Guardian Cryptic #29795

2025-09-09

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Witness signature and stay low (8)

Generating...

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

NOT A RISE=do not rise=”stay low”

5a

Rightwing extremist leaders are unable to back down (6)

flowerflowerflower
9a
19d

Adjustment of direction that may lead to source (8,6)

Generating...
10a

Perennial barking first thing in the morning and we don’t like it (6)

Generating...

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

first thing from B-[arking], plus AM=”in the morning” + BOO=”we don’t like it”

12a

Tory leader in foul play as might be expected (5)

Generating...

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

leading letter from T-[ory], in anagram/”foul” of (play)*

13a

Victim of mariner as Borstal delinquent (9)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Returning pointer running wild around chambers (12)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Novel crossbeam rigged by egg-producer (6,6)

Generating...

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

definition: a novel [wiki] by Flaubert “crossbeam” is split into cross//beam, leading to: MAD=”cross” + anagram/”rigged” of (beam)*, plus OVARY=”egg-producer”

21a

Puzzler’s song about gold limo? (9)

Generating...

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

Araucaria [wiki] , or John Galbraith Graham, set cryptic crossword puzzles for the Guardian ARIA=”song”, around: AU (chemical symbol for “gold”) + CAR=”limo”

23a

After saucy crosswords to begin with, the Guardian’s getting clean (5)

Generating...

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

definition: “clean” as a verb beginning letters of S-[aucy] C-[rosswords]; plus OUR=”the Guardian’s”

24a

Bob possibly first to hear radio broadcast (6)

Generating...

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

definition: a ‘bob’ is a type of hairdo “first” letter of H-[ear], plus anagram/”broadcast” of (radio)*

25a

Entertainment coverage for home sides taking a last dash (5,3)

Generating...

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

FUN=”Entertainment”, around/covering: IN=”home” plus LR (Left and Right, “sides”), taking in “a” from the surface

26a

Ride through African territory (6)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Tennis player heard chasing bet to come first (8)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Drink is handy when holding court (6)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Warm and comfortable where little piggy went? (6)

Generating...

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

a little piggy might have gone TO A STY

3d

13 or 15 creative art‘e by gum! (5,4)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Here in California Arab tans easily and another heads north (5,7)

Generating...

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

anagram/”easily” of (Arab tans)*, with “another” instance of the word ARAB reversed upwards (heading north)

6d

Praise would be accurate if penultimately doubled (5)

Generating...

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

EXA-L-T would become EXA-C-T=”accurate”, if the penultimate letter went from L to C, which in Roman numerals would be a doubling from 50 to 100

7d

Divine food as originally barbecued with Maori cooking (8)

Generating...

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

anagram/”cooking” of (as b Maori)*, with the b from “originally b -[arbecued]”

8d

You old smooth number (8)

flowerflowerflower
11d

Bombshell at heart interested in flying BA or SAS for example (12)

Generating...

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

BB (“bombshell” indicates the shell or outer letters of b-[om]-b), plus “heart” or central letters of [inte]-RE-[sted]; both going in AVIATION=”flying”

15d

Tech industry quickly conceals mounting affliction (9)

Generating...

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

APACE=”quickly”, around/concealing SORE as a noun=”affliction” reversed upwards/”mounting”

16d

Definitive hospital having slipped becoming compassionate (8)

Generating...

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

EMP-H-ATIC=”Definitive”, with H for “hospital” slipping to a later position among the letters

17d

New edition about a thoughtful process (8)

flowerflowerflower
19d

See 9 Across

20d

Managed to interrupt shock therapy, rising in a semiconscious state (6)

Generating...

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

RAN=”Managed”, interrupting inside: ECT (electro-convulsive therapy) reversed upwards/”rising”

22d

Bum and dunderhead locked up? (5)

Generating...

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

definition: to scrounge, to beg D (dunder//head, the head letter of d-[under]), with “locked up” as an instruction to put it in CAGE