Enter a Covid-free zone for our pick of the best of recent cryptic clues
In the sample clues below, the links take you to little explainers from our For Beginners series.
23acDonaldTrump, the first American king (4)
[ wordplay: initial letter (‘the first’) of DONALD + abbrevs for ‘American’ and ‘king’ ]
[ T + US + K ]
[ definition: a famous Donald ]
3dDemoralised, like the Tories with Theresa gone? (8)
[ wordplay: playful imaginary adjective for something lacking May ]
[ definition: demoralised ]
13dBoris welcoming newspaper spin?I see what you’re saying (3-6)
[ wordplay: what Boris is example of, containing name of a newspaper& abbrev meaning ‘spin’ ]
[ LEADER containing I & PR ]
[ definition: I see what you’re saying ]
* puzzle for what should have been the last day of Wimbledon 2020
10acFinepass for unruly boy at centre of row (7-3)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘pass’ + anagram of (‘unruly’) BOY + middle letter of (‘centre of’) ROW ]
[ TICKET + YBO + O ]
[ definition: fine ]
23dDefect from regiment at last, post-conflict (4)
[ wordplay: final letter (‘at last’) of REGIMENT, after synonym for ‘conflict’ (‘post-conflict’) ]
[ T after WAR ]
[ definition: defect ]