Guardian Cryptic #29907

2026-01-19

Solve on Guardian →

Across

1a

Almost perfect clothes for leisure activity (7)

flowerflowerflower
5a

Still retaining ultimate method of payment (7)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Old president finally gets changed, going to basin (5)

Generating...

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

Joe BIDE-[n] the former US president, with the final letter changing

10a

Perhaps tactful remarks describing snow that has settled (5,4)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Bless attack (3,5,2)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Paul Nash guarding part of his arm (4)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Jargon from mouth was spouting: I approve (12)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Concerned with flying a Lear, caution must be exercised (12)

Generating...

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

anagram (exercised) of: (a Lear caution)*

21a

Text for printer is not original (4)

flowerflowerflower
22a

Daring last desperate stand here for Soviets (10)

Generating...

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

definition refers to the battle of Stalingrad in World War II – the definition is possibly the whole clue, or possibly "stand here for Soviets" i.e. a place where Soviets made a stand anagram/"desperate" of (Daring last)*

25a

Such a sleepy town? (9)

Generating...

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

not sure whether to call this a cryptic definition as a whole, or whether to separate it into parts: a dormitory is a name for a town where people live, but will typically go to work or to leisure elsewhere i.e. the town is "sleepy" in the sense that not much activity goes on there …and "sleepy" also hints towards the meanings of dormitory as a place to sleep

26a

Sports car of energy and character (1-4)

Generating...

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

definition refers to the Jaguar E-Type sports car [wiki] E (energy) + TYPE=nature, characteristics="character"

27a

Why gent fancied Welsh girl (7)

Generating...

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

anagram/fanciful version of/"fancied" of (Why gent)*

28a

Substitute that offers protection for game (7)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

One on the beach said not to be alone (6)

Generating...

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

reference to idiomatic sayings like 'you're not the only pebble on the beach' to suggest that someone is not the only person of a type

2d

Faulty effect of snapping night flight (3,3)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Diagnostic aid extremely reliable (10)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Draggedwhy to the church? (5)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Prudish Olive re-read author, a Holocaust survivor (5,4)

Generating...

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

definition: the author Primo Levi [wiki] PRIM="Prudish" + anagram/"re-read" of (Olive)*

6d

The last word in service (4)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Adding together twelve 0s and a 1 makes a huge number (8)

Generating...

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

a 1 with twelve 0s added, written as 1,000,000,000,000=a trillion

8d

Big bags carrying lettuce for tsar’s cavalry (8)

flowerflowerflower
13d

Jogs round area and sells leftovers (10)

Generating...

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

definition: to remainder can mean to sell excess inventory of e.g. books to remind is to jog the memory, so REMINDERS="Jogs", around A (area)

15d

Method of communication depressed canine (9)

flowerflowerflower
16d

One clamped on wrist perhaps to keep close behind guard (8)

flowerflowerflower
17d

Distinctive feature of a piece of land one has (8)

flowerflowerflower
19d

Petition Lord’s, for example (6)

Generating...

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

for example, the Lord's Prayer in Christianity

20d

Stick notice in this place (6)

flowerflowerflower
23d

Sportsman removing top in bed (5)

Generating...

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

[p]-LAYER="Sportsman", removing the top letter

24d

Dossier of wasted life (4)

flowerflowerflower