Quick Cryptic #5 - Reductions
鈼嗏梿 路 By nate 路 Published 2025-01-31T04:02:29.569Z
Constructor's Note
This week is all about reductions and deletions. Each clue starts or ends with a definition of the answer. The rest is one of these types of wordplay:
Headless: Remove the first letter of a word
"Shot epic without leader (3)" gives PIC
Tailless: Remove the last letter of a word
"They clipped article (3)" gives THE
Heartless: Remove the middle letter(s) of a word
"House lacks core pipe (4)" gives HOSE
Wingless: Remove the outer letters of a word
"Estate rejects outsiders immediately (4)" gives STAT
This puzzle also features compound clues, which include more than one wordplay device.
Checking for previous play data...
some lovely surface readings1A
Spiral and stew when losing coat Hook? (6)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Across
- 1ASpiral and stew when losing coat Hook? (6)
- 4AMoans about lame nuts half-heartedly (7)
- 6AMarine life uses jaws, feeds endlessly (7)
- 7ADisheartened peers and Inca Empire, once (6)
Down
- 1DForgetting lid, spills vial contents (5)
- 2DGramp loses head with age, causing violent behaviour (7)
- 3DReduce the needs for environmentally destructive products (7)
- 5DHalf a tape for ass shaved on both sides: ideal to wipe bottom (4,1)