times 23934

[yellow11]

half way-need some help please
9a went back,turning over base before eight,say 7
R?N????
10a one trapped in fissure by a crossing point 7
??I????
11a cheat breaking even in French Republic5 E?Y??
21a block evidence of killing,meeting threat of capture 4-5
B?D?-??E?? body?
25a after return of satellite linksbroadcast material 7 ??????N
thanks

[ladyalex]

9a reneged ?

[ladyalex]

10a chiasma

[ladyalex]

21a body check ???

[writesbad]

25a oilskin

[Lie-in King]

I confess that some of these will need a better brain than mine to explain...

9a Reneged - 'base' = (turning) degener(ate - eight) (?)
10a Ch-i-asm-a
11a E-gyp-t - 'gyp' = cheat, but I can't see the 'E & T' (?)
21a Body check - 'body' = 'evidence...' + 'check' (chess)
25a Oi-lskin - (back) Io (satellite of Jupiter) + anag 'links'

[ladyalex]

Thanks for the explanations, Lie-in-king.
I just put what looks right and hope for the best.......

[Lie-in King]

Hi ladyalex - do you see 9a & 11a? For that matter, I'm not happy with the clue for 8d either!

Stares at grid & wishes for something stronger than tea...

[swannbaker]

Lie-in King , you have explained yourself "degenerate turned minus eight say" .

[Lie-in King]

Thanks for the fillip swannbaker, but I'm not convinced that the wordplay works in this & a couple of the other clues (?)

Ah well...

[writesbad]

I agree, LIK, that some of the clues are v. obtuse this week.

For 8d the only justification I could make is
go=try
"any" chopped = "an"
vegetables=peas
then round
peas an try

[writesbad]

Oh, and I forgot to say, a dry martini helps!

[swannbaker]

9 a is ok . You need to turn over that part of degenerate BEFORE you get to "ate"
11 a To the extent that even can be used as a conjunction meaning "and" as in "even as I speak" provides ET .

[Lie-in King]

Thanks again to swannbaker & also to writesbad - I do get the explanations, but I don't have to like 'em!

Muttering..."Stupid clues...dry Martini - hah!, chance'd be a fine thing...kill for a sniff of the barmaid's apron...mmm, alcohol...dribble, drool..."