Word Puzzle 118

Word Puzzle 118 – Solution with Explanation

Theme: None.

Clues:

1.  Ill? zero downside with embracing love (7)

  Ominous, ill (def), o (no), minus (downside), with (juxta), embracing (container), o (love)

2. Jill providing backing with character reference for Jack (6)

Ferret, Jill (def. as in a female ferret), providing (hidden), backing (reverse

    scan), rest is fodder.

3. Not an old English recipe custom cooked, containing extreme chili. Be careful!! (11)

Circumspect, not (delete) OE (old English) from, cooked (anagram of) “recipe custom”,

containing (container), extreme (1st letter in) chili, careful (def)

4. Praise the French for breaking the current constitution (8)

Accolade, praise (def), La (the in French), breaking (insertion), AC (current), code

    (constitution)

5. Important for “unfit” Al (11)

Highfalutin, implicit meta, important (def), unfit Al (target), one way to get the target is via

Anagram (high) of “falutin”.

6. Fairly attractive (6)

Pretty, DD.

7. Authorization via post (10)

Permission, authorization (def), per (via), mission (post)

8. Artist flipping on the bed is fascinating? (9)

Arresting, RA (artist), flipping (reversal), on (juxta.), bed (resting), fascinating (def)

9. Functionaries to cheer idols (13)

Officeholders, implicit meta, functionaries (def), “cheer idols” (target), one way to get the

Target is via, anagram (off) of “ice holders.”

10. Horrible characters caught on camera, during the mob scenes that unfolded on 6th Jan. (7)

   Obscene, horrible (def), characters (hidden), rest is fodder.

11. Provincial about learning is good? (8)

   Pleasant, peasant (provincial), about (container), L (learning), good (def)

12. Call on credit notes is questionable (7)

   Dubious, dub (call), IOUs (credit notes), questionable (def)

13. Worked up how to outrun dog that’s gone berserk (6,3)

   Ground out, worked up (def), gone berserk (anagram of) “outrun dog.”

14. Film a crowd that’s reportedly dancing (10)

   Flickering, flick (film), a (a), ring (crowd), reportedly (homophone of) “flick a ring”,

  dancing (def)

15. Distribute the beer case (9)

   Rationale, ration (distribute), ale (beer), case (def)

16. Clear about a case (7)

   Patient, patent (clear), about (container), I (a), case (def)

 17. How to find a shirt tag? It’s simple!! (8-3)

    Straight-out, How to find (meta), shirt tag (target), simple (def), one way to get the

  Target is via straight anagram (out)

18. Clear the payroll (8)

   Manifest, DD.

19.  Eligible single left in a tizzy. It’s understandable. (7)

    Legible, in a tizzy (anagram of) eligible, I (single), left (deletion), understandable (def).

20. Mysterious magnetic plastic carrying electric current (9)

   Enigmatic, mysterious (def), plastic (anagram of) magnetic, carrying (container), I (electric

  current)

21. Duck drunken actor’s feeler (5,5,2)

   Steer clear of, duck (def), drunken (anagram of) “actor’s feeler”