Word Puzzle 120

Word Puzzle 120 – Solution with Explanation

Theme: None.

Clues:

1. Second round with Sam faltering on offense (7)

Sarcasm, S (second), arc (round), with (juxta), faltering (anagram of) Sam, offense (def)

2. Vocal about unfed, naked, being freed (10)

Unfettered, uttered (vocal), about (container), naked (delete 1st and last letter in) unfed,

freed (def)

3. Against the woman behind the combine (8)

Conflate, con (against), F (woman), late (behind), combine (def)

4. Harmonious and compassionate insurgent? (7)

Kindred, harmonious (def), kind (compassionate), red (insurgent)

5. Rant and hot-headedly bicker about a point (8)

Harangue, rant (def), headedly (1st letter in) hot, argue (bicker), about (container), a (a),

N (point)

6. Prima facie its impulsive, with Chinese premier replacing the brutal core (9)

Axiomatic, prima facie (def), automatic (impulsive), Xi (Chinese Premier), replacing (swap A

For B), core (central letters in) brutal i.e. UT, so replace UT with Xi in automatic.

7. Close a bug on the mobile program (8)

Approach, close (def), roach (bug), on (juxtaposition x on y = xy or yx), app (mobile

program)

8. How to get to the top though bankrupt? (5-2)

Belly-up, how to get (meta), top (target), bankrupt (def), one way to get top is via

pot (belly) reversal (up)

9. Measure up to the difficult decathlon load (4,1,6,2)

Hold a candle to, measure up to (def), difficult (anagram of) “decathlon load.”

10. Boundary in the last over gets you into the finals (5)

   Verge, boundary (def), in (hidden), rest is fodder.

11. March end (6)

   Border, DD

12. Pass a generous offer for internal advancement (7)

   Passage, internal (hidden), advancement (def), rest is fodder.

13. Depend on wife to grumble (6)

   Whinge, hinge (depend), on (X on Y = XY or YX), W (wife), grumble (def)

14. Running riot for red rum? (7,4)

   Raising hell, implicit meta, running riot (def), red rum (target), one way to get the target is,

   via reversal (raising) of “murder” (hell)

15. Citation for hiding silver in stable (6)

   Homage, citation (def), Ag (silver), hiding ... in (insertion), home (stable)

16. Find a hunk by being ruthless? (5-7)

   Thick-skinned, find (meta), hunk (target), ruthless (def), one way to get the target is by

   taking middle letters from chunky. i.e. from “thick skinned”, as skinned indicates removing

   both the first and last letter.

17. Small mark (6)

   Minute, DD.

18. Better team? I’m paired with this bozo who is always somewhat drunk (8)

   Impaired, somewhat (hidden), drunk (def), rest is fodder.

19. Tolerate the drink (6)

    Absorb, DD.

20. Fruits that are favored in taverns (10)

   Aubergines, fruits (def), in (favored), in (insertion), Auberges (taverns)

21. Mostly red sauce served in hostel (7)

   Hospice, mostly (delete the last letter in) hot (red), spice (sauce), hostel (def)