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Original poster

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

237 replies

Flamingoose · 03/10/2021 00:42

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?

OP posts:
Sunbird24 · 04/10/2021 09:23

@FoxgloveSummers do you want to say what you’ve got then we can confirm your working out?

Sunbird24 · 04/10/2021 09:24

If @Flamingoose doesn’t mind of course!

Original poster
Flamingoose · 04/10/2021 09:27

Don't mind a bit. Thoroughly enjoying this thread.

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Games
PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 09:35

Are you thinking this is relevant to the first clue?

Mullerian duct regression and antiproliferative bioactivities of mullerian inhibiting substance reside in its carboxy-terminal domain

[Some complex properties] of [some complex substance] reside in its [particular part of the substance].

It’s basically saying the ability to do some fancy thing it can do is found in some particular part of its structure. I don’t think the fact substance and reside are next to each other helps with that first clue.

I agree with earlier posters that the opening clue has got a few errors. It should be substance not substances and it’s missing a word or two. Something like…
Substance left from evaporation is live in absorbing uranium (7)

CoronaPeroni · 04/10/2021 09:48

There's me thinking I'm a cryptic crossword whizz and I can't get started on the Milky Way one! Blush

PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 09:51

[Before warnings] [tears back] Milky Way wrappers? (6,4)
P L /

It might be helpful to think about galaxy shapes…

Original poster
Flamingoose · 04/10/2021 09:51

I've got the answer to the Milky Way one but I'm not sure why.

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 09:52

Or the clue could have been written

Tears back before warnings gives Milky Way wrappers?

Sunbird24 · 04/10/2021 09:58

While I love cryptic crosswords, I do think you must have to have a very special kind of brain to be able to be a setter!

WithMyEncyclopedia · 04/10/2021 09:58

Can someone explain the Munich one please?

Original poster
Flamingoose · 04/10/2021 10:00

GOT IT!!! Oh the satisfaction!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Flamingoose · 04/10/2021 10:03

Abundant sandwiches in backward German city (6)

Abundant is MUCH
in backwards is NI
If you sandwich NI in the middle of MUCH you get MUNICH which is a German city

OP posts:
FoxgloveSummers · 04/10/2021 10:03

I think it’s SPIRAL ARMS, which would give rips (ie tears) backwards before “alarms”

I think it’s something to do with space, and I presume it’s the Milky Way? But why wrappers I have no idea Blush

PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 10:03

Abundant sandwiches in backward German city (6)

Abundant gives much as the starting point.
The clue then becomes…
Much sandwiches [in backward]

Sandwiches tells you that much goes around the outside of in put backwards. “German city” is the definition. So you have to look for where you can put ni inside much to give a German city.

FoxgloveSummers · 04/10/2021 10:04

I’m so happy to have found fellow CC doers, I’ve been teaching myself for ages and now try to do one a day (or my best effort during lunch break).

PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 10:04

But why wrappers I have no idea

You wrap your arms around things. The question mark at the end of the clue tells you it’s a bit of a joke or a pun. The milky way’s “wrappers” are its spiral arms.

Original poster
Flamingoose · 04/10/2021 10:07

Purple, I like the way you gave clues without giving the action answer (like I did Blush).

Spiral arms is a way of referring to the trails of stars that sort of wrap around the outer bit of the Milky Way. Google a pic of the Milky Way and you can see what they mean.

OP posts:
FoxgloveSummers · 04/10/2021 10:07

Ohhhhh okay

vajingleberry · 04/10/2021 10:07

@WithMyEncyclopedia

Can someone explain the Munich one please?
Abundant sandwiches in backward German city (6)

"German city" is the clue to the answer

Another word for "abundant" is "MUCH"

"Sandwiches" suggests that the word will be wrapping around something else - like the bread in a sandwich.

The remaining words in the clue are "in backward"
If you write in backwards you ger "ni"

Use the word MUCH as a sandwich for NI and you get MUNICH (which is a German city)

vajingleberry · 04/10/2021 10:09

I took so long to type that @PurpleDaisies has beaten me to it!

PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 10:09

@vajingleberry

I took so long to type that *@PurpleDaisies* has beaten me to it!
I got beaten to it too!
PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 10:10

Purple, I like the way you gave clues without giving the action answer (like I did blush).

Spot the teacher. It’s hard to turn it off! Blush

PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 10:22

This is a nice one from a recent crossword (I raided the recycling!).

LAMBS BITE LIONS? WHAT’S IN THEIR HEARTS? (8)

Sunbird24 · 04/10/2021 10:26

Ooh, that’s a good one @PurpleDaisies!

I do like the clues that are a nice clean example of one device

PurpleDaisies · 04/10/2021 10:28

That’s exactly what I was going for!