Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2021-08-27 (25/25)
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The clues:
1a – Bigwig about to come back for reptile (5)
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VIPER
Reptile is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: VIP (bigwig) + ER (come back is a reversal indicator for RE, meaning about)
4a – Approaches made by listeners after end of transmission (5)
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NEARS
Approaches is the definition, with after as an indicator that EARS (listeners) goes after N (end of transmission, last letter of transmission)
7a – Agreement to read pamphlet (8)
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CONTRACT
Agreement is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: CON (read, as a con artist?) + TRACT (pamphlet)
8a – Payment for travel and food (4)
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FARE
Double definition, with fare meaning food and also payment for travel
9a – A cook’s endless pain (4)
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ACHE
Pain is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: A (a) + CHE (endless is an indicator to remove the last letter of CHEF, meaning cook)
10a – Mine worker taking dog by river (7)
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COLLIER
Mine worker is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: COLLIE (dog) + R (abbreviation for river)
12a – Wrongly cultivating only rose and rue (11)
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ERRONEOUSLY
Wrongly is the definition, with cultivating as an anagram indicator for only rose rue
14a – Stone that’s great in construction? (7)
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GRANITE
Stone is the definition, with construction as an anagram indicator for great in
16a – Deer in British India (4)
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HIND
Deer is the definition, with in as a hidden word indicator for Britis(h Ind)ia
19a – Make changes before publishing new diet (4)
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EDIT
Make changes before publishing is the definition, with new as an anagram indicator for diet
20a – Bishop without polish (8)
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BLACKING
Polish is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: B (abbreviation for bishop) + LACKING (without)
21a – Eccentric names minister’s house (5)
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MANSE
Minister's house is the definition, with eccentric as an anagram indicator for names
22a – Piece of bullion, for example, brought back in boat (5)
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BARGE
Boat is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: BAR (a gold bar is a piece of bullion) + GE (brought back is a reversal indicator for EG, meaning for example)
1d – Instrument for a girl (5)
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VIOLA
Double definition; Viola is a musical instrument and also a girl’s name
2d – Vessel for baseball player (7)
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PITCHER
Double definition, with a pitcher being a vessel and also a baseball player
3d – Study article penned by socialist (4)
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READ
Study is the definition, with penned by as an indicator that A (an article) goes into RED (socialist): RE(A)D
4d – Nothing to boast about in cooler (3,2,3)
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NOT SO HOT
Double definition, with not so hot meaning nothing to boast about, and also literally meaning cooler
5d – Terrible starts for anyone who files unread letters (5)
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AWFUL
Terrible is the definition, with starts for as an indicator to take the first letters of anyone who files unread letters
6d – Sad to have church involved in witchcraft (7)
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SORCERY
Witchcraft is the definition, with involved in as an indicator to put CE (Church of England) into SORRY (sad): SOR(CE)RY
11d – Bedfordshire town without capital, liable to collapse (8)
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UNSTABLE
Liable to collapse is the definition, with without capital as an indicator to remove the first letter of DUNSTABLE (Bedfordshire town)
12d – This could make me a lord! (7)
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EARLDOM
Cryptic definition
13d – Small fiddle for cad (7)
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STINKER
Cad is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: S (small) + TINKER (fiddle)
15d – Out without can? (3,2)
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NOT IN
Out is the definition, with the rest as a cryptic definition: NO TIN (without can)
17d – European holding cold ball (5)
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DANCE
Ball is the definition, with holding as an indicator to put C (abbreviation for cold) into DANE (European): DAN(C)E
18d – Talk about Roundhead costume (4)
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GARB
Talk is the definition, with about as an indicator to put R (Roundhead, first letter of round) into GAB (talk): GA(R)B