Congratulations and cream buns to quiz experts Adelephant and Jonathan Law. The former gets the mega-bun for a very thorough answer. Click continue for the official solution…
The connection is that each of the answers is a collective noun for a type of bird or critter…
- Roaring for the English batsman, indebted. (9) – Bellowing (bullfinches)
- A number of spots cause sudden failure. (5) – Crash (rhinos)
- Pass it, if you’re good enough! (6) – Muster (peacocks; penguins)
- Acumen from wise head. (10) – Shrewdness (apes)
- Famous horse backed to make a killing. (6) – Murder (crows)
- Spell “allure”. (5) – Charm (goldfinches)
- Noise of mollusc, belonging to you and me.(7) – Charm (goldfinches)
- Houses which disorderly pair lament. (10) – Parliament (owls)
- Hesitation after Greek god and fiend (Roman one) cause chaos.(11) – Pandemonium (parrots)
- Praise explodes into a form of worship. (10) – Exaltation (larks)
- Rate “not sound”. (4) – Knot (toads)
- Delivery workers? (6) – Labour (mules)
- Guard, guards, lookout, lookouts. (5) – Watch (nightingales)
- “And his _________ may defeat my life”. (Othello) (10) – Unkindness (ravens)
- Sounds like Bilbo’s golden treasure, but actually it’s wooden. (4) – Yoke (oxen)