Guardian Cryptic #29696

2025-05-16

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Across

1a

Outstanding rule about dead fascist, as his friends called him? (6)

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5a

Intellectual rebel has accident with car (8)

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9a

Almost deceived at tea dance (8)

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10a

Against epithet for the four Beatles in private conversation (6)

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11a

Bird entered the water the far side of the pond (4)

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12a

Nursing a broken knee, turn to worship now in American style (10)

Generating...

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

reversal/turn of DEIFY="worship", containing/nursing: A (from surface) plus anagram/"broken" of (knee)*

13a

One greeting king is servile, not unpleasant (6)

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14a

The centre of Bangor? (8)

Generating...

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

definition: the centre of a city Bangor is a city in County Down in Northern Ireland, and so could be called a 'Down town'

16a

Costing a bomb to be sceptical (8)

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19a

I stole Christmas, and grimace at church (6)

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21a

Clamour interrupts lengthy sermon for special service (10)

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23a

Start off speaking with grit (4)

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24a

Charge a line of waiters has announced (6)

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25a

Call to attention fifty competitors that may be drilled (8)

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26a

Figures and a piece of data applied to the rest of Jan (8)

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27a

Under compulsion, you make irregular patterns (3-3)

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Down

2d

School cane, a stinger, wielded across Charlie, a paradoxical creature (12,3)

Generating...
3d

Old soldiers have twinges crossing two rivers (7)

Generating...

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

ACHES="twinges", around two of R (river)

4d

Comic part performed for three-ha’pence once (9)

Generating...

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

definition: an old silver coin used as a three-halfpenny piece DANDY="Comic" plus anagram/"performed" of (part)*

5d

Won everything when up, having lost everything when out (7)

Generating...

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

definition/wordplay refers to the two phrases… to have 'Cleaned up' means to have won everything to have been 'Cleaned out' means to have lost everything

6d

A survey run, and behold! (5)

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7d

Use live computer image of suspect with name attached (7)

Generating...

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

definition: "Use" as a noun ('what's the use?' / 'what's the benefit?') BE="live" as a verb, plus: E-FIT="computer image of a suspect" [wiki] , with N (name) added before

8d

That’s a threat of retaliation in chess, for example (1,4,3,3,4)

Generating...

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

'that's a game two can play' (or 'two can play at that game', etc) is a threat of retaliation chess is an example of a game for two players

15d

Sleepers in monastery abroad losing pants (6,3)

Generating...

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

definition: a wagon-lit is a 'sleeper' as a sleeping carriage in a train; Chambers gives 'wagons-lit' as a plural anagram/"pants" of (losing)*, contained "in" WAT=a Thai Buddhist temple or monastery="monastery abroad"

17d

Old bridge, not a tube (7)

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18d

Start to cultivate non-native tree, its heart extracted for coffee substitute (7)

Generating...

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

start to C-[ultivate], plus HIC-[k]-ORY="non-native tree" with its central letter/"heart" removed/"extracted"

20d

Introduce oxygen, burning part of church (7)

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22d

Ring area of the kidneys, not large (5)

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