Clue contest No 45
Tue 1 Sep 2026, set byDingo
Introduction
In this part of the world, September marks the start of Spring, with all of its wonderful ATTRIBUTES. Happy cluing everyone!
Submit your best cryptic clue for
ATTRIBUTES
Results
# | Setter | Clue | Pts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Applies butter as it melts (10) Anagram (melts) of BUTTERASIT | 8 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 30 | ||
| 2 | Unusually astute investor bought both empty properties (10) (ASTUTE + (I[nvesto]R + B[ough]T) ('both empty'))* Def.:'properties' | 5 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 17 | ||
| 3 | Astute Brit renovated properties (10) Anagram of ASTUTE BRIT = Def. | 1 | 3 | 7 | 21 | 16 | ||
| 4 | Features in credits (10) DD | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 14 | ||
| 5 | Identifies reason for visiting bar between shots (10) Def: identifies reason for; AT (visiting) + BUT (bar) inside TRIES (shots) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 11 | ||
| 6 | Still entertained by funny satire about Trump’s face and features (10) BUT contained in SATIRE* around T; def ‘features’ | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 11 | ||
| 7 | Features one tries to hold onto, but time intervenes (10) One (A) TRI [BUT] ES (TRIES to hold on to BUT) [T (time) intervenes] | 1 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 10 | ||
| 8 | Features a dry cut of beef with grated suet (10) Def: features; A + TT + RIB + SUET* | 1 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 10 | ||
| 9 | Marks made by abstract artist squeezing tube freely (10) Def: marks; *ARTIST around *TUBE | 1 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 10 | ||
| 10 | Marks and Spencer initially goes after payment following a spot of theft (10) s (Spencer initially) after tribute (payment) after a + t (sport of theft) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 9 | ||
| 11 | Extravagant artist acquires Scottish island properties (10) [ARTIST]* containing BUTE (Scottish island) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 8 | ||
| 12 | They define, but are ultimately insufficient; it's complicated... (10) Def extended over WP (BUT+ARE+T+ITS*, complicated) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 6 | ||
| 13 | Fantastic tits are but these (10) Anagram (FANTASTIC) of TITS ARE BUT; the whole clue is a definition of sorts | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 14 | Characteristics of bust transformed with attire (10) (BUST + ATTIRE)*; def "characteristics" | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | ||
| 15 | Make-up butter? – it’s a cream! (10) anagram of BUTTER + ITS A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | ||
| 16 | Associates at half of tribunal followed by union setback (10) Associates (verb) =def; at+ trib [unal] + u + tes (=set backwards) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 17 | Properties in parlous state housing a lot of people near university (10) Def = properties; anag of STATE containing TRIB(E) + U | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 18 | Thanks, but returning gifts for credits (10) Def: credits. TA (Thanks) reversed (but returning) + TRIBUTES (gifts) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 19 | Properties found in outskirts of Aldershot but surrounded by judges (10) ATTRIBUTES (properties) = (found in) outer letters (outskirts) of [A]ldersho[T] + BUT inside (surrounded by) TRIES (judges) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | ||
| 20 | A bar band touring Utah gets taste of success and signs! (10) def: signs / A (a) T (bar) TRIB[UT]E (band touring Utah) S (taste of Success); WP “and” Def | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | ||
| 21 | Foley overlooked in new edit of _Statue of Liberty_'s credits (10) [STATUE OF LIBERTY]* minus FOLEY (underscores indicate italics) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | ||
| 22 | Traits autist developed along with boyish enthusiasm regarding trains, primarily (10) *[AUTIST + B(oyish) E(nthusiasm) R(egarding) T(rains)] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 23 | Features kinky attire with bust (10) Def = features, (ATTIREBUST)* kinky | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | ||
| 24 | Symbols a scribe’s gathered (10) Def SYMBOLS: ASCRIBES (gathered letters) as verb form of ATTRIBUTES, also homophone of noun form | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 25 | I use tango dancing for credits (10) BRITTA + USE + T* = credits | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 26 | Blames a race truck crashing into kids (10) Def = blames. A + TT + UTE (truck) contained in RIBS (kids) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 27 | Naked sub is misbehaving with brattiest characteristics (10) U (naked sub) anagrammed (misbehaving) with BRATTIEST | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | ||
| 28 | Some browbeat tribute students for credits (10) Hidden; def is credits as a verb | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 29 | Cover woman's bottom with shirt in extremely adult newspaper with primarily sexual features (10) Replace (cover) N (woman's bottom) with T (shirt) in AT (extremely adult) TRIBUNE (newspaper) with S (primarily sexual). Definition is features. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 30 | Naked butt and bare tits rarely can be personal qualities (10) Naked [b]UT[t] and BARE TITS* rarely(anagram indicator) can be personal qualities(def) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 31 | That blames poor Stuart, I bet! (10) def: blames *STUARTIBET | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 32 | You said trait combined well with best features (10) [U (you said) + TRAIT + BEST]* (combined well) = Features | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 33 | Homage in a magnificent final opus' end credits (10) Homage (TRIBUTE) in a (A) magnificent final (end of magnificent = T) opus' end (end of opus = S) credits (def.) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Broken statue possesses Brit's peculiar features (10) AT_UTES (anag of statue) contains (possesses) TRIB (anag of brit) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 35 | Character is among leading all-time Hunger Games participants (10) Def. = character | A+T+TRIBUTES | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 36 | Ascribes sculpted bust i.e. "after a trainee to Rodin" initially (10) Anagram of (sculpted) bust ie after initials of A Trainee To Rodin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 37 | A dry state but introducing Mid-West traits (10) A + TT (dry) + RI (state, Rhode Island) + BUT (introducing, link word) ES (Mid-West). Def; traits | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 38 | Heartless sea about to engulf temple first then sacrifice properties (10) 'SEA' reversed, heartless - middle letter removed making A-S, engulfing (containing) the letter T (temple first) followed by TRIBUTE (alternate def of sacrifice) making A-T-TRIBUTE-S. = PROPERTIES: definition of ATTRIBUTES. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 39 | Chalks up score, initially, after races between American rod and Australian offroader (10) Def. "Chalks up". A(TT)RIB+UTE+S(core); Races TT between American A and rod RIB, followed by Australian offroaders "Ute" (utility vehicle, in Aussie slang) and Score initially after it all | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 40 | Features altered traits, but equal to start with (10) Features = def; anag. ('altered') of TRAITS + BUT + E (equal to start with) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 41 | Traits artist composed with broken tube (10) Traits = Def. Anagram of Artist (composed) and TUBE (broken). I liked that traits is an anagram of artist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 42 | Credits start out about this setter, but end in irrelevance (10) Def: Credits. START* around I + BUT + (irrelevanc)E | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 43 | Features perverted butt satire (10) anag (perverted) "buttsatire" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 44 | Characters bitter at us in tug of war (10) DEF characters | anag (in tug of war) bitteratus > attributes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 45 | Features thanks reflecting accolades (10) defn: Features. AT (thanks = TA reversed) + TRIBUTES (accolades) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 46 | Are Tesla's cults regularly investing in Stocks & Shares? (10) Def: Shares (as a verb) --- A T [has] UT in TRIBES (stocks) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 47 | Reveals what tribute surely blames (10) Reveals: hidden indicator, wh(AT TRIBUTE S)urely Definition: blames | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 48 | Imputes a stature missing a bit however (10) Anagram (indicated by however) of [a+stture (=stature missing a)+bit] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 49 | Gifts returned with thanks by tribes found around Utah (10) Def. GIFTS. WP: AT(TA(with thanks)<-)+UT(Utah) in TRIBES | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 50 | Varied traits about excellent thing, you might say? (10) ATTRIS (varied TRAITS) about BUTE (BEAUT, an excellent thing, said out loud), &lit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 51 | Personalities eat ribs with sound of disapproval about (10) Anagram of "eat ribs" with "tut" (sound of disapproval). About = anagram indicator. | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |