2022/23 Holiday Cryptic Clues Quiz

Ahhhh… the holidays – a perfect time to relax and give yourself a well-earned rest, right? OR you could spend it testing your brain’s limits – with our now-infamous 5th annual holiday cryptic clues quiz!

New to solving cryptic clues? They’re not as scary as they seem! Check out this excellent clue explainer from word guru David Astle.

These are great to try and solve either on your own or with a friend. Some may “jump out at you” immediately; others you may need to think about and come back to. One helpful thing this year is that each of the 26 solutions begins with a DIFFERENT letter of the alphabet. Good luck!

1. Get tired of symbolising a country? (4)
2. One hundred and fifty ever to get smart. (6)
3. I pop toes carelessly and end up with something completely different. (8)
4. A mission that requires some unique stones. (5)
5. Dearest and too wise (so we hear) shuffled – Paul said it came suddenly. (9)
6. Don’t bother with this crazy region. (6)
7. Italian capital counts for nothing below the balcony! (5)
8. Reorder the Wiki on this flightless bird. (4)
9. Chip one box badly and you’ll hate foreigners! (10)
10. Minnelli on the road gives us a scales and a tail. (6)
11. Crazy love and oddly chintzy way of showing speed. (8)
12. This book gives you an aluminium backside. (5)
13. Listen! Knock, turn all the lights out to get active. (9)
14. Sad donkey in turmoil with Somali leader – it’s ugly! (7)
15. Black flight? (3)
16. South, gold, south, silver, east – a meaty dog? (7)
17. Zinc oxide doesn’t involve any charts, initially – it’s a sign given to you at birth. (6)
18. Yellow-skinned Odyssey author? (5)
19. Trade drugs via vehicles on a busy highway? (7)
20. Writing in German yields this fragrant spice. (6)
21. If the boat loses the front of its steering mechanism, you should milk it! (5)
22. Scorcese – first idealist to drink this! (7)
23. Smashed orb with Barbie’s guy. (6)
24. It sounds like deep rest made you sad. (9)
25. Spooner fought a wall of crashing water! (9)
26. First pulling rank to play a trick. (5)

The answers are below. Good luck!