Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Peer Review 632

Welcome to our friendly competition to compose a cryptic clue to be judged by your fellow contestants.

You may enter as many clues as you like. Everyone is welcome, particularly new entrants. Feel free to explain your clue, if you think it will help, or to ask another entrant to parse their clue. However, please don't comment on the clues before voting closes. Clues should be posted before 12 noon (UK time) on Friday, 16th February, when voting opens. Voting closes at 8:00 pm (UK time) the same day.

Entrants should vote for their favourite clue, indicating that entrant's name and clue number. The entry with the most votes wins and its composer sets next week's competition. The setter has the deciding vote in the event of a tie. The setter will declare the winner and award an online prize.

This week's challenge is:

SCUMBLE (7)
or
SCUMBLING (9)

Future setters should note that a complete list of previously used words on Clueless, Peer Review and Weekend Peer Review is available here https://tinyurl.com/4dzss5np

Obscure trip, when temperature turns cold (7)

STUMBLE>SCUMBLE

Low-life with flashy jewellery putting on a coat to soften effect (9)

Soften start of back muscle spasm (7)

Small, cold, lowly Cockney in thin coat (7)

Oddly, so much blue is mixed to soften the colour (7)

We scream blue murder, except we’re abysmal- not a counterfeit BLUR (7)

[(WE SCREAM BLUE)* - ( WERE)* -A)]*

Using MURDER, ABYSMAL and COUNTERFEIT as *
BLUR as definition

Sorry Aristo - forgot you’re no fan of messy anagrams

Primarily soft colours usually make brightness less evident (7)

Artistic technique derived from liquefied natural gas and Cubism (9)

Initially scuffing colours usually makes brightness less evident (7)