Colgan's Cryptic Crossword
Across
1. Higher intent, against the odds (5)
4. Lash caught by eye implement (7)
8. Serviceman takes substance: it’s kept confidential (7,6)
9. Outfit for a bishop?
Surely not! (4)
10. Somewhat caught by bolt, but it is only a minor
nuisance (4-4)
12. Swimmers that I often employ (3,8)
15. Criticise companion rejecting new type of
pizza (8)
16. American Indians wiped out last of another tribe (4)
18. Has little concern to show gentle affection (6,7)
19. Express has sped off before gloom (7)
20. Short agreement incorporated by head-master (5)
Down
1. Aroused compassion for someone above himself (6)
2. Band restrains stray
dogs (5,8)
3. Server loses direction,
missing both sides (4)
4. One hustling cyclist towing pusher (7-6)
5. Source of 15 has one cold and terrified (2,1,5)
6. Session’s fairly well
placed (7,6)
7. Guard very rare set-up (6)
11. Is spellbound by a personal gift (8)
13. Not close, quite high,
not out! (6)
14. Done in fashion with short American countryman (6)
17. Old man pulled out of run (4)
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Solutions published online on Friday March 20.
Solution
EXPLANATIONS (C = cryptic part of clue + S = straight
part of clue; or S + S = clue holding answer twice with two
different straight meanings;
or POW = play on words.)
Note that joining words may or may not be an integral part of the
clue.
Punctuation and capital letters are irrelevant.
The art of the setter is to make it non-obvious how and where to
split the clue,
and to mislead the solver along an irrelevant path.
Across
1. C: higher (up) intent (set)
S: against the odds = upset
4. C: lash (whip) caught by eye (saw)
S: implement = whipsaw
8. C: serviceman (private) substance (matter)
S: it’s kept confidential = private matter
9. S: outfit = tutu
S: bishop = Tutu
10. C: somewhat (a bit) caught by bolt (inside “flee”)
S: it is only a minor nuisance = flea-bite
12. POW: swimmers that I often employ = red herrings
15. C: criticise (pan) companion rejecting new (friend,
without ‘n’)
S: type of pizza = panfried
16. C: wiped out last of another tribe (Creek, without ‘k’)
S: American Indians = Cree
18. C: has little concern (cares slightly)
S: show gentle affection = caress lightly
19. C: express (air) sped off before (anagram of ‘sped’,
beforehand)
S: gloom = despair
20. C: short agreement (yes, without ‘s’) incorporated by head
(inside ‘don’)
S: master = doyen
Down
1. C: aroused (up) compassion for someone (pity)
S: above himself = uppity
2. C: band restrains stray (anagram of “band
restrains”)
S: dogs = Saint Bernards
3. C: loses direction, missing both sides (strays,
without each ‘s’)
S: server = tray
4. C: cyclist (wheeler) towing pusher (before ‘dealer’)
S: one hustling = wheeler dealer
5. C: source of 15 (in a pan) one (I) cold (c)
S: terrified = in a panic
6. C: session (sitting) fairly (pretty)
S: well placed = sitting pretty
7. C: very rare set up (“red raw”, upwards)
S: guard = warder
11. C: is spellbound (‘is’ inside ‘charm’) a (a)
S: personal gift = charisma
13. C: quite high (spaced out) not out (without ‘out’)
S: not close = spaced
14. C: Done in fashion (Ken) short American (Yank, without
‘k’)
S: countryman = Kenyan
17. C: man pulled out of run (“managed”, without “man”)
S: old = aged