Each day during Advent we'll post a new clue on our home page (here). The first letter of each answer
is a different letter of the alphabet - in ascending order - and each of the clues lead to a Christmas-related answer.
1st
Angels
Clue: Gleans bits about heavenly beings
'Angels' are heavenly beings, and the word is an anagram of 'gleans'
2nd
Baubles
Clue: Hangings which sound like they might make male cows yawn
'Baubles' sounds like 'bore bulls', which is what happens when you 'make male cows yawn'
3rd
Cards
Clue: Clubs, maybe, used instead of cash
Credit/debit cards are used instead of cash. Clubs (along with diamonds, hearts and spades) are playing 'card' suits
4th
December
Clue: Now oddly drench something that glows
If you take every other letter of 'DrEnCh' and add 'ember' (something that glows) you get 'December' - our month of festivities!
5th
Epiphany
Clue: Pipe round middle of that New Year's Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night is the 'Feast of the Epiphany ('revelation')' in churches across the world - although in the East, 6th January is often celebrated as Christmas itself
6th
Figgy pudding
Clue: Did Guy ping GF to mix up this old dessert?
Figgy Pudding is an older, simpler, version of the more modern Christmas Pudding (well known in Britain and those places to which it has been exported). It's also an anagram of 'Did Guy ping GF' (if you're wondering, 'GF' is textspeak for 'girlfriend')
7th
Gifts
Clue: Presents, primarily gold, in finely tinselled sack
Gifts are a main feature of the Festive season, with the buying and giving of them being the focus of many people's thinking at this time of year. 'Gifts' is/are also the first letters of the words from 'gold' and onwards in the clue
8th
Holly
Clue: Lady who breakfasted at Tiffany's is often seen with ivy
Holly Golightly is the main protagonist in the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's ('Holly' is short for 'Holiday'). In the film version (which included the song 'Moon River') the character was played by Audrey Hepburn. We bring holly (and ivy) into our homes over the Festive Season - its greenery is a reminder of the coming spring.
9th
Icicles
Clue: Doubly in charge, the French have cold hangers-on
Icicles are a common sight in the festive season, hanging on (or off) the eaves of houses and other places, and feature on many greeting cards. Good ones might even become a snowman's nose! I/c is abbreviation for 'in charge'; we've used that twice and added 'les' (French for 'the' [plural])
10th
Jingle Bells
Clue: Just starting before fireside nook, ringers do it all the way - fun with a single horse!
Jingle Bells is a favourite song of the festive season. The words "all the way", (oh what) "fun" and "one-" (single-) "horse" open sleigh feature in it. An 'ingle' is a a 'fireside' opening, so put that after the start of 'just'; 'bells' ring, so are 'ringers'
11th
Kris Kringle
Clue: Seen as part of attack risk? Ring leading man of the hour
Kris Kringle is one of Santa's many names; it's especially used in the US. It's hidden in the words 'attacK RISK RING LEading' and he is, of course, the man of the midnight hour!
12th
Lambs
Clue: Young animals appear when lights mirror the fourth element
'Lights' are 'lamps'; if you mirror 'p' in the x axis you a 'b'; 'lamps' turns into 'lambs', which the shepherds are traditionally shown as bringing to the crib scene
13th
Marley
Clue: Dickens declared he was dead in my real edition
'Marley was dead: to begin with' is the first line of Dickens' A Christmas Carol; Bob Marley (reggae singer pictured above) is nothing to do with that. 'Marley' is an anagram of 'my real'
14th
New Year
Clue: Janitor without a rise at the other end of Twixtmas
New Year (Eve and Day) is at the other end of what is known as 'Twixtmas' (the period between Christmas and the New Year). A 'tor' is a hill or rise in the landscape; take that from 'janitor' and you get Jan 1 = New Year!
15th
We will reveal today's answer tomorrow. If you haven't worked it out yet, why not do so now by visiting our
home page?