| HARLEQUIN | Stock character originating in the commedia dell'arte, represented in diamond patterned tights, wearing a black mask (9) |
| PANTALOON | English name of a Venetian character in Italian commedia dell'arte represented as a foolish old man (9) |
| QUANT | Punting pole for propelling a barge; or, a fashion designer who popularised miniskirts, hot pants and patterned tights during the swinging Sixties (5) |
| HOUNDS | Pursues character originating horribly discordant sound (6) |
| ZANY | From the name of a stock comic servant in the commedia dell'arte, a word used to mean absurd, amusingly eccentric, bizarre or clownish (4) |
| PUNCH | Traditional seaside puppet show with roots in the commedia dell'arte, _ and Judy (5) |
| LAZZO | Italian word for a gag, jig or joke in the commedia dell'arte (5) |
| PIERROT | Character from the Commedia dell'Arte with a pointed hat and white-painted face (7) |
| SCARAMOUCH | A stock character who appears as a boastful coward in Italian commedia dell'arte (10) |
| PULCINELLA | Character that originated in commedia dell'arte and evolved into Mr Punch in England (10) |
| HARLEQUINADE | A play or part of a pantomime in which a comic character wearing diamond-patterned multicoloured tights has a leading role (12) |
| PANTALONE | Lecherous old merchant who is one of the most important principal characters in commedia dell'arte |
| COLUMBINE | In Italian commedia dell'arte the mistress of Harlequin (9) |
| SCARAMOUCHE | Boastful coward in Italian commedia dell'arte, usually represented as a black- clad mock Spanish don (11) |
| HARLEQUINADES | Word for the parts of pantomimes in which Columbine's diamond-patterned lover takes centre stage; or, acts of buffoonery generally (13) |
| CARAT | One of the "four Cs" in diamond shopping |
| ATBAT | Turn in diamond which has originally been for hours underneath ace |
| GEMSTONE | German maiden decked by fantastic set, one in diamond, say (8) |
| MAE | West in "Diamond Lil" |
| ROCK | Crack found in diamond (4) |
