Guardian Cryptic #28957

2023-01-03

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Devious follower aiming to kidnap a king (7,2,6)

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9a

Teasing adult I see in very old hat (7)

Generating...

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

ARCH (e.g. ‘an arch tone of voice’)=”Teasing” + A (adult) + I + C (the letter pronounced as “see”)

10a

Outbids American wallies, extreme characters taken in (7)

Generating...

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

GUMPS=”American” term for “wallies”, with A and Z=”extreme characters [from each end of the alphabet] taken in”

11a

Former English West Country banker (3)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Big adjustable spanner a boon to estuary's shipping (5,6)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Translating a poet is no Yankee idler's preference (4,6)

Generating...

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

anagram/”Translating” of (a poet is no Y)*, where Y=”Yankee” in the Nato phonetic alphabet

15a

Bearing children is always painful (4)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Backing spoils instrument (4)

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20a

Measuring device for farm vehicle (10)

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23a

Back row in Palladium booked in advance (11)

Generating...

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

REAR=”Back” + RANGE=”Row”, all inside PD=Pd, chemical symbol for “Palladium”

25a

Broadcast overlooks woman's entitlement (3)

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26a

Put straight tabloid's missing section with ferocious expression (7)

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27a

Capital tour, lastly to coral island (7)

Generating...

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

TRIP=”tour”, plus last letters of t-O cora-L, plus I (island)

28a

This precursor of flood proving ruinously expensive (8,3,4)

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Down

1d

Male jockeys tucked into cereal, a taboo food nowadays? (5,4)

Generating...

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

anagram/”jockeys” of (male)*, inside WHEAT=”cereal”

2d

Minions have no means of access, one cell being shared (7)

Generating...

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

LAC K K EYS=”have no means of access”, with the K written once and “shared” rather than repeated I think “cell” here refers to a square in the crossword grid i.e. a single letter entry

3d

Passivity I confronted primarily in country (8)

Generating...

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

I, plus primary/first letter of C-onfronted inside NATION=”country”

4d

Tropical bird's gullet swallowing roughly (5)

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5d

Make sense of dignitary made public (6,3)

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6d

They cut bill dropped by flyers at sea (6)

Generating...

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

RAZOR- BILL -S=seabirds=”flyers at sea”, minus bill

7d

Itinerant mounted police working across America (7)

Generating...

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

reversal upwards/”mounted” of all of: CID (Criminal Investigation Department, “police”) plus ON=”working” both around AM (America)

8d

Go after opponents at table, then prosecute (5)

flowerflowerflower
14d

Waterproof covering setter in rickety train (9)

Generating...

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

PAUL=Guardian crossword “setter”, inside anagram/”rickety” of (train)*

16d

Courts approve standard (9)

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17d

Uncompromising firm's leading chain (8)

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19d

Direct lots of deliveries here from time to time (7)

Generating...

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

OVERS (an over in cricket contains at least six deliveries)=”lots of deliveries” + occasional/”from time to time” letters from h-E-r-E

21d

Lottery raised a good dealorder British to split it (7)

Generating...

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

reversal/”raised” of A LOT=”a good deal”, with OM (Order of Merit) + B (British) inside

22d

Strong drink artist put up on shelf (6)

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23d

Choice morsel of Brie? Precisely (5)

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24d

Criticise mean bribe (3,2)

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