Can you do cryptic crosswords? Beginner in need of help.

[Flamingoose]

Substances left from evaporation are absorbing uranium (7)

Last letter is E.

I sort of want it to be RESIDUE, because that's a substance left from evaporation. If we assume 'absorbing uranium' means put a U in it, then I've put a U in RESIDE - but I have no idea where the RESIDE came from, so maybe RESIDUE is wrong?

Any help?

None I'm afraid but following

I would guess that the answer is just another word for 'substances' tbh.

Try Danword... think residue is right

I think it is residue but it’s like the clue is missing a bit…I’d expect it to be more like ‘Substances left from evaporation, stay is absorbing uranium (7)’

Unless ‘are’ can mean reside 🤔

Yeah -
'Live substances left from...etc' would work

I tried to make 'are' mean reside.
They are in the big building = they reside in the big building? Nahhh.

I think the answer is definitely residue, but I’m not sure why, either! You’re right, OP, there should be something else to hint at the word reside needing the letter u added to it. Weird.

Where is this crossword from OP? I do the telegraph one most days but when I try the times for example
I struggle as they are written quite differently.

It's the New Scientist cryptic. It's quite a good one, not too difficult. I often have to google the science stuff like chemical symbols etc

I'll try and get one of the other letters. Welcome to help if you've nothing better to do!

Friend takes back one more unfinished element. (8)

Settle comfortably partway through children's concert. (8)

Record seller Nancy never started disagreement (11) (Last letter Y)

Settle comfortably partway through children's concert. (8)

ENSCONCE (partway through childr en's conce rt)

Record seller Nancy never started disagreement (11) (Last letter Y)

DISC (record) - Nancy never started=ANCY - I want this to be DISCORDANCY (= disagreement) but can't quite make it fit? Anyone?

I think it's more likely to be 'Discrepancy'.

Oh I LOVE it. Well done Apples.

YES of course! Ensconce!

Discordancy - I had it starting with disc too, but hadn't got ancy yet. Discordance is def a word, but discordancy? Not sure. How do we make ord = seller?

a rep is a seller! Well done LetIm.

Okay, so ,
Substances left from evaporation are absorbing uranium (7)
is now S D E
It has to be RESIDUE.

Record seller Nancy never started disagreement (11)
Discrepancy - record seller = disc rep, ancy = Nancy without the first letter

Ah, i was too slow!

Well done Sunbird - you got it which is more than I managed!

Okay, I'm back.

Relative almost taking last half hour to relax like 3 Across, maybe (6)
C R

3 Across is PANGOLIN

So the answer is UNCURL

But, I don't understand the 'last half hour' bit. Can anyone explain it to me?

I guess the last half of the word hour is "ur"

Relative is "uncle"

Ahh okay, I got uncle but not UR. Nearly there! Thank you.

You see, this is why I can't do cryptic crosswords. I can just about get the answers 'backwards', so I understand once you guys explain them, but there is NO WAY on God's green earth that I could work them out myself! How do you do it?! For context, I have a postgraduate degree in the Arts and work with words for a living and I STILL can't do it. Why?! Is there some kind of trick? How do you learn?

I guess you get UNCL from uncle, and then the ‘taking’ bit means you put the UR as the last half of hour inside it?