Times Book Of Crosswords

[barnaclebill58]

Very dispiriting when not only can't you solve them but you can't follow the answers!
Please parse:-
For that reason part of the army's in reserve . Ans Thereby. I assume re is part of the army but can't see how you get theby.
Cut free. Ans Gash . Can't see how gash=free. (Dictionaries come up with cut or a word more appropriate to the Viz crossword!)
Laborious task to deal with -changing fillings for fancy cake? Ans Sweetmeat. I think sweat is the laborious task but can't get the etme bit.
Thanks

[ubasses]

the re (royal engineers) by in reserve

[Toorak]

The re (royal engineers) by (in reserve)

[Mamyalynne]

Sweat round anagram of meet (deal with changing)

[Mamyalynne]

gash
in British English
(ɡæʃ )
ADJECTIVE
slang
surplus to requirements; unnecessary, extra, or spare

Free could work too then.

[barnaclebill58]

Thanks -Isn't the laborious task clue a "forbidden" indirect anagram clue? You have to guess that to deal with =meet and then make an anagram out of that?

[Mamyalynne]

Forbidden by ?

Changing is the anagram indicator - I may be wrong in my parsing but it's how I see it.

[ichkeria]

It’s not an anagram: you’re asked to swap the middle letters of the words not jumble them

[Mamyalynne]

True, ignore my ramblings - too much puzzling today.

[barnaclebill58]

Thanks all.