Guardian Cryptic #28887

2022-10-13

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Across

1a

Very fast job, as the reformation (9)

flowerflowerflower
6a

See 26

8a

Sexual and genuine after breaking even (8)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Reserved hotel inside for Wile Ethelbert? (6)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Praise revolutionary Iran once (6)

flowerflowerflower
11a

More appetising with or without first sip of sherry or port (8)

Generating...

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

TANGIER (more appetising) + S[herry] – the Moroccan city is more correctly called Tangier, hence “or without”, but this form is, or was, commonly used by English speakers

12a

Trousers needing inch off, so sent back (6)

flowerflowerflower
15a

The woman's satisfied if coming first, being completely tight (8)

flowerflowerflower
16a

Declare it's proper to drink cola, shaken or stirred (8)

flowerflowerflower
19a

Cold alleviated and stopped (6)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Rebel sounds quiet between these walls (8)

flowerflowerflower
22a

Continue working after brief look back (4,2)

flowerflowerflower
24a

Measure for Measure partly correct (6)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Philistine's with a drink, exhausted, drained and unreal (8)

Generating...

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

I’M (Philistine’s) + A GIN + E[xhauste]D

26a
6a

Merely, purely, barely (4,4)

flowerflowerflower
27a

For a start, looks like new au pair's out, one being childless (9)

Generating...

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

Anagram of L[ooks] L[ike] N[ew] AU PAIR

Down

1d

Section is said to be calm (5)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Tramples family member (7)

flowerflowerflower
3d

One may laugh and laugh about desire (5)

flowerflowerflower
4d

School briefly covers up conspiracy smear (7)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Bizarre report of former lover, silly cretin (9)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Mr Bloggs introducing the start of your free pleasure trip (7)

Generating...

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

Y[our] RID (to free) in JOE (Joe Bloggs, name for an unspecified person)

7d

Gloomy nature's in fashion (9)

flowerflowerflower
13d

Vacating house before nuclear meltdown is very hard (9)

Generating...

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

H[ous]E + NUCLEAR*

14d

Political figure, one from 20? (9)

Generating...

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

Someone from the USA (America in the non-continental sense) could be a “states man”

17d

Leaves trendy gold jewellery at last (7)

Generating...

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

CHIC + OR + [jeweller]Y

18d

Belligerent mother's on trial when leader demoted (7)

Generating...

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

MA + TRIAL with the T moved down a place – this took me much longer than it should because I was expecting to need a synonym of “trial” rather than the word itself

20d

Continent of Asia has heart ripped out by organised crime (7)

Generating...

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

CRIME* in A[si]A – continentally speaking, “America” is really two, North and South

22d

They say you might need this to start the engine in the shade (5)

flowerflowerflower
23d

Times (long and short) come up with a letter (5)

Generating...

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

Reverse of AGE (a long time) + MO (a short one)