Related Clues:

• Pronounce indistinctly - discredit
• Pronounce words indistinctly
• Discredit, say reputation
• Barb, dig
• Pronounce indistinctly or cast abuse on reputation
• A deliberately offensive remark
• Backward-pointing part of a fish hook
• Thorn or spike
• It's slightly indistinct and slighting
• See about the cover if one joins them together
• How 27 across will begin tocatch you
• It's not clear if it's so insulting
• Sounds as if one might rue this catcher for a stick
• The point of this is that I can get it on the defensive for keeps
• The catch is that afterwards I can make it defensive