Guardian Cryptic #28921

2022-11-22

Solve on Guardian →

Across

7a

Cover for the Times entertaining the City (7)

flowerflowerflower
8a

Bar brawl in 60 minutes or 7? (7)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Warning soldiers after cry of surprise (4)

Generating...

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

MEN (soldiers) after O (cry of surprise)

10a

I left serious old building without perfume (9)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Colour coding's initial test (5)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Standing before holy man, for example, one on retreat (8)

Generating...

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

PRE (before) + ST (saint – holy man) + a reversal (on retreat) of EG (for example) + I (one)

15a

Democrat party leader departing in boat (4)

flowerflowerflower
16a

Vehicles honked, first travelling to the rear (5)

Generating...

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

STANK (honked) with the first letter moved to the end

17a

Judge impounding European bank (4)

Generating...

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

REF (judge) round E (European)

18a

Popular account: English royal abdicated over a breach (8)

Generating...

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

IN (popular) + V[er] SION (account) minus E (English ) R (royal) (or ER for the queen) round A, from the clue

20a

Advice rejected about long division (5)

Generating...

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

A reversal (rejected) of TIPS (advice) round L (long)

21a

Even Daley's twisting and turning is brought to a standstill (9)

flowerflowerflower
22a

Two papers follow the Guardian's foremost talent (4)

Generating...

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

Two papers (the I and the FT) follow G(uardian) Commenters here who regularly solve puzzles from all three papers, use this acronym

24a

Discovery of caring female replacing male (7)

Generating...

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

[m]INDING (caring) with m (male) replaced by F (female)

25a

Fitter of crown for the king? (7)

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Down

1d

Debussy's prelude has odd beat (4)

flowerflowerflower
2d

23 mean to eat bread regularly (8)

Generating...

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

STINGY (mean) round alternate letters of bReAd – the answer to 23dn is FISH

3d

Teach ladies and gents to climb over church (6)

Generating...

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

A reversal (to climb, in a down clue) of LOOS (ladies and gents) round CH (church)

4d

Group of prominent scientists support writer's blocks (8)

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5d

Missing worker catches mad cow disease (6)

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6d

Swear in debate there's no hell (4)

flowerflowerflower
11d

Before Sunday, no Pope destroyed books of rivals (9)

Generating...

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

Before S (Sunday) an anagram (destroyed) of NO POPE + NT (New Teatament – books)

12d

Conservative lied at firstnow in trouble, the buffoon (5)

Generating...

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

C (Conservative) + L[ied] + an anagram (in trouble) of NOW

14d

Super important (5)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Small dalliance (8)

Generating...

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

Another double definition, the second with ‘trifling’ as a gerund.

17d

Demote ambassador backing heartless renegade (8)

Generating...

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

LEGATE (ambassador) after (backing ) R[enegad]E

19d

A hairdo, say, to wear down (6)

flowerflowerflower
20d

Australian city's extremely sorry cartoonist is sacked (6)

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21d

One moving into home gets settled (4)

flowerflowerflower
23d

Fairly loud animal? (4)

Generating...

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

F-ISH (fairly loud?)