‘s name)
12d – Sort of diet that is offensive (6)
FOETID
Offensive is the definition, with sort as an anagram indicator for of diet
13d – Famous aristocrat entertains part-time soldiers (7)
NOTABLE
15d – A rodent, being shy, rolled up (5)
COYPU
A rodent is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: COY (shy) + PU (rolled is an anagram indicator for up)
17d – Governors, we hear, suffering from tedium (5)
BORED
Suffering from tedium is the definition, with we hear as a homophone indicator for BOARD (governors)
18d – River forming part of a modern European border (4)
ODER
River and European border are both definitions, with part of as an hidden word indicator for m(oder)n