Guardian Cryptic #29893

2026-01-02

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Journalist on pills, doctors wrapped and prepared (7)

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5a

No doctor around to begin withon location, you must get into shape (7)

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9a

E.g. oils winch occasionally for little lorry (5)

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10a

Residual radiance of surrealist art we flog (9)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘surrealist’) of ‘art we flog’.

11a

Get married in Windsorpossibly circumventing terms of it with divorce (3,3,4)

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12a

This writer’s article for European Vogue (3)

Generating...

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

A substitution: FED (‘this writer’) with the E replaced by A (‘article for European’).

14a

Faithfully taking on Park Runstraining Achilles at the start in a hazardous manner (12)

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18a

Leaders of certain African countries checking temperature after hot spells (12)

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21a

Sister removing bits from kitchen units (3)

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22a

Awful traumaso in hospital (10)

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25a

I’m referee next (9)

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26a

Get material in audition and well up (5)

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27a

Brief initially taking legal advice concerning our negligence in court (7)

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28a

Diminish link, say, bringing sons together (7)

Generating...

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

A transposition: SAUSAGE (‘link, say’) with the two letters S moved together (‘bringing sons together’). A novel device.

Down

1d

Want daughter to join our home (6)

Generating...

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

A charade of D (‘daughter’) plus EARTH (‘our home’).

2d

One of two that is reared by the King (6)

Generating...

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

A charade of EI, a reversal (‘reared’ in a down light) of I.E. (‘that is’) plus ‘the’ plus R ( Rex , ‘King’).

3d

Criminal in car chase looking for sweetener (10)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘criminal’) of ‘in car chase’. ‘Looking for is just connective tissue.

4d

Had coffee for one day on order (5)

Generating...

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

A charade of D (‘day’) plus RANK (‘order’). ‘For one’ as the indication by example.

5d

Tip and pour or spread mixture (9)

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6d

It might be Hollywood Boulevard for Grease (4)

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7d

Or try to get fairground prize? (8)

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8d

A Dyson Airblade was primarily designed for the current time (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘designed’) of ‘a Dyson’ plus AW (‘ A irblade W as primarily’).

13d

Sandwich maybe hotnothing goes through connected properties (4,6)

Generating...

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

A charade of TOWN (‘Sandwich maybe’) plus H (‘hot’) plus O (‘nothing’) plus USES (‘goes through’).

15d

Coach horse cutting almost all risk (9)

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16d

Perhaps honesty box is originally in lane for change (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘for change’) of BI (‘ B ox I s originally’) plus ‘in lane’. Despite the botanical name Lunaria annua, honesty or the money plant is often grown as a biennial.

17d

English funny about working to be profitable (8)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘about’) of ON (‘working’) in E (‘English’) plus COMIC (‘funny’).

19d

Dossier parties surrendered before, essentially, Gerald Ford made it (6)

Generating...

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

A charade of ‘[dos]sier’ minus DOS (‘parties surrendered’) plus RA (‘essentially Ge RA ld’). The definition is puzzling: there are films entitled Sierra , High Sierra , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre etc., none of which was directed by John Ford nor starred Harrison Ford or Glenn Ford , nor involve any of them in any way. Unless I am overlooking something, I suspect a slip by Fed – perhaps most likely a confusion of John Ford with John Houston, the director of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre . A clear case of tunnel vision: SIERRA (and Ford) said film to me, and I did not look beyond that. The Ford Sierra car gives a perfectly good definition, and the surface reference to Watergate and all that makes this a truly outstanding clue.

20d

Current measure of a politician regularly missing debrief (6)

Generating...

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

A charade of ‘a’ plus MP (‘politician’) plus ERE (‘regularly missing d E b R i E f’).

23d

Ring some Sloane Rangers up (5)

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24d

Loaded without opening port (4)

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