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Clues of Repute 55

4 January, 2016

More fine clues from the British archive, each sample appearing in the closing months of 2015. In terms of crackability, I'd rate the last four as tough - so don't be too hard on yourself. 

Meanwhile the answers to the previous lot appear below - in case you struggled to solve any of the ten. (And if you haven't seen that earlier post - Clues of Repute 54 - then take a look before you peek.)

Enought patter. Get cracking. See what kind of strike rate you can manage against such top-drawer stuff. (And happy new year, all cluesmiths.)

1. Enough clues in fifty puzzles? (12) [Boatman's opener back in December]

2. Very old figure breaking leg (5,3) [Paul spins a seamless cloth.]

3. Judge barred from prize award (4) [Love an elusive short answer, via Indy's Nestor]

4. New England athlete gets clap at orgy (7) [Sunday Times 968 working blue]

5. Working at end of the main holiday period (4,6) [Times 10402 - a tricky one]

6. Folk preferring books to work, often seen on beach (6) [Timely holiday clue from Times 10421]

7. Bent, maybe from eating unfinished meal (14) [Vintage Anax]

8. Small part of shop error - grape's etc gone off (12,10) [That's not a typo in Anax's clue - but a clue in its own right.]

COR54 SOLUTIONS: 1. Small hours 2. Half-inched 3. Safe-cracking 4. Golf course 5. Think outside the box 6. Sinatra 7. Neat 8. Operate 9. Bringing up the rear 10. Ernest Hemingway

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