Guardian Cryptic #29128

2023-07-21

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Stop being a TV viewer's plaything (4-2-3-3)

Generating...

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

'jack in the box' could mean "Stop being a TV viewer" ('jack in' meaning to quit or abandon something, and 'the box' as slang for TV) the ' s in "viewer' s " indicates [wordplay] i s [definition], rather than a possessive

9a

Characters inspired by Benjamin Franklin later on (5)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Department stores priest runs for one who waits (9)

Generating...

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

definition: "one who waits": a waiter in a restaurant, specialising in wines SOMME="Department" as in a region of France [wiki] around ELI (a "priest" in the Bible); plus R (runs, cricket abbreviation)

11a

Spooner's child spotted miso ingredient (7)

Generating...

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

Spoonerism of 'boy seen'="child spotted"

12a

Satellite broadcaster mostly welcoming new input (7)

Generating...

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

definition: the first artificial Earth satellite [wiki] SK (most of the letters of 'Sky', broadcasting company), around anagram/"new" of (input)*

13a

Peril in the deep sewer, working inside it (3,7)

flowerflowerflower
15a

Say Ivan Toney's shots always rebound? Only the headers (4)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Blunder? If so, bumbler becomes humbler (4)

Generating...

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

definition: a bish is a mistake or a blunder If [BISH], bumbler becomes humbler: If ' B is H ', B -umbler becomes H -umbler

19a

Ex-president requires hand with task to perform (10)

flowerflowerflower
22a

Legislature's better current tax cut (7)

flowerflowerflower
24a

Rocket leaves now starter for lunch, and swell cakes provided (4-3)

Generating...

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

definition: the time at which a "Rocket leaves" starting letter of L-[unch], and TOFF=slang for an upper-class person="swell"; all around ("cakes") IF="provided" 'cake' as a verb meaning to cover, to coat e.g. 'caked in mud'

25a

Wanting drive, hate travelling in empty Landcruiser with smoke coming from the back (9)

Generating...

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

definition: "Wanting" as in 'lacking'; "drive" as in energy or motivation anagram/"travelling" of (hate)*, in L-[andcruise]-R emptied out, plus CIG (cigarette, "smoke") reversed/"coming from the back"

26a

Bit of hip old city (5)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Join in revolution, deposing leader with initiative (12)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

After a short time, get hold of small items put in the post (5,4)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Ferry operator retaining games supervisor (8)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Playmaker's chronic complaint over Everton's wingers (5)

Generating...

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

definition: Henrik Ibsen the playwright [wiki] IBS (irritable bowel syndorme, "chronic complaint"); above the outer letters/"wingers" of E-[verto]-N

4d

European punching body partnose gets swollen (9)

flowerflowerflower
5d

For the radio engineer, something beautiful to behold (6)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Excerpt from Antonioni's domestic tear-jerker? (5)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Fans of the sauce really tucking into sauces (6)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Agent displaying the odds of Burberry receiving fine (6)

Generating...

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

the odd letters of B -u- R -b- E -r- R -y, around OK="fine"

14d

Opening of supermarket destroys clothes shop, creating workforce issue (6,3)

Generating...

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

opening letter of S-upermarket, plus KILLS="destroys" + GAP the clothing brand [wiki]

16d

Shanty about upright character joining navy salt? (9)

Generating...

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

SEA SONG="Shanty", around: I (capital letter i, written as a vertical line / "upright character") plus N (navy)

17d

Grand artist and I squabble about muralist's works (8)

Generating...

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

G ("Grand", as in £1000) + RA (Royal Academician, "artist"); plus I + TIFF="squabble" both reversed/"about"

18d

What's spent on Wall Street banks in large-scale collapse (6)

Generating...

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

BUCK=slang for the US dollar="What's spent on Wall Street"; plus the outer letters/"banks" of L-[arge-scal]-E

20d

Slag off Guardian setter, turning on a Guardian setter (6)

Generating...

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

FED=name of a "Guardian [cryptic] setter" reversed/"turning" + A + ME=as in Picaroon, "Guardian setter"

21d

Attack right back in box that's well defended (6)

Generating...

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

definition: to attack (by firing machine guns mounted on aircraft) RT ("right"), reversed/"back", in SAFE="box that's well defended"

23d

Reason why waiter may be annoyed around Spike (5)

Generating...

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

definition: a spike used by mountain climbers NO TIP="Reason why waiter may be annoyed", reversed/"around"

24d

Fruit for Wilhelm I, cutting into large one (5)

Generating...

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

definition: another spelling of 'lychee' ICH='I' in German='for Wilhelm, I'; inside L (large) + I (one)