Guardian Cryptic #29610

2025-02-05

Solve on Guardian →

Across

8a

Off and on, Angus cattle close to Midlands town (8)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Depart in extremely enticing topless garment (6)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Wings of airplane or back of aircraft (4)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Wind from backside after beer, also when drinking unknown port (10)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘when drinking’) of X (mathematical ‘unknown’) in ALE (‘beer’) plus AND (‘also’) plus RIA, a reversal (‘from backside’) of AIR (‘wind’)..

12a

Unfortunate bloke missing first trick (6)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Way-out questions? (4,4)

flowerflowerflower
15a

Siren in collieries barely active after loss of current (7)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘active’) of ‘[c]oll[i]erie[s]’ minus its outer letters CS (‘barely’) and minus an I (‘after loss of current’). Lorelei is a rocky outcrop on the banks of the Rhine, the site of many shipwrecks; it has been associated with a siren Lorelei, who by her beauty and singing has distracted sailors, thereby causing the wrecks.

17a

Old coins aired in works (7)

flowerflowerflower
20a

Case of medicine clears up tissue-hardening (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘up’) of ME (‘case of M edicin E ‘) plus ‘clears’.

22a

Fly from two identical places after cycling (6)

Generating...

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

SET (‘place’) with the T rotated to the front (‘after cycling’) and repeated (‘two identical’).

23a

Hybrid ash tree not brown or green? (5-5)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘hybrid’) of ‘ash tree not’.

24a

Smuggled bottles over bay (4)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Uproar caused by corporation in the last month (6)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Plant disease Kelvin found in Toronto ground (4-4)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘found in’) of K (temperature, ‘Kelvin’) in ROOTNOT, an aangram (‘ground’) of ‘Toronto’. Root-knot is a debilitating gall on the roots of plants, caused by a parasitic root-knot nematode.

Down

1d

Pure breaks in Oslo, possibly luxurious place to go (8)

flowerflowerflower
2d

I will be found underneath large bricks etc? (4)

Generating...

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

A charade of L (‘large’) plus EGO (‘I’), with ‘will be found underneath’ indicating the order of the particles in the down light.

3d

Adult badger relaxed (2,4)

Generating...

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

A charade of A (‘adult’) plus TEASE (‘badger’).

4d

Bury hosts grand European number (7)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘hosts’) of G (‘grand’) plus E (‘European’) in INTER (‘bury’).

5d

Natural to welcome oddly edgy opposite (8)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Pat alerted about temporary addition to new estate? (5,5)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘about’) of ‘pat alerted’, for the dealer’s temporary licence plate for a new car (‘estate?’).

7d

Observation using psychic powers in all likelihood seen up-front (6)

flowerflowerflower
13d

Rough time, 50% of team being run-of-the-mill (10)

Generating...

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

A charade of UNEVEN (‘rough’) plus T (‘time’) plus FUL[ham] (‘team’), first half only (‘50% of’).

16d

Mammals in lair bitten by English terriers repeatedly (8)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘bitten by’) of DEN (‘lair’) in E (‘English’) plus TA (Territorial Army, ‘terriers’) twice (‘repeatedly’).

18d

Available where subs may be working (2,6)

flowerflowerflower
19d

Social deportment of a princess married lady entertains (7)

flowerflowerflower
21d

Answer question skirted by this group of sycophants (6)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘skirted by’) of A (‘answer’) plus Q U (‘question’) in CLUE (‘this’).

22d

Arguably become startled with lush artist (6)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Eastern spirit, Egyptian god and heartless Hindu goddess (4)

Generating...

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

A charade of RA (‘Egyptian god’ of the sun) plus K[al]I (‘Hindu goddess’) with interior letters removed (‘heartless’).