DM crossword 11/7

[mathsteacher]

26 old republic brought sexism regularly into conflict

?e?m?r

how do you get the answer please?

18 on the way up, one german carries bitter salt

n?t?a?e nitrate? if so how please

thanks

[JMR27]

Weimar (old republic) - sExIsM ...regularly i.e. every second letter = eim inside war (conflict)

[santan]

26. could it be yeomen? yemen with o.

[Tichfield]

26 Weimar.

The even letters of sexism in war.

[JMR27]

nitrate is correct ...one in German = ein + tart (bitter) carried/inside and reversed

[mathsteacher]

thank you to JMR27, santan and tichfield for your help.
great explanation JMR27...really helped!
today was only the second attempt at the DM crossword so am a novice and don't yet understand the ways of unravelling the clues!!!
is there a book that I can get or is it better to just try and pick up the rules as I go along?

[JMR27]

I'm sure there must be books available which give tips on how to solve cryptics. A few weeks ago the Independent on Sunday included a magazine on the very subject - unfortunately it's now been recycled or I would have sent it to you! - happy puzzling! I learned to do cryptics by completing as much as I could and then waiting for the answers to come out and then working my way back through the clues. The more you do, the more you'll understand them - give it a couple of months then you can progress to the Telegraph and the Times - happy puzzling :o)

[novalis]

Chambers Crossword Dictionary ( ISBN 0-550-10081-4 ) is a very good source to help you and has introductions to the art of crossword compiling and solving by, among others, the compilers of AZED ans Mephisto.

[mathsteacher]

thanks once again.
I will look out for the book.