Guardian Cryptic #29407

2024-06-12

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Players count bung in shed (4)

Generating...

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

I suspect this is a quadruple definition but I can’t account for ‘count’!

3a

Tell star playing in clubs about refreshing keys (4-3-3)

Generating...

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

An anagram (playing) of TELL STAR in C (clubs) C (about)

10a

Arranged to spring a trap (3)

Generating...

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

I don’t understand the wordplay here

11a

Feel up when nothing goes wrong (5)

Generating...

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

An anagram (wrong) of O (nothing) GOES

12a

Politician takes a beat, cutting out dead wood (5)

Generating...

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

MP (politician) round A + LE[d] (beat) minus d (dead)

13a

Primate holding bird in both hands (5)

Generating...

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

EMU (bird) in L R (both hands)

14a

Feel sick about one child’s secret love affairs (8)

Generating...

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

A reversal (about) of AIL (feel ill) + I SON’S (one child’s)

16a

Big setback being a hundred and one before your first club! (7)

Generating...

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

A reversal (set back) of OS (big) + CI (a hundred and one) + ET (I can’t see how this fits) before Y[our]

18a

Revolutionary had a slip taking out power plants (7)

Generating...

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

An anagram (revolutionary) of HAD A SLI[p] minus p (power)

20a

Roast is missing hot stuff (7)

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22a

Soldiers and last bit of egg sent back on tea tray (7)

Generating...

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

CHAR (tea) + a reversal (sent back) of RE (Royal Engineers – soldiers) + [eg]G

23a

Bake Off presenter has posh trainee replacing a line. Shade! (8)

Generating...

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

M[ary] BERRY (Bake Off presenter) with a ry (a {railway} line) replaced by U (posh) L (trainee)

25a

Cobbled together a house in Washington (2,3)

Generating...

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

A + HO (house) in DC (Washington

28a

Bad luck dogs the finale (5)

Generating...

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

CURS (dogs) + [th]E – great surface

29a

Partial fraction (in theory)? (5)

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30a

Sit back, it is a contraction! (3)

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31a

Power wielded by king amidst reshuffle? That hurts (5,5)

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32a

Tramp’s fuzz (4)

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Down

1d

Doctor Livingstone’s first cousin taking on Conservative for the final time (10)

Generating...

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

CON (Conservative) + an anagram (doctor) of L[ivingstone] + COUSIN Edit – thanks to ChannelSeimmer @11 – careless error: it’s an anagram of L[ivingstone] + COUSIN round ON  C (Conservative)

2d

Dumb way to take heroinbare dumb (5)

Generating...

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

ST (street – way) round H (heroin) + [d]UM[b]

4d

Already coming back to take list (it’s useful for shopping) (7)

Generating...

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

A reversal (coming back) of YET (already) round ROLL (list)

5d

Sir Christopher’s part of the hospital is on the quiet side (7)

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6d

Kids’ hits on the radio (5)

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7d

Getting rid of former Russian president’s no good for Middle Eastern Gulf (9)

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8d

Suggests lines to the audience (4)

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9d

Upset, the first lady is on a horse ride half-cut (8)

Generating...

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

A GG (a horse) RI[de] (half-cut) + EVE (the first lady)

15d

Nasty racist does solitary (10)

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17d

Up and down, like second column? (9)

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19d

Ambassador on a date? What about back problem? (8)

Generating...

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

HE (His/Her Excellency – ambassador) + A D (a date) + a reversal (about) of EH (what) Edit – thanks to  matematico @80 – something got lost here! It’s HE + A D  + a reversal (back) of EH (what) + CA (about)

21d

Books mid-October to chase bull in Spanish city (7)

Generating...

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

TORO (bull in Spanish) + NT (New Testament – books) + [oct]O[ber]

22d

Reading unknown, almost one Celsius above and one Celsius below frozen (7)

Generating...

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

I think this is C (Celsius – above) + R (reading, as in the three Rs) + Y (unknown) + ON[e] + 1C (one Celsius – below)

24d

Calling for bill in this manner suggests one’s unwellaww! (5)

Generating...

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

I haven’t quite worked this one out, I’m afraid

26d

Fellow has to back Student Raffles, for instance (5)

Generating...

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

HE (fellow) round a reversal (back) of TO + L (student)

27d

Film about boring mathematical equation (4)

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