Misleading placenames and quiet diplomacy in our pick of the best of the broadsheets’ cryptic clues
In the sample clues below, the links take you to little explainers from our For Beginners series.
8acManygiving learner advice? Cross about it (8)
[ wordplay: abbrev. for ‘learner’ & synonym for ‘advice’ surrounded by (‘about it’) hybrid animal (‘cross’) ]
[ L & TIP inside MULE ]
[ definition: many ]
9acSelectsmart response, finally putting nothing in (6)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘smart’ & last letter of (‘finally’) RESPONSE, containing O (‘putting nothing in’) ]
[ CHIC & E, containing O ]
[ definition: select ]
10acHeartless type shotbig game (4)
[ wordplay: with middle letters removed (‘heartless’), TYPE + SHOT ]
[ TE + ST ]
[ definition: important cricket match (‘big game’) ]
14acSocialdistance one street away (5)
[ wordplay: DISTANCE, without (‘away’) I (‘one’) & ST (‘street’) ]
[ DISTANCE – IST ]
[ definition: social (as a noun) ]
11dSawa team keeping two metres apart (5)
[ wordplay: A (‘a’) & abbrev. for eg cricket side (‘team’) between (‘keeping … apart’) abbrev. for ‘metre’ twice ]
[ A & XI in MM ]
[ definition: saw (also as a noun!) ]
12acSeaside resort starts to restrict hosing your lawn (4)
[ wordplay: initial letters of (‘starts to’) RESTRICT HOSING YOUR LAWN]
[ definition: seaside resort ]
5ac Quietdiplomacy protecting international vessel (8)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘diplomacy’ containing abbrev. for ‘international’, then type of vessel ]
[ TACT containing I, then URN ]
[ definition: quiet ]