Please can someone explain why [hidden answer] ENTICE is the probable solution to this clue 'Person bound to learn to sacrifice pawn and rook to offer temptation (6). Letters E_T_C_ already secured. [The Times Crossword - Weds]. Damned if I can work it out.

[Chalky] Here is the explanation: Person bound to learn=PRENTICE. Sacrifice pawn (P) and rook (R) to leave ENTICE. To offer temptation=ENTICE (straight def). There you go.

Ah - many thanks, kind sir. Didn't realise that PRENTICE was aphetic for APPRENTICE and if I hadn't been so lazy a quick peek in the dictionary would have told me that.

This crossword pretty much did itself last night, but I don't fully understand two of them. (Answers in square brackets).

• Archer's thing? Yes, with or without dash (12) [BULLSHITTING]
• US would-be persuaders of the continuing need for persuaders (3,5) [GUN LOBBY]

The former has an obvious main definition - I don't get the device. The latter looks like a single definition, but I just don't get it.

Meanwhile the same puzzle includes (8) (Geddit?) which should be obvious in the light of our recent discussions.

[rab] Re-archer: I assume the idea is that it is a double definition. With a dash (hyphen), it can be read as bulls-hitting, which is what archers do. Without, it is what Jeff does. And I've seen "clueless" done that way before, more or less.