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I've been doing the Guardian cryptic on and off for the last couple of months, but I don't think I've seen one with such odd clues, here are just a few...

4d Men getting brown stopping in sun (7) - HOMBRES

18d Experts, quiet ones, impress department (7) - PUNDITS

19d Shelter to put up poor person (4-3) - HAVE NOT

12a Annoyance at the Royals? That's heartless and unkind (4) - MEAN

I think this is a reference to ME(g)AN, but, if so, why 'Royals' plural?

I manged to get these from the definitions and crossing letters, but, with the exception of the last one, I'd be at a loss to explain them!

Hi Brendan,
4d. brown = BR in HOME, stopping in, + S(un)
18d P, quiet + UNITS, ones, around D(ept)
19d HAVEN, shelter, + TO reversed

Not sure about the last one

Hi Mattrom,

That is some expert parsing, I was nowhere near with any of them. The whole crossword had a different feel to it. I know we all come across clues that sometimes stump us, but to see so many in the same crossword just struck me as odd. When I visit the site to do tomorrows I'll look at the comments of other solvers to see if anyone else felt the same or, more likely, it was just me!

Good night Mattrom:-)

You are probably doing crosswords in your sleep, Brendan.
The last clue actually says "annoyance to the royals....., so ME(gh)AN works.
Good Afternoon...

The setter probably isn't named after Vlad the Impaler for nothing.

Using my cryptic powers of deduction, do I take it you're in NZ or Australia?

Vlad the impaler - I like it:-)

PS I'm trying to finish this weekend's EV that Ginge sent me - I'm down to the last couple of clues but I fear I'm going round in circles - it's amazing how, when one is desperate, even the most tenuous link or definition can appear to make sense:-(

Yes, I'm in Sydney, which is also under lockdown. I can still go out to shop and walk, though.