Guardian Prize Crossword 27405 Saturday January 13Th 2018

[kajman]

5. Greek dramatist breaks to pocket first of cash, after bribe (9)

It looks like the answer is Sophocles, but I can't parse the cryptic part.

[Mamyalynne]

Bribe - Sop - Holes around c(ash)

[fiction-factory]

pocket may be hole
c first of cash
sop for bribe
nearly there

[elliemay1]

Sop(bribe) holes(breaks) + c (first letter of cash)

[Mamyalynne]

Breaks = holes

[Mamyalynne]

Pocket is the containment indicator

[kajman]

Thanks, I've not heard of Sop as a bribe, and I wouldn't equate holes with breaks.

[geevo]

SOP HO C LES
Holes equals pockets as in snooker

[fiction-factory]

Clue is 'pocket' though - Mayalynne has explained that pocket serves another purpose here- it's breaks= holes , although I'm not sure exactly how

[Mamyalynne]

Singular pocket in the clue though.

[elliemay1]

one synonym of 'break' is 'hole'

[Mamyalynne]

Agree.

[elliemay1]

Yes, if you put 'break' into the Thesaurus 'hole' is in the list

[geevo]

Player holes the ball to pocket it?

[elliemay1]

Agree that 'to pocket first of cash' means to put the first letter of 'cash' inside 'holes'

[elliemay1]

IMO it hasn't anything to do with snooker

[geevo]

I don't think kajman's impressed with any of our suggestions :(

[geevo]

http://www.fifteensquared.net/2018/01/20/guardian-prize-27405-by-paul/