Guardian Cryptic #29689

2025-05-08

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Familiar queen’s against Conservative win (7)

flowerflowerflower
5a

Posh front of mural, Buckingham Palace leaders admit, has unsatisfactory finish (4,3)

Generating...

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

definition: to "finish" someone i.e. to kill/murder them U="Posh" (as opposed to 'non-U' [wiki] ) plus front letter of M-[ural], both admitted into leading letters of B-[uckingham] P-[alace]; plus OFF="unsatisfactory"

9a

South Dakota harbours brown bear (5)

flowerflowerflower
10a

PM sick after service (9)

flowerflowerflower
11a

RAF steward flying subsequently (10)

flowerflowerflower
12a
20d

Monarch’s family horse tense or gentle at the Centre (4,6)

flowerflowerflower
14a

See 25

18a

Diverting, pretty starea sign of 1ac/19/25/14 (6,5)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Royals, Elizabeth and Margaret, originally supplying a number of sheets (4)

flowerflowerflower
22a

Would pronounced bellyache be shown by bird? (10)

flowerflowerflower
25a
14a

Everything in this area arranged for celebration (9,11)

Generating...
26a

Protective covering first Romeo removed in affair (5)

Generating...

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

definition: AMOUR can mean a love affair A-[R]-MOUR="Protective covering", with the first R (for Romeo, NATO alphabet) removed

27a

Sentimentality illustrated by stragglers in triumphant Trafalgar Square congaclassic social dance (7)

flowerflowerflower
28a

Rude ex-pupil’s area of interest (7)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Optical illusion: lion disappears with 5 initially angry bats (6)

Generating...

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

anagram/"bats" of ( i l u s V a )* i l u s letters are from "illusion", with the letters from "lion" removed/disappearing V is "5" in Roman numerals a is the initial of a-[ngry]

2d

Designing penultimate boat? (6)

Generating...

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

CRAFT Y might be the penultimate craft/boat, as 'craft Z' would be the only one afterwards in alphabetical order

3d

Submit request for daily Parliamentary list (5,5)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Copy regularly your American hosts, one of them gives flowers (5)

Generating...

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

definition: a type of plant CC=[Carbon] "Copy", hosted inside: regular letters from Y-[o]-U-[r] plus A (American)

5d

Jump ended but subjected to legal constraint (5,4)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Kid’s dummy (4)

flowerflowerflower
7d

One drink said to consume first (8)

Generating...

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

I="One" + GIN="drink"; with ORAL=spoken="said" consuming / going around them

8d

Paratroopers? (4,4)

flowerflowerflower
13d

Dropping to ground, prostrate, may bend over on these? (6,4)

Generating...

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

anagram/"ground" of (pr-s-rate may)*; with the letters of " to " dropping from the "pr o s t rate" part of the anagram fodder

15d

Asian islanders go on drugs reportedly (9)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Pigs at last reunite, neglected and hungry (8)

Generating...

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

anagram/"neglected" of ( s reunite)*, with the s from the last of [Pig] s

17d

Figure providing right notecrook pinches (8)

Generating...

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

definition: "Figure" as in a shape TI=musical "note" + ANGLE="crook"; both pinching/around R (right)

19d

Upset, regret old half of pets incontinent (6)

Generating...

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

"incontinent" split: in / continent, with "in" linking wordplay to the definition "continent" reversal/"Upset" of RUE="regret", plus O (old) plus half of PE-[ts]

20d

See 12 Across

23d

Place for 15 fighter to show fashion hoody (5)

Generating...

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

definition: a wrestling ring for sumo wrestlers (in Japan i.e. 15dn NIPPONESE) anagram ("fashion" as a verb) of (hoody)*

24d

Noticed part of the ear (4)

Generating...

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

a part of [N]-OTIC-[ed]