Guardian Cryptic #25774

2012-10-23

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Game of chance? Pay odds outside (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

Ins of LUCK (chance) in PaY (odd letters in pay) for being courageous (game)

4a

Yielding nothing crooked to cross pass (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

O (nothing) + ins of DIE (pass away) in BENT (crooked)

9a

Call for attention with a display, when drunk (5)

flowerflowerflower
10a

First group playing an instrument (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

Tichy way to say “Band Number 1 is on” for a kind of button accordion popular in S America, esp for playing tango music

11a

They came before playing 10 across (9)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Return note with grass blade (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

Rev of E (note) FINK (grass, stool pigeon, peacher, nark, informer, etc)

13a

A musical drama? (4,3,5)

flowerflowerflower
17a

Peer wearing band on cape for valour (12)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

Ins of EARL (peer) in FESS (in heraldy, a horizontal band over the middle of an escutcheon) + NESS (cape or headland as a land feature)

20a

Change at noon? (5)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Mean drunk provides watery food (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

An attempt to say SELFISH (mean) by someone who has one too many and is starting to slur in speech

23a

Make fleeces with short back and tailored front (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

CONS (fleeces) + CURT (rev of CURT, short) +  T (first letter of tailored) with MAKE as def Thanks to NeilW for the pointer

24a

Pulled a King from the river (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

Removal of A K (king) from TWEAKED (pulled) for a river in Scotland

25a

Gave emphasis to pushing leaves back across square (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

Rev of DESSERTS being ins of S (square) in DESERTS (leaves, goes away)

26a

Ladies at Glastonbury, say, give up rings at gate (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

At the Glastonbury Festival, the huge crowd would require portable toilets like PORTALOO (a trade name like BIC for pen and HOOVER for vacuum cleaner that has passed into normal usage) Take away the two O’s (give up rings) and you get the gate

Down

1d

A fall inside, but worker is bearing up well (8)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Removing tie and uniform, navy psychiatrist catches cold (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

U (uniform) N (navy) + ins of C (cold) in LAING , noted psychiatrist

3d

Praise for solving unfinished sudoku (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

*(SUDOKu) unfinished sudoku

5d

A display of balance by Kent batsmen at crease (4,9)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Flying moves provide a little excitement (4,5)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Bringing up medicine to a couple raised in the city (6)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Punk rock tried to embrace nihilism, initially (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

Ins of N (first letter of nihilism) in *(TRIED) Chambers defines PUNK2 as touchwood; tinder; amadou, a preparation made from fungi to be used as tinder. New to UY

10d

Superb old rose hybrid shows sign of life (5,8)

flowerflowerflower
14d

They may be told to dance off with opponents (9)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Deposit crew in rising waters? (8)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Plant key behind reptile house (8)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Waste energy breaking mugs (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

Ins of E (energy) in FACES (mugs)

19d

Bill given apple turnover (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

Rev of RENNET (a kind of apple)

22d

Free bricksaround a tonne (3,2)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:

Ins of T (tonne) in LEGO (as in small interlocking plastic pieces, principally bricks for constructing model buildings, etc)