Saturday Times Prize Crossword Saturday April 21St 2018

[hope3fully]

4d a dash of old port, suggestion after hot beverage 7,4 c- - - - - -,- - -e 17a backward- looking leading nation cut adrift for periods in washington,say? p- - - - - - -ion 8d recognised and understood,order rescinded 9- -p- - - -ed

[Flonska]

17a Punctuation

[Mamyalynne]

8d Discerned - anag

[Flonska]

8d Discerned (anag of rescinded)

[vetuste_ennemi]

cha+Rio+t rce
pu[rev]+nctuation[anag]
discerned[anag]

[Mamyalynne]

4 Chariot race

[Flonska]

4d Chariot Race

[hope3fully]

many thanks

[margarettom]

Why on earth is punctuation the answer to 17?

[Lie-in King]

Punctuation ("periods", in Washington) - 'up' (leading, back) + anag 'nation cut'

[vetuste_ennemi]

American usage: period = full stop is how I read it.

[margarettom]

Thanks!! Now I see it.

[Flonska]

Periods in Washington (i.e. in the US,"periods" are the equivalent to english "full stops."

[fiction-factory]

Just a tip, hop3fully- these would be much easier to read if you could put each clue on a new line a sthe clues and patterns all seem to run into each other ans some patterns run onto two lines. If you've tried that then maybe leave 2 lines between each one or put them on separate threads.