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Diabolically Arcane

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Huh 35

7 June, 2012

“Cryptics are too hard,” people tell me. “It’s like they speak another language.” And this time round, I have to agree. Below are six opaque clues I still flounder to parse, even in the chill light of day. Perhaps you can help me – please. I can detect wordplay elements, but not the full enchilada.

So feel at liberty to illuminate in the Comments section. And for those hangin' out, eager to affirm their clue-making chops, come up with some alternative clues for the same six answers. (Thanks in advance.)

  1. Broadcaster captures Henley’s first and second-rate clue = SHOWER [I dig the container – H in SOWER, but where does Times 9307 provide the def?]

  2. Provide for Macduff? = LAY ON [Speaking of provide, this mystery comes from the quill of Araucaria]

  3. King leading section of church? It’s an honour = KNAVE [From Times 9314 – KNAVE equals honour?]

  4. Narrow opening in large Asian plain = LLANO [Dear Cincinnus – does ‘narrow opening’ mean N? If so, what else?]

  5. By yard, reversing vehicle for service = RACY [CAR reversed by Y – no probs Tramp. But the so-called definition seems, like, random, dude.]

  6. My family run through for the audience? = SKUA [Unless Bonxie moonlights as an Arctic predator in his spare time, I can’t jive with the definition.]

Your insights and reinventions are sought.

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If you missed my riddle chat with Richard Fidler, then feel free to slurp the podcast at http://ab.co/1I9t1x5

Text-speak is creeping into Scrabble. Where do you sit?
OBVS I'm fine with it
Entrenched stuff - like LOL and OMG - but no more.
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