Guardian Cryptic #29891

2025-12-31

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Paddy in sensible jumper at first gets a degree of comfort (4,11)

Generating...

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

in the definition, "degree" can refer to a unit of temperature (e.g. degrees Celsius) TEMPER="Paddy" (a fit of anger/temper), inside MATURE="sensible"; with ROO (kangaroo, jumping animal, "jumper") going first

9a

Make a break-through and exploit an opportunity (6,2,7)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Online extra involving ten mathematical characters (5,10)

Generating...

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

anagram/["involving" the "characters"/letters] of (ten mathematical)*

13a

Attire for the Lido with roughly two GCSEs, minimum (8,7)

flowerflowerflower
16a

Drunk professional taking note at popular conference for body-building regime (4-7,4)

flowerflowerflower
17a

Former girl-friend with soldier taking steps in Spanish art form (8,7)

flowerflowerflower
20a

WW1 vessel made from scale bus remains (1,5,9)

Generating...

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

definition: a British submarine used in WW1 anagram of/"made from": (scale bus remains)*

23a

Dined out with Applecross refugee (9,6)

Generating...

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

anagram/"out" of (Dined Applecross)*

Down

1d

Former BBC newsreader who is Jeremy Vine’s wife disturbed old Cheshire calf (6,9)

Generating...

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

anagram/"disturbed" of (old Cheshire calf)*

2d

Surgical surfaces somehow obliterate pangs (9,6)

Generating...

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

anagram/"somehow" of (obliterate pangs)*

3d

Complete ruin of tenor and alto transcription (5)

Generating...

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

to TOTAL is to damage something beyond repair, to complete its ruin / to completely ruin it T (for Tenor) plus anagram/"transcription" of (alto)*

4d

Originally massive old avian NZ resident once (3)

Generating...

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

definition: extinct large birds from New Zealand first letters (Originally) of M-[assive] O-[ld] A-[vian]

5d

A wander up to historic Portuguese city (5)

Generating...

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

definition: a Portuguese city that is a World Heritage Site with many historical buildings and monuments A ROVE="A wander", reversed/"up"

6d

It’s a winner during matches regularly (3)

Generating...

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

definition: an ACE is a winning serve in a tennis match ACE appears "regularly" as alternate letters from [m]-A-[t]-C-[h]-E-[s]

7d

Club name on pick-up trucks for water board in northern England (6,9)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Conclusionof course! (10,5)

flowerflowerflower
11d

Brown and green phonetic letter (5)

flowerflowerflower
12d

Takes in poor Shona wears (3,2)

Generating...

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

anagram/"poor" of (Shona)*

14d

Tree that’s found on satnav on borders of Lancashire (5)

Generating...

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

MAP="that's found on satnav"; plus outer letters/"borders" of L-[ancashir]-E

15d

Belief for which a Native American died (5)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Function at companyjust a very short time (5)

flowerflowerflower
19d

Inhuman geek regularly at The Cloud over the channel (5)

Generating...

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

definition: French [as spoken 'over the Channel'] for 'cloud' regular letters taken from [i]-N-[h]-U-[m]-A-[n] G-[e]-E-[k]

21d

The sun should even things out (3)

Generating...

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

the letters from S-[h]-O-[u]-L-[d], with the "even" letters taken "out"

22d

Hospital space available in the garden (3)

flowerflowerflower