Independent Cryptic #11620

2024-01-08

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Across

1a

Children at your aunt's said to be cheats (6)

Generating...

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

Hom of cousins(=children at your aunt's)

5a

Make better use of manic phase? (7)

Generating...

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

CD/DD. "Up cycle" might refer to the manic phase of someone suffering from bipolar disorder.

9a

Even if struggling a lot hug husband (8)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Goes off using oars without power (6)

Generating...

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

[P]addles. I'm not sure if the p{ower} is being removed from "using oars" (which would would seem to have the wrong conjugation for paddles) or "goes off using oars", which would leave the "goes off" as both the definition and part of the subsidiary clue.

11a

D'Artagnan at once embraces group that's all for one (4)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Nasty graze on Ned's hairy region (10)

Generating...

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

(Graze on Ned)*. Hairy here is used in the sense of dangerous.

13a

King breaks security code that is one digit (6)

Generating...

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

K{ing} in (PIN(=personal identification number used in bank transactions, often tautologically called a PIN number) + i.e.(=that is))

15a

Merry GI keeps company with sergeant at the front (6)

Generating...

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

Joe(=GI Joe) around (co{mpany} + s[ergeant])

18a

Weary nightwatchman's last shifts one obviously tired (6)

Generating...

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

(Weary + [nightwatchma]n)*

19a

Solution requiring large and little woman? (6)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Old baronet collects planes and diamonds lovely things (10)

Generating...

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

(O{ld} bart(=short for baronet)) around (jets + d{iamonds})

24a

American next to old US general store serving meatballs (4)

Generating...

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

A{merican} after Ike(=Ike Eisenhower, WW2 general and later president)

25a

Familiar with duets played by heart for proof (6)

Generating...

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

Duets* + [pr]o[of]

26a

Dislike state pension having pound deducted (8)

Generating...

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

Aver(=state) + [pen]sion, pen being pound in the sense of an enclosure.

27a

Swell couple coming over too much (7)

Generating...

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

Surf(=swell) + tie<(=couple in the sense of "coupling things together")

28a

Budget measure reversed by a disastrous Tory cut (6)

Generating...

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

(X(=by as in 4×4) + a + Trus[s])<. The disastrous Tory would be the short-lived PM Liz Truss.

Down

2d

Well-trained employee Bill regularly enters Arab country (6)

Generating...

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

Odd letters of b i l l in Oman. Well in this sense refers to oil wells.

3d

Haiti open to trade from landlocked country (9)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Players back from gents on court (5)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Make deranged Parisian a gin he ordered (7)

Generating...

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

Un(="a" in Paris) + (gin he)*

6d

Blood on prison's silverware (9)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Port of Spain coastguard's first one on board US cutter (5)

Generating...

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

C[oastguard] + (adz around i). Adz is a US spelling of adze, an axe-like tool.

8d

The day before new head's calm (8)

flowerflowerflower
14d

Note berk swerving around second roadblock (9)

Generating...

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

(Note berk)* around s{econd}

16d

Soviet minister married Miss Arkansas (formerly Colorado) (9)

Generating...

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

(M{arried} + Miss + Ar{kansas}) with Co{lorado} in front. The abbrevs are US postal.

17d

Meat sheds giving away cold roasts (8)

Generating...

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

Lamb(=meat) + [c]asts(=sheds losing c{old})

19d

Glaring white robe over brown tee (7)

Generating...

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

Alb< (an alb is a white vestment worn by a priest) + tan(=brown) + t(=phonetically rendered as tee)

20d

Romeo on avenue cycles to Juliet's home (6)

Generating...

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

(R{omeo} on ave{nue}) with the VE cycling to the front

22d

English papers close to exclusive run down source (5)

flowerflowerflower
23d

Years when temperature's 8 oddly (5)

Generating...

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

T{emperature} + odd letters of clue 8 ( e v e n n e s s).