Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

As a new solver who regularly gets stumped within a couple of questions on Everyman, I've somehow made it through most of the way with only 3 stumpings this week. Any chance of any clues for 13d and 14d? (I also need 24a but I'm sort of hoping crossers for the above two might help me there)

Sorry if I'm asking for clues for which the answers are obvious, btw...there are so many occasions on this forum when someone says 'the answer was obvious' when I didn't see it at all :) (cf 26a, this thread)

Briggykins

13d.. another name for a Cleric with a letter for one of the poles inside, followed by a fancy formal event. Definition is that's smashing. Literally!

14d .. think of what else 'elder' could be.

24a.. parses as 1,3. One letter musical notation for quiet and another word for tune. Definition is 'mate' as a verb

And thanks to the person who explained 23a!

briggykins, congrats on a new high score!

Talking out loud a bit because you probably get this: with cryptics you generally have 2 ways to solve a clue, wordplay or definition. With 13d you would never get the answer from the defn IMO which I why I do sympathise with the grumbles about loose definitions - you only get half the chances of getting the answer. And indeed I couldn't see the wordplay for that one and so used the handy word search here. C'est la vie :-)

I think that 13d is fair enough, if you are familiar with billiards. I thought there was a nice mix of clues. Am I the only one who's heart sinks if there's a handful of write ins at the start - that usually means some real headscratching later on for me.?

I didn't take 13d as a billiards reference, as that wouldn't have the last 4 letters. I think it's just the much more obvious warfare one.

I have failed miserably all week with this. I have solved 4 clues.

Could I please ask for guidance for 3a, 10a, 11a?

11a is anagram of mankind holy and one other letter.
3a is what you might use to plot (record) points on axes, (not tools, the other sort), think maths homework.
10a last letter of furious, craw, then usual abbrev for one in something made out of sticks and twigs, by birds. Sorry if this is a bit late to be any use.

Thank you