Guardian Cryptic #28904

2022-11-02

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

That's surprising and it's sadly not something one could name (7)

Generating...

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

WHAT=exclamation of surprise="That's surprising", plus anagram/"sadly" of (it's)*

5a

Criminal rip-off in fashion (7)

Generating...

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

anagram/"off" of (rip)* inside CULT=fad="fashion"

9a

A good part of three months and it's still warm (5)

Generating...

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

"A good part" of Sept-EMBER, Nov-EMBER, and Dec-EMBER

10a

Mr James returned 'mood' paint? (9)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Gaunt-looking rogue: suave or devious? (10)

Generating...

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

CAD="rogue", plus anagram/"devious" of (suave or)*

12a
21a

Criminal boss is dope? Surprise, surprise! (4,4)

Generating...
14a

Popular painting etca clue: it surprisingly is hard to understand (12)

Generating...

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

IN="Popular" + ART="painting etc" + anagram/"surprisingly" of (a clue it)*

18a

Controversial treatment of hair, with article (hammer?) hitting your head! (5,7)

Generating...

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

SHOCK=a thick mass of "hair" + THE=definite "article" + RAP="hammer" + the first letter/"head" of Y-our

21a

See 12

22a

Labour shortly to follow this US-style party? (4,6)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Steed forced to accept disastrous live broadcast (9)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Old film star's talk that's hard to follow without a book (5)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Bird otter somehow found in hollow dell (7)

Generating...

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

the dottrel or dotterel is in the plover family of birds anagram/"somehow" of (otter)* inside D-el-L without its inner letters/"hollow"

28a

'All you can inhale'final 20% off charge on coke, say, but not ecstasy (7)

Generating...

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

LUNG-e="charge" minus the fifth letter/"final 20% off", plus FU-e-L="coke, say", minus 'e' for "ecstasy" "coke" is a fuel obtained from coal

Down

1d

Wife, as a consequence, is from where? (6)

flowerflowerflower
2d

One university offered Dawn's song (6)

Generating...

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

A="One" + U (university) + BADE=past tense of bid/offer="offered"

3d

Composer wants broadcaster to include trains (with volume adjusted) (10)

Generating...

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

SKY=the media company="broadcaster" around anagram/"adjusted" of (trains v)* where 'v'="volume"

4d

Scatter, climbing over duke's house (5)

Generating...

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

ROUT="Scatter" reversed upwards/"climbing", around D (duke)

5d

So Eric frantically pulls in stomach when using one? (9)

Generating...

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

anagram/"frantically" of (So Eric)*, around TUM="stomach"

6d

See 19

7d

A flurry of rain gets beneath split on a riverbank (8)

Generating...

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

definition: (adjective) relating to or on the banks of a river A + anagram/"flurry" of (rain)*, all after RIP="split"

8d

Act against old PM and visibly age (4,4)

flowerflowerflower
13d

Act prematurely and clear article by Rod (4,3,3)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Practice with vehicle almost covered in concrete (9)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Dead, buried in ground, after one's separated (8)

Generating...

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

LATE="Dead" inside SOD="ground", all after I="one"

17d

Wretched gang gets drunk, taking lorry off (5,3)

Generating...

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

SOT="drunk" around anagram/"off" of (lorry)*

19d
6d

Stories constructed by Spiderman? (1,3,2,4)

Generating...
20d

Trial of alternative timber (6)

flowerflowerflower
23d

Yeats's top poem with Latin form of singing (5)

flowerflowerflower
24d

A dog without lead is too much! (4)

Generating...

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

r-OVER="dog" without the lead letter