===[**CDM**]=== crossword clue chain

By way of reminder, the object of this game is to solve (and briefly explain) the clue presented by the previous poster and then set your own clue.

Anything from the (worldwide) crossword arena is acceptable by way of clue style, but if you stray too far from the pure path beware the scourge of... Pandora's WET NOODLE!

The puzzle could be an old favourite or something of your own making. Don't be shy: this is for everyone, not just the old hands!

For those unfamiliar with crossword clues who want to give it a try, there is plenty of guidance online and a quite entertaining and instructive book (not just for beginners) available from amazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Times-Crack-Cryptic-Crosswords/dp/0007546521/ref=dp_ob_image_bk and no doubt elsewhere, and for those who like British Crosswords you may like to try these (which are free): http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords and https://www.ft.com/crossword.

There is nothing to prevent (say) a couple of related clues if offering a single clue cramps your style.

If there are multiple answers involved, there is no restriction against one person solving all and the solver of the final clue/part is the one who goes next.

Obviously you need to await confirmation of a correct answer before posting your own puzzle, but please then do so reasonably promptly: if having answered correctly you are not going to be able to set a follow-up clue within about the next 18 hours, please pass your turn to someone else so that the game does not stall.

To save the poor demented solvers from excessive brain damage , you should consider revealing one letter of the answer when the question is set, unless the answer is very short/easy so that provision of a letter hint at the outset would spoil the sport!

If no-one is biting within about 24 hours you should start dropping additional hints, and to try to give everyone a fair crack of the whip, the immediately previous setter is asked not to post a solution to the current clue within the first 24 hours.

Constructive criticism and cheerful badinage are to be expected, not to mention a certain amount of national rivalry, but above all, have a bit of fun.

The weighty trophy to be passed to whoever solves your clue is the jewel-encrusted CanukDenis Memorial Championship Belt
===[**CDM**]===

This thread is so named in honour of our late dear friend Denis Borris (aka CanukDenis) who was an ever cheerful and quick-witted presence on this forum, posting many an iffy crypt just to stir the pot, and intrigued by all things linguistic, mathematical and beyond.
RIP CD - we hold you in our hearts as we play on!

next clue to follow shortly, courtesy of current title holder Cue

Thanks, Lex

Travel around top of gorge and crest of hill (5)

Early hint:

Direct on right...1 e

ridge
rid(g)e ride around g
ride = travel
top of gorge = g

Nice solve, manxman

Take this for a ride ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you Cue

Unable to read, I'll repeat (10)

Compared to Denis, I am not very good at solving these puzzles.

Could this be an anagram of unable + read = unreadable?

Sorry Curly, not the answer

illiterate. I'll plus a word for repeat (iterate) = illiterate.

Well done Curly.

An easy one I think. Expose tactics by removing glove (4, 4, 4)

Show your (or one's) hand

Wear this belt with pride Kevin. ===[**CDM**]===

Merci mon ami

Chubby-sounding man on board (7)

Direct on the right: the answer is UK spelling, although the clue works for US spelling if you drop "-sounding."

Come on baby...

The board is for a game.

It must be chequer (UK spelling) or checker (US spelling).
Chubby Checker/ checker board

It certainly is! Next time you do the Twist, this may prevent you slipping a disc:
===[**CDM**]===

Why, thank you, Lex!

Illusory appearance of Earth in lunar eclipse (6)

unr(e)al

This belt is real, Cue! ===[**CDM**]===

REAL, nice Thanks, Cheryl

Start to swill wine for fun (5)

Direct on right. No e's

Everyone must be out Christmas shopping...….

(s)port

Absolutely, Cheryl! Sport this around ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you, Cue!

Wow! It seems to have intelligence (4)

Wits = intelligence - hidden word

Keep your wits about you by wearing this, Lex! ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you, the wits need all the help they can get!

Constant stains troubled key workers (8) - one which Denis would probably have liked, and no e

Direct on right, one indicator cvvcvccc

Constant is a mathematical term

pianist (pi+stains) = key workers

Pitch perfect! Here you go: ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you Lex

Beer from the East is fit for a king (5)

there is an 'e'

direct on the right

lager (regal backwards)

Cheers Sue, have one on me

Thank you, manxie!

Needle and hook I have (4)

Direct is on the left

Charade type clue cvcv

j/ive

I’ll dance to that! ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you, Sue!

Lack of restraint wearing a ring (7)

Direct on left. No e's.

abandon = a band on

You can put this belt on, Cue! ===[**CDM**]===

It fits nicely! Thanks Cheryl

Bum antenna fried Christmas tree (10)

Tannenbaum = Christmas tree - anagram (fried) of bum antenna

usefully I remembered the song about it!

Nicely done, Lex. You can admire this draped over your Christmas tree. I've added a few lights to help with decorations. ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you kind sir: very appropriate to the season!

Small and dark? No (6) - two vowels, no e and no letters repeated

Direct on right but a bit sneaky, answering part of the question on the left...

cvccvc, wordplay 1 + 5

Might it be s/unlit?

It certainly might: I hope that your outlook is, despite your avatar appearing to have gone on holiday!

Herewith a Christmas Bauble version of the Belt (blame Cue) ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Lex!
And, thanks for the heads up on my MIA avatar. I've added a temporary substitute while I search for something more permanent.

Large, not-all-there family with one bathing suit (6)

Cheryl, I recently switched to postimage.com and it's free and easy to use.

bi(g) + kin + 1 -> bikini

Wear this in place of your bikini, Rog! ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Sue!! I tried a different free account but had trouble with posting the pic here. Postimage worked the first time! Unfortunately, I lost my avatar pic, maybe for good.

Thanks, Cheryl - need an extra bit of midriff restraint this time of the year...

Shout to get woman a plant (7) - one e

Is this the one?

Oh, thank you!

Early hint - direct on the right, and forget all about botany...

Two more hints before I go

Wordplay swwwwss
Think Steinbeck

Hm - didn't imagine it would cause this much grief

You're looking for a word that fits definitions 4 (and possibly 5) of "plant" in dictionary.com
Looking at a list of John Steinbeck novels may help
A word meaning "shout" to include a woman's name
cvccvcy

c(Anne)ry

Phew - that's a relief! One belt making the return journey, Cheryl: ===[**CDM**]===

Got it, Rog! Thanks!

Bad or awful food (5)

Early hints - direct on right, no e's

I'll be gone until late tonight so I'll try to check back then. Merry Christmas, all!

No takers yet? Pretty straight forward so I'll assume that it's due to excessive Christmas celebrating and leave it here for a bit longer. Cheers!

Board = food - anagram (awful) of "bad or" and took a bit of thought...or maybe that was the wine and other distractions...

Hope you had a great day and that the festivities continue

Thank you, Lex! Here's your present. ===[**CDM**]===

Any time spent with my family is a great day!

Thank you ma'am!

Two similarly styled clues, not too demanding, both for the Belt:

1. Monk overthrows puritans (8)

2. Book we can parade about (3,3,5)

1. Rasputin
2. War and Peace
Hope you had a wonderful holiday Lex

Correct on both counts mxm, and herewith the Belt:
===[**CDM**]===



..and yes thanks, we had a good time: I hope you did likewise.

Thank you Lex

Live east of Romania's capital--it's unusual (4)

Rare - "are" ("live") to the east (the right) of R(omania)

Well done UW ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, manxman!

A clue of the type our Denis used to occasionally throw into the ring. All parts to be solved for the belt, please.

1 Final year student becomes nosier (6)
2 Battered shrub no longer right for President (4)
3 2 1 (5) - 2 "e"s

Is the letter count correct for #3?

A very wise question to ask with me, but yes, afraid so, Cheryl - want to let me have the first two under a spoiler?

(I did get it wrong to begin with but changed it almost immediately - the correct letter count is five)

See your thinking Cheryl, but if that was the answer it wouldn't really be a cryptic, more a trivia question

Ahh, I see your point. Jumped on that because it was just too easy to. Ha!

Alright, here's another go with my thinking cap on straight:

1. senior
2. bush
3. elder

Amazing what a straight cap can do! ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Rog!

With no time to lose, someone occupying the kitchen doesn't start to remove lid from spicy dish (2, 1, 5)

There's a lot of moving parts to this one! Direct on the left, no e's.

I have been trying to justify "in a hurry" for this, but failing dismally...apart perhaps from removing lid from curry

(BTW I was stuck on Rog's clue in the same way as you)

In a hurry is the correct answer, Lex. You've taken the lid off of curry, now you just need to find the "someone in the kitchen doesn't start" part. Who might you sing about that's in the kitchen? It might be more of an American folk song.

It's usually mama's in the kitchen in a few old blues songs, but with that hint and a little help from google and You Tube, it would be Dinah in the kitchen not starting

That's the one! And, here's your prize. ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you Cheryl, and a very happy and healthy New Year to all!

A couple of medical clues to help further addle the brain amid the over-indulgence (or hangover, as the case may be), along with a third clue I could not resist as a vocabulary tester:

1. Infection resulting from Spooner's Scottish legislation? (7) - two vowels and all letters different

2. My company has something in the blood that causes pneumonia perhaps (10) - six consonants with one appearing twice, as does a among the vowels, and all letters otherwise different

3. Pompous official judge's first with spirit to support censure (10) - three vowels of which two are a, one consonant appearing twice and all other letters different

1. direct on left cvcccvc

2. direct on right cycvccvccv

3. direct on left cvccvcccvc

First and last letters in alphabetical order ALMMPW

Alright, I'll bite:

1. lockjaw (jock law)
2. my/co/plasma
3. pan/j/and/rum

Correctly bitten!
===[**CDM**]===

Mmmmmm….. thanks, Lex!

Monkeys without clothing I note (7)

Direct on the left. No e's. 3 vowels, of which 2 are the same.

cvcvvcc 1 indicator (Think of a word that means "without")

Sneaky!

"sans" (without) clothing "I mi" -> simians

(Spent a long time trying to fit a in scale note (A-G)...)

Don't run off without this belt clothing you, Rog! ===[**CDM**]===

I wear it with prlde, Cheryl!

I think it's kosher:

Not much time to operate missile (9) - 4 vowels, all different

Hint time:

Direct on the right (and it's ballistic)
Wordplay 6+3
The missing vowel is "o"

Hmm. OK - quick reclue. Direct now on the left, same wordplay:

Ballistic missile for very small chap? (9)

Minuteman has to be the ballistic missile in question

<Breathes a sigh of relief> Indeedy Lex, and a Happy New Year to you! ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you (I used that smilie mainly because of the missile)

Medici cleverly collaring winter eavesdropper (6)

Direct on the right - three vowels of which one is e

Nothing to do with listening...

D'oh!

Medici cleverly

Nice misdirection with "cleverly''...

Let me just drop this back into your hands: ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Lex!

Dangerous river current - heavens above! (5)

Early hints:

Ignore the exclamation mark - purely to improve surface
Direct on the left
Wordplay 1+1+3

risky (ri+sky)

Unable to find any fault at all with that manxman, so: ===[**CDM**]===

thank you UW

In olden days, shall fade (4)

one vowel, no 'e'

wilt (double def)

Well done Cue ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, manxman

Workable final found in photo (7)

Direct on left. No e's

Not a very good clue, now that I look at it again. Lets try...

Flexible final found in photo (7)

p(last)ic

Well done, Cheryl

Flex this around you ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you, Cue!

Fix a musical's opening and finale (5)

amend (a+m+end)

Fixed this for you, manxman! ===[**CDM**]===

Time for a new thread I think: please post the next clue there mxm.