cryptic clue

[Basle6]

Outstanding tenor performance?

 

  D?E?(4)

[gen2]

Could the answer be DEED?

According to http://www.answers.com/topic/tenor the word TENOR can mean: 'The true purport and effect of a deed or instrument; the character or usual pattern of something; the drift or general meaning of a statement or discourse; the concept, object, or person meant in a metaphor.'

[johnalex]

Performance as in music: DUE + T (Good clue I think!)

[beeman]

thanks for answer john.

 only one i couldn't get.  I hate the way "the express" takes liberties with initial letters! (t for tenor)  You should have an indicator in the clue for this in my opinion: which is why i prefer broadsheet cryptics.  However, who wants to win a dictionary??

[johnalex]

Hi Beeman  -  Yes you're right, too many single letter 'clues' these days.  I suppose 's' for small is forgiveable and but not exactly challenging to the brain after 500 times. 'T' for tenor I've now seen quite a few times so that's now stored in memory also.  I did however like this particular clue, in that an 'outstanding performance' would tend to put one off the scent, being a common phrase, taking your mind away from 'outstanding' as in 'owing' or 'due'.  Anyway, I still knock out the Crusader, usually in 15mins although he sometimes throws in the odd almost extinct word to put me in my place! Regardz, ja