Guardian 23,803

[crofter]

Just for fun! Recently, I completed this crossword from the distant past set by Gordius. Several clues amused me by their ingenuity and I set them out below in order of difficulty.

Solutions required (as an early morning AB challenge) and an explanation for No. 3 and No. 4 (especiallly)
1. Devices for bullies (6,6)
2. Tenement proprietors in the capital (5,7)
3. A Muse deprived of space (9)
4. Join up twice in Scotland (5)

[kayakamina]

1 Hockey Sticks

[kayakamina]

2 Block Letters

[kayakamina]

Is 4 Lorne ? Lorne in Scotland. Enrol (Lorne<<) Join up

[crofter]

K You're getting there! There is a LARNE ...

[kayakamina]

3 Entertain.. I have assumed that A Muse is actually amuse (ie deprived of space!)

Go on crofter shoot me down! Cheers K

[crofter]

K I'm well impressed. You're solving these clues without intervening letters!

For the last clue, I believe the answer is LARNE. The word in the clue that is tricky to interpret is "twice"!

[crofter]

In Scotland, ENROL would be pronounced ENRAL!

Are you up for more?

[kayakamina]

I am busy battling with another Scottish clue.

Coolheadedly, without ado,monkeys howled in Hawick. (9)

I've taken ado out of coolheadedly and am trying to find an anagram to mean 'howled'.

[kayakamina]

Crofter I think i've got it Yelloched. New one on me.

Still thinking about the Larne/ Lorne one. K

[ddon]

yelloched. (Concise Scots Dictionary)

[crofter]

Yelloched is new to me too (but correct)!

As for the LARNE clue - don't spend any more time on ti!

Join (in Scotland ) would be pronounced ENRAL (enrol)
"up" = LARNE (a place in Scotland)

Hence the devious clue "Join up twice in Scotland".

[kayakamina]

Thanks crofter I enjoyed those. See you later.