Guardian Cryptic #29712

2025-06-04

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Taking picture for retirement (11)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Sex-obsessed pair taken out and shot (7)

Generating...

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

anagram/"taken out" of (pair)*, plus PIC="shot" as in a photo

10a

Trouble if such a plant appears (7)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Controls big problem with app to be fixed by this (9)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Dope that creates a big stink (5)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Green coach losing time (4)

Generating...

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

for definition: SAGE is a shade of "Green", or the SAGE plant is a 'green' in the sense of edible leaves S[ t ]AGE minus t for "time" one meaning of 'stage' is 'stagecoach'

14a

Injury odd French fellows eventually get (10)

Generating...

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

IMPAIR="odd [as in an odd number, in] French", plus MEN="fellows" + [ge]-T

16a

History of Gauguin’s final piece? Shown to be expert about it (10)

Generating...

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

PROVEN="Shown to be" + ACE="expert"; around final piece/letter of [Gaugui]-N

19a

Garment for water sport (4)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Enormous number one zero short for writer (5)

Generating...

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

Nikolai Gogol is the writer [wiki] a G[ O ]OGOL is ten to the power of one hundred i.e. an "Enormous number", with an O i.e. "one zero" removed

22a

Aggressive using handwriting (9)

flowerflowerflower
24a

Family man is captivated by artist’s extremes: one’s a shocker (7)

Generating...

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

definition: dadaist art was often intended to shock audiences DAD="Family man", plus IS (from surface) inside the outer letters (extremes) of A-[rtis]-T

25a

Humble, grow up in such blocks? (3-4)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Quality vineyard in depression in these awful religious wars (3,8)

Generating...

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

CRU=a vineyard of recognised quality, plus SAD="in depression"; both inside anagram/"awful" of (these)*

Down

1d

Sitting at the traffic lights, spot some drama (7,3,5)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Round area providers of hot and cold snacks (5)

Generating...

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

TAPS="providers of hot and cold [water]", going "Round" A for "area"

3d

Loudly announce large contribution to year-end target (7)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Repeatedly, articles about loaf crusts as fodder (7)

Generating...

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

A is an indefinite 'article' LF is the outer letters or 'crust' of L-[oa]-F A LF A LF A is therefore "articles" going about "crusts" repeatedly

5d

Inspectors of pub measures said to have teeth (8)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Unserious proposals that scatter specious glitter (7,8)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Kindles to deposit aboard ship (6)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Request submitted to obtain seal (6)

flowerflowerflower
15d

An officer interrupts myself three times when gong is heard (8)

Generating...

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

A LT (a lieutenant, "An officer") inside: ME, I, ME="myself three times"

16d

Father Zeus, say, at a temple (6)

flowerflowerflower
17d

A name of Scots celebrity (7)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Pupil barrister turning up in case foolishly laughs (7)

Generating...

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

L (Learner) + KC (King's Counsel, "barrister"), both reversed/"turning up" and inside/"in" an anagram/"foolishly" of (case)*

20d

Gong you had responded to (6)

Generating...

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

OBE (Order of the British Empire, a "Gong" as in a medal/award) + YE'D=ye had="you had"

23d

Run over one day, got into argument (5)

flowerflowerflower