Cryptic clues

[Motobecane]

Spoiler

Beloved

Correct!

 

[RichardB]

I'm finding this thread very interesting. I love cryptic crosswords and am reasonably good at them*, but I find the clues here really hard - just a clue and a letter number, and I am struggling. But give me a couple of letters in the word and I am fine. I always find the first couple of clues in a crossword difficult, but once I start to get letters in I am away. It must be that I am better at word recognition than I am at deciphering something using logic.

*Telegraph always, Guardian usually (Rufus always, Araucaria often, Shed rarely) and The Times I can usually get 90% and occasionally finish. The Listener-type barred puzzles I usually fail at completely. They employ a completely different approach from the Ximenean puzzles of the dailies, and the make my brain hurt, so I don't do them.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

French leader's a spineless cow! (6,6)

This one is definitely not easy. One to sleep on, I suspect.

 

[Luddite Joe]

Very timid roller is held back. (4)

Well, I've slept on this one and I'm still struggling

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Well, I've slept on this one and I'm still struggling

Share the pain!

 

[winjim]

Ok, think of ''held back'' as 2 pointers....

I can't work out if marmoset is being serious or whether everything he says has some sort of fiendish cryptic double meaning. Is the word "pointer" in itself a pointer or does it just literally mean "pointer"?

 

[Stephenite]

Very timid roller is held back. (4)

Almost too embarrassed. Bit of a wild shot.

Spoiler

Tacx

 

[Stephenite]

French leader's a spineless cow! (6,6)

Spoiler

Yellow jersey

Excellent

 

[Luddite Joe]

Spoiler

Yellow jersey

Excellent

Correct
Over to you. ..

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I can't work out if marmoset is being serious or whether everything he says has some sort of fiendish cryptic double meaning. Is the word "pointer" in itself a pointer or does it just literally mean "pointer"?

I'm not trying to make it more complicated: think of the 2 words, held and back, as 2 separate indicators and the answer's right there.

 

[Stephenite]

Very timid roller is held back. (4)

Spoiler

tyre

 

[Stephenite]

It's past midnight here. My plan was to get up at 5 to get a swim in before the kids wake up. It's not going to happen, is it?

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Spoiler

tyre

He he, time for a clue from you!

 

[Stephenite]

The French love eastern cycling apparel (2,8)

 

[Stephenite]

Football trainer with woolly hearing? (8)