Word Puzzle 161

Word Puzzle 161 – Solution with Explanation 

Theme: None 

Clues:  

1. Decay of the iron seat lacking finish (6) 

Fester, decay (def), Fe (iron), stern (seat), lacking finish (delete last letter in) 

2. New driver engaging in reckless speed (7) 

Darling, L (new driver), engaging in (insertion), daring (reckless), speed (def) 

3. Haunting film on babysitter touring Cuba (7) 

Uncanny, haunting (def), U (film), on (juxta), nanny (babysitter), touring (container),  

C (Cuba) 

4. Window dressing of stores often show alluring loss-making items (5) 

Gloss, window dressing (def), of (hidden), rest is fodder. 

5. Forfeit compensation (7) 

Damages, DD. 

6. Get tips from mugging? (5,2) 

Stick up, get (meta), mugging(def), tips (target), one way to get the target is via, spit 

(stick), reversal (up) 

7. Composure after extremely painful bite (9) 

Placidity, composure (def), extremely (1st and last letter selection in) painful, acidity (bite) 

8. Hold debate (8) 

Consider, DD. 

9. Pocket for waste? (5,3) 

Sweat out, implicit meta, pocket (def), waste (target), one way to get the target is via sweat 

anagram (out) 

10. Keeps up pressure to gain internal control (8) 

   Suppress, internal (hidden), control (def), rest is fodder. 

11. Intelligence brief: “Army target destroyed” (4,6) 

      Gray matter, intelligence (def), destroyed (anagram of) “army target” 

12. Sitting around, boasting about a type of rock (11) 

   Sedimentary, sedentary (sitting), around (container), I’m (boasting), rest is def. 

13. Report about fly with a tail? (11) 

   Scuttlebutt, report (def), scuttle (fly), butt (tail) 

14. Race to reach Rack St. (4, 6) 

   Make tracks, to reach (meta), race (def), Rack St. (target), one way to get the target is via, 

      anagram (make) of “tracks” 

15. Restore health (6) 

   Repair, DD 

16. Interest and ingenuity eventually contributed to status (8) 

   Standing, contributed to (hidden), status (def), rest is fodder. 

17. Relative mostly around teatime and lunch time gets wild (7) 

   Uncivil, uncle (relative), mostly (delete last letter), around (container), IV (teatime), I (lunch 

   time), wild (def) 

18. Freshman entering in America, is regarded as a demon? (7) 

   Incubus, cub (freshman), entering (insertion), in (in), US (America), demon (def) 

19. An email that bugged the traitor (8) 

   Apostate, a (an), post (email), ate (bugged), traitor (def) 

20. Confine a student trainee perhaps (6) 

   Intern, DD. 

21. Turning diamond on its edge on a whim (6) 

   Megrim, turning (reversal of) gem (diamond), rim (edge), whim (def)