Guardian Cryptic #29686

2025-05-05

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Across

1a

Old Albert has to pay attention to tea at home (5,5)

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6a

Dangerous animal? Nonsense (4)

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9a

Unruly, following drunk in court? (10)

Generating...

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

A reference to the offence “drunk and disorderly”.

10a

Going for this number is cheap (4)

Generating...

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

A reference to the expression “going for a song”.

12a

Perhaps Houdini’s key defender (12)

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15a

Usual memo for altering impressive tomb (9)

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17a

French maid’s trimmed hat (5)

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18a

One rising and beginning to break into dance (5)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘into’) of B (‘beginning to B reak’) in REEL (‘dance’).

19a

For example, Edward likely to plead guilty? (9)

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20a

Band having plenty of coal? Exactly (8,4)

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24a

Up and about shortly for wine (4)

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25a

Without moving fills drawer with money (5-5)

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26a

The capital of Italy? (4)

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27a

Demonstrate against worker perhaps, one typically with strong work ethic (10)

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Down

1d

Takes a partner a day, in brief (4)

Generating...

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

A less common abbreviation (‘in brief’) of Wednesday (‘a day’)..

2d

Hardy woman’s tresses regularly combed out (4)

Generating...

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

Alternate letters (‘regularly combed out’) of ‘ T r E s S e S ‘, for the principal character in Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman .

3d

Strip, but not for running (4,8)

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4d

In hard currency area one may be laughing (5)

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5d

Douglas is here, but implicitly not his wife? (4,2,3)

Generating...

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

I hardly think any explanation is due beyond pointing out, for those who might not know, that Douglas is the capital city of the island.

7d

Kick out keyboard player, one expecting perfection (10)

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8d

A very long way, suffering in grisly heat (5,5)

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11d

Instruments, and twice as many singers (6,6)

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13d

Start a new life as a man (10)

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14d

One silently expectant that gives dinner a bit of a lift? (4,6)

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16d

Come across blokes heading off to the bar (9)

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21d

Gold coin: train to clip top and bottom (5)

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22d

Italian city’s irrational appeal (4)

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23d

Tree-dweller just too long for narrow opening (4)

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