A new president to conjure with in our pick of the best of the broadsheets’ cryptic puzzles
In the sample clues below, the links take you to explainers from our beginners’ series. The setter’s name often links to an interview with him or her, in case you feel like getting to know these people better.
12acUS politician in priest turnedrotten (8)
[wordplay: president’s surname (“US politician”) inside (“in”) name of Old Testament Israelite (“priest”), both reversed (“turned”)]
[BIDEN in ELI, both reversed]
[definition: rotten]
26acWellbeforesummer (6)
[double definition]
27acThis melt-downtransformed one wet acre (3,5)
[wordplay: anagram (“transformed”) of I (“one”) with WETACRE]
[definition: something that has melted down]
10acCribrails gape badly around infant’s head (10)
[wordplay: anagram (“badly”) of RAILSGAPE, containingfirst letter (“head”) of INFANT]
[definition: the verb form of crib)]
1dLastly, shake anti-viral fluid before openingit (7,8)
[wordplay: anagram (“fluid”) of final letter of (“lastly”) SHAKE and ANTIVIRAL, then (“before”) synonym for “opening”]
[anagram of EANTIVIRAL, then MOUTH]
[definition: it]