Puzzling

Time for the next instalment in this cryptic series – deletions! They can also be called subtractions. I know you've already figured out what this cryptic device is all about from its name. Yes, we're going to remove letters, and ruthlessly throw them away. Cruel, but fair. Deletions are used quite a lot in cryptic clues, as it's common to be able to remove a letter or two from one word, to get to another. Some examples : ABATE - A and E = BAT CHIP - C = HIP FREESIA - SIA = FREE TRIP - T = RIP And so on. When it comes to these clues, you not only need to know what word to start with (with deletion indicators), you also need to know which letters to dump (with abbreviations or position indicators). The letter to remove are often clued with a standard (or more cryptic!) abbreviation (such as east = E, street = ST, or 50 = L), but sometimes the clue will tell you to remove the first, middle, or last letters. Here's a 'pure' deletion clue: ...