An option to omit the topical material in our pick of the best of the broadsheet’s cryptic clues
In the sample clues below, the links take you to little explainers from our For Beginners series.
3dOld poet’s current disease beginning to disappear (4)
[ wordplay: name of current disease minus initial letter (‘beginning to disappear’) ]
[ definition: old poet ]
21/28acThat man’s failing, mate– but he’s still in office (4,7)
[ wordplay: anagram (‘failing’) of THATMAN + synonym for ‘mate’ ]
[ MATTHAN + COCK ]
[ definition: at least the ‘he’s still in office’ part, or the whole clue ]
18acBig deal, right? Won’t work– like government’s contact-tracing app (5-7)
[ wordplay: anagram (‘… work’) of BIG, DEAL, abbrev. for ‘right’, WONT ]
[ anagram of BIDDEALRWONT ]
[ definition: like government’s contact-tracing app ]
1dCorrosive substance in laminate and some coppers (6,4)
[ wordplay: type of laminate & abbrev. for police branch (‘some coppers’) ]
[ FORMICA & CID ]
[ definition: corrosive substance ]
A sassy mademoiselle
pronouncing this word here
would sound quite rude
to a British ear
24dMore artful hosts aren’t commonlyof better character (9)
[ wordplay: synonym of ‘more artful’ containing (‘hosts’) slang for (‘commonly’) ‘aren’t’ ]
[ SLIER containing AINT ]
[ definition: of better character ]
