Whisky, Maybe, Is A Fault

[satprof]

Today's Alphapuzzle cryptic clue.

[wolf63]

I don't know anything about the puzzle but would Whiskey fit?

[dannyk13]

redeye?

[bobbinwales]

A risky booze (boos)

[dannyk13]

//Redye, 1 : cheap whiskey. 2 : the phenomenon of a subject's eyes appearing red in a color photograph taken with a flash//

[bobbinwales]

Looks good dannyk13

[davebro]

scotch ?

[satprof]

A great answer, Danny, except that there are no 6-letter grid positions with the correct combination of three x e.

[bobbinwales]

Scotch may be right. A dismissed it at first but now realized fault could be a verb ...to fault, to find fault,to scotch

[Neveracrossword]

Short? (a drink and an electrical fault).

[bobbinwales]

Another good call

[MargoTester]

Awry? Sounds like a rye

[dannyk13]

I like Awry

[davebro]

awry seems better

[aelmpvw]

short looks favourite to me

[emmie]

scotch?

[satprof]

There are 7 possible 5-letter grid positions. The word with Q (they give you U) makes it easy though there's no shortage of possibles for it. Finally, that gives you 'short', though it's the long way round.

Mouseymick should be along in a while to give the gory details.

[Neveracrossword]

Thanks, Satprof. I could see how some of the other options partly, but not entirely, worked!

[Peterc72]

I thought short or awry sounds like a rye

[satprof]

Awry is a sounds-like but, IMHO, 'maybe' isn't a 'sounds-like' indicator anyway. I'm only a learner at the cryptic clue game, so 'maybe' one of the experts here can correct me. I'm also of the opinion that whisky without an e is the correct spelling for Scotch, but not for other whiskies, although that might be a fine point for Alphapuzzle setters.

Ultimately, solving the puzzle provided 'short' and that makes it the gold standard in my book.

[mouseymick]

Short .. 1,5,22,15,8 and Q is 18. Challenging today!