| Comments on the clues |
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| 1. 1 Dec Mate entertained the only new English mistress excitedly at first, as reconciliation |
| 1. | I can’t make sense of the surface reading | | 2. | 1 Dec mate seems obscure – why the one? |
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| 2. A man in a tent for penance |
| 1. | Synonym for tent would have been better | | 2. | A for one and m for man both seem a bit dodgy |
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| 4. A note possibly intended to skip a payment (9) |
| 1. | “Possibly” is possibly not required since note is a synonym for tone |
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| 5. A number caught in Mt.Etna eruption get compensation. |
| 1. | Nice idea but strict Ximeneanism requires 'eruption of ME'. | | 2. | Cryptic reading needs "gets" I think | | 3. | Cryptic grammar requires "gets" | | 4. | Different and appealing but spoiled for me by nounal anagrind and (grammar) 'get' instead of 'getting' | | 5. | Doubt "get" is an acceptable linkword (as opposed to "gets") |
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| 6. A sorry note by fellows on time makes amends |
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| 12. Amends thermostat – one men tried to set |
| 1. | Surely one "adjusts" a thermostat |
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| 14. At lunch time, workers get final payment (9) |
| 1. | not sure "get final" gives T, "finally get" perhaps? |
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| 17. Cheat one mentored, needed to make amends |
| 1. | The ‘hidden’ isn’t indicated | | 2. | the hidden word is "needed" for the concealing phrase; not the other way around! |
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| 19. End of Yom Kippur? |
| 1. | unique; nice not to use anagram |
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| 21. Finding Nemo, floundering in a shelter, is redemption (9) |
| 1. | Surface is not smooth enough |
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| 22. Flip me not a cent, ignoring the first act of making amends |
| 1. | Surface reading doesn't make sense |
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| 23. Flourished note meant appeasement |
| 1. | Does it all in 4 words – excellent! |
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| 25. Getting caught, what one mentally should prepare for? |
| 1. | Nice try but the purported hidden indicator doesn't work. | | 2. | Doesn't work. "Getting caught in Y, X" is how to indicate X is hidden in Y. "should prepare for?" is tagged on to wordplay. | | 3. | Shouldn’t it be “Getting caught in”? |
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| 26. Harry meant Eton to make a reparation for sin. |
| 1. | Nice clue with historic resonance |
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| 29. Making good panettone when getting drunk involves replacing primary ingredient with a dash of Malibu |
| 1. | I think the primary ingredient of panettone is flour! |
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| 30. Making mental note to sacrifice capital for loan repayment |
| 1. | Nice surface. | | 2. | Grammar iffy; works better with "made" rather than "making" |
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| 31. Making one play badly on tee at major; nervous starts (9) |
| 1. | Does "making one" mean atonement? It's not a definition I've heard, and it's not in ODE or Collins |
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| 32. Man on tee excited having finally got putting right |
| 1. | The standout clue for me – beautifully disguised def. | | 2. | Nice misleading definition | | 3. | Great change in sense of "putting." |
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| 33. Man on vacation ate Eton mess to get satisfaction |
| 1. | We'll be the judges of what 'works fine' – and specifically Ximenean rules do not allow 'nounal anagrinds'. HOWEVER, this might just pass as |
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| 34. Marianelli’s film score meant note changes |
| 1. | Marianelli? Who's that? |
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| 35. Meant to ultimately make reparation, perhaps? |
| 1. | a little spoiled by the split infinitive | | 2. | split infinitive slightly spoils surface | | 3. | Clever, succinct and &lit – but dependent on a nounal anagrind with 'perhaps' positioned last,rather than first. |
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| 38. New Testament on saintless reparation for sin. |
| 1. | 'Saintless' is the weak link |
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| 39. Note meant reparation |
| 1. | surely in an &lit, the whole 3 words of the clue should make up the definition – here they don't |
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| 40. Ransom note conveyed on phone by abductors’ leader (9) |
| 1. | Homophone iffy, otherwise very good | | 2. | Good use of ransom |
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| 41. Rebuild home, tenant wanting hotel as compensation (9) |
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| 42. Reparations reconciled people at end of conflict (9) |
| 1. | Nice clue but not convinced that 'reconciled' actually means 'at one'. |
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| 43. Restoration comedy on at National Theatre after terrible bedroom farce closes (9) |
| 1. | On the borders of soundness! | | 2. | I don't think "restoration" is quite right as a definition. The rest is good. | | 3. | Ingenious, but not sure "restoration" means the same as "atonement" |
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| 44. Restoration works mean tent housing a ball |
| 1. | Surface story doesn't reallly make sense |
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| 46. Satisfaction is getting out of dilapidated maisonette |
| 1. | Nice idea but can't give any points as flawed anagram. | | 2. | Should be spelt 'maisonnette' (with two Ns) for anag. to work | | 3. | Anagram is missing an N. Why not ‘maisonnette’, also a valid spelling? | | 4. | Missing an 'N'! | | 5. | I liked this clue |
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| 47. Scapegoat — one men thought would bring this? |
| 1. | Lovely idea – not convinced by 'bring' as hidden indicator | | 2. | Neatest of the hidden clues. Would have scored top marks with a clearer indicator eg "…would provide this?" | | 3. | It seems (unfairly, due to iffy cryptic grammar) like "scapegoat" is one of the definitions in a double definition | | 4. | Well worked hidden word and I liked the biblical reference |
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| 49. Staff stick together if heads cut compensation |
| 1. | Nice surface – original treatment | | 2. | The most original idea, well executed | | 3. | Like the idea; a better definition would help. | | 4. | Different approach and straightforward clue. | | 5. | As a teacher I liked this clue |
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| 50. United, Me Too at the outset saw Weinstein finally in for expiation |
| 1. | Nice idea but sounds forced |
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| 51. What makes good man to repent after reputation’s left in tatters? |
| 1. | Faulty clue – there's an E missing in wordplay | | 2. | Anagram missing an E | | 3. | Anagram a bit indirect | | 4. | "to" unnecessary in surface reading |
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| 52. What one mentally embraces as self-punishment (9) |
| 1. | For the correct cryptic reading it would need to be ‘What what…’ | | 2. | Nice idea perhaps let down a little by definition | | 3. | For me, the best of the hidden clues. |
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| 53. When it's time for lunch, soldiers finally eat, getting satisfaction (9) |
| 1. | Seems odd to use "finally" if lunch is on time |
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