Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

2d. Scorer in card game leading two of diamonds, keeping five and queen (10) Solution:Monteverdi

19d. Successfully putting Democrat out of property (6) Solution: Holing

22ac. Abuse alcohol:consume without restraint at the start(8) Solution Maltreat

and
23ac. Like Shelley's poetic spirit, it's mostly babble (6) I think that solution is: Blithe

the card game is...monte. v = 5, er = queen, first two of diamonds = di

hol(d)ing

malt (alcohol) R (start of restraint) eat (consume)

last one , I suppose blithe is most of blither.

Thank you very much, Phillip, for your comprehensive and helpful reply.

holing is successfully putting (in golf)

Thank you for that extra layer of complexity, ChrisE

holing- holding is property without d or democrat

maltreat- malt is alcohol, eat is consume around r start of restraint

Blithe- hail to thee blithe spirit is a shelley poem blithe(r) endless is an alternative spelling of blether or babble

PS TWM

If you are struggling to parse Guardian there is a website called Fifteen Squared where someone blogs it daily.

It is usually up by midday- I do it on way into work and if I'm not sure about how I got to the odd answer I can check it on there

djawhufc

Thanks for the tip about the other website.
I'm not a great site-hopper. I enjoy reading and occasionally contributing to this one - but it may be helpful to have the quick access in future, if I can get to grips with 15 squared.