Guardian Cryptic #29774

2025-08-15

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Keep hoping undraped women at the end smile mischievously (3,11)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘mischievously’) of ‘undraped’ plus N (‘wome N at the end’) plus ‘smile’.

9a

Getting back in time, keep at it inside (3,3,3)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘inside’) of ‘it’ in T (‘time’) plus FORT (‘keep’) plus ‘at’.

10a

One purple heart taken affecting pelvic area (5)

Generating...

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

A charade of I (‘one’) plus LI[l]AC (‘purple’) minus its middle letter (‘heart taken’).

11a

Watching what vandal’s doing to car which won’t start (5)

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12a

Go for a working dinner, only the second offering meat (9)

Generating...

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

A charade of PEP (‘go’) plus PER (‘a’) plus ON (‘working’) plus I (‘d I nner only the second’).

13a

Begging Iran and Togo to settle (8)

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14a

Clergyman heard shot at table (6)

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17a

Done so badly, it’s lumpy (6)

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19a

Not all right, scenery in one part of England (8)

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22a

Pick up contents of nappy by river! To what purpose? (9)

Generating...

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

A charade of APP (‘contents of n APP y’) plus R (‘river’) plus EH (‘what’) plus END (‘purpose’).

24a

One son in clearit’s not the full picture (5)

Generating...

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

A charade of I (‘one’) plus NSET, an envelope (‘in’) of S (‘son’) in NET (‘clear’).

25a

Bashir’s odds slashed? Mental! (5)

Generating...

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

I cannot see the wordplay. All suggestions welcome (but please read previous posts before submitting your version, to see if it has not been put foreward before).

26a

An elite fighter shortly entering very small country (3,6)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘entering’) of ‘an’ plus MARIN[e] (‘elite fighter’) minus the last letter (‘shortly’) in SO (‘very’).

27a

Idle, so I applied to perform with those I might come across (8,6)

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Down

1d

Negotiate in war shamefully showing disrespect? (3,7,1,3)

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2d

What am I doing, increase in size permitting? (7)

Generating...

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

SETTING (‘what am I doing’) with the S replaced by L (small by large, ‘increase in size’, or if you are so inclined, shilling by pound).

3d

Increases confusion involving the very rich (9)

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4d

Mate with sweetheart in barit’s been arranged beforehand (3-2,3)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘in’) of TUP (‘mate with’) plus JO (‘sweetheart’) in PUB (‘bar’).

5d

Again put down Romeo’s iconic car (6)

Generating...

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

A charade of R (‘Romeo’, NATO alphabet) plus E-TYPE (Jaguar, ‘iconic car’).

6d

Balls left by top seedand racket (5)

Generating...

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

A charade of NO I (number one, ‘top’) plus ‘se[ed]’ minus ED (‘Balls’, son of Michael Balls).

7d

Horny individual in college with my name (7)

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8d

One visiting London’s North, South, East and West (amongst others) in readiness for combat (6,8)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘visiting’) of I (‘one’) in ACTON STATIONS (‘London’s North, South, East and West’ – four tube stations).

15d

Culture represented by apple pie, baseball, roots music and er- a maniac maybe? (9)

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16d

Criticises GP over accepting 50 and change in conditions (4,4)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘over’) of an envelope (‘accepting’) of L (’50’, Roman numeral) in PANS DOC (‘criticises GP’).

18d

Selectively read point I’d made (3,4)

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20d

Is being sent backlike that bloke maintained it’s not cooked (7)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘maintained’) os AS HIM (‘like that bloke’) in SI, a reversal (‘sent back’) of ‘is’.

21d

Make a mistake transitioning and come clean (4,2)

Generating...

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

MESS UP (‘make a mistake’) with M changed to F (‘transitioning’).

23d

Councillor never showing up to register (5)

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