Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2023-02-13 (26/26)
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The clues:
1a – Stick with a Scottish island (6)
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STAFFA
Scottish island is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: STAFF (stick) + A (a)
4a – Voice of wisdom making nothing clear, perhaps? (6)
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ORACLE
Voice of wisdom is the definition with the rest as a charades clue: O (looks like a zero, meaning nothing) + RACLE (perhaps is an anagram indicator for clear)
8a – Amateurish pro in Yorkshire city (5)
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ROPIN
Yorkshire city is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: ROP (Amateurish is an anagram indicator for pro) + IN (in)
9a – Jewish teacher on back street finding animals (7)
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RABBITS
Animals is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: RABBI (Jewish teacher) + TS (back is a reversal indicator for ST, an abbreviation for street)
10a – Nuns’ rig designed for looking after the sick (7)
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NURSING
Looking after the sick is a definition, with designed as an anagram indicator for nuns' rig
11a – Permission to quit? (5)
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LEAVE
Double definition, with leave meaning permission and quit
12a – Dark horse disturbing one’s sleep? (9)
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NIGHTMARE
Disturbing one's sleep is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: NIGHT (dark) + MARE (horse)
17a – Short fibre, possibly (5)
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BRIEF
Short is the definition, with possibly as an anagram indicator for fibre
19a – Orchestra leader to write tune out of doors (4-3)
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OPEN-AIR
Out of doors is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: O (orchestra leader is the first letter of orchestra) + PEN (write) + AIR (tune)
21a – Speech that may be written on an envelope (7)
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ADDRESS
Double definition; an address is a speech, and an address is something that may be written on an envelope
22a – Exercise is a bore (5)
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DRILL
Double definition, with a drill being an exercise, and also drill meaning bore (a hole)
23a – Asleep, but prepared to slip away (6)
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ELAPSE
Slip away is the definition, with prepared as an anagram indiactor for asleep
24a – Die in the attempt, like dedicated followers of fashion? (6)
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TRENDY
Followers of fashion is the definition, with in as an indicator to put END (die) into TRY (attempt): TR(END)Y
1d – Recoil from a psychiatrist (6)
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SHRINK
Double definition, with recoil meaning shrink and also shrink being a word for psychiatrist
2d – Drug distributed in Paris (7)
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ASPIRIN
Drug is the definition, with distributed as an anagram indicator for in Paris
3d – Mushrooms giving amusement to American soldier (6)
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FUNGI
Mushroom is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: FUN (amusement) + GI (American soldier)
5d – Rugby Union girl gets German measles (7)
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RUBELLA
German measles is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: RU (abbreviation for rugby union) + BELLA (a girl‘s name)
6d – Cockney’s mate in a distant country (5)
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CHINA
Double definition, with China being a country and also being Cockney rhyming slang for mate (china = china plate = mate)
7d – Endless oriental holiday in spring (6)
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EASTER
Holiday in spring is the definition, with endless as an indicator to remove the last letter of EASTERN (oriental)
9d – Rough site being redeveloped? That’s good (9)
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RIGHTEOUS
That's good is the definition, with redeveloped as an anagram indicator for rough site
13d – Foremen making blunders? That’s about right (7)
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GAFFERS
Foremen is the definition, with about as an indicator to put R (abbreviation for right) into GAFFES (blunders): GAFFE(R)S
14d – Great joy when kinsman loses his head? (7)
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ELATION
Great joy is the definition, with loses his head as an indicator to remove the first letter of RELATION (kinsman)
15d – Rub away a bread roll (6)
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ABRADE
Rub away is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: A (a) + BRADE (roll is an anagram indicator for bread)
16d – Attempt to carry one pound in hat (6)
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TRILBY
Hat is the definition, with carry as an indicator to put I (looks like a one) + LB (abbreviation for pound) into TRY: TR(ILB)Y
18d – Land at the end of a passage? (5)
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INDIA
Cryptic definition, referring to A Passage to India
20d – It doesn’t matter if it’s dis or dat duck? (5)
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EIDER
Duck is the definition, with the rest as a cryptic definition; this or that means either, and each word has a th replaced with a d