A recent newspaper puzzle contained what we thought were some quite neat clues, so here are a selection to spike your punch and shine your tinsel as you enjoy the festivities of the season. As usual, please justify your answers:

1. Really hot nuts, say (10) - thoroughly

2. About ready? (8) - monetary

3. Fake qualification left out (9) - imitation

4. Small hole for capturing animals - this might be released from the trap (4) - spit

5. Around middle of board puts kings and queens here? (7) - palaces

6. Feeling blue? (10) - atmosphere

7. Flower's dropping, overrun by returning crowd (7) - blossom

8. Fellow switched future car brand (12) - manufacturer

9. Country clubs? Lad's not excited about that (8) - Scotland

10. Casanova love-nest taking shape (4) - oval

10. oval. (hidden)

Salut K. Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année à toi et ta famille.

5. palaces
middle of board=a
puts=places
p(a)laces

3 (l)imitation :)

Them's the answers.

1: tho(hot)roughly(say) ; a cutie!

Totally!

8. Fellow switched future car brand (12)

MAN ufacturer=future car(switched)?
brand = manufacturer

Another one bites the dust!

7. Flower's dropping, overrun by returning crowd (7)

blossom - flower
loss - dropping (overrun by - container ind) (returning - reversed) mob - crowd

Spot on Sondi!

4. Small hole for capturing animals - this might be released from the trap (4)

might be released from the trap (mouth) - spit (direct)
s (small) + pit (hole for capturing animals)

2. About ready? (8)

moveable ?

About = move ?
ready = able

Correct Jema, but not so CCB (although you have the first two and fourth letters correct).

9. Country clubs? Lad's not excited about that (8)

c(lubs)ladsnot = Scotland !!

Another case of unexpected (illegal?!) abbreviation

Denis, it took me a while to work this one out but the modern British approach seems to allow a lot of previously unacceptable (or even sloppy/lazy) use of just about any word as a vehicle for including its first letter in a clue without this being a regular abbreviation or there being any indication that only the initial letter is being used.

OK...never said I was against doing this:
as long as we know...if not, then solving is really impossible...

2. About ready? (8) ; from your clue to CCB, one of these:

madcaply mahogany maidenly mainstay majority malagasy malarkey malignly manfully mannerly manually markedly massedly masterly matronly mattedly maturely maturity meagerly medially medianly mellowly menially mentally metonymy mightily military minacity minatory mindedly ministry minority minutely misapply miscarry misogamy missilry mixology mobility modality modernly modestly modishly moltenly momently monarchy monetary monitory monogamy monogyny monology monopoly monotony monterey mopingly mopishly morality morbidly mordancy morosely mortally mortuary motherly motility motorway mouthily moveably movingly mucosity mulberry mulishly multiply musingly musketry mutually mycology mysticly

Elementary, my dear Denis!

However, my clue narrows it to a much more limited choice.

Oh ya? With 2 words only, s'got to be a double def
(unless this is another UK surprise for us aliens!);
so I'm baffled...

I don't know whether this particular use of the word "ready" (sometimes used in the plural) is particularly British. This one is not a double definition but an adjective relating to ready.

The other remaining clue is a double definition.

Final hints:

2. Begins with M and ends with Y, one of only four possibilities on Denis's list in the light of the earlier hint.

6. Begins with A and ends with E, and for "feeling" think "mood."

6. Feeling blue? (10)

atmosphere ?

You got it!