Guardian Cryptic #29068

2023-05-12

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Across

1a

Opt to be fat (5)

flowerflowerflower
4a

Water in or out of awful lavatories (8)

Generating...

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

definition as in ‘…makes one’s mouth water’ “ or ” letters taken out of anagram/”awful” of (lavat or ies)* “in” connects the definition to the wordplay, and is not part of the wordplay

8a

Woven carrycot sheets showing birds (14)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Wearing short trench coat, possibly, or wearing nothing (2,3,3)

Generating...

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

anagram/”possibly” of ( Wearin th )* Wearin =”Wearing short”, and th are the outer letters/”coat” of “ t -renc- h “

11a

Damage part of St Paul's Cathedral (6)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Joy about constant hair removal (9)

flowerflowerflower
15a

Pub diet? (5)

flowerflowerflower
17a

Romeo in wrapround, so to speak? (5)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Felon's foul crimes against worker (9)

Generating...

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

anagram/”foul” of (crimes)*, next to ANT=”worker”

19a

Attract trainee (60%) (6)

Generating...

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

60% (six out of ten) of the letters from appr-ENTICE=”trainee”

21a

At first, bands need commitment of DJ (5,3)

Generating...

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

for definition, DJ as in ‘dinner jacket’ first of B-ands, plus LACK=”need” + TIE=”commitment”

24a

Perhaps begged for a meal when lazy? (9,2,3)

flowerflowerflower
25a

End of Happy Valley coming first, indeed sentimental (4-4)

Generating...

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

end letter of [Happ]-Y, with WYE (Wye Valley in the UK) “coming first”; all in DEED or “in- deed “

26a

Requiem in a cathedral, say (5)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Spreads anti-abortionist values (12)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Bothersome description of the sun at dawn and before dusk (9)

flowerflowerflower
3d

See 20

4d

Political philosophy as an alternative to viagra is taken by some, but not all (9)

flowerflowerflower
5d

When one instrument fails to start, get another (4)

Generating...

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

a f lute is “one instrument” – without its starting letter for LUTE , another instrument

6d

Every other hour, live car crash as a result of such traffic (9)

Generating...

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

anagram/”crash” of (hu live car)* hu in the anagram fodder from “Every other” letter of “ h o u r”

7d

Cards turning up perfectly? That's about right (5)

Generating...

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

reversal/”turning up” of TOAT=’to a T’=”perfectly”, around R (right)

9d

Special occasion with tidied-up pad finally ready to receive landlord? (3-6,3)

Generating...

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

anagram/”tidied-up” of ( d ready)*, around LETTER=someone who lets out property=”landlord” d in anagram fodder is the final letter of pa- d

13d

Dictator's domain showing raised bed, lurid and topped with gold (9)

Generating...

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

reversal/”raised” of COT=”bed”, plus RACY=”lurid”; with AU=chemical symbol for “gold” at the top

14d

Slide out after space explorers like Bob Dylan's voice (9)

Generating...

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

anagram/”out” of (Slide)*, after NASA=”space explorers”

16d

Have a bet on this poor-quality furniture (4,5)

flowerflowerflower
20d
3d

Suit or suite? (5-5)

Generating...
22d

State announcement of cold or hot food (5)

Generating...

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

Chile may be pronounced like ‘chilly’ (“cold”) or ‘chilli’ (“hot food”)

23d

Top moment questionable (4)

Generating...

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

“Top” as a verb meaning to remove the top [letter] from j-IFFY=”moment”