Telegraph Cryptic Connections Puzzle For This Week

[Matakari]

Good morning, I'm stumped on all but 3. Answers and parsing for the rest would be appreciated. Many thanks in advance!

Cryptic Connections
In a Cryptic Connections puzzle, five cryptic crossword clues must be solved; their answers can be made from the list of letters given underneath. Once all the clues have been solved, some letters will be unused; these can be arranged to give a word or phrase that links the answers to the five clues.

1 Info put before artist captured by the Spanish officer (7)
2 Against bar (7)
3 Just the thing needed for travel? (6) TICKET
4 Farm animals: 100 missing from northern town (5)
5 Something to eat in ordinary spread (6)

A A A C C C E E E E E E G G G I K K L N N N N O O O R R R S T T T T T U

[cashier]

1 General

[dannyk13]

1 General
2.Counter
3.Ticket
4.Stock
5. ?????

[aelmpvw]

5 orange

[dannyk13]

Orange is correct.

[Matakari]

Many thanks Dannyk13! Did you have a go at the yearly Christmas Charity Puzzle? I find it quite interesting. I’m stumped on just four clues out of the 120. I asked for confirmation and answers for some, but it seems it’s too early to do so? Could you please have a look? Thanks in advance ! www.christmaspuzzle.uk

[Matakari]

Thanks, cashier and aelmpvw, for your help!

[dannyk13]

Matakari, sorry but I have not attempted the Christmas Crossword.

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari, if you have done so much of the Christmas puzzle, the themed information at the side should surely be a massive help? I did it last night and the themed stuff led me to the initial letters of a few sticky clues. Try that!

[dannyk13]

Forgot to wish you good luck with the Cryptic Connections.

[Matakari]

Good morning, NACW! I’m sorry if the wording of my initial query misled you. I got all of the beginning letters to all of the clues and the theme.That was quite an interesting travel experience and very straightforward, indeed. I am now flummoxed by four clues ONLY. They are the following:

3. … an Australian kingfisher flew across …
( C ) C??TIC ( CELTIC )?

21. … a month of fasting, eating insufficient food, had left …
( C ) S??IST?? ( SUFISTIC ) ?

37. … thought this was wonderful and …
(C ) W?ULK )

40. … begin to deal in earnest with the arrangements of their wedding ceremony
B ) O??NAN??? ( ORDNANCES ) ?

Ps: I thought that 37 (B) was supposed to be an adjective (AMAZING ), but the adverb AMAZINGLY fits.

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, Matakari. You seem to have done a lot better with the Christmas quiz than you fare with the Connections puzzles!

The way you've set out the clues that you want answered is, I'm afraid, more of a hindrance, and a little confusing. Maybe ABers will be happy to go off to check the details, the wording etc.

[Matakari]

Yes, NACW, I enjoy Gordon’s puzzles for the definitions and the homophones especially. But sometimes he throws in some really obscure words that tend to tantalize us!

This is the original query I sent. I have the answers for all of the clues except for 3( C ), 21 ( C ), 37 ( C ) and 40 ( B )

I hope this is clearer now.

(www.christmaspuzzle.uk )

3. … an Australian kingfisher flew across …
(A) K ?? KAB ???? (B) I ?? LUE ??? (C) C?? TIC (celtic )?

21. … a month of fasting, eating insufficient food, had left …
(A) R ? MAD ?? (B) U???ERF?????? (C) S ?? IST ?? (sufistic) ?

37. … thought this was wonderful and …
(A) R?? KON ?? (B) AMAZ ????? (C) W? ULK

40. … begin to deal in earnest with the arrangements of their wedding ceremony
(A) T?? KLE (B) O ?? NAN??? (Ordnances )? (C) N ????ALS

[JJ109]

21 Sinister = left
(Latin sinistra)

[JJ109]

3 Celtic is a type of cross (ie a cross = across)

[cashier]

40 Nuptials

[bobbinwales]

Tackle

[bobbinwales]

Amazonian?

[Matakari]

Many thanks, jj109, cashier and bobbingwales. Amazonian looks good as an adjective. I like 3 ( C ) though it seems to clash with 3 ( B ) making it two homophones in N01 to N0 5.

37 ( C ) and 40 ( B ) are still puzzling.

A confirmation for 32 ( C ) ONLY. I already have the others. I thought “AMIGO”, but the clue reads “girlfriend,” a feminine and “amigo” is a masculine. Am I missing something here? Thanks again for any ideas!
32. … dingy yellowish grey, my Australian girlfriend.” …
( A ) I? ABE ? ( B ) S?? ILA ( C ) A? IGO

[Neveracrossword]

Matakari,for 32, the girl goes with Australian and only the friend is needed for the last aprt.

[Matakari]

Ok, thanks, NACW, Gordon is very tricky, twisting the language in his devious ways. What do you think about 37 ( C ) : W?ULK and 40 (B) : O??NAN??? (ORDNANCES )