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I promise, I had the idea for a 5x5 cryptic before Graylocke!

5x5 crossword grid, with three evenly-spaced out 5-letter words going across and three going down

Clues:
1A Record side conversation. (5)
4A Demand previous show. (5)
5A Butcher lead-free paint. (5)

1D Revolutionary invention is "essential to law", he elaborated. (5)
2D Country's capitals?? Of interest, take a look, yeah. (5)
3D Weekly repetition (Rent! Rent!) provides a key, perhaps. (5)

This is my first "full" cryptic crossword (and my first cryptic puzzle that I didn't have someone else check first!), and I'd appreciate feedback on my cluing.

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3
  • $\begingroup$ Copycat! Just joking :P $\endgroup$
    – Prince North Læraðr
    Commented Dec 27, 2020 at 23:32
  • $\begingroup$ Not only were you planning it first, you executed it better :) $\endgroup$
    – Graylocke
    Commented Dec 27, 2020 at 23:48
  • $\begingroup$ Related: The smallest crossword $\endgroup$
    – Rand al'Thor
    Commented Dec 28, 2020 at 21:31

2 Answers 2

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6
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Grid:

W R I T E
H   T   N
E X A C T
E   L   E
L A Y E R

Explanations:

1A. Homophone of RIGHT. 4A. EX + ACT. 5A. (-s)LAYER. 1D. Substring. 2D. Capitals = first letters. 3D. Repeated letter in WEEKLY plus RENT*.

Feedback on cluing, as requested:

1A. I'd prefer something like "in conversation". 4A. Nice one: perfectly sound wordplay and good surface. 5A. Wordplay is good, surface reads a bit oddly (but perfectly OK overall). 1D. Fine. 2D. I'm not a fan of "capitals" to mean "initial letters" when the letters in question aren't actually capitalized :-). 3D. I'd lose the ", perhaps" at the end, I think. Surface is a little clumsy either way. Not terribly keen on "X repetition" to mean "thing repeated in X" but I don't think it's unsound.

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4
  • $\begingroup$ Not only did I get sniped, but I got sniped doubly! $\endgroup$
    – Prince North Læraðr
    Commented Dec 27, 2020 at 23:46
  • $\begingroup$ I'm accepting this answer because hexomino didn't have the explanation for 5A upon posting. $\endgroup$
    – bobble
    Commented Dec 27, 2020 at 23:47
  • $\begingroup$ Also, I was quicker :-). (By, literally, seconds.) $\endgroup$
    – Gareth McCaughan ♦
    Commented Dec 27, 2020 at 23:47
  • $\begingroup$ I need to write less (or quicker). Well done! $\endgroup$
    – hexomino
    Commented Dec 27, 2020 at 23:48
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The solved crossword

enter image description here

Clue explanations

1A WRITE sounds like (conversation) RIGHT (side) and Record is the definition
4A EXACT (demand) = EX (previous) ACT (show)
5A SLAYER (butcher) without the lead letter and "paint" is the def.

1D Revolutionary invention is the def and it's essential to laW HE ELaborated.
2D Interest take a look yeah
3D Weekly repetition clues E, "Rent! Rent!" means Rent, anagrammed (NTER) "provides a key, perhaps" is the definition.

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