Cryptic crossword No 4,014
Mon 12 Oct 2026, set byHumph
Special Instructions: Welcome to my second published cryptic crossword!
To celebrate the milestone, several clues in this grid are linked by a hidden theme of "seconds."
For these specific entries, the definition in the clue defines a category or ranking system, but the answer itself is the second item in that sequence. e.g. About filling the prime numbers (5) would give the second prime number (three) - made up of "the" surrounding "re".
Across
- Is Miss Lovelace able to state size? (6)
- Visual disturbance or a sonic illusion? (4)
- Small drink? Abstainer accepts nothing! (3)
- Locums initially cut off growths, brought back for temperature check (5,4)
- Assassin from East Berlin? Yes and no. To start with, not eastern (5)
- Naked maiden gives relief to diplomat? (4)
- Submerged tar bet revealed inside info - backing one with backbone (10)
- Certain first Mr Man not male model (7)
- Table elements in disarray - you and I sound in control (6)
- Manoeuvre, maybe royal, to demote king (6)
- Airbnb potentially lacks a design consultant (7)
- Moonwalker, debuting Billy-Jean, messed up diurnal routine - interrupted by snoring (4,6)
- The ancient sun god returns! (4)
- See 9 Down
- Long lasting soap scrubbed emerald and me (9)
- Sunshine out of 26 - not backside in retrospect (3)
- Mechanical bridge Trump might use for screwing others (4)
- Large wanderers in Athens miss a turning - tucked away (6)
Down
- Film actors abroad! (4,4)
- Neither partner is in orangutan disguise (3)
- Magic wand produces fresh start (4)
- Open shop at lunch (7)
- Unfortunately, been an only partner of initial church leader (4,6)
- Here? Lost in walkabout e.g. another realm (5)
- British flowers with a meshwork interior (6)
- Extremist expeditionists unlawfully remove queen - race to capture Robert the Bruce for example (6,5)
- See 30
- Selected lady, grandmother and twin, accepts your lead (5,5)
- Join fifth platoon (5)
- Saint to encourage minister (first in Edinburgh) (8)
- Correct communist about second socialist leader (7)
- Second man identified my slip (6)
- Tormentor contentedly jabs drug addict (6)
- Zealot exiles extremists around originally unknown Polish capital (5)
- Sphere: A mathematical meaning (4)
- Dubai! Bah - crazily populated emirate (3,5)
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