Oh, Contessa! You over mixed the pastries! (3,6)
OAT SCONES (O + Contessa anagram)
+++++
Like cryptic coteries!
Esoteric (anagram, assuming answer is 8 letters)
McGillicuddy’s husband, a witty guy, crashed into Spanish river. (7)
RICARDO (RI-card-O)
++++
Unusually hot girl was stuffing fish before the storm; perhaps a tornado.(7,4)
Unusually hot girl was stuffing fish before the storm; perhaps a tornado.(7,4)
DOROTHY GALE [DOR(oth*)Y + GALE]
+++++
First metal (4)
Lead (double meaning)
+++
Made miserable about death (6)
DESIRE (hidden word)
Desire wiener topping (6)
Are we playing off DEMISE (correct) or DESIRE (not so correct)?
If DEMISE:
According to reporter, gives up grains. (5)
+++++
If RELISH (d/d):
Rids oneself of storage buildings (5)
Sheds (double def / bonus puzzle)
+++++
DEMISE was the correct answer. So in play:
Seeds or cedes?
Either way:
Celebrity money goes to coffee shop (9)
STARBUCKS (double meaning)
++++
Female pigs ingest a partition.(8)
Female pigs ingest a partition.(8)
SWALLOWS (S -wall- OWS)
-----++++++++
They informed us about the boxer making Don’s funeral miserable. (5 , 3 , 9)
I’m senile. Sorry about the mixup.
They informed us about the boxer /making Don’s funeral miserable. (5 , 3 , 9)
Hint: In a traditionally structured “American” cryptic clue there is usually a point where an imaginary dividing line could be placed between the wordplay portion and the definition portion of a clue. The challenge is to determine where to draw the line and which part is which. Division added above.
Are the first two words sugar ray?
Fits overlap and word count, evokes boxer. Other than that, spaghetti.
They sang to us about the boxer /making Don’s funeral miserable. (5 , 3 , 9)
Simon and Garfunkel (anagram making dons funeral)
++*+
Lean cry about crime (7)
I used to wear that album out, and I couldn’t pick up on that.
I got stuck on thinking “informed” signaled a homophone. Couldn’t think outside of the boxer!
Larceny (anagram of LEAN CRY)
I wouldn’t use this lumber, but… (3,4)