Cryptic Crossword Clues

[zakalwe]

This may be a bit off-topic, and more appropriate on a puzzle site, but I like the people here so I figured I'd see if anyone else is interested in stuff like this. (If not, I guess I'll just repost it elsewhere instead. )

You solve these just like the clues to a cryptic crossword. You don't get any known letters to aid you but I'll add that after a while if any of the clues turn out to be too hard. If you solve any clues, please post your answers in a spoiler tag. The clues are enumerated for reference. The numbers in parenthesis are the number of letters in the answer. For some of the "& lit." clues (that end in an exclamation mark) I decided to omit the number of letters in the answer so as not to make it too easy.

If you haven't tackled a cryptic crossword before, it might help to read up a little on what you can generally expect from a clue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptic_crossword#Clues

Crucially, there is always a part of the clue that provides a direct definition of the solution, and the rest of the clue (which may in some cases overlap with the definition) is some kind of word play, for example an anagram or a hidden word.


1. I once cut off immersion to expose a bad name. (8)

2. Rule inside sphere ignored. (5)

3. Uncoil cons to project end. (10)

4. Firm reverse blow. (7)

5. Conscientous objector marked by reverence in abundance. (7)

6. Great circles misread in confusion. (9)

7. Associate limb inverted in principle. (7)

8. That one atom trails fossil fuel union. (9)

9. Current version! (5)

10. Dinosaur tail in western republic suggests another choice of words. (9)

11. Suit and toot. (7)

12. Crack tell. (6)

13. Sounds like these men wear a costume. (8)

14. Approach transport. (8)

15. Essentially deluded duck. (5)

16. Take a chance; first gallop, then walk leisurely. (6)

17. Fabled killer heads west before ebbing flow. (8)

18. Epic town wisdom. (8)

19. Warhead also instrumental in magical acts. (4)

20. Maneuver while following a school of whales. (6)

21. Charm in rebuttal is mandatory. (8)

22. Hardened ring initially of useless silver. (7)

23. Lab menu: scrambled egg mass. (7)

24. Mold inverse output? (5)

25. Basement legend? (4)

26. Universal end embraced by beheaded suspect. (10)

27. [strike]Kinsman brewing soup? (7)[/strike] (flawed, though you may get it anyway)

28. Overdue comeback from the side. (9)

29. Literally went rogue facing force field barrier. (6)

30. Relative resistor removed or redacted? (6)

31. Object of erosion beats canvas. (7)

32. Colored fish was coerced. (7)

32. Alternative clue. Twisted outfit blazed a trail. (7)

33. Disperse riot in order to discover leads. (8)

34. Restored spoilage in order to discover noxious weeds. (8)

35. Endorse battle rage. (7)

36. Perching bird wolf. (7)

37. Handle slightly more ink. (7)

38. Drum reflected secret killing. (7)

39. Accord about a tree. (7)

40. Directed light!

41. Deceiving otherwise agile minds!

42. Lineage in the making!

43. Vile alignment!

44. Fabled for a rent within financial means!

45. Odd avatar for American tower. (3)

46. Conquistador looking for milk and honey? (8)

47. Thick, sloppy layer of eggs has a missing element but still makes a mess. (7)

48. I heard Captain Nemo was defeated. (7)

49. Audibly disgusted reaction to stink of cream. (6)

50. Weed servant sounds crude. (8)

51. Boring outcome flagged in green. (4)

52. Aspiring runner whipped into shape but allowed to rest. (6)

53. Flexible date support usually displays five digits. (4)

54. Ten in, two remaining. (5)

55. Flourish cereal container, of sorts. (8)

56. Moving movement within earshot. (12)

57. Flat letter to rock 'n' roll dad. (8)

58. Butter exchanged for a bang. (4)

59. Cloaking device studied by seismologists. (6)

60. Covert fight club. (9) Not solved!

61. Rock on, and vanish on the road. (5)

62. Spotted animal plays a supporting role in deforestation. (8)

Contributed by Novice:

A. Comedian's audience are barely alive - but members of a large group (5)

B. Contains artistic license. (8)

C. Double fender bender after walking, tree eliminated half of the ambiguity (6,8)

D. Puzzling heartless meaning, puzzling person. (6)

E. Made an ex on facebook is a friend indeed. (10)

F. Legendary aim, unless weapon jammed. (5)

G. Advanced fast. (4)

H. Weapon used to shoot after that French traitor. (8)

J. Maniac in traffic reportedly never crashes. (8,6)

K. Adjust scales inside to provide no resistance. (9)

L. Money collector is in the lead of land of wild game. (6,6)

M. Captain Kangaroo? (7)

N. Bedstraw carers are absent without leave (8)

O. Why not upset weak and lazy composer? (7)

P. Needlessly mocks collapsed arch (3)

Q. Metallic sound holds back change. (9)

R. A car, a van, a vehicle for a camper!

S. Cure worker I love. (8)

T. Small lower body part!

U. Better fish with chips? (7)

W. Delivered in the churchtower in the nick of time. (5,2,3,4)

Y. Little Rod might magically become a prince one day. (7)

Z. Somewhat rusty bonnet keeps sliding up on a trip through the woods. (6,3,6,4)

Æ. Midpoint of Mass at funeral home? (6,2,7)

Ø. Tender assassin? (5)

Å. Tender drink? (5)

I. Fish boat lot (3,4)

II. Primary school leader! (9)

III. Annual order (4)

IV. Document explorer? (7)

V. Specialist soldier sounded underage (5)

Puzzles VI through X have a common theme.

VI. Spray didn't hit the target, or so I heard. (4)

VII. Greenhorn who has no weakness. (6) (et lit?)

VIII. Dashing vehicle? (7)

IX. Butcher without resistance to make whale food (5)

X. Insures new beginning (7)

N1. Passionate for new numbering? Not me! (7)

N2. Reviving activity. User's confused by quote. (13)

N3. Meta puzzle can't end grins. (12)

N4. Leave the surface reading an escape. (4,6)

N5. Move container to a new platform for mobile end-users? (5-5) Not solved!

N6. Metaphor or idiom in any number of languages!

Solutions

1. Solved by Pling:

misnomer (a bad name=misnomer, I once cut off immersion=mmersion, anagram of "mmersion")

2. Solved by Pling:

reign (rule=reign, embedded inside sphere ignored)

3. Solved by Novice:

conclusion (end=conclusion, anagram of "uncoil cons")

4. Solved by Novice:

setback (blow=setback, firm=set, reverse=back)

5. Solved by Novice:

copious (in abundance=copious, conscientous objector=co, marked by reverence=pious)

6. Solved by Pling:

meridians (great circles=meridians, anagram of "misread in")

6. Alternative solution by Novice:

waverings

7. Solved by Novice:

comrade (associate=comrade, limb inverted=mra, principle=code)

8. Solved by Novice:

coalition (union=coalition, that one=it, atom=ion, fossil fuel=coal)

9. Solved by Pling:

draft (current=draft, version=draft, and literally: current version=draft)

10. Solved by Pling:

thesaurus (suggests another choice of words=thesaurus, dinosaur tail=saur, western republic=the US)

11. Solved by Novice:

trumpet (toot=trumpet, suit=trump, and=et)

12. Solved by Novice:

report (crack=report (of a rifle, for example), tell=report)

13. Solved by Novice:

disguise ((wear a) costume=disguise, sounds like "these guys")

14. Solved by Novice:

entrance (approach=entrance, transport=entrance, as in enchant/mesmerize/captivate)

15. Solved by Novice:

elude (duck=elude, forms the essence of deluded)

16. Solved by Novice:

gamble (take a chance=gamble, first gallop=g, walk leisurely=amble)

17. Solved by Pling:

werewolf (fabled killer=werewolf, heads west=w, before=ere, ebbing flow=wolf)

18. Solved by Novice:

sagacity (wisdom=sagacity, epic=saga, town=city)

19. Solved by SevenSpirits:

wand (instrumental in magical acts=wand, warhead=w, also=and)

20. Solved by Novice:

gambit (maneuver=gambit, while=bit, school of whales=gam)

21. Solved by Novice:

talisman (charm=talisman, embedded in rebuttal is mandatory)

22. Solved by SevenSpirits:

callous (hardened=callous, ring=call, initially of useless silver=ous)

23. Solved by Novice:

albumen (egg mass=albumen, anagram of "lab menu")

24. Solved by Novice:

ingot (mold=ingot, inverse out-put=in-got)

25. Solved by Novice:

foot (basement=foot, leg-end=foot)

26. Solved by Novice:

ubiquitous (universal=ubiquitous, end=quit, beheaded suspect=(d)ubious, quit "embraced by" ubious)

27. Solved by Novice:

brother

28. Solved by Novice:

laterally (from the side=laterally, overdue=late, comeback=rally)

29. Solved by Novice:

paling (field barrier=paling, literally went rogue=Palin (author of "Going rogue"), force=g)

30. Solved by Novice:

sister (relative=sister, resistor "re"-moved -> sisteror "or" redacted -> sister)

31. Solved by Novice:

topsoil (object of erosion=topsoil, beats=tops, canvas=painting=oil)

32. Solved by Novice:

garbled (colored=garbled, fish=gar, was coerced=bled; alternatively: twisted=garbled, outfit=garb, blazed a trail=led)

33. Solved by Novice:

presides (leads=presides, anagram of "disperse")

34. Solved by Novice:

aegilops (noxious weeds=aegilops, spelled using the letters of "spoilage" in alphabetical order)

35. Solved by Novice:

warrant (endorse=warrant, battle=war, rage=rant)

36. Solved by Novice:

swallow (perching bird=swallow, wolf=swallow)

37. Solved by Novice:

moniker (handle=moniker, anagram of "more ink')

38. Solved by Novice:

murdrum (secret killing=murdrum, drum reflected to farm a palindrome)

39. Solved by Novice:

conifer (tree=conifer, accord=confer, a=one=i)

40.-44. Solved by Novice:

40. LED
41. Misleading
42. Kin
43. Evil
44. Affordable

45. Solved by Novice:

AAA (American tow-er=AAA, odd avatar=AAA)

46. Solved by Novice:

horseman (conquistador=horseman, also a "hoarse man" might be looking for milk and honey)

47. Solved by Novice:

kitchen (mess=kitchen, thick, sloppy=kitch, layer of eggs=hen, has a missing element=delete h for hydrogen)

48. Solved by Novice:

subdued (defeated=subdued, sounds like "sub dude"=Captain Nemo)

49. Solved by Novice:

recoil (disgusted reaction=recoil, sounds like "reek oil"=stink of cream)

50. Solved by Novice:

homemade (crude=homemade, sounds like "hoe maid"=weed servant)

51. Solved by Novice:

hole (outcome of boring, and marked with a flag in a (putting) green)

52. Solved by Novice:

batter (becomes a runner after batting, whipped and allowed to rest before cooking)

53. Solved by Novice:

palm (flexible support for a date (fruit), and usually displays five fingers, a.k.a. digits)

54. Solved by Novice:

spare (remaining=spare, ten (pins) in two=a spare in bowling)

55. Solved by Novice:

brandish (of sorts=brandish, flourish=brandish, cereal=bran, container=dish)

56. Solved by Novice:

heartrending (moving=heartrending, movement=trend, earshot=hearing)

57. Solved by Novice:

landlord (flat letter=landlord, anagram of "n roll dad")

58. Solved by Novice:

buck (butter=buck (likes to butt heads), bang for your buck

59. Solved by Novice:

mantle (cloaking device=cloak=mantle, also a layer below the Earth's crust)

61. Solved by Novice:

wagon (rock=wag, van-ish (vehicle) on the road)

62. Solved by Novice:

sawhorse (spotted=saw, animal=horse, used as a support when sawing wood)

A. (Solved by Zakalwe)

fungi (sounds like "fun guy"; hence "comedian's audience")

B. (Solved by Zakalwe)

sanction (license = sanction, sanction is an anagram of contains)

C. (Solved by Zakalwe)

double entendre: double + ent + fender anagram deleting f (half of)

D. (Solved by Zakalwe)

enigma (puzzling person = enigma, enigma is an anagram of meaing ("heartless" meaning))

E. (Solved by Zakalwe)

defriended (friend in deed)

F. (Solved by Zakalwe)

grail (legendary aim=mythical goal=grail, unless weapon=railg(un), anagram of "railg")

G. (Solved by Zakalwe)

lent (advanced money, fast after easter)

H. (Solved by Zakalwe)

Quisling (traitor = Quisling, that = qui in french (when used as a relative pronoun), weapon used for shooting = sling)

J. (Solved by Zakalwe)

reckless driver (sounds like wreckless driver)

K. (Solved by Zakalwe)

calibrate (adjust=calibrate, scales=libra, to provide=cater, libra inside cater=calibrater, delete r=resistance)

L. (Solved by Zakalwe)

Monkey Island (wild game=Monkey Island, money collector=monkey, is in the lead of land=island)

M. (Solved by Zakalwe)

skipper (captain=skipper, kangaroo=one who jumps/skips=skipper)

N. (Solved by Zakalwe)

cleavers (bedstraw=cleavers, carers are absent=crs, crs without leave=cleavers)

O. (Solved by Zakalwe)

Zakalwe (composer=Zakalwe, anagram of "weak laz" (weak + lazy - y))

P. (Solved by Zakalwe)

sly (arch=sly, needles=mocks, delete needles (mocks collapsed) and what remains is "sly")

Q. (Solved by Ichabod)

oscillate (embedded in reverse in "metallic sound")

R. (Solved by SevenSpirits)

Caravan. (Straight definition: Camper (plus the entire clue; et lit)
Cryptic clue: "a vehicle for" indicates containment - "a car, a van" contains the answer.)

S. (Solved by Zakalwe)

antidote (cure=antidote, worker=ant, love=dote)

W. (Solved by Zakalwe)

saved by the bell

Y. (Solved by Zakalwe)

tadpole

Z. (Solved by Zakalwe)

little red riding hood (on a trip through the woods=little red riding hood, somewhat=little, rusty=red, bonnet=hood, sliding up=riding (e.g, a dress riding up), riding kept by the first three words)

Æ. (Solved by Zakalwe)

center of gravity

Ø. (Solved by Zakalwe)

offer (tender = offer, assassin = someone who "offs" people)

Å. (Solved by Zakalwe)

nurse (tender=one who tends=nurse, drink=suckle=nurse)

I. (Solved by Zakalwe)

car park (carp ark)

II. (Solved by Zakalwe)

principal

III. (Solved by Zakalwe)

book

IV. (Solved by Zakalwe)

charter

V. (Solved by Zakalwe)

miner

VI. (Solved by Zakalwe)

Mist

VII. (Solved by Zakalwe)

Novice

VIII. (Solved by Zakalwe)

Scooter

IX. (Solved by Zakalwe)

Krill

X. (Solved by Zakalwe)

Sunrise

N1. (Solved by Zakalwe)

burning (passionate=burning, anagram of "numbering" excluding "me")

N2. (Solved by Zakalwe)

resuscitation (reviving activity=resuscitation, anagram of "users" + quote=citation)

N3. (Solved by Zakalwe)

transcending (meta=transcending, anagram of "can't end grins")

N4. (Solved by Zakalwe)

take flight (leave surface = take flight, reading = take, an escape = flight)

N6. (Solved by Zakalwe)

figure of speech (any number=figure, languages=speech)

[pling]

Ooh, I like these. Got one of them (number 2), gotta think about the rest some more

2. reign

[pling]

And number 6:

meridians

[zakalwe]

Correct! First post edited with credits.

[novice]

2.

Reign

3.

Conclusion

[Twinkletoes89]

Could you put an explanation of how they come to be that answer (in the spoiler tag) - I have never got my head around these!

[zakalwe]

Could you put an explanation of how they come to be that answer (in the spoiler tag) - I have never got my head around these!

Yes, will do.

[novice]

5.

Copious (CO+Pious)

[novice]

7.

Co(mra)de

[zakalwe]

Added #8. Seems like I'll have to work hard to stay ahead of Novice here.