Word Puzzle 123

Word Puzzle 123 – Solution with Explanation

Theme: None.

Clues:

1. Plot against the gullible? Not good! (7)

Connive, plot (def), con (against), naïve (gullible), not (deletion of) A (good)

2. Acting without bound despite lacking money, leads to propinquity (9)

Proximity, proxy (acting), without (container), limit (bound), lacking (deletion), L (money),

propinquity (def)

3. Exotic, native tree got rooted (10)

Inveterate, exotic (anagram of) “native tree”, rooted (def)

4. Poison of French import (6)

Demean, poison (def), de (of in French), mean (import)

5. In Paris I, broadcasted parody, that led to trouble (8)

Jeopardy, Je (in Paris I, i.e. I in French), broadcasted (anagram of) parody, trouble (def)

6. Reportedly study on glowing liquid (11)

Translucent, reportedly (homophone of) trance (study) which is trans, on (juxta.), lucent

    (glowing), liquid (def)

7. Posse of soldiers circling the revolutionary club (7)

Retinue, posse (def), RE (soldiers), circling (container), revolutionary (reversal of) unite

    (club)

8. Complain to the Board backing the statute limiting the union (9)

Caterwaul, complain (def), cater (board), backing (reversal of) law (statute), limiting

    (container), U (union)

9. Order featuring Californian groom and a Texan bride for breaking law (7)

Mandate, order (def), featuring (hidden), rest is fodder.

10. We sent our aged parents hidden in a train? (9)

   Entourage, in (hidden), train (def), rest is fodder.

11. Meet an old usher with an injury that is common for gymnasts awkwardly landing on their

  hands (10, 8)

   Dislocated shoulder, meet (meta), old usher (target), rest is def, one way to get the target is

  via anagram of (dislocated) shoulder

12. How to find a cool cheat with a common dessert treat? (9,5)

   Chocolate fudge, how to find (meta), cool cheat (target), rest is def, one way to get the target

   Is via chocolate anagram (fudge)

13. Refusal over unknown promissory notes? That’s bad (7)

   Noxious, no (refusal), over (juxta), x (unknown), IOUs (promissory notes), bad (def)

14. Tell the group in chaos, to cooperate (4, 8)

    Pull together, in chaos (anagram of) “tell the group”, cooperate (def)

15. Fake news: Corruption found in Mars lander program; the reporter found guilty of libel (7)

   Slander, of (hidden), libel (def), rest is fodder.

16. Rigorous shape identification expert (10)

   Formidable, rigorous (def), form (shape), ID (identification), able (expert)

17. Organization of the petroleum exporting countries said to be shadowy (6)

     Opaque, OPEC (organization of the petroleum exporting countries), said to be (homophone),

     shadowy (def)

18. Limits the scope (8)

   Confines (DD)

19. Penalty area (10)

    Discipline, DD

20. Find loot with a state of heightened activity (9)

   Overdrive, find (meta), loot (target), rest is def, one way to get the target is via, reversal

  (over) of tool (drive)

21. Resolute batsman looking to rotate strike perhaps? (6-6)

    Single-minded, cryptic def where both resolute and “batsman looking to rotate strike”

    are def.