Easy Cryptic Crossword from Simple Daily Puzzles 2021-11-26 (26/26)
Still trying to understand these clues:
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The clues:
1a – It’s played after HQ dance (8)
BASEBALL
It's played is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: BASE (HQ) + BALL (dance)
6a – Queen Victoria’s final age? (3)
ERA
Age is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: ER (abbreviation for Queen, Elizabeth Regina) + A (Victoria's final, last letter of Victoria)
9a – Some game Antony had in mind? (5)
MEANT
Had in mind is the definition, with some as a hidden word indicator for ga(me Ant)ony
10a – Lose oar tossed about in spray (7)
AEROSOL
Spray is the definition, with tossed about as an anagram indicator for lose oar
11a – Chips and an odd green vegetable (7)
SPINACH
Green vegetable is the definition, with odd as an anagram indicator for chips an
13a – Pinch small duck (5)
STEAL
Pinch is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: S (abbreviation for small) + TEAL (a type of duck)
14a – Spies sat about gathering in information (6)
AGENTS
Spies is the definition, with gathering in as an indicator to put GEN (information) into ATS (about is an anagram indicator for sat): A(GEN)TS
15a – Hounds romping in North American river (6)
HUDSON
North American river is the definition, with romping as an anagram indicator for hounds
18a – Satan makes a large number wicked (5)
DEVIL
Satan is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: D (roman numeral for 500, a large number) + EVIL (wicked)
20a – Sun cast out for Italians (7)
TUSCANS
Italians is the definition, with out as an anagram indicator for sun cast
21a – Get worse – get worse ere slap (7)
RELAPSE
Get worse is the definition, with worse as an anagram indicator for ere slap
22a – Descendant collecting coins (5)
SCION
Descendant is the definition, with collecting as an anagram indicator for coins
23a – Wager with little Elizabeth (3)
BET
Wager is the definition, with little as an indicator to take part of Eliza(bet)h
24a – Sea-dog in abandoned US naval base (3,5)
SAN DIEGO
US naval base is the definition, with abandoned as an anagram indicator for sea-dog in
2d – I crave – a form of greed (7)
AVARICE
Greed is the definition, with form as an anagram indicator for I crave a
3d – Take in food – trimmed meats? (3)
EAT
Take in food is the definition with trimmed as an indicator to remove first and last letters from meats
4d – Father’s upset, hurt by Red Indian (6)
APACHE
Red Indian is the definition (yikes) with the rest as a charades clue: AP (upset as a reversal indicator for PA meaning father) + ACHE (hurt)
5d – Bloomers made by singer joining football team (9)
LARKSPURS
Bloomers is the cryptic definition (they are flowers that bloom) with the rest as a charades clue: LARK (a bird, so a singer) + SPURS (abbreviation for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, a football team)
6d – Lee is odd name for girl (5)
ELSIE
Name for girl is the definition, with odd as an anagram indicator for Lee is
7d – Have ye all sung and recollected old times? (4,4,4)
AULD LANG SYNE
Maybe an &lit clue; Auld Lang Syne is a song about remembering old times, and also recollected is an anagram indicator for ye all sung and
8d – The terrible Marsh Gas Band robbery (5,3,4)
SMASH AND GRAB
Robbery is the definition, with terrible as an anagram indicator for Marsh Gas Band
12d – Insect runs away from animals (8)
ANTELOPES
Animals is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: ANT (insect) + ELOPES (runs away)
16d – Thus a ruler gets very wet (7)
SOAKING
Very wet is the definition, with the rest as a charades clue: SO (thus) + A (a) + KING (ruler)
17d – Scattered showers, torrential rain, easily wet naked heads (6)
STREWN
Scattered is the definition, with heads as an indicator to take the first letters of showers, torrential rain, easily wet naked
19d – Gentleman’s gentleman allowed to follow Virginia (5)
VALET
Gentleman's gentleman is the definition, with to follow as an indicator to put LET (allowed) after VA (abbreviation for Virginia): VA+LET
22d – A little Eskimo is to take part in winter sports (3)
SKI
Take part in winter sports is the definition, with a little as a hidden word indicator for E(ski)mo