A festival of festive clues for today! I’m surprised that Santa has time in his busy schedule to set a crossword, but it’s much appreciated to get a crossword on a day with no paper.
LOI redcoat – my first guess, redboot, answering neither part of the clue.
Happy Christmas to solvers, novices and experts alike, bloggers and setters.
| Across |
| 1 |
SACK – double definition |
| 3 |
PRECIOUS – very fastidious; anagram (mixing) of SOUP and RICE |
| 8 |
CHRISTMAS – season; anagram (sorted) of ITS CHARMS |
| 10 |
ELF – Santa’s helper; first letters of (starts to) Exhibit Lurid Fantasies |
| 11 |
EXTRA – double definition (Cricket rears its head even in the dead of winter! Edit – just heard on the radio that there is currently cricket in South Africa…) |
| 12 |
REDCOAT – double definition |
| 13 |
RELAPSE – fall back; run = R pass = ELAPSE |
| 18 |
RALLY – great meeting; Rudolph at first = R, colleague = ALLY |
| 19 |
THE FLAT – racing (ie not The Jumps); article = THE, boring = FLAT |
| 20 |
TRITENESS – lack of originality; attempts = TRIES, limiting (around) number = TEN, then son = S |
| 22 |
USE – take advantage of; American = US, European = E |
| 23 |
OOHS – cries of excitement; reversal (turn) of drive off = SHOO |
| 24 |
BEFRIEND – get on well with; anagram (when made up) of FINER BED |
| Down |
| 1 |
SACRED – holy; small = S, area of land = ACRE, initially declared = D |
| 2 |
CURATE – minister; dog = CUR, had dinner = ATE |
| 4 |
RUM – double definition |
| 5 |
CASH REGISTER – cryptic definition – perhaps readies, rather than ready, is the more usual expression, and change = CASH, chemist = DISPENSER |
| 6 |
OREGON – state; hidden (lacking tips) in fOR EG ONe |
| 7 |
SAFETY – security; 10 is ELF, so ironically paired is “ ‘elf and safety” |
| 9 |
SPARE TYRE – flabby stomach; cryptic definition – needed to replace 19 (the flat) |
| 12 |
ROAST – very hot; right = R, oven = OAST |
| 14 |
GROTTO – Santa’s workplace; endlessly sordid = GROTT(y), round = O |
| 15 |
SLEIGH – what Santa rides on; endless dexterity = SLEIGH(t) |
| 16 |
CLAUSE – Santa; homophone (read out) of part of sentence = CLAUSE |
| 17 |
ATTEND – come to; a = A dry =TT (teetotal), conclusion = END |
| 21 |
EVE – double definition |
Seasons greetings to all!
Have a merry Christmas, if you haven’t done so already!