Guardian Cryptic #29863

2025-11-27

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Across

8a

Second fantastically safe and natural feature of California (3,7,5)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Scrape some cedar bark back (6)

flowerflowerflower
10a

I speak badly of Robinson Crusoe, for example (8)

Generating...

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

I SLANDER (speak badly of)

11a

Mum’s heading inside to make a meal (5,3)

Generating...

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

M[um] in CREATE (make) + A

12a

Popular surfing location in those days ultimately became old-hat (3,3)

Generating...

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

THEN (in those days) + [becam]E [old-ha]T

13a

Untidy spot packed with rubbish (7)

flowerflowerflower
16a

Extraordinarily storied journos (7)

Generating...

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

An anagram (extraordinarily) of STORIED

19a

Support crews somewhere in the West Midlands (6)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Intricate pattern covering tip of sunbittern’s wing (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (intricate) of PATTERN round S[unbittern] – clever wordplay: just look at the intricate pattern on the wings of this bird – a new one for me

24a

Dude taking ecstasy with cheap beer? (8)

Generating...

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

HOMBRE (dude) round E (ecstasy) + W (with)

25a

Private place to find patients? (6)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Avoided dealing with horribly crude TV magician (15)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Unsophisticated port found in pub and clubs (8)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Weapon stored in rack at an armoury (6)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Commercial opening some time in December (6)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Southern British artist, completely, endlessly influential (7)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Remote institute scheduled to receive nothing (8)

Generating...

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

I (Institute) + SLATED (scheduled) round O (nothing)

6d

Nice, redeveloped street around the outskirts of Ashington is Northumberland’s best (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (redeveloped) of NICE ST round A[shingto]N – more clever wordplay: Ashington is a town in Northumberland, where ‘canny’ is dialect for good / nice:  the placing of the capitalised Nice was a momentary misdirection, which raised a smile

7d

Rip off winter clothing (6)

flowerflowerflower
14d

Fancy loafers featuring stitching in the middle or outside (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (fancy) of LOAFERS + the middle letter of stit C hing

15d

Cut of meat, done right, starts to absorb marinade immediately (8)

Generating...

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

PAST (done) + R (right) + A[bsorb] M[arinade] I[mmediately]

17d

Witty banter about standard hold-up for a driver? (8)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Small cloth soaked in water put over cooking pot (7)

Generating...

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

S (small) + a reversal (put over) of NAP (cloth) + WET (soaked in water)

20d

Heard ‘please, eat!’ in Lancashireand ate! (4,2)

flowerflowerflower
22d

In reality, Italian wine’s full of iodine (2,2,2)

Generating...

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

ASTI’S (Italian wine is) round I (iodine)

23d

Very wide bowler? Yeah, and … ?! (2,4)

flowerflowerflower