Guardian Cryptic #29776

2025-08-18

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Comical descent of creatures that fly around house (6)

flowerflowerflower
5a

Defiant, having capsized off England’s south coast? (8)

flowerflowerflower
9a

People who fall for footwear (8)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Beggar can expose housing secret (6)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Carrot and thyme salad with round fruit? (6,6)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Part of blind alley, perhaps, outside city (4)

flowerflowerflower
14a

‘Funny business’ as sad colleagues of sacked police commissioner are heard to say? (8)

flowerflowerflower
17a

Way one’s stricken with primarily genetic cause of disease (8)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Bananas turning bowl over (4)

flowerflowerflower
20a

As usual, ice cracks and splits vesselnot a tragedy (6,6)

flowerflowerflower
23a

Passage from A Meeting Place (6)

flowerflowerflower
24a

Engrave council official’s initials on mountain top device (8)

Generating...

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

A charade of INTER (‘engrave’, in the antique meaning of bury) plus C o (‘ C ouncil O fficial’s initials’) plus M (‘ M ountain top’).

25a

Famous person’s not finished wearing kid’s jewellery (8)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Sea-monster, Komodo dragon outwardly, swallowing playboy (6)

flowerflowerflower

Down

2d

Cross borne by bitter Rod? (4)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘borne by’) of X (‘cross’) in ALE (‘bitter’).

3d

Child’s play, so bound to be on the booze (9)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Spike senior snatching week off (6)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Player’s agent having celebrity status (15)

Generating...

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

A charade of INSTRUMENT (‘agent’) plus A-LIST (‘celebrity status’).

6d

Pain getting dimwit to be a wiseacre (8)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Almost mad Greek character stood up for deputy (5)

flowerflowerflower
8d
22d

Clubhouse extension of course? (10,4)

Generating...
12d

Everyone needs a means of holding flights when quite trembly (3,7)

Generating...

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

A charae of ALL (‘everyone’) plus ‘a’ plus QUIVER (‘means of holding flights’ – flights as arrows)

15d

Voluntary fees from ‘Little Darling’ (gold vocal number) (9)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Say Green Sapphire tops Fire and Brimstone as a paint option (8)

Generating...

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

A charade of E.G. (‘say’) plus G S (‘ G reen S apphire tops’) plus HELL (‘fire and brimstone’).

19d

Two jobs and one’s left bothdearie, dearie me! (3,3)

flowerflowerflower
21d

In desperation I curse like the Greeks of old (5)

flowerflowerflower
22d

See 8