Cryptic Clues

For those of you who might need instructions for cryptic crossword clues, check out this page .

These have all been created by a variety of well-known constructors. There may be one or two that we might question, but they're still fun. Please explain all answers.

-1. Head of museums relocated due to illnesses (9)
-2. Glide, as in carriage (6)
-3. Shown to keep Roger stimulated (8)
-4. Mountain man with a song, though (9)
-5. Mounting calls can overwhelm top astronaut (8)
-6. We sent up plant monster (8)
-7. Hiding around tree is smart (8)
-8. Sing the praises of participant in next Olympics (5)
-9. Mother's new bottle (7)
-10. Last performance of actress in "Directory" (4,4)
-11. Transport eggs? I'll say (5)
-12. Israeli diet delicatessen keeps stocking in counter (7)

8. extol (contained word)

9. thermos (anag. of mothers)

10. Last performance of actress in "Directory" (4,4)

swan song - last performance

Swanson, G (actress Gloria Swanson listed in directory)

Great solves!

3. provOKed

7. Hiding around tree is smart (8)

hiding = stashing (direct)
sting (smart) around (includes) ash (tree) = st(ash)ing

Well done, ladies!

1. Head of museums relocated due to illnesses (9)
(G)allerGies ; one of nicest I've seen!

2. Glide, as in carriage (6)

sashay

Glide = s(as)hay
as = as
in = container ind
carriage = shay

12. KNESSET

Israeli diet: def. as in legislature.

delicatessen keeps : fodder

stocking in counter: hidden reversal indicator

a lot going on there

Great solves! Glad you liked that one, Denis.

esube

Pandora, I don't understand esube's solve for #12. Would you please explain it to me?

He's kidding around a bit. The answer is Knesset and it's the Israeli "diet" or legislature. The word is hidden in reverse (counter).

Thanks, Pandora. I still don't fully understand.

I discovered that "diet" does mean legislative. I can see that Knesset is a reversed (counter) hidden word in "delicatessen keeps".

I don't understand how "stocking" fits.

This one is just too abstract for me.

"Stocking" is the word that indicates containment. Like, the pond was stocked with fish. Does that help?

I did say there was a lot going on.

And not to beat a dead cryptic, but the problem for the setter is that "keeps" is lovely indicator for a hidden word clue, but it contains part of the word, so she or he has to put in a second word to indicate the containment. So instead of

Israeli diet delicatessen keeps in counter.

The clue needs to be

Israeli diet delicatessen keeps stocking in counter.

which sounds clumsy, but is necessary. (Never mind that things go *on* or maybe *under* the counter, not *in*!)

Pandora and esube, thank you both! I finally get it.

Really good solve, esube.

11. Transport eggs? I'll say (5)

exile - transport (eggs I'll)
say - homophone ind.

Well done, Sondi!

6. werewolf

we + flower reversed (up plant)

Good one, Cheryl!

5. Spaceman = top astronaut - names (calls) containing (can) cap (overwhelm) reversed (mounting).

4. Himalayas

man = him
a song = a lay
yet = as

Spot on!