Guardian, Tuesday - mental block

[joggerjayne]

I know I'm going to kick myself, but ...

5a. European city's hot, hot favourite during tour, regularly backed (7) U _ R _ C _ T

20d. Indian city where setter keeps optimistic, uplifted (6) _ Y _ O _ E

(these are my only blanks today ... =0) ... )

[jno]

utrecht fits, who cares if the clue works

[jno]

mysore ditto

[vegasmad]

20d. Mysore

[joggerjayne]

Hmm ... so it does, jno.

I don't understand why that would be the answer, though.

x

[jno]

I can see 'cert' (favourite) backward

[bibblebub]

5a hot = H, hot favourite = CERT, tour regularly = TU
so put H CERT into TU => THCERTU and reverse=> UTRECHT

[joggerjayne]

Aaaaah ...

MYSORE is "ME" in "ROSY" backwards.

Thanks, guys x

[scotman]

Utrecht

hot = h
favourite = cert
ToUr
all reversed

[joggerjayne]

Sorry ... ROSY in ME !

[bibblebub]

20d setter = ME (the crossword compiler), optimistic = ROSY

put one inside the other and reverse (uplift)

[joggerjayne]

Thanks, Vegas.

Crikey, bibble and scotsman ... I'd never have worked that out.

[joggerjayne]

I mean I'd never have worked out the "UTRECHT" one.

[joggerjayne]

Bibblebub's lolcat is like me doing the crossword ...

... out of depth, and drowning !