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Hi jolan, yet another coffee break and I finally cracked 1 & 4. I'm surprised it's not been completed yet but with Christmas shopping and problems gaining access:
1 in(con)clusive
Looking forward to next week.

Well done Ginge been looking at that for ages.....and nowhere near.

Nice, ginge. I was looking for something to wrap con in, but just didn't come up with it.

Hi guys, if I'm totally honest I tried for the best part of the last 2 hours (while decorating honestly) to get a 12 letter word beginning con..... with a 7 letter word for blanket round it before the lightbulb finally lit. Great clue(s) jolan, back to the ladders!

Did you eat yourself unconscious, Jolan? I'll be thinking of you on Thursday, during the annual national pig-out.

just out of interest @Aristo,
'a lock-up' is a very common term on this side of the pond, meaning a place to store things. are you yanks aware of that phrase?
:)

We use lockup for temporary confinement, for someone under arrest. We usually use locker for what you're talking about.

Gee folks! I almost forgot to come back. I was bluffing about din-din. I'm into my third week of 5 on - 2 off dieting. Eat normally on five days and 500 or less calories on two days (Tue and Fri for me). It's working slowly and successfully.

Hi also to Jazzy, Andy and Trevor. ab got the missing one. Huzzah!

Just realised that I'd used used #2 in a previous crossie (long ago) and it was a DOWN clue. So solly! Something else to watch out for.

Here are my workings:-

1. fleece = con; blanket = conclusive (both ways in Chambers Thes); fleece, blanket covering it = in(con)clusive = INCONCLUSIVE = left hanging.

2. lock = tress; a lock “up” = a + ssert = ASSERT = establish (Chambers & Ox Thes’s; ... difficult to establish/assert our rights). Apologies for the “up” – it was previously a ‘down’ clue.

3. capriccioso (“in a free style”) = anag indic of “long title” = ILL-GOTTEN = obtained illegally.

4. older relative = gran; can = tin; help = aid; gran + tin + aid = GRANT-IN-AID = “government hand-out” (from Chambers)

5.inked “out” id (identity) = nke; in “your” = you(nke)r = YOUNKER (a young person) = “shaver” (a youngster)


It was nice to return and see the 'regulars' still here.

Have a lovely week

J