My Top Ten Clues 2013 ~ Crossword Unclued

My Top Ten Clues 2013

top-ten-crossword-clues Best wishes to you for a very happy and successful 2014. At the close of 2013, sharing a selection of ten outstanding clues that were my personal favourites of this year. Enjoy solving!

Times 25372: Storing most of new mobile phone numbers? (9) R____O___

Guardian 26056 (Philistine): Coldplay's latest hit (newer compilation) (3,7,4) ___ W______ ___E

FT14219 (Redshank): Question: is romance ruined when sex intrudes? (5-7) C___-_______

Guardian 26093 (Arachne): Toast Schubert, Brahms and Liszt — cheers! (10) B_______T_

Guardian 26110 (Picaroon): With onset of nineties, memories not working could result in one (6,6) S_____ _____T

Sunday Times 4527 (Dean Mayer): Mister Bob Hope (7) __R___R

Independent 8406 (Quixote): Pound lost — keen person in no danger of looking fat! (8) ___L____

Times 25574: Van Gogh, in famous self-portrait, wouldn't have this approach (4,4) D___ ____

Times 25463: Cautious, taking dangerous bends (2,4,5) __ ____ ____D

FT 14314 (Alberich): Bill Gates fires partners (6) _____R

Which clues did you enjoy the most in 2013?

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16 comments

Lakshmi Vaidyanathan said...: Times 25372: Storing most of new mobile phone numbers? (9) R____O___
RINGTONES {storingne(w)}*

Guardian 26056 (Philistine): Coldplay's latest hit (newer compilation) (3,7,4) ___ W______ ___E
THE WINTER TALE (latesthitnewer)*

FT14219 (Redshank): Question: is romance ruined when sex intrudes? (5-7) C___-_______
CROSS-EXAMINE (isromancesex)*; 30 December 2013 at 13:20
Lakshmi Vaidyanathan said...: Guardian 26093 (Arachne): Toast Schubert, Brahms and Liszt — cheers! (10) B_______T_

Guardian 26110 (Picaroon): With onset of nineties, memories not working could result in one (6,6) S_____ _____T
SENIOR MOMENT (n memories not)
Sunday Times 4527 (Dean Mayer): Mister Bob Hope (7) __R___R

Independent 8406 (Quixote): Pound lost — keen person in no danger of looking fat! (8) ___L____
SKELETON (lostkeen)*
Times 25574: Van Gogh, in famous self-portrait, wouldn't have this approach (4,4) D___ ____

Times 25463: Cautious, taking dangerous bends (2,4,5) __ ____ ____D
2,ONES GUARD (dangerous)*
FT 14314 (Alberich): Bill Gates fires partners (6) _____R
POSTER(ns); 30 December 2013 at 16:59
Venkatesh said...: Times 25372: Storing most of new mobile phone numbers? (9) RINGTONES* Anag of STORING NE[-w]; mobile - AnagrInd

Guardian 26056: Coldplay's latest hit (newer compilation) (3,7,4) THE WINTERS TALE* Anag of LATEST HIT NEWER; compilation - AnagrInd

FT14219: Question: is romance ruined when sex intrudes? (5-7) CROS(S-EX)AMINE* SEX in anag of IS ROMANCE

Guardian 26093: Toast Schubert, Brahms and Liszt — cheers! (10) BRUSCHETTA* Anag of SCHUBERT + TA (cheers); Brahms and Liszt - AnagrInd; Defn: Toast

Guardian 26110: With onset of nineties, memories not working could result in one (6,6) SENIOR MOMENT* Anag of N+ MEMORIES NOT; working - AnagrInd

Sunday Times 4527: Mister Bob Hope (7)(S)(PRAYER) Defn: Mist/er - one/that producing mist

Independent 8406: Pound lost — keen person in no danger of looking fat! (8) SKELETON* Anag of LOST KEEN; pound - AnagrInd. Defn: person in no danger of looking fat

Times 25574: Van Gogh, in famous self-portrait, wouldn't have this approach (4,4) (DRAW N)(EAR) Just finished reading Jeffrey Archer's False Impression

Times 25463: Cautious, taking dangerous bends (2,4,5) (ON) (ONES GUARD*) taking ON + anag of DANGEROUS (bends - AnagrInd). Defn: cautious

FT 14314: Bill // Gates fires partners (6) POSTER[-n,s]
gates - POSTERNS, fires - Deletion Indicator, partners N,S (North & South in Bridge); 31 December 2013 at 15:14
Krishna said...: Times 25574: Van Gogh, in famous self-portrait, wouldn't have this approach (4,4) DRAW NEAR. Van Gogh wouldn't have "drawn ear".

Times 25463: Cautious, taking dangerous bends (2,4,5) ON ONES GUARD. taking = ON and anagram of "dangerous".; 5 January 2014 at 10:36
Shuchi said...: Holding on to the answers for a few more days so that solvers back from vacation can have a go. Hints to the clues:

Times 25372: Storing most of new mobile phone numbers? (9) R____O___
Hint: Anagram

Guardian 26056 (Philistine): Coldplay's latest hit (newer compilation) (3,7,4) ___ W______ ___E
Hint: Anagram; Elision

FT14219 (Redshank): Question: is romance ruined when sex intrudes? (5-7) C___-_______
Hint: Anagram + Container

Guardian 26093 (Arachne): Toast Schubert, Brahms and Liszt — cheers! (10) B_______T_
Hint: Rhyming Slang

Guardian 26110 (Picaroon): With onset of nineties, memories not working could result in one (6,6) S_____ _____T
Hint: Anagram; Semi-&Lit

Sunday Times 4527 (Dean Mayer): Mister Bob Hope (7) __R___R
Hint: Agent Nouns In Crosswords

Independent 8406 (Quixote): Pound lost — keen person in no danger of looking fat! (8) ___L____
Hint: Anagram

Times 25574: Van Gogh, in famous self-portrait, wouldn't have this approach (4,4) D___ ____
Hint: Charades for Phrases

Times 25463: Cautious, taking dangerous bends (2,4,5) __ ____ ____D
Hint: Charade + Anagram

FT 14314 (Alberich): Bill Gates fires partners (6) _____R
Hint: The Game Of Bridge In Crosswords; 5 January 2014 at 11:14
michael said...: I got the following (over the course of a few days) without your hints... although to be fair, I already knew the semi-&lit.
Not sure I get the def on the first one...

mobile=anagrind {STORING NE(w)}*
RINGTONES
def=phone numbers

def=cold play (Shakespearean play)
{LATEST HIT NEWER}*
THE WINTER'S TALE (presumably it's cold in the winter)

def=question
{IS ROMANCE}*
CROS[SEX]AMINE (reminds me of court dramas)

...

{N(ineties) MEMORIES NOT}*
SENIOR MOMENT
(this is the one I already knew)

def=mister=sprayer (something that makes mist)
bob=s. hope=prayer
(this one I got a few hours ago)

I guess I'll take another attempt later.
I suspected that "partners" might be a bridge reference. Interesting that it doesn't end with N, E, S, or W... perhaps "fired" means removed? Hmm.; 5 January 2014 at 11:47
Anonymous said...: Even with your hints, this is all I could manage:

RINGTO(NEw)S*
THE WINTERS TALE*
CROS(SEX)AMINE*
-
SENIOR MOME(N)T*
S PRAYER
SKELETON*
-
ON ONES GUARD
-; 5 January 2014 at 13:45
Sreelakshmi said...: Near-flawless surfaces...I can see why they are your top ten clues, Shuchi!
2. THE WINTER'S TALE ie 'Cold' Play (LATEST HIT NEWER)*
3.(CROS(SEX)AMINE)*
5. SENIOR MOMENT (N+MEMORIES+NOT)*
6. S PRAYER ( bob=shilling=s) The example in the link you provided kind of gave it away ;)
7. SKELETON (KEEN LOST)* Loved this one!
8. Something to do with ear? :P
9. ON ONES GUARD ON (DANGEROUS)*; 5 January 2014 at 21:44
Sreelakshmi said...: Can't believe i couldn't crack this one! :D
1. RINGTONES (STORING+NE) Good one!; 5 January 2014 at 21:48
Laxman said...: The first Clue:
Is it RINGTONES? {(STORING)+ NE(most of new)}*
Which is the Anagrind. Is it Mobile?
I have not considered NEW the anagram indicator as it is part of the solution.; 7 January 2014 at 13:27
Shuchi said...: Time to reveal the answers...

Those were all tough clues - I'm impressed if you managed to crack > 50%.

I had expected BRUSCHETTA to give trouble while solving (which it did) but I thought DRAW NEAR would be a write-in (which wasn't so for many of us who posted answers).

@Venkatesh: Really well done!

@michael: Right with both your hunches - 'phone numbers' is indeed the definition, and 'fires' a deletion indicator.

@Vidya, @Kishore, Sreelakshmi: Great minds think alike? ;-)

@Krishna: Correct!

@Laxman: Absolutely - 'mobile' i.e. movable is the anagram indicator.

Consolidated solutions to the clues coming up next...; 8 January 2014 at 00:51
Shuchi said...: Answers:

Times 25372: Storing most of new mobile phone numbers? (9) RINGTONES
(STORING NE[w])* with 'mobile' as the anagrind; definition: phone "numbers" i.e. pieces of music played on phones.

Guardian 26056 (Philistine): Coldplay's latest hit (newer compilation) (3,7,4) THE WINTER’S TALE
(LATEST HIT NEWER)* with 'compilation' as the anagrind; definition: "Cold" play - The Winter's Tale.

FT14219 (Redshank): Question: is romance ruined when sex intrudes? (5-7) CROSS-EXAMINE
(IS ROMANCE)* around SEX; definition: question (verb)

Guardian 26093 (Arachne): Toast Schubert, Brahms and Liszt — cheers! (10) BRUSCHETTA
(SCHUBERT)* + TA (cheers). Brahms and Liszt - rhyming slang for 'drunk' - is the anagrind; definition: toast.

Guardian 26110 (Picaroon): With onset of nineties, memories not working could result in one (6,6) SENIOR MOMENT
N[ineties] + (MEMORIES NOT)*; semi-&lit

Sunday Times 4527 (Dean Mayer): Mister Bob Hope (7) SPRAYER
S (bob i.e. shilling) PRAYER (hope); definition: mist-er i.e. one that produces mist.

Independent 8406 (Quixote): Pound lost — keen person in no danger of looking fat! (8) SKELETON
(LOST KEEN)* with 'pound' as the anagrind; definition: person in no danger of looking fat!

Times 25574: Van Gogh, in famous self-portrait, wouldn’t have this approach (4,4) DRAW NEAR
Van Gogh wouldn’t have drawn ear in self-portrait; definition: approach (verb)

Times 25463: Cautious, taking dangerous bends (2,4,5) ON ONES GUARD
ON (taking, as in 'on drugs') (DANGEROUS)*; definition: cautious

FT 14314 (Alberich): Bill Gates fires partners (6) POSTER
POSTERNS (gates) - N,S (partners, in bridge); definition: bill; 8 January 2014 at 01:02
Anonymous said...: Thanks. Would never have got some!; 8 January 2014 at 09:05
Lakshmi Vaidyanathan said...: I did'nt try the left over clues , even after seeing your hints :( If I had, I would have solved at least 1/2 of those clues, (lazy).
By the way who is Vidya ? ;); 8 January 2014 at 09:42
Shuchi said...: Sorry Lakshmi :P Don't know where that came from!; 8 January 2014 at 20:05
michael said...: Got "skeleton," "draw near," and "on one's guard" afterward, but "BRUSCHETTA" and "POSTER" went unsolved. Oh well.; 12 January 2014 at 00:00