Word Puzzle 84

Word Puzzle 84 – Solution with Explanation

Theme: None

Clues:

1. Conduct of corrupt men? (8)

Demeanor, conduct (def), demean (corrupt), OR (men)

2. Proud of Big Ten South-East (9)

Grandiose, proud (def), grand (big), IO (ten), SE (south-east)

3. Pins from outgrowth (4-3)

Spin-off, implicit meta, pins (target), outgrowth (def), one way to get pins is spin anagram (off)

4. Losing hundreds, speechless with anger and resentment (7)

Umbrage, losing (deletion of) D (hundreds) from, dumb (speechless), rage (anger), resentment (def)

5. Shake pieces of grain husk on a plate? (8)

Brandish, shake (def), bran (pieces of grain husk), dish (plate)

6. Ruckus at Chelsea game as cops discover a loaded gun hidden in a tote (7)

Satchel, hidden in (hidden), tote (def), rest is fodder

7. Sobbed regularly about educated being exterminated? (11)

Obliterated, OBD (sobbed regularly i.e., alternate letter selection), about (container), literate (educated), exterminated (def)

8. Stumper with a crush, transfixed by Maudlin (7)

Mawkish, WK (stumper as in wicketkeeper), I (a), transfixed by (container), mash (crush), maudlin (def)

9. Call sibling on the telephone at crunch time (6)

Crisis, cry (call), sis (sibling), on the telephone (homophone), crunch time (def)

10. River duck in cow town? (6)

Podunk, po (river), dunk (duck), cow town (def)

11. Surveillance with ease on Greek character supported by functional progress (9)

Espionage, surveillance (def), ES (ease), pi (Greek character), supported by (juxtaposition), on (functional), age (progress)

12. Fall for dog in trouble (7)

Cascade, fall (def), cad (dog), in (insertion), case (trouble)

13. Rack up debt (5)

Score, DD

14. Acting on a ramp from liquor (7,6,3)

Captain Morgan rum, implicit meta, acting on a ramp (target), liquor (def), one way to get the target is via “Captain Morgan” anagram (rum)

15. Chick party promo? (9)

Broadside, broad (chick), side (party), promo (def)

16. Some stand between it with a yo-yo (6)

Nitwit, some (hidden), yo-yo (def), rest is fodder

17. Cot for ape reproduction? (7)

Hammock, cot (def), ham (ape), mock (reproduction)

18. Vocal harmony composition (5)

Piece, vocal (homophone of) peace (harmony), composition (def)

19. Formal search engine missing active publicity (8)

Ballyhoo, ball (formal), yahoo (search engine), missing (deletion of) a (active), publicity (def)

20. Obnoxious conservative visiting Serbian capital, sent back (6)

Rancid, obnoxious (def), C (conservative), visiting (insertion), dinar (Serbian capital), sent back (reversal)

21. Hate adult reading? (8)

Aversion, (def), A (adult), version (reading)