Guardian Cryptic #26198

2014-03-04

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Across

9a

The centre of Earth is molten (5)

flowerflowerflower
10a

No longer in love with Vincent? You ask for too much (9)

Generating...

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

Reference to actor Vincent Price

11a

Weak, slack pants are very easy to obtain (9)

flowerflowerflower
12a

If he orders, follow Conservative leader (5)

Generating...

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

C [Conservative] + anagram [orders – again, the grammar is rather dodgy, I think] of IF HE

13a

Country's victory in team sports (7)

Generating...

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

V [victory] + anagram [sports] of IN TEAM

15a

Captain Benjamin shall start to abstain, turning mostly teetotal (7)

Generating...

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

WILL [shall] + A [first letter of Abstain] + reversal of DR[y] [mostly teetotal] for the hero of 6,18

17a

Beast an Aussie can wash his face in, reportedly (5)

flowerflowerflower
18a

It can happen at Christmas, misplacing small present (3)

flowerflowerflower
20a

In a junk, in a river, moving softly (5)

Generating...

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

Anagram [junk] of IN A in PO [river]

22a

Sun tans leather, not a hide (7)

Generating...

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

S [sun] + anagram [tans] of LE[a]THER [not a]

25a

Once more prepares note on poor diets (2-5)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Totally fair (5)

flowerflowerflower
27a

It's for absurd waves (9)

flowerflowerflower
30a

With Tippex pens, I veto sections that are 10d (9)

flowerflowerflower
31a

26's broken arm (5)

Generating...

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

Anagram [broken] of CLEAN [26ac]

Down

1d

Smart bird yields knowledge (4)

flowerflowerflower
2d

’90s glam rock band? Not The Shadows (8)

Generating...

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

The rock band is [The] Darkness – but Wikipedia says it was formed in 2000

3d

Women chase One Direction to lodge (4)

Generating...

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

W [women] after S [one direction] + TO

4d

Peer's issue lacks PR article in the news (8)

Generating...

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

[pr]OBLEM [issue minus pr] + A [article] in NN [news]

5d

Perhaps Newcastle was going up and down and up (6)

flowerflowerflower
6d

The end, easy? Coppola's upset to lose Oscar (10)

flowerflowerflower
7d

In clay, salt is regularly crushed as a mineral (6)

Generating...

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

Anagram [crushed] of alternate letters [regularly] of I[n] C[l]A[y] S[a]L[t] I[s]

8d

Muscle complaint (4)

flowerflowerflower
13d

Struggles to accept soft feeling (5)

Generating...

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

VIES [struggles] round B [soft – as in pencils]

14d

50% off 1 ice cream? (6-4)

Generating...

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

50% off 1dn  leaves IC, which is not, actually, 99 [it’s XCIX – see here but it’s a lovely clue and I think by now this kind of playing with Roman numerals is accepted in Crosswordland. [I only mentioned it because I knew someone else would.]

16d

Openings to dressers, offices or rooms, say (5)

flowerflowerflower
19d

Slogans of corrupt social worker: "Look out!" (3,5)

Generating...

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

Anagram [corrupt] of S[o]CIA[l] W[o]R[k] ER minus the letters of ‘look’

21d

Area 51 for (allegedly) North America's flyers in a particular zone (8)

Generating...

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

I can’t see the wordplay here: I’m sure it’s a very clever clue, as Area 51 is associated with UFOs, which makes a very neat surface, but it’s over to you

23d

English temp works after 10 for free (6)

Generating...

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

E [English] + anagram [works] of TEMP after X [ten]

24d

Unrefined citrus pop (6)

flowerflowerflower
26d

Leading captain and upstanding fellow, eh? Must be Cook (4)

Generating...

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

C [leading captain – oh dear] + reversal [upstanding] of F [fellow] + EH – reference to England cricket captain Alastair Cook

28d

Cricketer is on 50 again (4)

Generating...

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

BE [is – in some dialects] + L [fifty] + L [and again] – another England cricketer, Ian Bell

29d

Animal sounds 30 (4)

flowerflowerflower