Deletion cryptic crossword clues - Solution for 12 May cryptic crossword clue

Article taken from grubby relative (5)

Solution – uncle

Uncle is of course a relative

Grubby = unclean

If you remove “an” which is an article like “a” or “the”, you get uncle

This is a deletion type clue.

In clues based on deletions, part or parts of a word are removed to get the solution.

You will have 4 parts to a deletion clue:

The definition of the solution

The definition of the word from which letters are to be deleted

The indicator that a deletion is involved

The letters or part of the word to be deleted.

Looking first at the indicators that point you to a deletion being involved.  The indicators vary according to the position of the letters to be deleted.

Examples of common ones include:

Deleting the first letter	Beheaded, decapitated, headless, leaderless, needing no introduction, not starting
Deleting the last letter	Abridged, almost, back off, clipped, cut short, endless, incomplete, missing the last, nearly, not quite, short, without end
Deleting the first and last letters	Edges away, limitless, trimmed, wingless
Deleting the middle letters	Cored, disheartened, emptied, heartless, hollow, losing heart
Other deletion indicators	Cutting, erased, leaves, missing, no, short of, without