Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Orson - the definition in Chambers confirms the 'support' clue. The wordplay works if the usual 4 letter word for 'concert' is added to the front of the answer minus the X.

There is another dropped X in the answer to the 'sole' clue - you need to 'cycle' the anatomical word meaning palm or sole, and add the X to the end.

The 'wise guy' is a bird, it's reversed inside a 5 letter word for the 'kick off' + H.

I think the setter has been as unhelpful as possible with this offering. It's not a fair contest in my opinion.

Thanks, drxx. I did come across that word for women in church a couple of days ago but I couldn't make the wordplay work.

I think this puzzle belongs in a different publication. It's not in the spirit of EVs.

I would agree with you Orson but I think the endgame lets it down for the other place.
To me, these puzzles feel like extended SUDOKU exercises, where filling the grid is everything. I felt the same doing Sabre's last Listener (and Ifor's come to that). Lots of cold-solving and extensive use of an anagram solver isn't my idea of an advanced cryptic crossword.

I still have about 9 answers to crack.

Any help on these 3:
Tiny creature, annoying fly, swallowing seaweed cold

Angry response about new, short-lasting hair colour

Live very well, being uplifted amidst activity in plant.

I have not figured out how to enter the long answers in the grid.
The answer Illustrious goes in a row that starts MRER.

I think once I solve all 9, the coin will drop.

Sunray - the line starts MRE before ILLUSTRIOUS.

You need a fly (4 letters starting P...) around - seaweed (5 letters starting AR...) +C for the 'tiny creature'.

You need the usual 2 letters for 'live' + 2 letters for 'very well' reversed inside a 4 letter word for 'activity' to give a common plant.

The hair colour answer is RINSE.
For the rarely disperse clue I have FLURR but the wordplay seems to lead to F-L-UROR. Can someone help?
Thanks!

The 'short-lasting hair' dye is the obvious 5 letter one (N is the middle letter).

Some cells contain 2 letters but never more than that.

I have Flurr too.
Furor could be enthusiasm in USA. Nothing less is Furr and L is added.

FUR(o)R is the American spelling required for 'enthusiasm'.

Thanks drxx.
Will try to crack these now.