Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal
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Answer Explanation to “Drinks”
1A Twice or thrice, it's the same dance
Twice indicates that the answer is repeated.
Thrice indicates that the answer is mentioned 3 times.
And in both cases, result is the same dance.
Such a dance is the cha-cha or cha-cha-cha
Answer : Cha
3A Drink to it and my game!
Drink = GIN
GIN to it means that GIN is added to answer
And together with MY will reveal a game
GIN XXX MY = GIN RUMMY
Answer : Rum
4A Its bacronym is Taxed Enough Already
Bacronym refers to an acronym to which the longer version is ascribed after the fact.
Initials of Taxed Enough Already = TEA
Answer : Tea
5A General – short, singular, special
‘short’ is end deletion indicator for General and so we get Genera
Genera in singular form is Genus
‘special’ is anagram indicator and refers to Genus
Answer : Negus
7A Beverage that’s timeless-very nearly!
Timeless in reference to beverage means we take ‘age’ out
So we are left with BEVER
VERY = V
‘nearly’ is deletion indicator and hence V is removed from BEVER
Answer : Beer
8A It rebelled alongside English fictional heroine
‘rebelled’ refers to answer which is reversed
‘alongside’ is a juxtaposition indicator
English = E
With the above operations, we will get a fictional heroine, in this case EYRE ( from Jane Eyre )
Remove E from Eyre , we have Eyr which when reversed gives us rye
Answer : Rye
9A Change tack during tumult
‘change’ is anagram indicator
‘during’ is insertion indicator
Tumult = coil
So rearrange Tack in coil giving us CO CKTA IL
Answer : Cocktail
12A No worries about taking leak outside
No worries = OK
OK about = KO ( as about is reverse indicator )
Leak = Pee
Pee ‘taken outside’ KO gives us PE KO E
Answer : Pekoe
13A Second runner
Second = S
Runner = tout
Answer : Stout
14A Strange to be welcomed by Tory – or not ?
TORY – or ‘not’ means take out OR from Tory giving us TY
Strange = odd
Odd is 'welcomed' ( insertion indicator ) by TY
Answer : Toddy
1D Clear cut solution to primary problem
‘solution’ is anagram indicator and refers to ‘clear cut’
‘primary’ is head indicator and refers to “problem” giving us P
Answer : Claret Cup
2D Capone’s first and last
Capone’s first refers to his first name which is AL
‘last’ refers to the last letter of his name giving us E
Answer : Ale
3D On the contrary, one hour news includes one-liners heartily!
‘heartily’ is centre indicator and refers to central letters of LINERS giving us NE
One = I
Together , we have INE
One hour = IHR and ‘on the contrary’ it reverses to RHI
Hence we have RHI NEWS ‘includes INE giving us RHINE W INE S
Answer : Rhine Wines
6D Streep’s first - “Sophie’s Choice”
Sophie’s Choice within quotes can be understood as an example of her bet, where Sophie is ‘her’ and choice = bet
Streep’s first refers to the first letter of her name and gives us S
Together, we have S herbet
Answer : Sherbet
7D 10 star fashion icon
Fashion icon = Calvin Klein – hence CK
Answer : Bock
10D Talk back to leader
Talk = YAK
Back is reverse indicator and refers to YAK which gives us KAY
Add TO in front as indicated by ‘leader’
Answer : Tokay
11D No choice really when you look it up
‘when the answer is seen from below , it looks like there is no choice
Choice indicates that the word “OR” is in there
Since we are talking about drinks , the only letter to fit outside OR is G
Grog when reversed gives us G OR G ( so you take G or G – no choice, really )
Answer : Grog
Jay
