Crossword Clues Part 2

[SusanDoris]

The start of the World Snooker Championships.

If that was the clue, I'd have definitely needed help!

[SusanDoris]

Top half complete and a few of the bottom half including the last, but a hint please would be much a preciated for:

16 across: International team's second to wear unusual silver uniforms (
Letters: - - - E - I - S

I knowI ought to remember but cannot at the moment.

ETA Thought I'd take a look at the comments of other puzzlers on the blog and was quite pleased to find that the few whose posts I've read so far found the same ones difficult as I have! And that I knew one or two words they didn't!!!

Also, having now done 17 down, to add the E in letters for 16 across.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Morning Susan,

16 across: International team's second to wear unusual silver uniforms (
Letters: - - - E - I - S

The "unusual" silver tells you you have an anagram, and it surrounds ("to wear") the abbreviation for "International", plus the second letter of "team" ("team's second"), the result being a synonym for "uniforms". There were lots of these at Prince Philip's funeral yesterday I believe.   

[SusanDoris]

Morning Susan,

The "unusual" silver tells you you have an anagram, and it surrounds ("to wear") the abbreviation for "International", plus the second letter of "team" ("team's second"), the result being a synonym for "uniforms". There were lots of these at Prince Philip's funeral yesterday I believe.

Many thanks, so that's LIVERIES.  It's the very large number of anagram indicators that catches me out.

[SusanDoris]

The bottom left-hand corner is proving difficult. May I please have a hint for:

23 down: American ruler loses kilo exercisin (5)
Last letter G

[Nearly Sane]

The bottom left-hand corner is proving difficult. May I please have a hint for:

23 down: American ruler loses kilo exercisin (5)
Last letter G

The Kilo is K so what leader might have a k?

[SusanDoris]

The Kilo is K so what leader might have a k?

Thank you. Yes, I had thought of taking the K off 'king', but couldn't think of what letters to put before the 'ing'.

I now realise that I suppose it must be USING ... ...   

There are still several answers with letters missing, but I can't work out which letters fit to make the answer fit the clue in

4 down: Get rid of ultimately vile joke for audience (5)
Letters: E - E - T

I think this one came up a while ago, but I can't remember the answer!EJECT fits but doesn't fit the clue.

A hint, or the answer, would be much appreciated.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

4 down: Get rid of ultimately vile joke for audience (5)
Letters: E - E - T

Tricky one this. The simple answer would have been EJECT – the first E works (last letter of “vile”), but the JECT part doesn’t. You can though add to the E four letters that sound like “joke” to give you the answer, though I admit that I had to look it up to make sure it’s a word.   

[SusanDoris]

Hi Susan,

Tricky one this. The simple answer would have been EJECT – the first E works (last letter of “vile”), but the JECT part doesn’t. You can though add to the E four letters that sound like “joke” to give you the answer, though I admit that I had to look it up to make sure it’s a word.

Thank you. In that case, I don't think I'll ever get it! May I have the answer, please?

There ar still a few empty squares here and there, which I'll try to fill tomorrow,  but I think it is unlikely that I'll succeed..

[bluehillside Retd.]

Susan,

Thank you. In that case, I don't think I'll ever get it! May I have the answer, please?

There ar still a few empty squares here and there, which I'll try to fill tomorrow,  but I think it is unlikely that I'll succeed..

EGEST. I hadn't heard of it, but as presumably it's the opposite of "ingest" I guess it makes sense. Unusual word though. 

[SusanDoris]

Susan,

EGEST. I hadn't heard of it, but as presumably it's the opposite of "ingest" I guess it makes sense. Unusual word though.

Thank you - help appreciated as always. I think that will count as a rather forgettable word!
Earlier today, I was reading the comments and quite a number of them had not heard of it either. Apparently the compiler was Chris Lancaster who is the DT Editor of the Crosswords section of the puzzlers page.  No wonder some of the clues were hard. Definitely not one I could complete unaided!

[SusanDoris]

No rush of course, but I would much appreciate a reply to the following:

I have just tried to look up the definition of EJEST' but it changes it to 'eject'. Could you please say how that answer
is arrived at? I can see the opposite to 'in jest', but not how it can be 'get rid of', or 'audience'.

There are two remaining clues which defeat me. I think the answer to 26 down is OWN UP, and to 25 across possibly MOOSE, but that doesn't make sense.

25 across: Occasionally asked after low creature (5)
Letters: M - - - E

and

26 down: Admit adult leaving Greece (3,2)
Letters: - - N / - P

First letter of 26 down is third of 25 across.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Good morning Susan – hope all’s well this fine sunny day,

I have just tried to look up the definition of EJEST' but it changes it to 'eject'. Could you please say how that answer
is arrived at? I can see the opposite to 'in jest', but not how it can be 'get rid of', or 'audience'.

It’s EGEST (with a “G”). The E is given to you, and the GEST sounds to an audience like “jest” – ie, the “joke” part.

25 across: Occasionally asked after low creature (5)
Letters: M - - - E

Yes to MOOSE. “Occasionally asked” gives you the alternate letters of “asked” (ie, SE), and they come “after” a word for “low” (as in the lowing of the cattle), ie MOO. And MOOSE of course is the “creature”. 

26 down: Admit adult leaving Greece (3,2)
Letters: - - N / - P

You’ll kick yourself! “Adult” is GROWN UP, but the initial GR is removed (“leaving Greece”) – OWN UP being the synonym for “admit”. 

[SusanDoris]

Good morning Susan – hope all’s well this fine sunny day,

It’s EGEST (with a “G”). The E is given to you, and the GEST sounds to an audience like “jest” – ie, the “joke” part.

Yes to MOOSE. “Occasionally asked” gives you the alternate letters of “asked” (ie, SE), and they come “after” a word for “low” (as in the lowing of the cattle), ie MOO. And MOOSE of course is the “creature”. 

You’ll kick yourself! “Adult” is GROWN UP, but the initial GR is removed (“leaving Greece”) – OWN UP being the synonym for “admit”.

Many thanks. I did wonder about the G so I should have listened to the characters in yourprevious post.
I'm not sure I think it's quite fair to have to remove two letters from GReece, but I'll let them off this time!

And yes, I'm very well, thank you. I did, however, leave a cupboard door open recently and hit my forehead on it forgetting it was open, so the lump and the bruise are at a colourful stage apparently, because people keep asking me what I have done!

[SusanDoris]

Slow Cryptic today I think. May I please have a yes/no for 

2 down: Bird touching cheese (7)
Letters: S - I - - - -

Is STILTON right?

(If it is, I cannot work out why.)

[bluehillside Retd.]

Good morning Susan,

Slow Cryptic today I think. May I please have a yes/no for

2 down: Bird touching cheese (7)
Letters: S - I - - - -

Is STILTON right?

(If it is, I cannot work out why.)

Yes. A STILT is a type of bird, and ON is a synonym for "touching".

[SusanDoris]

Good morning Susan,

Yes. A STILT is a type of bird, and ON is a synonym for "touching".

thank you . 

Top left-hand corner almost done already and a few other answers here and there .. .,.

[SusanDoris]

3:45 p.m. Cryptic finished!!! Confirmation of STILTON  only help needed. No having to look anthing up, et. I conclude, therefore, that it must have been a rather easy one!

[bluehillside Retd.]

Susan,.

3:45 p.m. Cryptic finished!!! Confirmation of STILTON  only help needed. No having to look anthing up, et. I conclude, therefore, that it must have been a rather easy one!

Or in the alternative that you are in fact a steely-eyed crossword Ninja!

(My money's on the latter by the way...)

[SusanDoris]

Susan,.

Or in the alternative that you are in fact a steely-eyed crossword Ninja!

(My money's on the latter by the way...)

Thank you: I couldn't have done it without help here for the last three years including reading that book 'Pretty girl in pink rose', , but it is certainly quite fun to be able to set about the Saturday cryptic expecting to finish it somehow.

[SusanDoris]

This week's has about six 10 or 12 letter answers. It looks reasonable but I don't think I'll be beating my record time today!

However, this post is to ask whether there is a general rule about the number of anagrams allowed in a cryptic like the DT Prize Cryptic. I vaguely remember something about that from many years ago I think.

Sunday I have looked at the intro to the blog and it says:

A pleasant puzzle to match the day, most probably by Cephas, with the short concise clues and anagrams he is best known for, although no pangram lurking there.

so it appears that there are probably more than four anagrams. That infomation doesn't help much though - I have only answered five clues so far!

8:35 a.m. edit:
15 across is: Nice unmarried woman? (12)
Second letter possibly A

Getting nowhere with this, in spite of thinking of different definitions and the fact that Nice is a place, I have had to google the answer: MADEEMOISELLE
I certainly would not have got that one!

[SusanDoris]

May I please have a yes/no for the questions: is the answer an anagram of 'to use admin in'? Are the last three letters ION?

18 across is: One's inclined to use admin in building (12)
Letters: - - - - T - - - S - - -

I'll try to think about it as I now go out for up-and-down-the-Close walk.

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

Yes to the anagram, but no to the ION at the end. It shouldn’t be too much of an Everest for you to climb...

[SusanDoris]

 

Hi Susan,

Yes to the anagram, but no to the ION at the end. It shouldn’t be too much of an Everest for you to climb...

Many thanks. This is definitely a much harder cryptic than the last few weeks - well, as far as I'm concerned anyway!

MOUNTAINOUS  A bit steeper than 'inclined' though and I wouldn't have got that one.

Edit again- no it can't be! wrong amount of letters and no D -back to the drawing board!

Final edit: MOUNTAINSIDE !!

[bluehillside Retd.]

Hi Susan,

Many thanks. This is definitely a much harder cryptic than the last few weeks - well, as far as I'm concerned anyway!

MOUNTAINOUS  A bit steeper than 'inclined' though and I wouldn't have got that one.

Edit again- no it can't be! wrong amount of letters and no D -back to the drawing board!

You nearly have it. MOUNTAIN is correct, so you just need S _  _ _ to finish it...