Check the Latest Irish Independent Cryptic Answers (April 23, 2024)
by Ramya R
Updated Apr 23, 2024
Crosswords puzzle games are both fun and a good way to spend your time. In crosswords, you are given clues to help you find the answers. You fill the answers into numbered boxes on a grid. If you need any help, you can find the answers and explanations in this article. So, scroll down and try to solve them.
Question: Peg hears word about flier (5)
HEDGE
Peg is a homophone for peg, which suggests a word associated with flying. The solution, HEDGE, refers to a row of shrubs or bushes often used as a barrier or boundary marker.
Question: Church girl gets left in passage (7)
CHANNEL
Church girl suggests a religious figure, and passage hints at a waterway or channel. Putting them together leads to the answer CHANNEL, which can refer to a passage or watercourse.
Question: Doctor behind conscription (5)
DRAFT
Doctor implies an abbreviation, commonly used for doctor, and conscription suggests drafting or enlisting individuals. The word behind may indicate that one word is behind or following the other, resulting in DRAFT, a term for conscription.
Question: Unfortunately, Roger lost a stargazer (10)
ASTROLOGER
Unfortunately, Roger lost indicates an anagram, where the letters of Roger need rearranging. Stargazer hints at someone who observes the stars, suggesting the solution is related to astrology. Rearranging the letters of Roger gives ASTRO, which combines with lost to form ASTROLOGER, a person who studies astrology.
Question: Peg hears word about flier (7)
SPARROW
Peg once again serves as a homophone indicator in this clue, signaling that the answer sounds like sparrow. A sparrow is a type of small bird known for its ability to fly.
Question: He provides his own backing (3-3,4)
ONEMANBAND
He provides his own backing hints at a performer who can play multiple instruments simultaneously. Backing suggests support, which in this context means providing music for oneself. The answer, ONEMANBAND, fits perfectly, as it describes a musician who plays multiple instruments alone.
Question: Radio provides melody? Right! (5)
TUNER
Radio provides melody? Right! hints at something related to radios and music. A TUNER is an essential component of a radio that allows you to select and listen to different stations, tuning in to melodies and broadcasts.
Question: Letter of spite sent round to the French (7)
EPISTLE
Letter of spite sent round to the French suggests a word meaning a letter or message. Letter of spite implies a negative tone, and sent round to the French indicates a word that might be associated with France. An EPISTLE fits perfectly as it means a formal letter, often with a moral or religious message.
Question: Priest has occasion to avert (7)
PREVENT
Priest has occasion to avert suggests a word meaning to stop something from happening. Priest may allude to someone who intervenes in matters, and occasion to avert implies taking action to prevent something. PREVENT fits as it means to stop an event from happening.
Question: Double 151 (5)
CLONE
Double 151 hints at a word related to duplication or copying. Double suggests two of something, and 151 may signify the numerical representation of repeating or doubling. CLONE is the perfect fit as it refers to an organism or cell derived by asexual reproduction, essentially a copy of the original.
Question: Run away as elegant Kenneth is asleep (7,3)
CHICKENOUT
Run away as elegant Kenneth is asleep suggests a phrase meaning to back out or withdraw from a situation due to fear or cowardice. Run away indicates fleeing from a situation, as elegant Kenneth provides the letters for the phrase, and is asleep implies being inactive or not participating. CHICKEN OUT is the answer, meaning to withdraw from something due to fear or apprehension.
Question: Thought pound to be perfect (5)
IDEAL
The wordplay suggests thinking of a synonym for thought and then another for pound to come up with a term meaning perfect. The answer is IDEAL, as it aligns with the definition and fits the letter count.
Question: Live on a new pulse (4)
BEAN
Pulse hints at something alive and live on implies dependence or sustenance. When considering a new type of pulse, one arrives at BEAN, a word fitting the definition and letter count provided.
Question: Stable guy stupidly stole rook (6)
OSTLER
Stable guy suggests a person working with horses, which leads to OSTLER. The word stupidly indicates an anagram, rearranging letters to form the answer, which satisfies the given definition.
Question: I'm on land arranging to get an instrument (8)
MANDOLIN
I'm on land arranging suggests an anagram (arranging) of I'm on land which gives mandolin, an instrument often associated with traditional folk music.
Question: Ran in new gear to order (7)
ARRANGE
Ran in new gear to order implies rearranging the letters of ran within gear to form a word meaning to put things in order. The answer, arrange, aligns with the clue's direction to reorder the letters.
Question: Hen treated badly and put in danger (10)
THREATENED
Hen treated badly and put in danger suggests a word indicating putting someone or something at risk. The wordplay involves hen treated badly as an anagram for threatened, which fits the clue's context of endangerment.
Question: Gear seen to be available in deep colour (3-5)
SEAGREEN
Gear hints at an item, and deep colour indicates a specific shade. Putting them together, seagreen emerges as the solution, a color reminiscent of the ocean's hues, often associated with tranquility and depth.
Question: Salome and Erica to wander inside (7)
MEANDER
Salome and Erica to wander inside directs attention to the action of wandering, possibly hinting at a meandering path. By combining the names Salome and Erica and suggesting they wander inside, the answer meander becomes apparent.
Question: Animal noises coming from new stable (6)
BLEATS
This clue implies sounds associated with livestock or farm animals. Combining new stable with the idea of animal sounds leads to the answer bleats. Bleating is a noise commonly made by sheep, goats, and other similar animals, often heard in a stable setting.
Question: Tools needed to make a seat (5)
STOOL
This prompts consideration of tools necessary for crafting furniture. The solution, stool, emerges when associating the act of making a seat with a common type of seating furniture. A stool is typically constructed using various tools, including saws, hammers, and nails.
Question: Small measure in church (4)
INCH
This suggests a term related to both measurement and religious settings. The answer, inch, aligns with this clue, as it is a unit of length commonly used for precise measurements.
