===[**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!

Male, no dove, carrying a weapon (8)

Direct on right, 3 vowels of which 2 are a

(Tom+hawk) carrying "a " -> tomahawk

Here's something to go with your Mohican: ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Lex!

Acted alongside actors turning socialist (2-7)

Many apologies for the delay

Direct on the left
Wordplay 6+3
3 vowels, all different
cv-ccvccvc

Ok...

Maybe it would play better across the pond as "communist" rather than"socialist"
The vowels: cO-ccAccEc
One indicator

co-star/red

Star solve, manxman! ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you UW
Find examiners to provide a pointer (5)

one 'e' plus a second vowel, which is an 'i'

index (hidden)

Nicely solved Pandie
===[**CDM**]===

Thank you!

Hibernian flower has a suggestion of heather (5)

Iris(h) (No leprechaun smileys so I settled for this )

Top o' the afternoon to ye, Cue! Well solved! ===[**CDM**]===

Nice accent lass! Thanks

Deckhands will be necessary, I've heard (7)

Opps...my lack of counting ability is showing It should be (7)

Direct on right. Three unique vowels...none of which are e's

ccvcvvc

two homonyms = necessary.
Note the colors of the letters in my clue above.

crucial

Good solve, Cheryl. Sorry about the count mix up. I find it necessary to give you this ===[**CDM**]===

Why, thank you very much, Cue!

Liberality behind president's trite remark (9)

Direct on the right. 4 vowels, all different, one is an e.

ccvcvcvce

Platitude = trite remark - p (president) + latitude (liberality)

No platitudes here, Lex! Nice solve. ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you kindly!

We rather liked this in a recent puzzle:

Soap broadcast awards I misplaced in Eastender's and Neighbour's (11)

Direct on the right, four vowels of which one is e

vcvcccvccvc wordplay 4 + 8-1, two indicators, answer visible within the clue

What - still no takers? First letter's a, last letter's s, and there you have it!

Broadcast is an anagram indicator relating to soap.

apos/trophes (trophies - i)

...and here's one of those Trophies: ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you muchly!

Continue carrying one flame (7)

Direct on the right. One indicator. 3 vowels, all different. No e's.

pass(i)on

It's with passion that I pass this on to you, manxman! ===[**CDM**]===

Steady on!

Thank you Sherlock

Cause excitement in prison (4)

stir

Well cue, that was exciting ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Manxman! It's exciting for me

He hates arranging cover (7)

Sheathe = cover - anagram (arranging) of he hates

Indeed! Cover yourself with this, Lex ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks Cue.

Connoisseurs, one hundred with terrible congestion (11)

Just happened to check in at the right time:

cognoscenti (anagram + c (100))

Your timing and erudition know no bounds!
===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Lex!

Top team heard at the wharf (8) - one e

OK -

Direct on the right
Wordplay 4+4 one of which is a homophone
One 'Q'
First word of the wordplay has an alternative US spelling but then the homophone and the direct don't work

Getting the first word is the key to the answer

Perhaps think Hemingway... ?

quayside "key side"

Nice solve, manxman! ===[**CDM**]===

Strange - your neighbours to the south appear to use "key" and "quay" interchangeably but I can find no trace of "keyside" in dictionary.com...

Thank you CW

Our host conceals letters (4)

one vowel

rhos (hidden word)

Sherlock ===[**CDM**]===

That was a sneaky one - it took me a while to work out what the answer meant (apart from moorland in Welsh, apparently)!

Obviously it's not only all Greek to me...

Thank you, manxman!

Liqueur prepared in tea set (8)

Well, I messed up. The edited clue should be easily solved. Sorry about that.

anisette

That's it, manxman! Good thing I didn't mess up this belt! ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you Sherlock
Clean the foreign sub (7)

Direct is on the left

launder = clean - la (the in French/ foreign) + under

Good one Lex ===[**CDM**]===

Hope you're doing well and keeping safe. How is the Isle of Man holding up with the virus? I would imagine that it is fairly well contained on the Island. Take care

Thanks mxm: we are both well but there are over 200 confirmed cases on the Island including about 12 in hospital and 2 deaths so far. Unfortunately the government was a bit slow to accept the need to cancel the TT and close the borders, and we are still waiting for a testing laboratory to open (due later this month): however we had begun to self isolate about a week earlier and we are trying to be as careful as possible on shopping trips, meanwhile being in a much luckier position than many others.
Wishing you and yours safe and well!

A couple of vaguely related clues which amused us in a recent puzzle, both for the Belt:

1. Doctor No's at place to trade in 007's vehicle? (5,6)

2. Vehicle for 007 damaged slightly evading hit (3,6,9)

Lex, thanks for the update on you both and the rest of the IoM. Take care of yourselves and keep safe

1. Aston (doctored nosat) Martin (mart + in)

2. The Living Daylights (anag. of slightly evading hit)

Both on the money, so From Isle of Man With Love:
===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Lex!

Group of players in for chest radiology (9)

orchestra

Yes indeed, manxman! ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you Sherlock.
Current male singer (5)

one e

tenor (double def)

Right you are Pandie ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you, manxie!

Quietly, he copies essay (5)

p-aper

You made that look easy!

Serendipity, m'dear - our daily crossword has used "ape" for "copy" in the past...

Cool-sounding article for South American? (7)

Chilean = South American - chilly/cool-sounding + an (article)

One cool belt heading you way, Lex! ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you: I'll keep it on ice!

Host on a march moving north (9) - not an e to be seen

Direct on left, starts with a vowel

anchorman (anag. of "on a march" + n)

You can anchor yourself to this: ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Lex!

A belligerent person chasing cat with hatchet (8)

tom a hawk

And the belt is passed on to you, manxman! ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you Sherlock

A morsel on a vessel (5)

no e anywhere to be seen

direct is on the right

a+ort+a

Well, well - another day, another word: "ort".

Never ever come across it - thanks, manxman!

I seem to remember a Shakespearean reference to an "abject ort."

I learned the word "ort" in British crosswords.

Nobody believes anything they learn there...

Thanks Pandie ===[**CDM**]===
Learn something new every day

Excellent advice, manxie.

Try a small drink (4)

shot

She swings, she scores! ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Sue, but now I miss baseball.

Disturbs two females breaking laws (7)

Ruffles = disturbs - ff (two females) contained in (breaking) rules (laws)

Don't let this belt ruffle your feathers, Lex! ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you: it complements my plumage!

I caught bird around small calves, perhaps (8) - 2 es

Direct on the right vcvcvccc

bird = grebe
small calves = cs

grebe caught in cs = cebergs == icebergs

Correct, young lady, although the justification is a little squiffy! Ic (I caught) + eberg (bird/grebe around) + s (small) = icebergs (calves, perhaps)

Here is the icing for your cake: ===[**CDM**]===

Hope you are keeping safe and well, and not going stir crazy in lockdown.

Very honoured to receive the CDM.

The only really awful thing about this isolation is not being able to hug and kiss the grand children.
But, our forefathers were asked to go to war, we are asked to be couch potatoes. We can do this!!!


Everything's immoral about a song (6)

b(all)ad

It's all yours
===[**CDM**]===

Thank you, OrleansBelle!

Animal kept for luck in mother's bed (6)

mascot

You can keep this for luck, manxman! ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you Sherlock

Seal gets in trouble (6)

Signet = seal - anagram (trouble) of gets in

===[**CDM**]=== No trouble here Lex

Thank you!

Israelite with piercing instrument (4,4)

Direct on the right: one e and one other vowel

Jews harp

Tunefully done! Here you go: ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks, Lex!

Fashionable city can carpe diem, for example (2,5)

Early hints:

Direct on the right
Wordplay 2+2+3
Think West Coast

in = fashionable
la = city
tin = can

in latin

Bene factum, Cheryl! ===[**CDM**]===

Thanks much, Rog!

Awfully bad rule that can last (7)

durable (anag.)

YAY manxman! ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you Sherlock ===[**CDM**]===

High time, eveyone (4)

Tall = high - t (time) + all (everyone): as someone who tends to need extra long clothing sizes, I have that word very much on my radar!

Good one Lex ===[**CDM**]===

Thank you: I'll put the next clue on a new thread a bit later.