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In the following clues, a certain term been replaced with $X$. Find out the meaning of $X$ and solve the crossword.

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Down

  1. Deadly $X$ (5)
  2. White heroine or cocaine (4)
  3. Introduction of good old $X$ (4)

Across

  1. $X$ in screwy nail is $X$ object (5)
  2. $X$s scrapped behind engine driver's head for $X$ group (9)
  3. Unopened salad central solely to leaders of $X$ equation (3'1 3)
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2 Answers 2

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Building very heavily on PilsNot3's answer (upvoted), $X$ is

Heavy Metal

1D. Deadly $X$ (5)

Fatal (Fat Aluminium)

4A. $X$ in screwy nail is $X$ object (5)

Anvil is a heavy metal object (Vanadium in nail anagrammed)

6a. Unopened salad central solely to leaders of $X$ equation (3'1 3)

Ohm's law. Coleslaw -> oleslaw -> take out le from solely, add heavy metal

5a. $X$s scrapped behind engine driver's head for $X$ group (9)

I can't see past Rémi Henry's suggestion of Motörhead, Possible wordplay: Heavy - Vanadium - Yttrium = Hea. Engine = Motör. D = Driver's head. This makes 2d, snöw, but given the an̈swer this seems to be Ök.

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    $\begingroup$ All cörrect! :D $\endgroup$
    – Jafe
    Mar 22, 2019 at 14:20
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Partial

The identity of $ X $ is

Metal

Solutions to the cryptic clues:

1D. Deadly $X$ (5)

FATAL(?) - deadly, is also the name of several metal bands

2D. White heroine or cocaine (4)

SNOW - Snow White, and “snow” is slang for cocaine.

3D. Introduction of good old $X$ (4)

GOLD - metal, G(ood) + OLD

4A. $X$ in screwy nail is $X$ object (5)

ANVIL - metal object, (NAIL)* around V (vanadium, a metal)

5A. $X$s scrapped behind engine driver's head for $X$ group (9)

MOTORHEAD(?) (suggested by Rémi Henry) - metal group, MOTOR (engine driver) + HEAD, not sure about “Metals scrapped” though

6A. Unopened salad central solely to leaders of $X$ equation (3'1 3)

???’? LAW - Some kind of law relating to metals - maybe LEN’S LAW, or OHM’S LAW (suggested by ZanyG)? Though not sure how either fit the cryptic clue... We do have SLAW = “salad,” but the rest I have no idea

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    $\begingroup$ 5A : rot13(ZBGBEURNQ) ? $\endgroup$
    – Rémi Henry
    Mar 22, 2019 at 10:51
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    $\begingroup$ What's rot13(Yra'f Ynj)? Do you mean (Yram'f Ynj)? $\endgroup$
    – ZanyG
    Mar 22, 2019 at 10:53
  • $\begingroup$ Considered rot13(Buz'f Ynj)? Not sure if it fits with the cryptic, but at least it's three letters. $\endgroup$
    – ZanyG
    Mar 22, 2019 at 10:57
  • $\begingroup$ Could it refer to rot13(Zbu'f ynj ? Nygubhtu gung'f ernyyl n fpnyr gung eryngrf gb uneqarff bs ryrzragf) and I'm not sure about the apostrophe in that case either. Would rot13(ebpx) fit the same pattern as it's quite similar in meaning $\endgroup$
    – Smock
    Mar 22, 2019 at 11:20

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