Cryptic Clues And The Effects Of Drinking

There may be good reasons why you shouldn't drink so much as to lose clarity of speech, but don't blame the crossword setter for not pointing them out to you. How else would the setter produce clues of this kind:

Times 24245: Rather frail partners holding hands getting a peck from a drunk (7) WEAKISH
W E (partners holding hands, in the game of bridge) A KISH (peck from a drunk)

'peck' is KISS, which a person in inebriated state would pronounce as KISH.

Times 24592: Pal, shy when drunk? (4) TOSH
TOSS (shy), sounds like TOSH when slurred.

Generally the indication of drunken pronunciation in a clue converts the 'S' sound into 'SH'. Have you come across any variations? Do leave a comment about it.

One for you to solve. Cheers.

Guardian 25033 (Araucaria): Foolish girl being drunk won't make up her mind (6-6)

Related Posts:

• Wordplay on Regional Dialects
• Not Quite Homophones To The Indian Ear
• Rhyming Slang

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