Crossword Clues Part 2

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,

Yes it does. The answer works but I confess I couldn’t see the “vein” bit so I looked up “midrib” and it turns out it’s the vein of a leaf. You learn something new every day eh?

Yes. It’s a straight clue – not all theatres are for actors!

No – sorry. Think “learner” as in car driver “supporting” a woman’s name.

This is a properly hard one – took me quite a while. The N is correct, and you need to now that “brad” isn’t just a man’s name…

Thank you - very much appreciated. If I remember correctly, you said something about the Brad and Angelina one being a sort ofr egularly appearing one, but obviously not, otherwise you'd have got it straight away!

Yes, that is interesting info about the vein - I certainly didn't know that.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

Thank you - very much appreciated. If I remember correctly, you said something about the Brad and Angelina one being a sort ofr egularly appearing one, but obviously not, otherwise you'd have got it straight away!

Yes, that is interesting info about the vein - I certainly didn't know that.

No problem. I don't remember the B & A thing, but sadly these days my not remembering something and whether it happened have an ever-more tenuous relationship. Ah well.

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,

No problem. I don't remember the B & A thing, but sadly these days my not remembering something and whether it happened have an ever-more tenuous relationship. Ah well.

Thank you. As the B and A one was not easy, I thought it was quite allowable to look up brad = nail.
However, if that is the case, what has the Angelina got to do with it, please?

SURGICAL for the theatre one.
The L from 19 (not 17) down which I wrongly numbered) comes from REHEARSALS for:
18 across: Having a trying time before play opens (
The plural worried me a bit - it should be singular, shouldn't it, but the E, H, A R are right - unless you say they are not!
Yes or no would be helpful, as I'll plod on a bit further to see if I can get the answers.

ETA the last four letters of Angelina form nail, but I can't see the reason.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi again Susan,

Thank you. As the B and A one was not easy, I thought it was quite allowable to look up brad = nail.
However, if that is the case, what has the Angelina got to do with it, please?

ETA the last four letters of Angelina form nail, but I can't see the reason.

No problem. OK, as it was a hard one let’s deconstruct it:

The clue was: Brad and Angelina originally in love (4) N - - -

So we know that a “brad” is a nail so that’s the synonym part. (Notice too by the way that the “Brad” is the first word of the clue, which means it can be capitalised and so look like the name.)

Then we have “Angelina originally”, that “originally” giving us the A. The “in” tells us that the A must be inside something, and “love” (as in tennis) is another way of saying NIL. Et voila!

It’s extra clever too by the way because the “in love” is ambiguous – there’s the usual meaning, but also the meaning of inside love.

SURGICAL for the theatre one.

Yup.

The L from 19 (not 17) down which I wrongly numbered) comes from REHEARSALS for:
18 across: Having a trying time before play opens (
The plural worried me a bit - it should be singular, shouldn't it, but the E, H, A R are right - unless you say they are not!
Yes or no would be helpful, as I'll plod on a bit further to see if I can get the answers.

You’re on the right lines – try a different ending to the answer though. Again it’s straight clue though.

[SusanDoris]

Hi again Susan,

No problem. OK, as it was a hard one let’s deconstruct it:

The clue was: Brad and Angelina originally in love (4) N - - -

So we know that a “brad” is a nail so thats the synonym part. (Notice too by the way that the “Brad” is the first word of the clue, which means it can be capitalised and so look like the name.)

Then we have “Angelina originally”, that “originally” giving us the A. The “in” tells us that the A must be inside something, and “love” (as in tennis) is another way of saying NIL. Et voila!

Well, I suppose it is possible I might, if I'd had the I from SURGICAL, have found that the word NAIL fitted, by a process of elimination, but then I would never have worked out why! Thank you.

It’s extra clever too by the way because the “in love” is ambiguous – there’s the usual meaning, but also the meaning of inside love.

Yup.

You’re on the right lines – try a different ending to the answer though. Again it’s straight clue though.

Ah, Yes, I should have thought of that - REHEARSING. That gives me N - R - A -
*pause*  So it's NORMAL

Cryptic complete - and it's still only Tuesday! Many thanks for your help. Now I'll only have four weeks to wait before favourite setter appears again, I suppose. the ones in between do not have such a friendly feel!

[bluehillside Retd.]

Susan,

Spot on, and it's my pleasure.

Don't give up when you don't like the setter by the way - after a bit you'll probably come to appreciate them all.

[SusanDoris]

Susan,

Spot on, and it's my pleasure.

Don't give up when you don't like the setter by the way - after a bit you'll probably come to appreciate them all.

Hmmmm, not sure about that!

Anyway, the DT have seen fit to completely change the web site. Instead of a nice, neat, easy-to-access puzzles page, it is all acres of empty space, which my software doesn't like so far!
I phoned and spoke to a girl in the  Puzzles dept and she was telling me about the word print in a coloured box.
As I tend not to let the grass grow under my feet, I phoned again and asked to speak to someone with regard to accessibility. The girl I spoke to  was helpful, but is going to investigate and ring me back.

I have also e-mailed Tech chap to arrange a visit asap.

[SusanDoris]

My older son visited yesterday and was able to find the right link to print off yesterday’s Quick and Cryptic, but I’ll have to wait until Tuesday to get a set of clear steps to take to be able to access comfortably the new website.

I think I might have been mistaken about it being my favourite setter last Saturday, because this one I’m finding much more accessible, and have done quite a bit of top half already.    This makes me think that perhaps I might be getting better at tuning in to other setters’ ideas.
A hint for the following clue would be much appreciated:

One unearthing facts about bread used by singer/actress (10)
R – S – A – C - - -

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi again Susan,

My older son visited yesterday and was able to find the right link to print off yesterday’s Quick and Cryptic, but I’ll have to wait until Tuesday to get a set of clear steps to take to be able to access comfortably the new website.

I think I might have been mistaken about it being my favourite setter last Saturday, because this one I’m finding much more accessible, and have done quite a bit of top half already.    This makes me think that perhaps I might be getting better at tuning in to other setters’ ideas.
A hint for the following clue would be much appreciated:

One unearthing facts about bread used by singer/actress (10)
R – S – A – C - - -

Glad it's going well. Re the clue, what do we call someone who digs out facts, maybe for a TV programme or similar?

[SusanDoris]

Hi again Susan,

Glad it's going well. Re the clue, what do we call someone who digs out facts, maybe for a TV programme or similar?

Thank you.   I was thinking more of  the gardening aspect of digging!

P.S. Meant to add - why the singer/actress?

[bluehillside Retd.]

Good morning Susan,

Thank you.   I was thinking more of the gardening aspect of digging!

P.S. Meant to add - why the singer/actress?

No problem.

Re the singer/actress, the last four letters of RESEARCHER are CHER (as in Sonny & Cher).

I’m not seeing the “bread” part though – could it be “brand” perhaps, which would fit for the SEAR part?

[SusanDoris]

Good morning Susan,

No problem.

Re the singer/actress, the last four letters of RESEARCHER are CHER (as in Sonny & Cher).

I’m not seeing the “bread” part though – could it be “brand” perhaps, which would fit for the SEAR part?

Thank you. Cher is not the first name that springs to mind, especially as Snthetic Dave pronounces it as spelt!
brand or bread are not part of my daily vocabulary!!

There are not too many empty spaces, but  a slight hint toward the following would be appreciated:
5 down: Woman waiting up? (10)
S - E - A - D - - -    9th lette might be T

ETA to put an A - I had misread my own writing and thought it was an R!

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hey Susan,

Thank you. Cher is not the first name that springs to mind, especially as Snthetic Dave pronounces it as spelt!
brand or bread are not part of my daily vocabulary!! 

There are not too many empty spaces, but  a slight hint toward the following would be appreciated:
5 down: Woman waiting up? (10)
S - E - R - D - - -    9th lette might be T

I think your spacing might be a bit off – think of “waiting” as in restaurants etc, but conducted at 30,000 feet (ie, “up”).

[SusanDoris]

Hey Susan,

I think your spacing might be a bit off – think of “waiting” as in restaurants etc, but conducted at 30,000 feet (ie, “up”).

Ah, yes of course - thank you. Yes, R wrong - see ETa to previous post.  STEWARDESS

[SusanDoris]

Several of the clues today have come up before since I started subscribing to the DT puzzles, but  they'll need to appearquite a few times more before I remember the answers you have kindly helped with. One of them I think is:

Worrying about son is what could make one even happier (12)
- - - E - E - S - V -

APPREHENSIVE  fits but it doesn't sound right.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

Several of the clues today have come up before since I started subscribing to the DT puzzles, but  they'll need to appearquite a few times more before I remember the answers you have kindly helped with. One of them I think is:

Worrying about son is what could make one even happier (12)
- - - E - E - S - V -

APPREHENSIVE  fits but it doesn't sound right.

Sounds right enough to me Susan – “about” (ie, surrounding) “son” (ie, S) is an anagram (“could make”) of “even happier”.

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,

Sounds right enough to me Susan – “about” (ie, surrounding) “son” (ie, S) is an anagram (“could make”) of “even happier”.

Oh, good! There is now a group of clues in bottom left-hand corner.One of them is 17 down:
A smooth telemark, ultimately - one that's found in Chamonix! (5-3

I googled a definition of telemark and find it is a way of doing a fancy stop in skiing. Well, it was called something different when I when skiing for the first and only time when I was 16!

Second letter P and last letter E - if answer to
Stumble knocking back lager (4) is REEL)

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

Oh, good! There is now a group of clues in bottom left-hand corner.One of them is 17 down:
A smooth telemark, ultimately - one that's found in Chamonix! (5-3

I googled a definition of telemark and find it is a way of doing a fancy stop in skiing. Well, it was called something different when I when skiing for the first and only time when I was 16!

Second letter P and last letter E - if answer to
Stumble knocking back lager (4) is REEL)

 
Hmmm…if we start with the second one, I’m not liking REEL I’m afraid – there’s no connection to the “lager” part. On the other hand, if you think of a common four-letter word for “lager” (often with “ner” at the end of it) and then reverse it (“knocking back”) you get a nice synonym for “stumble”…

…which also gives you the correct letter for the telemark clue. What do people do/have after a hard day on the slopes of Chamonix etc?

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,
 
Hmmm…if we start with the second one, I’m not liking REEL I’m afraid – there’s no connection to the “lager” part. On the other hand, if you think of a common four-letter word for “lager” (often with “ner” at the end of it) and then reverse it (“knocking back”) you get a nice synonym for “stumble”…

…which also gives you the correct letter for the telemark clue. What do people do/have after a hard day on the slopes of Chamonix etc?

Thank you - so that's SLIP and APRES-SKI. In fairness to myself, I had thought of SLIP and TRIP but reversing the letters did not ring any recognition bells!

[SusanDoris]

I'm afraid I'm stuck on the last three clues. I think I should know all three because I'm fairly sure they have already appeard and that you have helped with answers, but I would appreciate strong hints or answers, please for these:
16 down: Detective's assistant has to capture cheat (- A - - - - - S
I know I had to think of a wide variety of synonyms for cheat ... ...

21 across: Speculate - that makes the euro finally increase in value (8 - - E - R - S -

24 across: A hospital rejected rocket scientists (4)

First letters of 21 and 24 from 16 down.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hey Susan,

I'm afraid I'm stuck on the last three clues. I think I should know all three because I'm fairly sure they have already appeard and that you have helped with answers, but I would appreciate strong hints or answers, please for these:
16 down: Detective's assistant has to capture cheat ( - A - - - - - S
I know I had to think of a wide variety of synonyms for cheat ... ...

OK. The “has” is given to you, and it has to go around (“capture”) a synonym for “cheat” – think what a bee does. This gives you a person’s surname, though I confess I haven’t looked up the literary reference to see which detective this chap was an assistant to.

21 across: Speculate - that makes the euro finally increase in value (8 - - E - R - S –

It’s a synonym for “speculate”, and the “the” and the last letter of euro (“euro finally”) get you started. All you need then for the last four letters is a synonym for “increase in value”. Like bread!

24 across: A hospital rejected rocket scientists (4)

First letters of 21 and 24 from 16 down.

Somewhat quaint abbreviation for “hospital” is backwards ("rejected") and the “a” is given to you. Which organisation do most American rocket scientists work for?

[bluehillside Retd.]

Coda: Just looked him up Susan - turns out he was Hercule Poirot's assistant!

[SusanDoris]

Hey Susan,

OK. The “has” is given to you, and it has to go around (“capture”) a synonym for “cheat” – think what a bee does. This gives you a person’s surname, though I confess I haven’t looked up the literary reference to see which detective this chap was an assistant to.

Ah, I see - I thought it would be DS Detective Sergeant) or something to do the go arounding. Having now done the other two clues, THEORISE and naSA, I an see that it is HASTINGS and it's that word 'sting' that this setter obviously likes!

It’s a synonym for “speculate”, and the “the” and the last letter of euro (“euro finally”) get you started. All you need then for the last four letters is a synonym for “increase in value”. Like bread!

I had put in the I and E of rise but hadnd't worked out why.
Ditto with putting in the letters for NASA  but couldn't see why. A SAN is certainly not a phrase in current use!

Somewhat quaint abbreviation for “hospital” is backwards ("rejected") and the “a” is given to you. Which organisation do most American rocket scientists work for?

Much appreciated, thank you. I will now have to practise finding the right places to click on to get to Saturday's crossword. I haven't yet tried following Tech chap's instructions.

I see your note about Hastings and Hercule Poirot.

[SusanDoris]

Today's crosswords  successfully printed. Quick quite tricky. Cryptic: 7 answers so far with a few more  possibles, but 15 across is:
Moves modem steeples (
And what sort of a clue is that, for goodness' sake?!! May I ask for a hint, please.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

Today's crosswords  successfully printed. Quick quite tricky. Cryptic: 7 answers so far with a few more  possibles, but 15 across is:
Moves modem steeples (
And what sort of a clue is that, for goodness' sake?!! May I ask for a hint, please.

Of course. If someone “moves” you they motivate you, or…you.

“Modern” means trendy, and then you just need a synonym for “steeples” for the last five letters.