This post contains signposts for those who prefer their crosswords to relieve rather than relive the recent events of the pandemic
In the sample clues below, the links take you to little explainers from our For Beginners series.
20acMother’s in meeting ad infinitum, feeling fine (12)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘mother’ contained by (‘in’), and there’s no way to say this, mathematical term used when approaching infinity ]
[ MA in ASYMPTOTIC ]
[ definition: feeling fine ]
1acPlease spreadout (6)
[ wordplay: anagram (‘spread’) of PLEASE ]
[ definition: out ]
20dDepressinghigh toll overwhelms hospital department (7)
[ wordplay: synonym for a high-pitched bell sound (‘high toll’) surrounding abbrev. for Ear, Nose & Throat (‘hospital department’) ]
[ DING surrounding ENT ]
[ definition: depressing ]
27ac Managed to get gold box valued (12)
[ wordplay: heraldic term for ‘gold’ + synonyms for ‘box’ & ‘valued’ ]
[ OR + CHEST + RATED ]
[ definition: managed ]
Music begins to atrophy when it departs too far from the dance; that poetry begins to atrophy when it gets too far from music
17dHow to pronounce the ‘h’ of ‘aaargh’? (8)
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