Guardian Cryptic #29792

2025-09-05

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Smart dish in toast that’s cut (7)

flowerflowerflower
5a

Girl with plait, going right and left, plaitedthis? (7)

Generating...

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

Anagram of GIRL PLAIT less R and L

9a
12a

Bullies easy to defeat, we hear, in British sporting event (5,4)

Generating...
10a

Great player in contest hosted by city of the Balkans (5,4)

flowerflowerflower
11a

As infant’s movement odorous initially, full nappies emptied, or a potty (2,3,5)

Generating...

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

Anagram (potty) of O FULL N[appie]S OR A

12a

See 9

14a

See 17 Down

18a

Rousing stuff, I left amid applause at the end of the evening? (3,8)

Generating...

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

I L[eft] in SALVO (round of applause) LATE. Sal volatile is a compound used in smelling salts

21a

Motion passed in middle of 24-hour period? (4)

Generating...

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

The middle of saTURDay

22a

Feller taking lift on saddle (10)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Find a bridge beside stream (3,6)

Generating...

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

RUN (stream) + A CROSS (to bridge)

26a

Leader in terrifying prat (5)

Generating...

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

[T]errifying + RUMP (buttocks, prat), and the whole clue is an apt definition

27a

Get rid of tips in cafe when tips collected (7)

Generating...

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

LEANS (tips) in C[af]E

28a

Support reverend, or several nurses (7)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Little time upon hill in region (6)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Two-foot fruit? (6)

Generating...

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

Two PAWs

3d

Fantastic tales concerned with river in South African city (4,6)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Speed with which workforce set up? (5)

Generating...

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

Reverse of OP (work) + MET (the Metropolitan Police force)

5d

Italian singer hearing one note in three, famously? (9)

Generating...

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

Pavarotti was, homophonically, one of the Three Tenners (£10 notes)

6d

Rose garden we regularly cleared away (4)

Generating...

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

Alternate letters of GaRdEn We

7d

Ordering a beerand being judged? (2,3,3)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Bird with a long extendable neck? Or tucked in (8)

Generating...

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

OR in LIKE ET (with a long extendable neck, as the alien in Spielberg’s film had)

13d

Complete gent I suspect highly thought-of (10)

Generating...

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

(GENT I)* + RATED

15d

Gritty, I’ve beaten you, nanna! (9)

Generating...

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

As a grandchild might say: GRAN, U LOSE!

16d

Puzzling score, tie fixed? (8)

flowerflowerflower
17d
14a

Tender scene where the Ponte Vecchio would take a battering after dark? (8,11)

Generating...
19d

Might this car’s engine be purring? (6)

flowerflowerflower
20d

Funny jokes about capital in particularone of those? (6)

Generating...

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

P[articular] in JOKES* – Skopje is the capital of the country now known as North Macedonia

23d

Hammer beats tack (5)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Sign you can’t trust Paul! (4)

Generating...

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

Paul says you can’t trust him because “I CON”