At first, altitude-craving mountain explorers sometimes reach peaks (5)
The hunter was ignoring his hound because of a defective arrow shaft (7,3,5)
The initial step fits bears in the wild (5,4)
Dislike hearing about an exam with a poor grade (6)
Check on tires before hairpin curves, for certain (8)
 LAT |
Here are the solutions to yesterday's clues:
Squeaky see-saw back in current condition (2,2)
[homophone] [SEE SAW] [reversed] = [AS IS]
The homophone has to be done first to get [SI SA]. Reversing first gives [WAS EES], which isn't a homophone of the solution.
Windblown glyphs I call a flower (5)
[anagram] [I CALL] = [LILAC]
Glyphs are a fancy name for letters.
Flower tube Daniel replaced the top of (6)
[{flow-er} DANUBE] = [tUBE] [DAN] [replacing first letter]
This could also be read as DAN replacing T{op}, but then that final preposition is really left dangling.
Inside volcano pen, eruption took the top off (3,6)
[hidden] [volCANO PEN ERuption] = [CAN OPENER]
"Took the top off" may sound like a definition of a verb, but in this case it's a definition by function, a sort of metonymy.
Boring | queen's dress (4)
[DRAG] = [{cross-dresser} DRAG]
If you are only reading the main entries on this blog, you're only reading part of it! The comments are often more interesting and informative than the main entries, so check them out even if you don't plan to add one yourself! Please post comments, guesses, questions, partial answers, rationales, alternative clues, or anything even marginally related.
LAT1: At first, altitude-craving mountain explorers sometimes reach peaks (5) Straightforward, on-theme acrostic, but “reach” is a bit awkward, although I see that you need a verb as constructed. Maybe you could use the S for the verb: At first, altitude-craving mountain explorers surmount/survive/straddle peaks.
ReplyDeleteLAT2: The hunter was ignoring his hound because of a defective arrow shaft (7,3,5) . I am not sure if “point” is the hound in the first definition, or you are using the hunting term for “reaching a point”. In either case, “ignoring” does not seem the correct verb. Maybe I’m missing something too.
LAT3: The initial step fits bears in the wild (5,4) A very PC definition, but nicely constructed.
LAT4: Dislike hearing about an exam with a poor grade (6) Seems a little backward, but clear enough.
LAT5: Check on tires before hairpin curves, for certain (8) Nice loose but acceptable definition. Yes, S is a double hairpin.
Maybe if you posted the first one or two comments on the main web page and linked to the others, that would encourage others to participate.
ReplyDeleteA little schoolboy humor:
ReplyDeleteMake Brit safe with a little southern comfort (5,4)
Does it lead to fast rise around second? (5,4)
If breasts are taken care of, French kissing may ensue (5,4).
Brief ass and tit create early intimacy (5,4).
For starters, just use safer bits (5,4)
Fairs best doing it one step at a time (5,4)
LAT1: your suggestion is very good!
ReplyDeleteLAT2: bird hunting dogs are trained to "point" towards prey when they detect them, but a distracted hunter would miss the point.
NC1: don't know that there's anything particularly "southern" to it.
NC2: looks like just a straight clue (though very tricky) with no cryptic, or a slightly clunky anagram. Were you trying for an &Lit! ?
NC3: I looked for the particulars on this, and surprisingly couldn't find it even mentioned on any of my regular dictionaries, and even the Urban Dictionary really wasn't at all specific.
NC4: how are you getting rid of "it"?
NC5&6: nice, though bland compared to the first 3.
Anyway, very nice anagrams on 1,3,4,& 5!