Guardian Quick Cryptic Crossword 10 (21/22)
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The clues:
1a Later, drunk is on the ball (5)
ALERT
On the ball is the definition, with drunk as an anagram indicator for later
4a Violently knock into vessel (5)
BARGE
Double definition, with barge meaning violently knock into and also being a type of vessel
7a Ordinary performance by a comedian, say (7)
ROUTINE
Double definition, with routine meaning ordinary and also meaning performance by a comedian
8a Heads of schools initially recruit male teacher (3)
SIR
Male teacher is the definition, with heads of as an acrostic clue for schools initially recruit
9a New tech to carve a design (4)
ETCH
Carve a design is the definition, with new as an anagram indicator for tech
10a Possibly the starter in Aintree, say (6)
COURSE
Double definition, with a starter being a course in a restaurant, and Aintree the racetrack having courses
13a Strangely astute work of art (6)
STATUE
Work of art is the definition, with strangely as an anagram indicator for astute
14a Tailless “ship of the desert” arrived (4)
CAME
Arrived is the definition, with tailless as an indicator to delete the last letter of CAMEL (ship of the desert)
16a Almost jump or slide downhill (3)
SKI
Slide downhill is the definition, with almost as an indicator to remove the last character of SKIP (jump)
17a Semipro, oddly, shows potential for the future (7)
PROMISE
Potential for the future is the definition, with oddly as an anagram indicator for semipro
18a Yearns for trees (5)
PINES
Double definition where pines means yearns and also is a type of trees
19a Artist starts to mull over new, exciting techniques (5)
MONET
Artist is the definition, with starts as an acrostic indicator for mull over new exciting techniques
1d Cockney’s bald and stuffy (7)
AIRLESS
Stuffy is the definition, with Cockney indicating that they might pronounce HAIRLESS (bald) as the answer
2d Giving up, ignoring Republican’s way of speaking (11)
ENUNCIATION
Way of speaking is the definition, with ignoring as an indicator to delete R (abbreviation for Republican) from RENUNCIATION (giving up)
3d Dog – or what it might wag (4)
TAIL
Double definition, with tail meaning dog (as in follow closely) and also a tail being what a dog might wag
4d Inhabitant of northern France in Bronte novel (6)
BRETON*
Inhabitant of Northern France is the definition with novel as an anagram indicator for Bronte
5d Maintenance initially ignored in Amerindian territory (11)
RESERVATION
Amerindian territory is the definition, with initially ignored as an indicator to delete the first letter of PRESERVATION (maintenance)
6d Starters of eggs and roasted bit of corn (3)
EAR
Bit of corn is the definition, with starters of as an acrostic indicator for eggs and roasted
11d Mountain that’s the world’s highest and harshest, with the top hidden (7)
EVEREST
Mountain that's the world's highest is the definition with with the top hidden as an indicator to delete the first letter of SEVEREST (harshest)
12d Leaders of really upright military police usually suppress disturbance (6)
RUMPUS
Disturbance is the definition, with leaders of as an acrostic indicator for really upright military police usually suppress
15d Standard from endless Bellini opera (4)
NORM
Standard is the definition, with endless as an indicator to delete the last letter from NORMA (Bellini opera)
16d Fool getting tree secretion (3)
SAP
Double definition, with sap meaning fool and also being a tree secretion