CRYPTO CLUES XVIV

GAMES/World of Puzzles

April, 2022

Donna Kahwaty

 

Cryptic clues with answers and explanations.

 

1. Clue: Check the sound of precipitation

    Ans:  REIN

    Exp: To check is to REIN and rein is a homophone (sound of) for rain (precipitation).

2. Clue: Remorseless villain found moon of Jupiter full of silver

    Ans: IAGO

    Exp: IO is a moon of Jupiter. Ag is the element symbol for silver. Iago is the remorseless villain in Shakespeare's Othello.

3. Clue: They control locks and prohibit street dancing

    Ans: BARRETTES

    Exp: Barrettes control locks (hair). BAR means prohibit, and RETTES is street (mixed up - dancing).

4. Clue: Fall behind train returning by the book

      Ans: LEGAL

      Exp: Reading backward (returning), LAG (fall) behind train (el). LEGAL is by the book.

5. Clue: Timekeepers shake up land races

    Ans: CALENDARS

    Exp: CALENDARS is an anagram (shake up) of LAND RACES. Calendars are timekeepers.

6. Clue: Clinton not interested in speaking for big ad

    Ans: BILLBOARD

    Exp: BILL (Clinton) bored (uninterested) homophone for BOARD. A billboard is a big ad.

7. Clue: "Encore! A victory"

    Ans: AGAIN

    Exp: ENCORE is a request to play AGAIN. A GAIN is a victory.

8. Clue: Ruth and Sue hide hired help

    Ans: HANDS

    Exp: rutH AND Sue (HANDS). Hands are hired help.

9. Clue: Poet Eliot covers request for jobs

    Ans: TASKS

    Exp: T.S. (Eliot) covers ASK (request). Tasks are jobs.

10. Clue: He can't recall disposition of main case

      Ans: AMNESIAC

      Exp: An AMNESIAC can't recall. AMNESIAC is an anagram for MAIN CASE.

11. Clue: Trio sang off-key with church musician

      Ans: ORGANIST

      Exp: ORGANIST (church musician) is an anagram (off-key) of TRIO SANG.