Tee-Hees
Oblique definitions. Lateral clues. Daffy definitions. Call this bunch whatever you fancy, they can be the simplest style to solve – or the ornery alternative. In this clue-type, the word play is bound into the definition, asking you to perceive a word freshly. Hair splitter, say, may be PART. Or drum set, EARS.
See, they make you smile. Or groan. Or gnash your ivories. See how you cope with this gorgeous grab-bag. Several hail from the American maestri, such as Ben Tausig, Francis Heaney, Henry Hook and Patrick Blindauer, among others. The rest are all English cryptic. Enjoy, I hope.
1) Candy eaten after chinups? (3) P _ _
2) Master of the double-take (4) _ O _ H
3) It may be drawn to scale (5) _ _ I _ E
4) Chap informally the cause of crashing planes? (6) _ E _ L _ _
5) Horizontal bar used in work-out (6) _ Y _ _ _ N
6) Nothing could be written so completely (7) _ O _ N _ L _
7) Where cooler heads prevail? (7) C _ I _ _ _ R
Start badly? (7) _ O _ W _ _ _
9) One intent in layout, not outlay (6,7) _ I _ _ _ _ / _ H _ _ _ E _
10) He shot his wife./He’s serving life (6,7) _ O _ T _ _ / _ U _ T _ _ _
11) So become unhinged? (4,1,5,5) _ A _ E / A / _ C _ _ _ / _ _ O _ _
12) From 9 to 5, perhaps, seen in a suit? Don’t bet against it! (8,5) S _ R _ _ _ _ _ / _ _ U _ _
LAST BATCH ANSWERS: 1) Espadrille 2) Mysterious 3) Wagga Wagga 4) Tacit 5) Driving test 6) Whatchamacallit