Crossword Clues Part 2

[Sebastian Toe]

Science fiction = SF
Queen = ER
Put the queen in SF
SERF = Slave

[SusanDoris]

Science fiction = SF
Queen = ER
Put the queen in SF
SERF = Slave

Ah, thank you, I see now. I'll have to try and remember that for when that clue or similar comes up again.

[SusanDoris]

Quick - only completed half so far.
Cryptic - only 3 answers so far.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

Quick - only completed half so far.
Cryptic - only 3 answers so far.

Yikes! Need any help? Funnily enough I find the quick ones harder to get started than the cryptic sometimes because there are often several answers that could be correct. 

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,

Yikes! Need any help? Funnily enough I find the quick ones harder to get started than the cryptic sometimes because there are often several answers that could be correct.

I managed a couple more answers yesterday evening, but yes, I think help is going to be needed!

ETA The CCTV has gone wrong. The screen has just gone completely fuzzy. It happened once before ages ago, so I've forgotten what the solution to the problem is. I have turned off and turned on again, but still there. Will try turning on again later but otherwise I'm stuck till tomorrow. I tried both their phone lines but the messages on both were that 'mailbox is full'.

Have been walking - okay when the wind was behind me, but cold wind the other way! Anyway, turned on CCTV again and all okay.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

I managed a couple more answers yesterday evening, but yes, I think help is going to be needed!

ETA The CCTV has gone wrong. The screen has just gone completely fuzzy. It happened once before ages ago, so I've forgotten what the solution to the problem is. I have turned off and turned on again, but still there. Will try turning on again later but otherwise I'm stuck till tomorrow. I tried both their phone lines but the messages on both were that 'mailbox is full'.

Have been walking - okay when the wind was behind me, but cold wind the other way! Anyway, turned on CCTV again and all okay.

Glad to hear all's well again.

[SusanDoris]

May I have a hint, please, for: 

1 across – I realise that a similar clue has appeared not so long ago, but it is not internalised  in my mind yet – like so many others! Does CEO come into it?
Penultimate letter T. Is it an anagram of some of the words?

It’s a job for company boss to get in old car, step on it (7,5)

5 down. This would give the tenth letter of 1 across. It would seem to be a clue that Sandy Balfour would approve of, as it includes cryptic crosswords and bridge … unless of course this refers to ones to walk over!

Word I had after opponent initially made optimistic call at bridge (7)

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

May I have a hint, please, for: 

1 across – I realise that a similar clue has appeared not so long ago, but it is not internalised  in my mind yet – like so many others! Does CEO come into it?
Penultimate letter T. Is it an anagram of some of the words?

It’s a job for company boss to get in old car, step on it (7,5)

No problem.

No CEO (and the penultimate letter can't be a T either I'm afraid), but a company boss does a job that’s the same term for the part of an old-fashioned car used to step up into the car. 
 

5 down. This would give the tenth letter of 1 across. It would seem to be a clue that Sandy Balfour would approve of, as it includes cryptic crosswords and bridge … unless of course this refers to ones to walk over!

Word I had after opponent initially made optimistic call at bridge (7)

Bit technical this – the synonym is for an “optimistic call at bridge”, remembering that “bridge” is also a card game. The “initially" tells you that you need the first letter of something, and “I had” can be abbreviated. All you need then is a type of “word” to put in the middle!

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,

No problem.

No CEO (and the penultimate letter can't be a T either I'm afraid), but a company boss does a job that’s the same term for the part of an old-fashioned car used to step up into the car. 

thank you, so that means it is RUNNING BOARD.  I had put an R as the first letter because 1 down starts with 'Kick off again ...'. That also means that the answer to 6 down is not TRAILER but  RETAILER. Clue is:
Tail err badly in second test (7)

Bit technical this – the synonym is for an “optimistic call at bridge”, remembering that “bridge” is also a card game. The “initially" tells you that you need the first letter of something, and “I had” can be abbreviated. All you need then is a type of “word” to put in the middle!

Thank you – I’ll work on that. Actually Years ago, when my sons were early teens, a friend taught us how to play  bridge. I wasn’t bad at it, but since it worries me not a jot whether I win or lose, I couldn’t get very serious! Also, during the years I lived in Little Aden ( BP refinery section of British Colony of Aden) in my twenties, some of the wives had bridge groups, but winning was important and I stayed well away.

[SusanDoris]

2 down: I will cut inferior? Not at all.(7)

It has to be NEITHER, but why?

Top half nearly done now!

[bluehillside Retd.]

Susan,

thank you, so that means it is RUNNING BOARD.  I had put an R as the first letter because 1 down starts with 'Kick off again ...'. That also means that the answer to 6 down is not TRAILER but  RETAILER. Clue is:
Tail err badly in second test (7)
Thank you – I’ll work on that. Actually Years ago, when my sons were early teens, a friend taught us how to play  bridge. I wasn’t bad at it, but since it worries me not a jot whether I win or lose, I couldn’t get very serious! Also, during the years I lived in Little Aden ( BP refinery section of British Colony of Aden) in my twenties, some of the wives had bridge groups, but winning was important and I stayed well away.

What an interesting and exotic life you’ve led! Re the clue, think about what people do at auctions too.

2 down: I will cut inferior? Not at all.(7)

It has to be NEITHER, but why?

Top half nearly done now!

The “I” is given to you, and it needs to be inside (“cut”) a synonym for “inferior”, which NETHER (as in “below”) is.

[SusanDoris]

Susan,

What an interesting and exotic life you’ve led!

Pause while I  think and picture the place, the people (except for my ex of course), the travel to and from, particularly the trip to Giza while the ship was going through the suez Canal ... ...... ... and then all the other travels I've done... 

Re the clue, think about what people do at auctions too.

OVERBID - I had the V and The B too! so I should have thought of it sooner!
The “I” is given to you, and it needs to be inside (“cut”) a synonym for “I

nferior”, which NETHER (as in “below”) is.

Another of those 'oh of course' answers!!

Thank you for your help.

[SusanDoris]

A hint would help, please:


Political commentator's endless sauce (5)

Last letter O (from an anagram of whatever it was to which the answer is THE TWO RONNIES)

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

A hint would help, please:

Political commentator's endless sauce (5)

Last letter O (from an anagram of whatever it was to which the answer is THE TWO RONNIES)

No problem. Think ex BBC political commentator now working for a commercial station, but he’s “endless” – ie, the end of his name is missing. Which gives you an (Italian) sauce!

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,

No problem. Think ex BBC political commentator now working for a commercial station, but he’s “endless” – ie, the end of his name is missing. Which gives you an (Italian) sauce!

Thank you, butI'm afraid I'll have to give up on that one - TV, politics, their commentators and cooking sauces are probably my weakest areas of knowledge!
An answer will be much appreciated.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

Thank you, butI'm afraid I'll have to give up on that one - TV, politics, their commentators and cooking sauces are probably my weakest areas of knowledge!
An answer will be much appreciated.

PESTO. (Robert) Peston with the end if his name missing gives you the sauce.

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,

PESTO. (Robert) Peston with the end if his name missing gives you the sauce.

Thank you. Robert Peston used to be a star on PM, but I could never understand quite why. I was very sorry for him that his wife died and he was quite amusing when he took on the learning of different skills, but his way of speaking I did not find appealing.

Right, that will give me the start of two down clues in the bottom half of the grid.

[Steve H]

Hi Susan,

PESTO. (Robert) Peston with the end if his name missing gives you the sauce.

Damn. I had a go at that, but I thought it was the sauce that was endless.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Steve H,

Damn. I had a go at that, but I thought it was the sauce that was endless.

That was my first thought too, but there's enough ambiguity in the clue to allow for either option. Also cryptic crosswords tend to shy away from names as answers - maybe because that'd be more of a general knowledge type puzzle.

[SusanDoris]

Steve H,

That was my first thought too, but there's enough ambiguity in the clue to allow for either option. Also cryptic crosswords tend to shy away from names as answers - maybe because that'd be more of a general knowledge type puzzle.

(in pretend huffy tones!) Well, exactly - who does this crossword setter think he (I did learn from the book there are not many female setters!) is, flouting the unwritten rules like that.

Steve: please don't write answer if you find it to following:
The next clue is:
Stolid trap for criminals in mission abroad (7)
Begins with the P from Pesto and the third letter is S from ABSTAIN  = answer to:
Having a band sit out and take no part (7)

No hints requested at the moment!

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

(in pretend huffy tones!) Well, exactly - who does this crossword setter think he (I did learn from the book there are not many female setters!) is, flouting the unwritten rules like that.

Steve: please don't write answer if you find it to following:
The next clue is:
Stolid trap for criminals in mission abroad (7)
Begins with the P from Pesto and the third letter is S from ABSTAIN  = answer to:
Having a band sit out and take no part (7)

No hints requested at the moment!

I got the answer quickly, but it took a while to work out why. Quite a clever clue, and the P & S are correct.

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,

I got the answer quickly, but it took a while to work out why. Quite a clever clue, and the P & S are correct.

Is the last letter E?

[bluehillside Retd.]

Susan,

Is the last letter E?

No 

If you are "stolid" (or serious) you are what-faced?

[SusanDoris]

Susan,

No 

If you are "stolid" (or serious) you are what-faced?

So it's not postage - post - stolid; trap - tag; postage - sort of mission abroad.
At least it's only Monday - I have all week!

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

So it's not postage - post - stolid; trap - tag; postage - sort of mission abroad.
At least it's only Monday - I have all week!

The PO for "stolid" is good (as in "po-faced"). Now what you need is a five-letter word beginning with S that's a way to catch criminals et voila - a "mission abroad"!