Friday Cryptic Crossword Game

[irony towers]

Rehearsal essential in circuit-training? (3,3)

_ _ _ / _ U _

[irony towers]

_ _ Y / _ U _

[lambers]

Hope this is right, it fits the letters but I'm only half-sure it fits the clue. A fuller explanation would be appreciated!

Dry run for cunning tanker? (6,3)

[irony towers]

You're right, lambers.

Central ('essential') in (circui)T TR(aining) can give

TT (ie teetotal) = DRY
R = RUN.

[lambers]

Thanks IT, I understand it fully now. I got it before by working out what was the 'straight' bit of the clue, then using the letters already filled in.

[lambers]

Dry run for cunning tanker? (6,3)

_ E _ E _ _ / _ _ _

[lambers]

_ E _ E _ _ / _ O _

[lambers]

Dry run for cunning tanker? (6,3)

_ E _ E _ T / _ O _

Is it that no-one can work out the answer, or no-one can come up with a new clue? I'm starting to fear that the "straight" part of my clue wasn't straight enough. I will rephrase tomorrow morning if necessary.

[S. aureus]

A little fish, or is it a desert fox with its head and tail removed? (5)

I can't really parse desert fox, it kind of fits most parts of the clue but isn't quite hanging together for me.

[lambers]

I think I got too cute calling Rommel a tanker. Would it have parsed better if I'd replaced the last word with Field Marshall?

[S. aureus]

No, that bit was fine once I thought of the answer, I'm having problems seeing how "dry run for cunning" leads to desert fox, except deserts are dry and foxes are cunning. It's probably just me, though.

[ad hoc]

I guess "to desert" also means to run? I agree though I can't really see how the clue works

[lambers]

Thanks for the feedback. Dry run was desert for both reasons. Too punny for my own good, not the first time that's been my downfall!

[irony towers]

Following on from the earlier discussion, 'Dry run? (6)' would have been audacious yet acceptable, I reckon.

[Guy Profumo]

I think I got too cute calling Rommel a tanker. Would it have parsed better if I'd replaced the last word with Field Marshall?

Nah.

Tanker was fine. More than fine imltho

(The rest of it, er, "foxed" me)

[S. aureus]

A little fish, or is it a desert fox with its head and tail removed? (5)

G _ _ _ _

[S. aureus]

A little fish, or is it a desert fox with its head and tail removed? (5)

G _ _ I _

[irony towers]

I couldn't find reference to 'gobio' occurring singly, so:

Battered gobio gobio, with head removed and trimmed (on paper) around the edges (10)

[S. aureus]

Wikipedia has a page, so I thought it was OK:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gobio

though maybe it doesn't work as a singular fish, come to think of it.

[irony towers]

Battered gobio gobio, with head removed and trimmed (on paper) around the edges (10)

_ _ _ _ G _ _ _ _ _

[Kevin S]

Following on from the earlier discussion, 'Dry run? (6)' would have been audacious yet acceptable, I reckon.

Have we got Wyatt Earp's original rules pinned up somewhere? I think I remember one about not having to solve a definition and then do an anagram of it.

[ad hoc]

Have we got Wyatt Earp's original rules pinned up somewhere? I think I remember one about not having to solve a definition and then do an anagram of it.

IT's imaginary clue doesn't do that though. He's clueing desert with both "dry" and "run"

(I think the original concept of this game was Hofzinser's btw, WE just restarted this thread when we moved boards once.

[Kevin S]

Oh sorry, no I wasn't suggesting it did. I just wondered if we still had them somewhere.

[irony towers]

With that skill in misdirection, Kevin S , you should set clues on here more often.

[irony towers]

Oh yes, the clue...

Battered gobio gobio, with head removed and trimmed (on paper) around the edges (10)

_ L _ _ G _ _ _ _ _