Independent Cryptic #11630

2024-01-19

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

Wild solution, with a degree of overlap, is something to have on hand (8)

Generating...

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

MANIC (wild) CURE (solution) sharing ‘C” 0r ‘with a degree of overlap’

5a

Part of hooter having indecisive sound after a month (6)

Generating...

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

UM (indistinctive sound) after SEPT (a month)

10a

Very important article about married railway worker (9)

Generating...

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

SIGNAL (very important – listed as an adjective in Chambers – notable or remarkable) AN (article) about M (married)

11a

Warrior tribe held back in reserve at first (5)

Generating...

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

IN reversed or ‘held back’ with ICE (reserve) first

12a

What 14 will do: decay at end of use (6)

Generating...

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

ROT (decay) ATE (last letter or ‘end’ of usE)

13a

Evening music found in Sweden before enthralling another Scandinavian on the rebound (8)

Generating...

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

S (Sweden) ERE (before) around or ‘enthralling’ DANE (another Scandinavian) reversed or ‘on the rebound’

14a

Son fixing weak part of foot? This offers something to help with knitting (8-5)

Generating...

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

S (son) PINNING (fixing) W (weak) HEEL (part of foot)

18a

Lighthouse overseers, three working in British navy, standing beside tree (5,8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘working’) of THREE in B (British) N (navy) after or ‘standing beside’ ELDER (tree). The Elder Brethren are the governing members of Trinity House which oversees lighthouses.

22a

Last performance - effectively as Desmond, N? (8)

Generating...

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

SWANSON G – Gloria Swanson played Norma Desmond in the film Sunset Boulevard

23a

Grand Dickensian character showing resentment (6)

flowerflowerflower
26a

I start to loosen in time, becoming nimble (5)

Generating...

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

I L (first letter or ‘start’ to Loosen) in AGE (time)

27a

A powerful car tails off? My trip needs something much more powerful (9)

Generating...

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

A STRON g (powerful) AUT o (car) both missing last letters or ‘tails off’

28a

Imagines quantities of Scotch without English (6)

Generating...

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

DRAMS (quantities of Scotch) around or ‘without’ E (English)

29a

Irritation I overlooked in environmentally aware German girl (8)

Generating...

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

i TCH (irritation) without or ‘overlooking’ I in GREEN (environmentally aware)

Down

1d

Be uncertain about atmospheric dampness and what it may cause (8)

Generating...

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

MIST (atmospheric dampness) RUST (what may it may cause)

2d

Most of the booze overturned in the dark (5)

Generating...

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

TH e missing last letter or ‘most of’ GIN (booze) all ‘overturned’

3d

Conservative drive for discipline (7)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Uphill standard must accommodate motorway slope (4)

Generating...

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

PAR (standard) reversed or ‘uphill’ around or ‘accommodating’ M (motorway)

6d

European historical article to be held up as a bad influence (4,3)

Generating...

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

E (European) YE (historical article) LIVE (be) all reversed or ‘held up’

7d

That letter, fourth time rejected, rubbished society magazine (3,6)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘rubbished’) of THAT LET t ER with the fourth T (time) missing or ‘rejected’

8d

Help secured by knights, say, yet to win (6)

Generating...

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

AID (help) inside or ‘secured by’ MEN (knights say) – nothing to do with a cricketing term which is what Joyce thought it was – a maiden is a horse that has never won a race.

9d

Writer with an oddball description of peaceful times? (8)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Writerly folk failing to start vote to discard books again and again (9)

Generating...

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

l ITERATI (writerly folk) missing first letter or ‘failing to start’ VotE without or ‘discarding’ OT (books)

16d

Like an emperor, note, one Iran scrapped (8)

Generating...

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

N (note) and an anagram (‘scrapped’) of ONE IRAN

17d

Left after meal to pen book still topping the lists? (8)

Generating...

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

UNEATEN (left after meal) around or ‘penning’ B (book)

19d

Remove top from bowl made of wood (7)

Generating...

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

It had to be DISH (bowl) ELM (wood) but we needed to check it in Chambers. It means ‘to divest of a helmet’. In other words – ‘remove top from’.

20d

Evict number of people (7)

Generating...

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

Double definition

21d

Papers about type of speech not entirely found in Cyprus? (6)

flowerflowerflower
24d
25d

(and 25 Down) Head start in rebuilding planet destroyer (5,4)

Generating...
25d

See 24 Down