Guardian Cryptic #25835

2013-01-03

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Across

1a

Watery lake, wet banks (6)

Generating...

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

SOPPY [wet] round [banks ] L [lake]

4a

First persons in Europe to welcome leader of regime, old, old city (7)

Generating...

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

JE [French] and ICH [German] first person pronouns round [to welcome] R [first letter – leader – of Régime] + O [old]

9a

Hawthorns tip on one side (9)

flowerflowerflower
10a

See 4 down

11a

Mad reservists? (5)

Generating...

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

B ARMY – nice one!

12a

Lethal drug containing Irish whiskey? Ultimately, it's not true (5,4)

Generating...

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

FATAL [lethal] round [containing] IR [Irish] and Y [last letter – ultimately – of whiskeY] [+ E [drug] accidentally omitted earlier – thanks NeilW @11]

13a

Cross bridges if to give evidence (7)

flowerflowerflower
15a

Warning that's right about which man's after my own heart? (6)

Generating...

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

R [right] around which is GUY [man] after AU [pAUl’s own heart] – a very neatly constructed clue

17a

Old wine in Pinot, bowels evacuated (4,2)

Generating...

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

ASTI [wine] in P[ino]T [bowels evacuated!]

19a

Bleat about faceless joint, one serving non-alcoholic drinks (7)

flowerflowerflower
22a

See 2

24a

Toilet empty, entering toilet is a gamble (5)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Double entendre primarily in string (5)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Bitter bread possibly English, I'm not sure Napoleon eating it (4,5)

Generating...

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

BONEY [Napoleon] round [eating] E [English] + ERM [I’m not sure] – amusing definition, bread being slang for money

28a
8d

Cause trouble, as might a 3? (4,3,3,3)

Generating...
29a

Shrub mainly robust, leastwise at every border (6)

Generating...

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

first and last letters [at every border] of MainlY RobusT LeastwisE

Down

1d

Old instrument still under fire (7)

flowerflowerflower
2d
22a

Blade Runner film award is the peak, pope claims (5,9)

Generating...
3d

Putin not entirely sorry, not right when subversive girls ultimately jailedthem? (5,4)

Generating...

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

anagram [subversive] of PUTI[n] + SOR[r]Y [sorry, not right] + S last letter [ultimately] of girlS – not quite & lit but a very clever construction and surface

4d
10a

Can I see limits in Jamaican running, accepting premier of sprinters is Olympic gold medallist? (7,5)

Generating...
5d

Very eager to lose gram to get thin (5)

flowerflowerflower
6d

For starters, consider each northern constellationto be one in the south? (9)

Generating...

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

First letters [starters] of Consider Each Northern + TAURUS [constellation]

7d

Shellfish gobbled by boy's terrapin (6)

flowerflowerflower
8d

See 28

14d

Make-up getting criticism in old comedy (9)

flowerflowerflower
16d

I'm surprised to see politician with a large strawberry scoffing fruit (9)

Generating...

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

GORBY [politician with a large strawberry] round [scoffing] fruit Mikhail Gorbachev’s birthmark is, actually, a port-wine stain [nevus flammeus] – see here rather than a strawberry hemangioma but I hope that won’t be too contentious

18d

Thumb thingthumbthing thought? (7)

Generating...

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

the lisping wordplay refers to the game of ‘Hunt the thimble’, in which the thimble is something sought

19d

Kind of case where risk overshadows challenge (6)

flowerflowerflower
20d

Untrustworthy in the end, locate new attendant (7)

Generating...

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

anagram [new] of LOCATE + last letter [in the end] of untrustworthY

21d

Unpleasant stuff deposited in an amount of money (6)

flowerflowerflower
23d

Open on time (5)

flowerflowerflower
25d

Principle number eight, gutless (5)

flowerflowerflower