Hide Lakeland's Headless Critic

[satprof]

Daily Express Alphapuzzle cryptic clue for today.

[netherfield]

L-akela-nds

[Dummyfluter]

As the Wolf Cubs promise - AKELA we do our best !

[bobbinwales]

Sorry netherfield, can you explain your answer. Are you saying its AKELA as hidden in clue. Wheres the def. and where does critic fit in?

[dannyk13]

Eland is also hidden in clue, a deer, hide?

[bobbinwales]

Maybe but hide just means the skin/fur and still does'nt explain CRITIC in the clue

[dannyk13]

agreed Bob, bit of a stinker this morning.

[dannyk13]

Might help if Satprof has any letters.

[satprof]

Danny: The letters don't help a lot today but I can say that there is a suitable grid position for 'akela'. I'm currently trying to see if the puzzle will work out on that basis.

[dannyk13]

Ta, prof, if that doesn't work try Eland

[bobbinwales]

theres a conductor called Makela but cant find a critic called that or ending in akela

[geevo41]

skin?

John Ruskin

[satprof]

It doesn't look as if 'akela' is right as it leads to a non-existent word:
?OEAO. (O & K are the given letters, but there is no requirement that the appear in the answer to the cryptic clue. Sometimes they do, sometimes not.)

[bobbinwales]

skin is better

[bobbinwales]

Yes (RU)skin was from London but did poems of the Lake District

[Dummyfluter]

Bobbin is correct - Ruskin was a famous art critic who loved the Lake District and wrote a poem about it in 1830 .
SKIN is the correct answer.

[satprof]

Skin works perfectly. There are four practicable grid possibilities. The correct one can be found by doing a frequency count on the second letter, K. Where this is low (4 or below), the letter concerned is probably K, which gets you started.

[Peterc72]

I believe it's shield as in hide and the l and s from Lakelands either side

[bobbinwales]

Good thought but where does the word critic in the clue fit in and wheres the defanition for shield??

[Peterc72]

Bobbin you hide as in skin or animal shelter and the l and s are either side of the word Lakelands but to shield is to protect from attack or from criticism too

[bobbinwales]

Sorry, dont think yours works and a thought the other answers of skin was perfect but you seem certain so good luck to you with fitting shield in