QC 2855 by Oink

This is actually a porcine clue, although Oink may have fluked it.

According to the OED PORCELAINE comes via French from the Italian porcellana “porcelain” (13c.), lit. “cowrie shell,”. The new chinaware had  resemblance to the shiny surface of the shells. The shell’s name in Italian is from porcella “young sow,” which it was supposed to resemble.

So we have a shell that resembled a young sow. Then came this new material from China that resembled the shell material by being smooth and glossy, so they took the Italian name of the shell for the material. (Refs)

Maybe our Setter used a truncation device rather than a homophone, to avoid antagonising Scots and Americans who would claim SPA and  SPAR “arrrrr rrrreally differrrent”.

Another word which is just about the only survivor of a now extinct language : Rumsen, a language of northern California. In QC 2819 I identified PARKA as similar.

The word comes from the initial letters of “radio detection and ranging” . The name was suggested in 1940 by the U.S. Navy, the term in use in Britain at the time was RDF.

The AR suffix became associated with this type of tech, ASDIC became SONAR at about the same time, then LIDAR, and (um) GAYDAR.

Metaphorical and literal. Usually it’s the literal that is the definition, but like many cliches the metaphorical now sounds more natural. If you were on safari and the guide said “that rhino is particularly thick-skinned” I’d be thinking he was the least sensitive of the herd.

First meaning is a simple canoe made by hollowing out the trunk of a tree. Second is a roofed shelter used in trench warfare.

The only surface which is a bit weak today, the commas give it a clunky feel.

Although now I’ve been assigned a clue for the Christmas special I am discovering just how hard it is to make them sound smooth.

Great anagram and surface. Facebook uses “In a Relationship” as a classification, which is different from “Single”, “Engaged”, “Married” and “It’s complicated”. It is.

Odd clue, not sure how to describe, or what to underline. The second ALE is fulfilling the same task in the word play and the definition which is vaguely unnerving.

Interesting derivation:  “Teddy Boy” was coined when a 1953 Daily Express newspaper headline shortened “Edwardian” to “Teddy”, these lads were labeled “Edwardians” due to their adoption of Edwardian-era fashion styles : High waisted trousers, waistcoats, turned back cuffs, velvet lapels and watch chains.

Another brilliant surface. If you need to explain what a Cryptic clue is to your nephew over the Christmas holiday, you could do worse than use this clue as an example.

This is “ring” as in a PEAL of bells.

And there’s your second porcine clue.

Has to be the shortest definition ever (yes, that I is actually underlined, with an I-dash). See my preamble on how this is one of our new editors favourite clues.

Northerners always say the Southeast is less friendly than anywhere else in Britain.

Aren’t all youths self-obsessed?

“State” and “prosecutor” go well together to describe a District Attorney, but here they need to be separated.

A real chestnut. The word comes from the same roots as “abbreviate”, nothing to do with bridges.

We don’t have the rank of Count in the English peerage, Earl is the equivalent, although his wife is still a Countess.

Great surface, sounds like the plot of a straight-to-DVD film, DORMANT (PG) featuring Adam Sandler (Rod), Ben Stiller (the Social Worker) and Cameron Diaz (the sleeper).

This was my LOI as Encourage=animate aren’t obvious synonyms, and AGITATE looks just as close. But the first definition of ANIMATE in the OED is “To fill with boldness, courage, spirit; to encourage. Now rare.”

POM-POM is an early word for any automatic gun, presumably from the sound of the slow rate of fire of early guns. As for the use of POM in Australia, there are many blogs on its etymology, and whether its use is offensive or not.

I thought this was just Scots pronunciation of “Lord”, but it is subtlety different, it’s a rank, below a baron and above a gentleman.

There’s plenty of scams selling of tiny plots of Scottish land and a claim of a “LAIRD” title to go along with it. On this one, you get the title of LAIRD on heavy-weight, acid free paper, with a gold foil seal which is “stamped for authenticity”. Only £55. Call me Laird Merlin of Avalon from now on.

Short for Pekinese, the dog which was supposed to have been introduced to the west from Peking. Should it now be called the Beijingese?

I always think the canonical clown looks sad, even when smiling. My daughter is terrified of them. 5% report an extreme fear of clowns, which is higher than many other more famous phobias, such as heights (2.8%) closed spaces (2.2%), and flying (1.3%).