Here are a few gentle brain teasers from a recent paper, just to aid the Festive Season digestion:

* 1. Supporting music in reliable way (10) - soundtrack

* 2. Woman will be at that point when going west (7) - Theresa

* 3. Reverend I will get drunk imbibing spirit - his job's on the line (6-6) - engine-driver

* 4. State enrolled nurse about to take top off shortly - it's essential for tanning (9) - sunscreen

* 5. Unmentionable things such as a zombie does apparently (6) - undies

* 6. Childish timepiece? Blow me! It's somehow conned a local kid (9,5) - dandelion clock

* 7. Hot bearded star performing act on stage (5,3,6) - tread the boards

* 8. Pawn and knight taken up in genuine act of revenge (8) - reprisal

* 9. Being full of oneself like inhabitant of Middle East area (8) - egomania

* 10. Quaker offers resistance when beset by devil (6) - friend

* 11. Neat guide (5) - steer

* 12. Glove puppet in which third of fingers is stuck up (6) - snooty

Enjoy!

11 - order

6. dandelion clock

8. reprisal

Try again OB, others correct.

7. Tread the boards (anag. of 'hot bearded star) Hi Lex

Bernie

5. undies

Hi Bernie.

Both right: 5 tickled me too!

1. Supporting music in reliable way (10)

soundtrack = Supporting music, sound (reiable), track (way)

CCB

11. adept

I don't get number 8. Can I get an explanation for the cryptically challenged?

Hi Bob, it was a down clue, so you have P (pawn) and RIS (sir/knight reversed/taken up) all contained in REAL (genuine).

I'm afraid you do not have the right answer for 11 (which is a double definition).

Thanks for the explanation Lex.

I figured 11 was a double definition but even with that, adept was a pretty wild guess. I will look forward to see what the answer is.

12. Glove puppet in which third of fingers is stuck up (6)
sNoopy ? N = fiNgers; soopy a puppet?

11. Neat guide (5)
to my surprise (and dismay!), neat also = cattle!
So: steer?

12. snooty (Sooty is a puppet, I guess)

9. egomania

like = eg
inhabitant of Middle Eastern = Omani
area = a

4.State enrolled nurse about to take top off shortly - it's essential for tanning (9)

sunscreen

State enrolled nurse = sen
about - container ind
to take top off = unscrew = unscre (shortly - deletion ind)
it's essential for tanning = s(unscre)en

They are going down like bowling pins! Yes to all except Denis's attempt at 12, which Cheryl has now solved (Sooty and Sweep were well known glove puppets on British TV some years ago).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sooty

2. Woman will be at that point when going west (7)
Theresa!! as = when?
Pandora will cry fowl for (direct) woman = Theresa!

Nothing wrong with a direct woman!

Hints:

3. Direct on the right.

10. Direct on the left.

10. friend
resistance=r
devil= fiend

3. Reverend I will get drunk imbibing spirit - his job's on the line (6-6)

engine-driver = anagram(Reverend I) containing (imbibing) gin (spirit)

Thanks for finishing them off!