Guardian Cryptic #29782

2025-08-25

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Went for drive in old banger perhaps (4,3)

flowerflowerflower
5a

OT figure has a very unsuitable garment on part of leg (7)

Generating...

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

A BRA (here, a very unsuitable garment) + HAM (part of leg)

9a

Wear what ‘orseman did? (5)

Generating...

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

‘He rode’

10a

A pedantic lunatic ran the ship (9)

Generating...

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

An anagram (lunatic) of A PEDANTIC

11a

Strangely erotic, Sue’s polite gestures (10)

Generating...

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

An anagram (strangely) of EROTIC SUE’S

12a

Airline, first from Tokyo that flies by night (3)

Generating...

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

BA (British Airways) + T[okyo]

14a

Get set with flower arrangement to keep memory alive (4,2,6)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Cheat is to withdraw a hasty joke (4,1,4,3)

Generating...

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

PULL (withdraw) A FAST ONE (a hasty joke – as in ‘Have you heard the one about…?’

21a

A court deed (3)

flowerflowerflower
22a

A British friend? (10)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Only partly interested, we hear, lunch not being offered with this (4,5)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Tree, please don’t die! (5)

Generating...

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

O LIVE!

27a

Criticised heavily about opening piece of news being biased (7)

Generating...

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

SLATED (criticised heavily) round N[ews]

28a

Apparently good service in court for such a divorce (2-5)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Paris agency’s misfortunes concealed to some extent (6)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Book showing a major departure from scripture (6)

flowerflowerflower
3d

While eating, lean out to have a conversation? (4,3,3)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Last of four winners in competitions (5)

Generating...

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

[fou]R + ACES (winners)

5d

Now time to open a gift (2,7)

Generating...

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

T (time) in A PRESENT (a gift)

6d

Horse raced round circle (4)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Like Thatcher, attacks accessories (8)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Consider partner about to improve (8)

flowerflowerflower
13d

Robust demonstration designed to assure peace (10)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Railway veto at first disappoints militia (9)

Generating...

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

TRAIN (railway) BAN (veto) + D[isappoints] – I thought this was a new word for me, then realised I knew it from A Level (Civil War) History, in its original form ‘trained band’, see here

16d

Sensational news stories that may need clearing up (8)

flowerflowerflower
17d

Great number boarding to jam-pack a succession of craft (8)

Generating...

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

LOT (great number) in FILL (jam-pack) + A

19d

Buried in mausoleum I lie undisturbed in this setting (6)

flowerflowerflower
23d

Green cloth left, badly done (5)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Concerned with heartless neighbour (4)

flowerflowerflower