Crossword Clues Part 2

[SusanDoris]

Today's Cryptic is much more accessible and I've done about 8 answers on first read through, but there will no doubt be one or two for which I shall have to request a hint!

[SusanDoris]

No chance of going out today in this wind, so may I please have a yes/no for:

Are these letters right C - F- M - - -

for 14 down: American river crossed by container vessel (9)

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

No chance of going out today in this wind, so may I please have a yes/no for:

Are these letters right C - F- M - - -

for 14 down: American river crossed by container vessel (9)

Not keen of the F I’m afraid.

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,

Not keen of the F I’m afraid.

Thank you - I thought that might be the problem, but the answer to

16 across: Bookkeeper's test of equilibrium? (5,7)

I thought was FINAL BALANCE,, which fits so nicely! I think the fifth letter is L and BALANCE is probably right.

[Aruntraveller]

Think of another word for final that would go at the bottom of a list of figures added together...... it still has L as the last letter.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

Thank you - I thought that might be the problem, but the answer to

16 across: Bookkeeper's test of equilibrium? (5,7)

I thought was FINAL BALANCE,, which fits so nicely! I think the fifth letter is L and BALANCE is probably right.

You're on the right lines. Before you get to the final balance though, there's another type of balance...

[SusanDoris]

Many thanks, TV and bluehillside, for extra help. That must be TOTAL then. Certainly a T makes more sense between C and M in 14 down!

[bluehillside Retd.]

Susan,

Many thanks, TV and bluehillside, for extra help. That must be TOTAL then. Certainly a T makes more sense between C and M in 14 down!

Noooo! What's it called when you have a preliminary version of something? Same word used for court proceedings. 

[SusanDoris]

Susan,

Noooo! What's it called when you have a preliminary version of something? Same word used for court proceedings.

thank you. LEGAL BALANCE? I have just googled definition of 'legal balance' and it seems to fit.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

TRIAL BALANCE!

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,

TRIAL BALANCE!

thank you - much appreciated. I wouldn't have got it, never having had to deal with proper book-keeping.

[SusanDoris]

This morning I have cheated with 1 across.
Clue: Old vehicle's trim pocketed by flier (6)
JALOPY and I should have worked it out. However,

1 down is: In summer month, right to make soup (
First letter J, seventh N

I have just googled 'soups begining with J and the only word that has 8 letters is Japanese, which won't work. As there is an N, it could be June, rather than July but not necessarily I suppose.

May I have a hint, plese?

[Nearly Sane]

This morning I have cheated with 1 across.
Clue: Old vehicle's trim pocketed by flier (6)
JALOPY and I should have worked it out. However,

1 down is: In summer month, right to make soup (
First letter J, seventh N

I have just googled 'soups begining with J and the only word that has 8 letters is Japanese, which won't work. As there is an N, it could be June, rather than July but not necessarily I suppose.

May I have a hint, plese?

The whole is more commonly known as a way to slice veg but can also be a soup.  June is the right month. The 'right' is inside it.

[SusanDoris]

The whole is more commonly known as a way to slice veg but can also be a soup.  June is the right month. The 'right' is inside it.

Thank you. I'll work on that while doing my up-an-down-the-Close walk in a minute.

[SusanDoris]

NS

Thank you for your help.  JULIENNE I got it on the third lap! 'lien is not a word that springs to mind though, except for those involved with the law, I suppose. Must remember it ...

[SusanDoris]

May I have, please a yes/no for the following:

4 across: Cheap ?American couple snapped (3-3)
Last letter T.

I think it must be TWO-BIT

10 across: Church officer attacked violently, unknown admitted (6)
Fifth letter O

This one I think must be CANNON.

the reason I ask is that it gives me, for

5 down: Cleaner with wooden thumb, oddly? (7)
And, if above are right, letters are: W - C - T - B, whereas an S instead of the C would give me WASHTUB!

[bluehillside Retd.]

Morning Susan,

May I have, please a yes/no for the following:

4 across: Cheap ?American couple snapped (3-3)
Last letter T.

I think it must be TWO-BIT

10 across: Church officer attacked violently, unknown admitted (6)
Fifth letter O

This one I think must be CANNON.

the reason I ask is that it gives me, for

5 down: Cleaner with wooden thumb, oddly? (7)
And, if above are right, letters are: W - C - T - B, whereas an S instead of the C would give me WASHTUB!

Not ”cannon” I’m afraid. You need another “church officer” beginning with S, and “unknown” usually means you have an X or a Y… 

Yes to WASHTUB. It’s W (“with”), ASH (“wooden”) and TUB comes from the alternate letters (“oddly”) of “thumb”.

[SusanDoris]

Morning Susan,

Not ”cannon” I’m afraid. You need another “church officer” beginning with S, and “unknown” usually means you have an X or a Y… 

Yes to WASHTUB. It’s W (“with”), ASH (“wooden”) and TUB comes from the alternate letters (“oddly”) of “thumb”.

Many thanks. Yes, I thought it was most likely to be 'cannon' that was wrong, but I hoped an unknown might be 'N'. I hoped it was 'ash' and could see it was something to do with the letters of 'thumb', but hadn't quite worked out why.

I'll sort that out later and that's the Cryptic finished!

[SusanDoris]

As a result of X instead of N for unknown and an S to start, SEXTON was the only choice. ThiS also meant that B - X could only be BOX for 6 down  > BOX CAMERA.

[SusanDoris]

I forgot to ask, can you explain, please, how, in the 10 across clue: Church oficer attacked violently ... ...', do the words 'attacked violently' fit the answer, SEXTON?

[Nearly Sane]

I forgot to ask, can you explain, please, how, in the 10 across clue: Church oficer attacked violently ... ...', do the words 'attacked violently' fit the answer, SEXTON?

Without the X, the unknown, you have SET ON which can mean to be attacked violently

[SusanDoris]

Without the X, the unknown, you have SET ON which can mean to be attacked violently

Ah, yes, thank you. There are so many different ways to look at answers, aren't there.

[SusanDoris]

This week's Saturday Cryptic is one of those where I have done  9 answers on a first read through, so it should be okay. However, may I have a hint, please, for

11 across: Armchair found by couple in a Sumerian city (7)
Fifth letter E

Should I assume that the 'couple' is TIE? I've googled Sumerian cities and synonyms for aarmchair but no luckk so far.

[SusanDoris]

Cryptic now complete except for 11 across, for which letters are now: A - A - E - R and I wonder if it's a rare word for 'armchair'? Advice would be appreciated.

 I had to google
1 across: Ogre entering disreputable bar? (split! (7) I thought it was BEGORRA,  but found that the first letter had to be D so I'm afraid I googled it this morning! Answer: DIVORCE but I can't work out why - along with quite a few othe the other answers which I know are right! Anyway that filled in the other down clues.

[Udayana]

Cryptic now complete except for 11 across, for which letters are now: A - A - E - R and I wonder if it's a rare word for 'armchair'? Advice would be appreciated.

 I had to google
1 across: Ogre entering disreputable bar? (split! (7) I thought it was BEGORRA,  but found that the first letter had to be D so I'm afraid I googled it this morning! Answer: DIVORCE but I can't work out why - along with quite a few othe the other answers which I know are right! Anyway that filled in the other down clues.

These clues seem awful...

A disreputable bar could be referred to as a "dive", and "orc" is nasty kind of creature from Tolkien's Lord of The Rings, with an orc in a dive we have a synonym for "split".

For armchair, I think it is a word with a similar sound rather than a similar meaning; "couple" is a word for intercourse - as is "mate", and "Ur" is really the most significant Sumerian city.

Hope that's not too much information!