Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2020-02-10 (23/23)
Still trying to understand these clues:
12a – Night-club looked grim, having changed hue (11)— got it!- 21a – Straightforward, but not straight forward, we hear (10)
The clues:
1a – During breaks scatter bread for birds (10)
REDBREASTS
Birds is the definition, with during as an indicator that a word for breaks (RESTS) should go around an anagram (indicated by scatter) of BREAD: REDBREASTS
7a – Horrible rogues turning on me (8)
GRUESOME
Horrible is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: GRUESO (turning is an anagram indicator for rogues) + ME (me)
8a – Story time followed by drink (4)
TALE
Story is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: T (bits and pieces clue for time) + ALE (drink)
9a – Shelter king with vegetable (4)
LEEK
Vegetable is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: LEE (shelter) + K (king)
10a – Stable men are upset by less rot (7)
OSTLERS
Stable men is the definition, with upset by as an anagram indicator for less rot
12a – Night-club looked grim, having changed hue (11)
DISCOLOURED
Changed hue is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: DISCO (night-club) + LOURED (looked grim, past tense of lour)
14a – A jumper for the captain? (7)
SKIPPER
Double definition with skipper meaning captain, but also a person who jumps
16a – Powder used in post-natal care (4)
TALC
Cryptic definition; talc is in baby powder
19a – Mark is back in a famous school (4)
ETON
Famous school is the definition (Eton College in Berkshire), with back as a reversal indicator for mark
20a – Suffered anguish in San Diego? (8)
AGONISED
Suffered is the definition, with anguish as an anagram indicator for San Diego
21a – Straightforward, but not straight forward, we hear (10)
FORTHRIGHT
Straightforward is the definition, but what is the wordplay? Does this sound like “take the fourth right” instead of “go straight forward”?
1d – Rustic part of the lower Urals (5)
RURAL
2d – A river with female swans becomes less shallow (7)
DEEPENS
Becomes less shallow is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: DEE (Dee is a river in the United Kingdom) + PENS (female swans)
3d – A chamber in space (4)
ROOM
Double definition, with room meaning both chamber and space
4d – Dislike upsetting Rose and Ivan (8)
AVERSION
Dislike is the definition, with upsetting as an anagram indicator for Rose Ivan
5d – Sum for child, adding one and fifty (5)
TOTAL
Sum is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: TOT (child) + A (one) + L (roman numeral for fifty)
6d – Royal Frederick is only partially an English king (6)
ALFRED
English King is the definition, with partially as a hidden word indicator for Roy(al Fred)erick
11d – Traces of strange prediction (8)
FORECAST
Prediction is the definition, with strange as an anagram indicator for traces of
12d – Knock out facts and figures about a state of the USA (6)
DAKOTA
State of the USA is the definition, with about as an indicator that KO (knock out) is contained in a word for facts and figures (DATA): DA(KO)TA
13d – Studying in a Berkshire town (7)
READING
Double definition, with Reading being a Berkshire town, and reading meaning studying
15d – Christmas entertainment on tap, perhaps (5)
PANTO
Christmas entertainment is the definition, with perhaps as an anagram indicator for on tap
17d – Cold warmth? That’s a fraud (5)
CHEAT
Fraud is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: C (bits and pieces clue for cold) + HEAT (warmth)
18d – Performer rode madly (4)
DOER
Performer is the definition, with madly as an anagram indicator for rode