We recall Boris Johnson’s 90s Brussels-bashing and explore the etiquette of how to say URLs in our look at the best of the broadsheets’ cryptic clues
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.
14ac Europe stops bananas retaining curve, centrally? Absurd (12)
[ definition: absurd ]
[ wordplay: anagram (‘bananas’ as adjective) of EUROPESTOPS, containing (‘retaining’) middle letter of (‘centrally’) CURVE ]
[ PREPOSTEOUS containing R ]
14dCharacter supports strike (9)
[ definition: character (in punctuation) ]
[ wordplay: synonyms for ‘supports’ & ‘strike’ ]
[ BACKS + LASH ]
On-air web trailing
The URL given out on air is the Radio 4 address: www.bbc.co.uk/radio4. Programmes should not trail microsites with a second forward slash, e.g. www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/makinghistory. It is preferable for the web site to be mentioned in the body of the programme, rather than at the end or beginning by Continuity. Please say ‘slash Radio 4’ not ‘forward slash Radio 4’.
We can if we wish hold out for our own personal favourites and keep using the words and phrases we enjoy. I detest the word ‘slash’ in website addresses. When I read out the Today programme address on the air I always say ‘stroke’ – an altogether more elegant word. Many people write (never email) to me to say they prefer it too.
24dSpace for transubstantiation, not the front of church (4)
[ definition: whole clue ]
[ wordplay: anagram of (‘for transubstantiation’) SPACE without first letter (‘front’) of CHURCH ]