[Misc] Help with a cryptic clue please

[wolfie]

My dad loves a crossword and his favourite ever clue is gesg (9,4). Which I am sure some of you will have seen before!

Scrambled eggs ?

 

[Bodian]

I'm in awe of folk who can get cryptic crossword clues, my brain is simply not wired that way.

That because 'You're all mixed up just before lambda in Greece (5)'

 

[Fat Boy Fat]

Indeed - especially at breakfast time!

Oh yes!

 

[Fat Boy Fat]

Scrambled eggs ?

Spot on, he was so chuffed when he got it, and 40 years later still tells me about it!

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Here are all 12 questions:

Commonest name for a forger (5)

Honk your horn at the help when it’s time for a musical get-together (10)

Follow your leader to China, say, for baking essential (5)

‘Born to me’ reinterpreted for a musical instrument (8)

Go in to return key (5)

Antiquity found where lice reside (5)

Island’s home to top Royal Institute (5)

Compressed inside a seed enclosure (2, 1, 8)

Copy that could take ages to fill out (4-4)

Authority to carry out a nice dinner for a couple of guys (7)

The twisted Madame E made me eat green beans (7)

In addition, no beginning to next Sun God (5)

The only additional clue is that each answer starts with the last letter of the answer before.

Nice quiz. You wouldn't mind publishing all the answers would you

 

[theboybilly]

Easy for some:

H to O? (5)

 

[Bodian]

Spot on, he was so chuffed when he got it, and 40 years later still tells me about it!

Over 40 years ago (when about 12/13) I was sat in the members pavilion at the County Ground with my Grandad and 'Uncle Ron'. 20 years later 'Uncle' Ron told me how impressed he'd been that I had got a clue in the Telegraph cryptic crossword. I remember the answer was 'toast', no idea what the question was. But it stood me in good stead for 20+ years!!

 

[Bodian]

Easy for some:

H to O? (5)

Lager?

 

[theboybilly]

Lager?

I see what you did there

 

[Russconha]

You can put anything you want in crosswords, nobody ever checks them.

 

[Papak]

That because 'You're all mixed up just before lambda in Greece (5)'

I got that one

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Nice quiz. You wouldn't mind publishing all the answers would you

I'm no expert, but cryptic clues always work the same way: they tell you what the answer is, and they give you some way of working it out. The skill (practice) is in unlocking the answer from the hints. And then knowing how the hints typically work (anagram, hidden answer, pun, double meaning, first/last letter etc).

1 Smith (most common surname and a smith works in a forge, hence forger. Double meaning assuming to distract you)
2 Hootananny
3 Yeast (Y is the first letter in your, i.e.its leader - lead letter. China can be known as the east)
4 Trombone (reinterpreted tells you it's an anagram)
5 Enter
6 Relic (found tells you the answer is hidden in the clue already, often split across two words)
7Capri (top is a cap, royal institute is often referred to as the RI)
8 In a nutshell (just a pun)
9 Long-form (copy is writing, long form is writing long articles, and a long form takes some filling in)
10 Mandate (pun clue)
11 Edamame *(twisted tells you it is an anagram)
12 Extra (next with "no beginning" and Ra, the son God)

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Easy for some:

H to O? (5)

Should be:

I,J,K,L,M,N (5) A: Water I.e (H to O)

 

[Papak]

Apparently there's rules to cryptic clues in crosswords bit I've never even bothered to find out what they are...

From what I understand there are certain characteristics that the setters have for example a former colleague could tell from the wording of the clues when the regular setter was away and the crossword was complied by someone else.

There are the also clues such as "mixed up" etc. to denote an anagram.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I'm no expert, but cryptic clues always work the same way: they tell you what the answer is, and they give you some way of working it out. The skill (practice) is in unlocking the answer from the hints. And then knowing how the hints typically work (anagram, hidden answer, pun, double meaning, first/last letter etc).

1 Smith (most common surname and a smith works in a forge, hence forger. Double meaning assuming to distract you)
2 Hootananny
3 Yeast (Y is the first letter in your, i.e.its leader - lead letter. China can be known as the east)
4 Trombone (reinterpreted tells you it's an anagram)
5 Enter
6 Relic (found tells you the answer is hidden in the clue already, often split across two words)
7Capri (top is a cap, royal institute is often referred to as the RI)
8 In a nutshell (just a pun)
9 Long-form (copy is writing, long form is writing long articles, and a long form takes some filling in)
10 Mandate (pun clue)
11 Edamame *(twisted tells you it is an anagram)
12 Extra (next with "no beginning" and Ra, the son God)

Thank you. Mrs Earle likes a nice little cryptic at Christmas. Me? Generally have no idea

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

Over 40 years ago (when about 12/13) I was sat in the members pavilion at the County Ground with my Grandad and 'Uncle Ron'. 20 years later 'Uncle' Ron told me how impressed he'd been that I had got a clue in the Telegraph cryptic crossword. I remember the answer was 'toast', no idea what the question was. But it stood me in good stead for 20+ years!!

Was the question " To egg on"?

 

[theboybilly]

Should be:

I,J,K,L,M,N (5) A: Water I.e (H to O)

Yes, you are right - it was a long time ago I saw this somewhere but it (sort of) stuck in my mind as a good clue. Thanks for correcting me