Club Monthly

[frameshift]

Difficult this month. I think I've got something wrong and it is paralysing me. 9a With criminal mind, potentially one best to cut slack after act (4, 5)
??L? C????
Also can someone explain the wordplay for 28a: Weapon whose mount's humped around otherwise in African country for one kilometer (9) ZAMBOORAK
Thanks.

[frugalfred]

Zaire, International registration letter = Z
AMBO = raised pulpit, dais, so mount.
otherwise = OR
one kilometre = A K

I think!

[cupid04]

What about the first one, frugal?

[frugalfred]

Dunno, Cupid, I can only come up with "Kill-crazy", but can't parse it.

[frameshift]

Thanks Frugalfred. I'm not sure of the 'C' in the first one. It comes from CUCUMBER clue: Dog following copper gnawed something like marrow

[frugalfred]

It's CUCURBIT, not cucumber, frameshift. How does that affect things?

[frugalfred]

CU = copper; CUR = dog; BIT = gnawed

[factor-fiction]

I agree with CU+CUR+BIT

[factor-fiction]

I assume that still leaves the C in 9a

[frameshift]

Yes. The correct cucurbit allowed me to get two more and 9a turns out to be DOLI CAPAX. DO I CAP in LAX.

[frugalfred]

Well done!

[frameshift]

Thanks all. Nearly finished now.

[ichkeria]

ZAMBOORAK: A cannon carried on a camel (i.e. "weapon whose mount is humped")
Wordplay: ZAMBIA with OR A instead of I

Don't think ZAIRE exists (as "Zaire") any more)