Drinks all round

Congratulations to the 10 who had earlier qualified to continue to vie for the final crossword. All are on track after the club sandwich.
A few other who submitted have got correct answers and can continue with the remaining crosswords.
We have crossed halfway point! So to celebrate - lets have drinks all round!
The sixth crossword in the series has drinks as its, hic, theme.
Cheers.

Jay.

"Clubs" Answers

Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal

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Answer Explanation to “Bands”

2A Second blood group stained drapes

Second =  S

Blood group = B

Stained = grimy

 Grimy drapes SB ( drapes is containment indicator )

GRIM SB  Y

Answer : Grimsby

5A Left note about union overtime raise

Left = L     Note = N

Union = U     overtime = OT   overtime raise = TO ( raise is reverse indicator )

L N  is about ( around )  U  TO

Answer : Luton

6A By any means , it’s a sound choice between bum and creep

Bum = beg   creep = steal

Between beg and steal , we put in BORROW

Then we have BEG, BORROW or STEAL  ( ‘choice’ justifies presence of OR )

By any means = beg, borrow or steal

Homonym indicator tells us answer sounds like BORROW

Answer : Boro

7A River search interrupted

River = WYE   search = COMB

‘interrupted’ is insertion indicator 

We have WY  COMB  E

Answer : Wycombe

8A Early Valanginian tree made a comeback about old Norway

Early Valanginian = E  

Tree ‘made a comback’ = EERT

Then we have  V   EERT  about  giving us   E  V ERT

Old = O  Norway = N

Answer : Everton

9A Halter rustic put together

‘rustic’ is anangram indicator and applies to ‘halter’

Halter changes to HARTLE

Put together = POOL

Answer : Hartlepool

10A Check out in the end by “Rogers and Evans”

Check = CH   out is deletion indicator

So CH must go out of the answer

The end by refers to the last letter of by which is Y

‘In Y’ means that we insert Y

Then we get Rogers and Evans who are Roy Rogers and Dale Evans

That is ROYDALE 

Y is in ROYDALE , so original answer is ROCHDALE  ( CH is replaced by Y )

Answer : Rochdale

1D Who will listen to its longer version?

Listen is a homonym indicator and refers to WHO WILL

‘who will’ is the longer version of who’ll

Who’ll sounds like hull

Answer : Hull

3D Head you rub the wrong way

Head of you is Y

Y RUB the wrong way is BURY

Answer : Bury

4D  Shot Cech lost again back-pedalling

Shot is anagram indicator and applies to Cech lost

Cech lost becomes  COLCHEST

Again = re   

RE back-pedalling = ER

Answer : Colchester

6D Gun model exchanged for early automobile

Gun = BREN

Early automobile = MODEL T FORD

When model is exchanged for Bren, we have BREN T FORD

Answer : Brentford

7D Wasilla misses independent Palin – central to reform

 Independent = I

‘Wasilla’ misses I gives us  WASLLA

Palin ‘central’ gives us L

We have WASLLA  L  to be reformed ( anagram indicator )

Answer : Walsall

Jay

Club Sandwich

10 entries qualified this time around. All have been notified by e mail.
The "bands" crossword has been the toughest one so far.
So the 10 are to be congratulated for their persistence.
Others are requested to continue trying as they can still qualify for the lesser prize.
Even if you are not competing for the prize, do send in your entries.
Fifth in the series is a crossword which has English Football Clubs as its theme.

Jay

"Bands" Answers

Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal

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Answer Explanation to “Bands”

1A Fifty back! Not bad in the upshot

Fifty = L

Not bad = so so

So so ‘back’ = OS OS

 Upshot = lob

‘in’ OS OS we have LOB giving us  OS LOB OS

Answer : Los Lobos

6A Auntie, not British but Australian

Auntie = BBC

Not British ( B ) but Australian ( A ) means take out B and replace with A

Answer : ABC

8A Look back in anger – oddly changing sides

Anger , oddly = AGR

Changing sides refers to R which is right ; when changed it becomes L

So we have AGL

Look = SEE ; SEE back = EES

Place AGL in EES giving us E AGL ES

Answer : Eagles

10A Basketry is such a job!

Basketry involves weaving of rushes

As such it a RUSH job

Answer : Rush

13A Moment of clarity!

Such a moment is an AHA moment

Answer : A-Ha

14A Way of life followed by guild

Way of life = culture

Guild = club

‘followed’ is a juxtaposition indicator

Answer : Culture Club

18A Zero to thousand?Its average!

Zero =O thousand = M

Its average is 500 = D

So we have OMD

Answer : OMD

19A Never very content

‘content’ is a hidden indicator

neVER VE ry

Answer : Verve

2D Lovebirds

Love = O

Birds = JAYS

Answer : O’Jays

3D  X-rated entertainment

X-rated = blue

Entertainment = cheer

Answer : Blue Cheer

4D Suspect holds the keys

Suspect = sus

Keys = GG

SUS holds GG = SU GG S

Answer : Suggs

5D Can outrank king and queen

 Ace can outrank king and queen

Answer : ACE

7D Freely elocute without limits

ELOCUTE without limits = LOCUT ( take out the letters at the limits )

LOCUT freely = CLOUT

Answer : Clout

9D Bachelor-clutching straws

Bachelor = B

STRAWS clutching B = STRAWBS

Answer : Strawbs

11D Fine a couple of learners

Fine = F

A couple of learners = A LL

Answer : Fall

12D In ’92, primarily

’92 is ninety two

Two ‘primarily’ = T

T is put in ninety ( XC )

X T C

Answer : XTC

15D “For all to see?”  “For most”

For all to see = U ( classification of movie suitable for universal viewing )

For most = FO ( most is deletion indicator )

Answer : UFO

16D You too on radio

On radio is homonym indicator

You too  sounds like U2

Answer : U2

17D Carbon credit

Carbon = C

Credit = CR

Answer : CCR

Jay

Crossword 39

Here is crossword 39

Band Together

16 entries got all correct answers to 'writers' crossword.
The rest can still qualify for the lesser prize.So keep on trying the remaining crosswords.
4th in the series is  a crossword which has bands for its theme.

Jay

"Writers" Answers

Visual Key to Clue Analysis :
Definition : BOLD
Wordplay : Italics with keywords underlined as well
Link : Normal

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Answer Explanation to “Writers”

1A Ape goes bananas- so into it

“goes bananas” is the anagram indicator

So  APE becomes AEP

“into” is an insertion indicator

 So goes into AEP

AE SO P

Answer : Aesop

4A Turn one guinea to thousands

Guinea = RG

One = I

Turn IRG = GRI

Thousands = MM

GRI MM

Answer : Grimm

6A Cheap energy that James will welcome

Cheap = Low

Energy = E

James will = James’ll

JAMESLL welcomes LOW E

JAMES LOWELL

Answer : James Lowell

8A Old king has eminence

Old king = COLE

Eminence = RIDGE

Answer : Coleridge

10A Out with a penny, in with a pound to make a killing!

Penny = P pound = L

KILLING is the result of taking out a penny (P) and putting in a pound (L)

KI(L) LING is derived from KI(P) LING

Answer : Kipling

11A Weak acid in soaps,say

Weak acid = HOCL

Soaps,say = SOPES

HOCL in SOPES gives us SOP HOCL ES

Answer : Sophocles

2D Prophet speaks, peeps later

Prophet = Samuel

‘Speaks’ is a homonym indicator. ‘later’ is a juxtaposition indicator

PEPYS sounds like “peeps”

Answer : Samuel Pepys

3D Pawn a king holds behind

Pawn = P  king = K

Behind = astern

P  ASTERN  A K

Answer : Pasternak

5D Look! That’s what Mary’s about!

Look = LO

MARY about LO

MA LO RY

Answer : Malory

6D  Jack Young possessed nothing to shout about- master recalled

Jack = J  Young = Y

JY possessed nothing ( O) gives us JOY

Shout = CRY

Master = ACE 

ACE recalled = ECA

CRY about ECA = C  ECA  RY

Answer : Joyce Cary

7D Expression of disgust follows another one around

Expression of disgust = UGH

UGH follows ( comes after ) another one

Another expression of disgust = AW

AW around = WA

Answer : Waugh

9D Hamlet, finally, was embraced by his countryman

 Hamlet , finally = T

His countryman = DANE

DANE embraces T

Answer : Dante

Jay