We’ll give out two books: one to Rosebud for FLOSS EACH DAY and one to Jack for stunning us with your succinct explanations! Mazel tov to both of you. This wasn’t an easy one!

‘Is that what you meant by “how you solved the cryptic clues”?’

Boy, is it ever! The explanations couldn’t be more succinct–or correct. Congratulations.

I’ll let David name the winner. Rosebud was first with the message, but JDB was first with the complete solution.

I had a good time writing the clues. Did anyone have a good time solving them? My fear is that these things are more fun creating than unwinding.

Guevara, man is “Che, sir.” Said “chaser.” And a chaser comes after a shot.

Group A
U. S. Open champ trains (3) ELS (two meanings)
A great offer to travel smoothly in the Sound (4) SALE (homophone – SALE, SAIL)
Mosh alert! At its core is soft rock (5) SHALE (container)
No good comes from halogens’ eerie glows (6) HALOES (extract N and G from HALOGENS)
Group B
A tree grows in Belmar (3) ELM (container)
The doctor, full of himself, said in Spanish, “Show your cards” (4) MELD (M[EL]D)
The top prize? Stick your nose in to the auditorium (5) MEDAL (homophone – MEDAL, MEDDLE)
One often in distress led Sam astray (6) DAMSEL (anagram of LED SAM)
Group C
Berkowitz’s father? Or Uncle? (3) SAM (two meanings)
Former giant department store! (4) MAYS (& lit with two meanings)
Typical teacher’s comment sounds pretty lurid (5) SEAMY (homophone – SEE ME, SEAMY)
Contemptibly small and red (6) MEASLY (two meanings)
Group D
Famous Norwegian golf position (3) LIE (two meanings)
Yodeling in the middle of Zabar’s (4) DELI (container)
Even characters in Neil’s indies leave something out (5) ELIDE (the even letters in NEIL’S INDIES)
Fielder runs out foul to foul (6) DEFILE (anagram of FIELDER without the R [runs])
Group E
That woman is Zeus’s main squeeze, for the most part (3) HER (curtailment, HERA, without the A)
Detect strains audibly at this position (4) HEAR (homophone – HEAR, HERE)
A second note, alas, to the Germans is the most that can be accomplished (5) REACH (RE, ACH)
Guevara, man, said this might happen after a shot (6) CHASER (homophone – CHE, SIR, CHASER)

Is that what you meant by “how you solved the cryptic clues”?

No time to put up my reasoning now…maybe later!

Group E gave me the most difficulty, and I’m not sure my 6 letter word is correct.

My love for cryptics began with Games magazine, and The Enigma, the magazine of the National Puzzlers’ League. Check out http://www.puzzlers.org for more info on the NPL.