String by The Ace of Hearts

Puzzle explanation

The extra letters in the radials’ clues and entries spelt “a Cuban street dance performed in a circle”, from the definition of “rueda” in Chambers. The placement of RUEDA in the grid resolved ambiguities in radials 2 and 3. The innermost ring comprised two other Cuban dances, HABANERA and RUMBA, forming a circle. The entries in the outer ring were all types of dance, again forming a circle. The puzzle’s title combined ST for “street” and RING.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra letter Answer Explanation
Perimeter
2   TAMBOURIN AM in TB + (IN, OUR in the other order)
11   ONE-STEP ONE + STEP
18   LIMBO LIMB + O
23   HAKA HAKE + A − E(ggs)
27   SALTARELLO (SELL + O’) around ALTAR
Radials
1 for(A) OAKUM A in HOKUM − H
2 (C)art TREMA ART < around EM
3 imb(U)ed ARDEB ((im)BED RA(diocarbons)) <
4 (B)one MARAE MAR + AE
5 p(A)lace BERIA BE + AIR <
6 Bon(N)e OSSIA OS + IS < + A
7 one(S) USNEA US + NEA(r)
8 (T)en RISEN EN after ((p)R(edicted) (f)I(nish) (a)S(semblymen))
9 Revolve(R) ILIAN (NAIL + I) <
10 c(E)ases NAIRA (N + A) around AIR
11 (E)yes OUIJA OUI + JA
12 a(T)e NUGAE GUN < + AE
13 slate(D) EGGAR EG + RAG <
14 br(A)iny SEDER SE(a) + D(uring) E(ggheads) R(ound)
15 Li(N)e TALEA TALE + A
16 Silen(C)e ENEMA (Sil)ENE MA(tron)
17 (E)mir PRIMA (MIR in AP) <
18 (P)layer LIFER F in LIE + R(elease)
19 on(E) INFER IN + F(or) E(gg) R(olls)
20 la(R)dy MEDAU M(al)E + DAU
21 (F)east BAJAU JAB < + A + U
22 Lo(O)p PAREU PARE + U(pper)
23 mile(R) HAREM M after HARE
24 (M)align AGREE A + G + REE
25 mat(E) KELIM MILE < after K
26 notice(D) AD-LIB AD + LIB
27 pla(I)ns SCRUB S(trategi)C + RUB
28 the(N) ATRIA AT + AIR <
29 get(A) LEARN R in LEAN
30 ar(C) TETRA (a)T (r)E(s)T + AR <
31 ma(I)n AITCH (IT + C) in AH
32 d(R)one SHIAH (HAS + HI(s)) *
33 (C)omers EPHAH (Jos)EPH A H(it)
34 re(L)ates OCREA (d)OC REA(tes)
35 star(E) LAURA ((Yo)U (sta)R) in (LA + A)
Back to 2026 menu