Independent Cryptic #11659

2024-02-22

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

Small work by American in MoMA fenced off (12)

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10a

Dirty EastEnder headbutts in return getting floored (7)

Generating...

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

DEN (as in Dirty Den on Eastenders) NUTS (headbutts) all reversed or ‘in return’

11a

Sadly none live to collect paintball's ultimate honour (7)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘sadly’) of NONE + BE (live) around or ‘collecting’ L (last or ‘ultimate’ letter in paintball)

12a

If you believe account my racket got smashed (11)

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13a

Young lady heads for gents avoiding lines (3)

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14a

Drag bed from unsightly spot over by lake (5)

Generating...

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

WART (unsightly spot) reversed or ‘over’ by L (lake)

15a

Power feeding alarm warning light went off quickly (9)

Generating...

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

P (power) inside or ‘feeding’ SCARE (alarm) RED (warning light)

17a

Philosopher with unusually deep pockets I bug (9)

Generating...

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

MILL (John Stuart Mill – Philosopher) + an anagram (‘unusually’) of DEEP round or ‘pocketing’ I. Joyce spent too long wondering whether there was a philosopher called Cent.

18a

Indian beggar had us at sixes and sevens (5)

flowerflowerflower
20a

Alternative way out of tunnel (3)

Generating...

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

SUB way (tunnel) missing or ‘out of’ ‘way’

22a

Riders in Hackney tend to cycle for approval (11)

Generating...

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

‘ORSEMEN (‘riders’ missing the ‘h’, as it might be said in Hackney) TEND ‘cycling’ – the last three letters moving to the front. Many people drop their aitches in spoken English, not just those in London – but some studies have shown that 58% of old speakers in Hackney do.

24a

Letter P among terrible tiles at end of Scrabble (7)

Generating...

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

P inside or ‘among’ an anagram (‘terrible’) of TILES and E (last letter or ‘end’ of Scrabble)

25a

Learner behind Beetle with Danish parts (7)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Tree expert died meaning to eat last Rolo (12)

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Down

2d

Professional running service at a loss? (15)

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3d

Primate kept up by weird nightmare (5)

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4d

Swamp English boy cutting grass at the side of the road (9)

Generating...

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

E (English) + LAD (boy) inside or ‘cutting’ VERGE (grass at the side of the road)

5d

NCO positive soldiers sit around without good reason (15)

Generating...

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

NON COM (NCO) POS (positive) MEN (soldiers) and a reversal (‘around’) of SIT

6d

Crime boss from Britain taken up in Putin's jet (5)

Generating...

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

BR (Britain) reversed or ‘up’ inside MIG (Russian aircraft – ‘Putin’s jet’)

7d

Liberal bores want journalist bugged (7)

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8d

Famous lion tamer's head at an angle (6)

Generating...

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

ASLAN (famous lion in the Chronicles of Narnia series) and T (first letter or ‘head’ of tamer)

9d

Patronise all the locals turning up to fight outside clubs (8)

Generating...

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

A reversal  (‘turned’) of UP + BRAWL (fight) outside C (clubs)

15d

Veronica's son was good on the potty? (9)

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16d

Turn say northwards below clear path on hill (8)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘northwards’) of YAW (turn) EG (say) after (‘below’ in a down clue) RID (clear)

17d

Bad behaviour did seem wrong (7)

flowerflowerflower
19d

Messy university cleared out pens books and papers (6)

Generating...

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

U niversit Y (first and last letters only or ‘cleared out’) around or ‘penning’ NT (New Testament – ‘books’) ID (papers)

21d

Young Scot from Rhode Island brought up during Prohibition (5)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘brought up’) of RI (Rhode Island) in or ‘during’ BAN (prohibition)

23d

Engineers take steps to put in new arrangement (5)

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