Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2020-07-16 (25/25)
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The clues:
1a – Monk’s garb is hot to some extent (5)
HABIT
Monk's garb is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: H (abbreviation for hot) + A BIT (to some extent)
4a – Old rulers of Iran unaffected by revolution? (5)
SHAHS
Old rulers of Iran is the definition, with unaffected by revolution an indicator that it is a palindrome
7a – Organisms present in dressed crab I ate? (8)
BACTERIA
Organisms is the definition, with dressed as an anagram indicator for crab I ate
8a – Spoil English horse (4)
MARE
Horse is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: MAR (spoil) + E (abbreviation for English)
9a – Eddy, possibly, changed colour (4)
DYED
Changed colour is the definition, with possibly as an anagram indicator for Eddy
10a – Offering to pay for the lot? (7)
BIDDING
Cryptic definition; a person bidding at an auction is offering to pay for the lot up for bid
12a – Sergeant may revert to former state (4,7)
EAST GERMANY
Former state is the definition, with revert as an anagram indicator for sergeant may
14a – Drooping duck by Italian river – or African river (7)
LIMPOPO
African river is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: LIMP (drooping) + O (duck, looks like a zero or a duck egg; a cricket reference) + PO (Italian river)
16a – Seaside attraction or something to eat by river (4)
PIER
Seaside attraction is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: PIE (something to eat) + R (abbreviation for river)
19a – Helsinki resident, perhaps, fine in north (4)
FINN
Helsinki resident is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: F (abbreviation for fine) + IN (in) + N (abbreviation for north)
20a – I can’t stir, I’ve become idle (8)
INACTIVE
Idle is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: INACT (stir is an anagram indicator for I can't) + IVE (I've)
21a – A girl not entirely repellent (5)
ELLEN
A girl is the definition (Ellen is a girl‘s name), with not entirely as a hidden word indicator for rep(ellen)t
22a – Loner forced to register (5)
ENROL
Register is the definition, with forced as an anagram indicator for loner
1d – Firm with nothing in stock (5)
HOARD
Stock is the definition, with with as an indicator that O (nothing) goes into HARD (firm): H(O)ARD
2d – Gamblers associated with elders? (7)
BETTERS
Double definition, with your “betters” being a word for your elders, and also gamblers being people who bet
3d – Rent provided by tenant or neighbour (4)
TORN
Rent is the definition (past participle of rend), with provided by as a hidden word clue for tenan(t or n)eighbor
4d – European coming from Paris and needing translation (8)
SPANIARD
European is the definition, with needing translation as an anagram indicator for Paris and
5d – Injured leader departs, carrying a weapon (5)
ARMED
Carrying a weapon is the definition, with leader departs as an indicator to subtract the first letter from HARMED (injured)
6d – Elastic band held by agent (7)
SPRINGY
Elastic is the definition, with held by as an indicator that RING (band, like a wedding band) goes into SPY (agent): SP(RING)Y
11d – Cook tangy pie– like mummy? (8)
EGYPTIAN
Like mummy is the definition, with cook as an anagram indicator for tangy pie
12d – Journalist provided with cool building (7)
EDIFICE
Building is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: ED (abbreviation for editor, or journalist) + IF (provided) + ICE (cool)
13d – One who flies from Swansea via Torquay (7)
AVIATOR
One who flies is the definition, with from as a hidden word indicator for Swanse(a via Tor)quay
15d – Greek god on the Spanish jury (5)
PANEL
Jury is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: PAN (Greek god) + EL (the Spanish, or the Spanish word for the)
17d – Composer left after dance party (5)
RAVEL
Composer is the definition (Maurice Ravel) with the rest as a charades clue: RAVE (dance party) + L (abbreviation for left)
18d – Naked animal we hear (4)
BARE
Naked is the definition, with we hear as a homophone indicator for bear (animal)