Guardian Cryptic #29946

2026-03-05

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Across

1a

Feline, wild being on the moor, only tail glimpsed (7)

Generating...

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

A charade of PAN (Greek god of nature, ‘wild being’) plus (‘on’) ‘the’ plus R (‘moo R , only tail glimpsed’).

5a

Serene icon punched by a cleaner (7)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘punched by’) of A CIF (‘a cleaner’, trade name) in PIC (‘icon’).

9a

Debauched son in Cornish town (5)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘in’) of S (‘son’) in LOOE (‘Cornish town’).

10a

Joy sees what to do with 8 down, say, in Cornish town (9)

Generating...

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

An envlope (‘in’) of EAT IT (‘what to do with 8 down’ – CREAM TEA) in BUDE (‘Cornish town’).

11a

Mischievous pals shut in leader’s office (10)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘mischievous’) of ‘pals shut in’.

12a

Tiny amount, nothing to plug hole in the wall (4)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘to plug’) of O (‘nothing’) in ATM (automated teller machine, ‘hole in the wall’)

14a

Gone west, westernised drink! (7,4)

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18a

Operation where end of scalpel slices through Afro/Cornish meat dish? (11)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘slices through’) of L (‘end of scalpe L ‘) in RHINO PASTY (‘Afro/Cornish meat dish?’).

21a

Gorilla somewhere in Cornwall, where hilly? (4)

Generating...

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

The ‘somewhere in Cornwall’ is Goonhilly Downs, the site of the Goonhillly Satellite Earth Station. GOON and ‘gorilla’ both refer to a thug.

22a

What lover of Cornwall might do, scoffing English biscuits (10)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘scoffing’) of E (‘English’) in DIG ST. IVES (‘what lover of Cornwall might do’; St.Ives being a Cornish town).

25a

Less emphatically, train finally coming in late? (3,6)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘coming in’) of N (the second one, ‘trai N finally’) in NOT EARLY (‘late’). ‘Emphatically’ as a stronger statement of ‘less’.

26a

Feline with shaved ball? (5)

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27a

Group experiencing the blues record (3,4)

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28a

Article with check so enclosed? (7)

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Down

1d

Coming from Europelike staff? (6)

Generating...

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

POLE-ISH

2d

Around Land’s End, lack of Spanish enthusiasm it seems for pasta (6)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘around’) of D (‘lan D ‘s end’) in NO OLÉ (‘lack of Spanish enthusiasm it seems’).

3d

Performance of the ode encapsulates style of fast-paced walk (4-3-3)

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4d

Very uplifting southern puzzle (5)

Generating...

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

A charade of REBU, a reversal (‘uplifting’ in a down light) of UBER (‘very’); plus S (‘southern’).

5d

Remarkably sharp jackets I detect for ancient sect (9)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘jackets’) of I SEE (‘I detect’) in PHARS, an anagram (‘remarkably’) of ‘sharp’.

6d

Murderer in good book residing in Jamaica Inn (4)

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7d

Nut and oaf dancing in spring (8)

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8d

Put together with jam ultimately covered, a Cornish treat (5,3)

Generating...

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

A charade of CREAMTE, an envelope (‘covered’) of M (‘ja M ultimately’) in CREATE (‘put together’); plus ‘a’.

13d

So, may hate going out, time taken inside? (4-2-4)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘take inside’) if T (‘time’) in STAYAHOME, an anagram (‘going out’) of ‘so may hate’, with an &lit definition.

15d

Having bagged last of garbage, dumped metal stick with it (7,2)

Generating...

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

An envelope (‘having bagged’) of E (‘last of garbag E ‘) in SOLD (‘dumped’) plus IRON (‘metal’).

16d

Robbers in briny leaving New York, Penzance pirates people? (8)

Generating...

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

A charade of ‘bri[ny]’ minus NY (‘leaving New York’) plus G AND S (Gilbert and Sullivan, creators of comic operas, including The Pirates of Penzance , ‘Penzance pirates people’).

17d

Criticise one tipster dressed for Royal Ascot? (3,3,2)

Generating...

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

An implied envelope: I (‘one’) plus TOUT (‘tipster’) IN HAT (‘dressed for Royal Ascot’).

19d

‘arbour used regularly as street (6)

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20d

Towards the back, seat adjusted before service (6)

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23d

Country where Eden Project failed, say: ultimately foolhardy exercise (5)

Generating...

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

A charade of E.G. ( exempli gratia , ‘say’) plus Y (‘ultimately foolhard Y ‘) plus PT (‘exercise’). The (extended) definition refers to the 1956 Suez Crisis , with UK involvement under the leadership of Prime Minister Anthony Eden.

24d

Reminder, a few seconds for myself? (4)

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