AFR Christmas 2023 AJ Solution

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AFR Cryptic (Christmas 2023) Solution

Across Answers and Clues Explanations
1 BUSTLE
Hurried activity fixed underwear worn by old lady (6) Double Definition
4 PROPOSED
Recommended footballer does broadcast (8) PROP + anagram of DOES
9 FOUNDATION STONE
Building block discovered by station implicated individual (10,5) FOUND + anagram of STATION + ONE
11 EXEGESIS
Interpretation of the Bible is behind old friends hugging, for example (8) IS after (EXES outside EG)
12 SETTEE
Lounge suite – it’s used by clubber? (6) SET + TEE
13 SAIL
Announcement of marketing cruise (4) Sounds like SALE
14 SPOTLIGHTS
Skin problem on the fringes of delicate features (10) SPOTS outside LIGHT
18 RADIOGRAPH
A horrid gap spoiled x-ray image (10) Anagram of A HORRID GAP
19 PRIG
Head off from shoot with moralistic person (4) (s)PRIG
22 BROLGA
Crane shifted gold bar, dropping down initially (6) Anagram of GOLD BAR minus (D)own
24 OPEN DOOR
Ring in a sorry state about finale’s free admission (4,4) (O + POOR) outside END
26 INSTRUMENTALIST
Musician’s mate turns in broken record (15) Anagram of MATE TURNS IN + LIST
27 DISCLOSE
Is chlorine included in ingredients of medicine for show? (8) (IS + CL) inside DOSE
28 VEGANS
Vehicles carrying, say, particular consumers (6) VANS outside EG
 Down  Answers and Clues Explanations
1 BUFFERS
They polish shock absorbers (7) Double Definition
2 STUPEFIED
Confounded feed is put all over the place (9) Anagram of FEED IS PUT
3 LADDER
Young man, flushed, turned around to run (6) LAD + (RED reversed)
5 ROOM
Secure elevated part of a building (4) MOOR reversed
6 PASSED IN
Old-fashioned racket is not sold at auction (6,2) PASSE + DIN
7 SHOUT
Round in bar? (5) O inside SHUT
8 DIESELS
Engines worked less south of pass (7) Anagram of LESS after DIE
10 TRIPPER
Judge holding in custody very quiet drug user (7) TRIER outside PP
15 TOPSPIN
Zampa might use this backward position in front of leg (7) SPOT reversed + PIN
16 HARMONICA
Lay a finger on a coin forged with instrument (9) HARM + anagram of A COIN
17 DOGGEREL
Complete set containing German verse (8) DO + (GEL outside GER)
18 REBUILD
Restore custom-made bridle including nut in the middle (7) Anagram of BRIDLE outside n(U)t
20 GYRATES
Heartless guy judges pirouettes? (7) G(u)Y + RATES
21 ENGAGE
Take on disorderly gang in middle of speech (6) Anagram of GANG inside sp(EE)ch
23 OASIS
Love a relative’s flower arranging stuff (5) O + A + SIS
25 XMAS
Crazy Mexicans giving up nice holiday (4) Anagram of MEXICANS minus NICE

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AFR Year In Review 2023 Solution

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AFR Cryptic, Christmas 2023, Clue Hints

Did you have trouble working out last week’s crossword? Check out the worked solution here:
AFR Cryptic (16/12/2023) Worked Solution

(click on the clue number to see the hint)

Click on underlined text for explanation of terms.

Need more hints for these or other clues? Just leave a reply below.


















The clue has two parts, each one defining the answer without using cryptic devices. Ideally each definition should have no etymological relationship.
A pointer that signifies the placing of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents) around the OUTSIDE of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents).

Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.

The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
A type of clue that involves the mixing up of letters without the inclusion of a letter or letters. This clue will have an anagram indicator to signify jumbling and a subtraction indicator to signify the removal of a letter or letters.

A removed letter may be as seen in the clue, an abbreviation for a word in the clue, or the result of another cryptic device like taking the initial letter from a word. Removed letters may be a whole word as seen in a clue, the synonym of a word in the clue (if that synonym is contiguous within the anagram fodder), or the result of another cryptic device like taking the middle two letters from a word.

The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
A word or phrase that defines the answer. All cryptic clues usually have a minimum of one definition which will be located at the beginning or end of the clue.
The entire answer is found by reversing part of the clue, or a synonym for part of the clue. A suitable reversal indicator will be present.
A type of clue where the WHOLE clue defines the answer, and the WHOLE clue also is the wordplay (a mechanism to derive the answer through various cryptic devices). "&lit" is short for "and literally".

To qualify as an &lit, a clue must have no unused components either in the definition or the wordplay - it must be readable one way as a definition, and another as the wordplay.

A type of clue that involves the mixing up of letters without the inclusion of a letter or letters. This clue will have an anagram indicator to signify jumbling and a subtraction indicator to signify the removal of a letter or letters.

A removed letter may be as seen in the clue, an abbreviation for a word in the clue, or the result of another cryptic device like taking the initial letter from a word. Removed letters may be a whole word as seen in a clue, the synonym of a word in the clue (if that synonym is contiguous within the anagram fodder), or the result of another cryptic device like taking the middle two letters from a word.

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AFR Cryptic (16/12/2023) Solution

Across Answers and Clues Explanations
1 CHALET
Short fellow rented small house (6) (CHA)p + LET
5 BUCKLED
Stag once showed the way and collapsed (7) BUCK + LED
9 VIRTUAL REALITY
A rival utterly upset about one computer-simulated environment (7,7) Anagram of A RIVAL UTTERLY outside I
11 ON STRIKE
Facing out (2,6) Double Definition
12 STIGMA
Spot a sportscar – it’s reversing (6) (A + MG + ITS) reversed
14 GROWN
Big sigh that’s audible (5) Sounds like GROAN
15 VELODROME
Loved revamped Italian city’s Olympic venue (9) Anagram of LOVED + ROME
17 CLEARANCE
Head of corporation organised a cleaner’s authorisation (9) (C)orporation + anagram of A CLEANER
19 SOBER
Employees of sincere boss returned clear-headed? (5) sinceRE BOSs reversed
21 ASSIST
Stubborn one is last to accept benefit (6) ASS + IS + accep(T)
23 NOTABLES
Sign put out by a full restaurant, say, for celebrities (8) NO TABLES
25 LEAVE WELL ALONE
Don’t change spring, a large one, after break (5,4,5) (WELL + A + L + ONE) after LEAVE
26 SWEETEN
Sugar bags sent back with little inside (7) NETS reversed outside WEE
27 ROTTEN
Corrupt attorney losing case somehow? (6) Anagram of (a)TTORNE(y)
 Down  Answers and Clues Explanations
2 HAILSTONE
Very cold skydiver welcomes one finishing time (9) HAILS + (ONE after T)
3 LATER ON
One not supported by misguided relation in time (5,2) Anagram of RELAT(i)ON
4 TRACK EVENT
Racket developed before opening running competition (5,5) Anagram of RACKET + VENT
5 BARN
Restrict opening of nice farm building (4) BAR + (N)
6 CRAFTED
Skilfully-made bow of canoe glided over water (7) (C)anoe + RAFTED
7 LYING
Dishonesty only in Government’s division (5) onLY IN Government
8 DAY CARE
Nanny, finally entering arcade, arranged supervision for children (3,4) nann(Y) inside anagram of ARCADE
10 SONG
Succession of notes on gramophone? (4) noteS ON Gramophone
13 BLUE-COLLAR
Working-class nightclub ultimately varied local rule (4-6) nightclu(B) + anagram of LOCAL RULE
16 ON BALANCE
Cooked lean bacon and all things considered (2,7) Anagram of LEAN BACON
17 CHABLIS
White wine, two types of cheese, and blended basil (7) (CH)eese + anagram of BASIL
18 RESPECT
Consideration, especially, established in record time (7) ESP inside (REC + T)
19 SHALLOT
Slug consuming every bit of salad vegetable (7) SHOT outside ALL
20 RISE
Extra money reissued unevenly (4) (R)e(I)s(S)u(E)d
22 SHADE
Relative darkness experienced in middle of desert (5) HAD inside de(SE)rt
24 FERN
Growth of bracken is restricted in low marshy land (4) R inside FEN

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AFR Cryptic, Saturday 16/12/2023, Clue Hints

Did you have trouble working out last week’s crossword? Check out the worked solution here:
AFR Cryptic (9/12/2023) Worked Solution

(click on the clue number to see the hint)

Click on underlined text for explanation of terms.

Need more hints for these or other clues? Just leave a reply below.















A word or series of words that signify the loss of one letter at the start or end of a word or string of letters.

Examples: beheaded, cut short, endless, nearly, largely etc.

A type of clue that involves the mixing up of letters without the inclusion of a letter or letters. This clue will have an anagram indicator to signify jumbling and a subtraction indicator to signify the removal of a letter or letters.

A removed letter may be as seen in the clue, an abbreviation for a word in the clue, or the result of another cryptic device like taking the initial letter from a word. Removed letters may be a whole word as seen in a clue, the synonym of a word in the clue (if that synonym is contiguous within the anagram fodder), or the result of another cryptic device like taking the middle two letters from a word.

A word or series of words that signify a mixing-up of letters.

Examples: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.

The answer is hidden inside the clue in reverse order. There are two indicators: one to signify that a hidden word is present; the other to reverse the letters.
The answer is a jumbling of letters except for the initial or final letter of the anagram fodder. An anagram indicator and truncation indicator will be present.
A type of clue that involves the mixing up of letters without the inclusion of a letter or letters. This clue will have an anagram indicator to signify jumbling and a subtraction indicator to signify the removal of a letter or letters.

A removed letter may be as seen in the clue, an abbreviation for a word in the clue, or the result of another cryptic device like taking the initial letter from a word. Removed letters may be a whole word as seen in a clue, the synonym of a word in the clue (if that synonym is contiguous within the anagram fodder), or the result of another cryptic device like taking the middle two letters from a word.

A word or series of words that signify a mixing-up of letters.

Examples: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.

A type of clue where the WHOLE clue defines the answer, and the WHOLE clue also is the wordplay (a mechanism to derive the answer through various cryptic devices). "&lit" is short for "and literally".

To qualify as an &lit, a clue must have no unused components either in the definition or the wordplay - it must be readable one way as a definition, and another as the wordplay.

The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
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AFR Cryptic (9/12/2023) Solution

Across Answers and Clues Explanations
1 RECESS
Break up services arranged with 6 down? (6) Anagram of SERVICES minus VI
4 MAJESTIC
A joke, one acquired by host, is superb (8) (A + JEST + I) inside MC
9 PURSE
Noble carrying small amount of money (5) PURE outside S
10 COVER NOTE
Temporary insurance number kept in concealed safe at the back (5,4) NO inside COVERT + saf(E)
11 CAESIUM
Metal case ruined one pump lacking any pressure (7) Anagram of CASE + I + (p)UM(p)
12 RATINGS
Calls about a time for survey of popular programmes (7) RINGS outside (A + T)
13 THIN
Flimsy corrugated iron covering hospital (4) TIN outside H
14 MANIACAL
Demonic one listed in distributed almanac (8) I inside anagram of ALMANAC
17 THRASHED
Outbreak contained by the Head of Defence is crushed (8) RASH inside [THE + (D)efence]
19 ALGA
Seaweed fragments housed in botanical garden (4) botanicAL GArdens
22 TOBACCO
Boat at sea caught cod mostly – it’s smoked (7) Anagram of BOAT + C + (CO)d
24 EDITING
Changing tide turned in front of geologist (7) Anagram of TIDE + IN + (G)eologist
25 ITINERANT
Rambling point made in one violent declamation (9) TINE inside (I + RANT)
26 SHOOT
Snap a new branch (5) Double Definition
27 SPLUTTER
Dispute small place, say (8) S + PL + UTTER
28 LESSON
Teaching without working (6) LESS + ON
 Down  Answers and Clues Explanations
1 RAPACITY
Criminal charge linked to a large town’s greed (8) RAP + A + CITY
2 CAREERIST
Self-seeking father recalled time under management (9) (SIRE reversed + T) after CARE
3 SCENIC
“Weird Science” for the most part is dramatic (6) Anagram of (SCIENC)e
5 ADVERTISEMENT
Marketing determines a TV broadcast (13) Anagram of DETERMINES A TV
6 ERRATIC
Iodine discovered in deformed crater is volatile (7) I inside anagram of CRATER
7 THORN
Types of heath or native spiky plant (5) heaTH OR Native
8 CHEESE
Chef mostly accepting view about dairy product (6) (CHE)f outside (SEE reversed)
10 COMPASSIONATE
Humanitarian authorisation, one NATO ordered in advance (13) (PASS + I + anagram of NATO) inside COME
15 LOLLIPOPS
Loaf is stocked with soft-drink and sweets (9) LOLL + (IS outside POP)
16 CAUGHT ON
Criminal punched by a thug in a frenzy got wise (6,2) CON outside anagram of (A + THUG)
18 RICHEST
Most productive doctor’s closing one case (7) docto(R) + I + CHEST
20 ETHICS
Heartless chemist amended rules of conduct? (6) Anagram of CHE(m)IST
21 TISSUE
Paper tiger’s first problem (6) (T)iger + ISSUE
23 BRILL
Right’s representative, listed in leaflet, is excellent in England (5) R inside BILL

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AFR Cryptic, Saturday 9/12/2023, Clue Hints

Did you have trouble working out last week’s crossword? Check out the worked solution here:
AFR Cryptic (2/12/2023) Worked Solution

(click on the clue number to see the hint)

Click on underlined text for explanation of terms.

Need more hints for these or other clues? Just leave a reply below.
















A type of clue that involves the mixing up of letters without the inclusion of a letter or letters. This clue will have an anagram indicator to signify jumbling and a subtraction indicator to signify the removal of a letter or letters.

A removed letter may be as seen in the clue, an abbreviation for a word in the clue, or the result of another cryptic device like taking the initial letter from a word. Removed letters may be a whole word as seen in a clue, the synonym of a word in the clue (if that synonym is contiguous within the anagram fodder), or the result of another cryptic device like taking the middle two letters from a word.

The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
A word or series of words that signify a mixing-up of letters.

Examples: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.

The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
The answer is a jumbling of letters except for the initial or final letter of the anagram fodder. An anagram indicator and truncation indicator will be present.
The answer is hidden among the words of the clue. No spare words should be present. A suitable hidden indicator will point to the buried text.

Examples: part of, associated with, types of.

A word or series of words that signify the turning around (across & down clues), or overturning (down clues only) of letters.

Examples: upset, reversed, retired, in withdrawal, over etc.

Either a mixture of letters is placed inside or outside other letters, or letters are placed inside or outside a mixture of letters. An anagram indicator and containment indicator will be present.
The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
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AFR Cryptic (2/12/2023) Solution

Across Answers and Clues Explanations
1 DISTRESS
Is time in outfit agony? (8) (IS + T) inside DRESS
5 SEATED
Occupants of house ate dinner sitting down (6) houSE ATE D inner
10 CONCERN
Business, once in credit, now losing almost all (7) (ONCE inside CR) + N(ow)
11 EPIGRAM
Old chestnut tree ultimately needed by two farm animals (7) tre(E) + PIG + RAM
12 PLAN A
Computer system, plugged into PA, could be the best option (4,1) LAN inside PA
13 IMITATION
Counterfeit’s shortcoming initially lacking? (9) (l)IMITATION
14 DIRECT DEBITS
Backed foundation – it is behind alteration of credit payment arrangements (6,6) (BED reversed + ITS) after anagram of CREDIT
18 ANCIENT GREEK
Alexander the Great, say, one energetic, excited king (7,5) AN + anagram of ENERGETIC + K
21 SPRINKLED
Soft piece of ice, covered in snow, vehicle sprayed with water (9) (P + RINK) inside SLED
23 GRACE
Favour start of gruelling competition (5) (G)ruelling + RACE
24 THE ARTS
Creative expressions suit finishing time (3,4) HEARTS after T
25 OUT OF IT
Head of organisation, wearing costume, is excluded from participation (3,2,2) (O)rganisation inside OUTFIT
26 OUSTED
Religious book about American education is removed from office (6) OT outside US + ED
27 STICKLER
Delight admitted by senior person who’s a purist (8) TICKLE inside SR
 Down  Answers and Clues Explanations
1 DA CAPO
A limit applied in function from the beginning (2,4) (A + CAP) inside DO
2 SUNDAY
Open mostly in, say, a weekly timeslot (6) (UND)o inside SAY
3 RE-EXAMINE
Review concerning chopper going over mine (2-7) RE + (AXE reversed) + MINE
4 SENTIMENTALIST
Romantic shipped people in IT a record (14) SENT + (MEN inside IT) + A + LIST
6 EVITA
A number of conservatives stood up for musical (5) conservATIVEs reversed
7 TERRIFIC
Muscular problem, taking into account mistake in case, is dreadful (8) TIC outside (ERR + IF)
8 DIMINISH
Food containing small cut (8) DISH outside MINI
9 REGISTERED POST
Secure mailing service, for example, is needed by territory in communist place (10,4) (EG + IS + TER) inside RED + POST
15 ENERGETIC
High-powered Green muddled quote up (9) Anagram of GREEN + (CITE reversed)
16 FALSETTO
Singer’s group carried by loud singer (8) SET inside (F + ALTO)
17 SCARPERS
Person not holding on following disfigurement, heads for the hills (8) PERSON minus ON after SCAR
19 LAWFUL
Learner from hell is obeying the rules (6) L + AWFUL
20 SECTOR
District with little time to respond at first (6) SEC + TO + (R)espond
22 NORGE
Part of Spain or Germany and part of Scandinavia (5) spaiN OR GErmany

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AFR Cryptic, Saturday 2/12/2023, Clue Hints

Did you have trouble working out last week’s crossword? Check out the worked solution here:
AFR Cryptic (25/11/2023) Worked Solution

(click on the clue number to see the hint)

Click on underlined text for explanation of terms.

Need more hints for these or other clues? Just leave a reply below.




















The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
The answer is found by butting together parts defined in the wordplay. There may be some positional indicators that change the order of these parts.
A question mark has been used to indicate "language abuse", that is, a word or words in a clue are used in a technically incorrect way, but the meaning can be still inferred.

Example: A indeed (?) could mean to insert A inside deed.

A word or series of words that signify a mixing-up of letters.

Examples: changed, at sea, confused, all over the place - anything that indicates change or jumbling.

Punctuation generally should be ignored - always consider how a clue reads without punctuation.
A word or series of words that signify the position of wordplay elements in the answer.

Examples: before, after, leading, in the middle of, under (down only) etc.

A pointer that signifies the placing of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents) on the INSIDE of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents).

Examples: held by, kept by, embraced by - anything that creates the image of being contained.

The answer is hidden inside the clue in reverse order. There are two indicators: one to signify that a hidden word is present; the other to reverse the letters.
The structure of the answer involves either letters placed outside other letters, or letters placed inside other letters. Which type of container clue is determined by an appropriate container indicator.
A pointer that signifies the placing of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents) around the OUTSIDE of one or more parts of a clue (or their equivalents).

Examples: holding, keeping, embracing - anything that creates the image of containment.

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