Thanks to Luciano for picking my clue as the winner of WG 58. For the next round, please provide up to three clues for a word or words that either begin or end with the letter X. Closing date is 23:59 your time on Monday 21 June.

To get it started:

Derelict airport (3)

Luciano

Caesar's headless triumph of verse in ghetto haystacks, apparently (13)

Axes cut and cut dear Patrick Moore's instrument (9)

Luciano

On Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 2:53:28 AM UTC-7, Rob wrote:
> Thanks to Luciano for picking my clue as the winner of WG 58. For the next round, please provide up to three clues for a word or words that either begin or end with the letter X. Closing date is 23:59 your time on Monday 21 June.

Grab Mrs. Romney, seated next to an old flame (5)
Letters from Athens exist without end (3)
L.A. Times with Pence on the inside for person from Tijuana, maybe (6)

Intercourse with ancient king's upset ancient king (6)

Luciano

Thanks for your entries. Here are my readings - I need help with a couple please!

Luciano:

Derelict airport (3)
LAX
Double def

Axes cut and cut dear Patrick Moore's instrument (9)
XYLOPHONE
XY (axes) + LOP (cut) + HONE (cut), def = "dear Patrick Moore's instrument"

Intercourse with ancient king's upset ancient king (6) ????
Need a clue here!

David A:

Caesar's headless triumph of verse in ghetto haystacks, apparently (13)
VERCINGETORIX
def = "Caesar's headless triumph", homophone of "verse in ghetto ricks"

Duke:
Grab Mrs. Romney, seated next to an old flame (5)
ANNEX
def = "grab", ANN (Romney) + EX

Letters from Athens exist without end (3)
XIS
def = "letters from Athens", eXISt

L.A. Times with Pence on the inside for person from Tijuana, maybe (6) ????
I assume it is LAX with something inside but I am stuck.

> Intercourse with ancient king's upset ancient king (6) ????
> Need a clue here!
>
Rob:

Intercourse' is 'sex'. The first ancient king rhymes with 'sex'.

Luciano

> Axes cut and cut dear Patrick Moore's instrument (9)
> XYLOPHONE
> XY (axes) + LOP (cut) + HONE (cut), def = "dear Patrick Moore's instrument"
>

Rob:

My intention was actually:

XY (axes) + LOP (cut) + HONE(Y) ('honey' ('dear') cut), def = "Patrick Moore's instrument"

Luciano

On Tuesday, 29 June 2021 at 14:06:00 UTC+1, Luciano Ward wrote:
> > Intercourse with ancient king's upset ancient king (6) ????
> > Need a clue here!
> >
> Rob:
>
> Intercourse' is 'sex'. The first ancient king rhymes with 'sex'.
>
> Luciano
Of course:

XERXES
SEX + REX (rev), def = "ancient king".

Any help with Duke's Mexican clue?

On Wednesday, 30 June 2021 at 10:54:18 UTC-5, Rob wrote:
> On Tuesday, 29 June 2021 at 14:06:00 UTC+1, Luciano Ward wrote:
> > > Intercourse with ancient king's upset ancient king (6) ????
> > > Need a clue here!
> > >
> > Rob:
> >
> > Intercourse' is 'sex'. The first ancient king rhymes with 'sex'.
> >
> > Luciano
> Of course:
>
> XERXES
> SEX + REX (rev), def = "ancient king".
>
> Any help with Duke's Mexican clue?

L.A. Times with Pence on the inside for person from Tijuana, maybe (6)
I assume it is LAX with something inside but I am stuck.

LA(TIN)X with pence = money = tin ???

(Quote: 'Latinx is a gender-neutral English neologism, sometimes used to refer to people of Latin American cultural or ethnic identity in the United States).

On Wednesday, June 30, 2021 at 9:29:59 AM UTC-7, Luciano Ward wrote:
> On Wednesday, 30 June 2021 at 10:54:18 UTC-5, Rob wrote:
> > On Tuesday, 29 June 2021 at 14:06:00 UTC+1, Luciano Ward wrote:
> > > > Intercourse with ancient king's upset ancient king (6) ????
> > > > Need a clue here!
> > > >
> > > Rob:
> > >
> > > Intercourse' is 'sex'. The first ancient king rhymes with 'sex'.
> > >
> > > Luciano
> > Of course:
> >
> > XERXES
> > SEX + REX (rev), def = "ancient king".
> >
> > Any help with Duke's Mexican clue?
> L.A. Times with Pence on the inside for person from Tijuana, maybe (6)
> I assume it is LAX with something inside but I am stuck.
> LA(TIN)X with pence = money = tin ???
>
> (Quote: 'Latinx is a gender-neutral English neologism, sometimes used to refer to people of Latin American cultural or ethnic identity in the United States).

Sorry, I had to travel. Luciano’s right. A Mexican might be “Latinx.” “Tin” is British slang for money, and so “pence” delivers the British connotation.

Verdict time...

Luciano:

Derelict airport (3)
LAX
Double def.
Short and to the point!

Axes cut and cut dear Patrick Moore's instrument (9)
XYLOPHONE
XY (axes) + LOP (cut) + HONE(y) (dear, cut), def = "Patrick Moore's instrument"
I like "axes" doing very nice double duty here. For those who know, the definition makes it rather easy, but all good fun.

Intercourse with ancient king's upset ancient king (6)
XERXES
SEX + REX (rev), def = "ancient king"

Simple once I realised Xerxes was missing from my list of possible words! I imagine the repetition was deliberate but wonder if it upsets the surface a little?

David A:

Caesar's headless triumph of verse in ghetto haystacks, apparently (13)
VERCINGETORIX
def = "Caesar's headless triumph", homophone of "verse in ghetto ricks"

Was he in Asterix? The pronunciation I found has a soft G, but any clue for such a name is worthy of admiration!

Duke:
Grab Mrs. Romney, seated next to an old flame (5)
ANNEX
def = "grab", ANN (Romney) + EX

One could imagine a recent incumbent of the White House doing this. Another fun clue.

Letters from Athens exist without end (3)
XIS
def = "letters from Athens", eXISt

At first I thought "without end" should mean removing only one end, but if you take both ends off something then it is totally without end, so I think it's fair enough.

L.A. Times with Pence on the inside for person from Tijuana, maybe (6) ????
LATINX
TIN inside LA X, def = "person from..."
Once reminded of it I had come across the Spanish gender-neutral X ending. Tin for money also confused me as it's not a term I would use - brass, maybe! - but it is in the dictionary so all good.

The winner has to be Luciano for the music-destroying axes. Fight among yourselves for 2nd!

Thanks all.