Crossword clues

I've been writing a new girls' boarding-school book for the past 6 months, and in their school magazine is a spanking-related crossword puzzle (don't ask).

Some clues:


1. Rod in Tuscan evening (4)
2. Hesitation among NY team over unhappy instruction to the naughty. (8,4)
3. Frightening sound from the South West, more or less. (5)
4. Saint knocking for punishment (9)
5. Man on white cliffs - get ready! (4,4)
6. Finest quantity is a common dose. (3,2,3,4)
7. They hurt confused priests (7)

I offer a free copy of said book (in about 2 weeks' time when it's finished) to the first among you to post the 7 answers correctly here.

P.S. Yes, this is advance publicity (otherwise known as self-plugging).

Well, #5 could be interpreted as a type of 'tribute' to a late, much-missed member of this Library, I'm figuring, plus #6 is rather obvious, including an ordinal clue...

--C.K.

1. cane
2. knickers down
3. swish
4. strapping
5. bend over
6. six of the best
7. stripes

I think I have the solutions so if you want to keep working on them, avert your eyes:


1. cane
2. knickers down
3. swish
4. strapping
5. bend over
6. six of the best
7. stripes


(aaah, Ninja'd)

Let's try these.

1. cane
2. knickers down
3. swish
4. strapping
5. bent over
6. six of the best
7. stripes

Funny how it sat for 4 hours, then 3 of us solved them within 20 minutes of one another

p.s. Very clever clues TheEnglishMaster -- I'm way better at solving than creating them!

That was quick. Well done, and thanks for playing (and kind words, Rosie).

Mr Alan Barr will be apprised in due course of the delivery arrangements for the new book as and when it's finished (it's on the last day of the 'Summer Term at Chesterton Court' so can't be long) should he have room for it on his shelves.

Yes, I'm looking forward to getting my prize, and the clues were great and something a bit different for the forum. I was lucky as I was only ten minutes ahead of Rosie, and I almost messed up by putting 'ben dover' rather than 'bend over'.

If I were judging, I would have accepted that -- it fits the "other half" of the clue, and would have looked the same in a crossword grid, despite not matching the (4,4) length indicator.

Got Ben Dover within seconds! Not sure I would have got all the rest!