Question 1

What does the cryptic crossword clue "Ancient state in Malta served well by old knight (7)" mean?

Accepted Answer

The definition is "Ancient state". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). M (synonym="vehicle registration code for Malta, though in other contexts the country is usually abbreviated to MT or MLT") + ACED (synonym="in tennis, served a ball that the opponent couldn’t return = served well") + O (synonym="abbreviation for old") + N (synonym="abbreviation for knight in chess notation, because K is used for king") = MACEDON; definition: "Ancient state" The answer is MACEDON.

Question 2

What is the answer to "Ancient state in Malta served well by old knight (7)"?

Accepted Answer

The answer is MACEDON.