Down |
1 |
Invalidate detective’s rank, given fine instead of time (10) |
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DISQUALIFY – DI’S QUALITY, with (‘given’) F for fine instead of T for time. |
2 |
Odd obstruction in current day (5) |
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WEIRD – WEIR (obstruction in current), D. |
3 |
Behind Cockney Trotter’s back (7) |
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ENDORSE – END, [h]ORSE |
5 |
Lofty home where Providence is in view (5) |
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EYRIE – R.I. (Providence is the capital of Rhode Island), in EYE. |
6 |
Fakeish-sounding soft leather (7) |
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CHAMOIS – sounds like “shammy”. Is that a word? Actually, I looked it up, to discover it is a word, but only as an alternative spelling of “chamois”. Nothing to do with “sham” meaning “fake”. On edit: interestingly, Collins says chamois the animal is pronounced SHAMWHA, but the oiled leather is indeed pronounced SHAMMY. |
7 |
Workers secured by a welcome deal (9) |
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AGREEMENT – MEN inside A GREET. |
8 |
Thunder had a hum, initially ignored (4) |
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TANK – [s]TANK would be “had a hum”, as in “smelled unpleasant”. What has “tank” to do with “thunder”. I can find no trace of a thunder tank! Explanations welcome. On edit, philjordan and Gothick_Matt have pointed me to Chambers, which has: tank as To travel (esp to drive) at great speed or relentlessly. |
9 |
Cable involving blue (Conservative) know-all (8) |
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WISEACRE – WIRE ‘involving’ SEA and C. An Americanism that took a while to come to mind. |
13 |
Modern author to write finally among Brown and company (7,3) |
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UMBERTO ECO – TO and [writ]E inside UMBER + CO. |
15 |
Owner upset footless oversized countryman (9) |
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NORWEGIAN – anagram (upset) of OWNER, then GIAN[t]. |
17 |
Pleasant area in one Oxford college supporting learner (8) |
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LIKEABLE – L (learner), then KEBLE around A[rea]. |
19 |
Anonymous old poem book lifted illness misery (7) |
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BEOWULF – B (book), then FLU WOE backwards (‘lifted’). |
20 |
Monster demanding source of windfalls? (7) |
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ORCHARD – ORC, HARD. Literally, windfalls as from fruit trees. |
22 |
Frame taken from Monmouthshire village to Bury (5) |
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INTER – well, my ignorance of Monmouth villages was total, but I was confident of the answer! I now know TINTERN, famous for its Abbey, is in Monmouthshire. Drop the outside letters to give INTER. |
23 |
University do a number on drugs (5) |
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USING – U, SING (do a song/number). |
24 |
Don’t talk work, which talking this is (4) |
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SHOP – SH, OP. Clever clue! |