Silverstone

[British_Olympics]

Circuit off limits to dragster ? (11)

Letters suggest Silverstone is the circuit in question but why off limits to dragster please ?

[mac44]

Dragsters usually race a straight 1/4 mile, not on a circuit.

[British_Olympics]

... but why Silverstone ?

[Flonska]

On the old section of the track between Abbey and Bridge a drag strip has been created and I think is used as a demo feature from time to time at some "custom shows". Some Drag Racing events were held at Silverstone in the 60's and 70's but after a gap, I think the last one was in 1995? (close by in Northants is Santa Pod). Mac's suggestion for the clue endorses my only thought but perhaps the setter has concocted a bit of an obscure clue here?

[British_Olympics]

Thanks Flonska but whilst very interesting I hope the editors didn't allow that reasoning !

[sunny-dave]

I too couldn't satisfactorily parse that - or several of the other clues in Inquisitor 1511.

I suspect that (as a hardened Listener solver) I expect all clues in cryptics to be 'fair and parsable' - with both definition and word-play elements - many in this crossword fail that test.

[British_Olympics]

Thanks for that sunny-dave, glad I'm not alone in thinking that some of the clues in this one were very poor.

[Flonska]

Apparently the parsing is:-

SILVER (DRAGSTER with dr removed to leave Ag = chemical symbol) STONE (st = short for stone? when er removed).

[British_Olympics]

Thanks again Flonska, so the wordplay "off limits to dragster" requires removal of dragster's (unspecified) limits (dr and er) leaving ag (=silver) and st (=stone) Anyone without a crystal ball work that one out ?!!

[Flonska]

Sorry for delay - been away for a few days.

I found the answer in this link;

http://www.fifteensquared.net/2017/10/18/inquisitor-1511-optical-illusion-by-radler/

[fiction-factory]

Very clever clue

[Flonska]

I got the first bit ok - Ag = Silver - esp when I found out that these puzzles have themes where letters are dropped/added but there was still an element of "WHOOSH - Red Arrows!!" I think I will not be doing Inquisitor in future thus saving on (a) the cost of a crystal ball and (b) the tax on the few remaining brain cells I have left!