Independent Cryptic #11661

2024-02-24

Solve on Independent →

Across

7a

Milky Way? Yes and no (6)

Generating...

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

A play on the fact that the MILKY WAY is a GALAXY but they are different chocolate bars.

9a

Looks around facing this type of combat (8)

Generating...

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

AIR and AIR (looks) around TO (facing). We had EYE TO EYE at first thinking that a ‘confrontation’ could perhaps be a type of combat. However, nothing else seemed to connect with it – not surprisingly as it was totally wrong. When we recognised the Nina, we realised that it could be considered thematic.

10a

Sick? That's vague (10)

Generating...

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

A play on the fact that the definition for ‘ILL’ could be ‘SICK’

11a

Expected lady at first to fight for honour (4)

Generating...

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

DUE (expected) L (first letter of lady)

12a

Electrified track's beginning at Holyhead - bothered about length (8)

Generating...

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

T (first letter or ‘beginning’ of track) H (the ‘head’ of Holy – a ‘ lift and separate’) RILED (bothered) about L (length)

14a

I see attack repelled by Italian champions (6)

Generating...

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

I (Italian) LO (see) PAN (attack) all reversed or ‘repelled’. We worked this out from the wordplay but checked afterwards – Napoli were the Champions in Serie A last year.

16a

During war a number of legit lawmen are heartlessly suffering (13)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘suffering’) of LEGIT LAWMEN and A r E (missing the middle letter or ‘heartlessly’)

19a

Discussed chances of bad behaviour in clerical meetings (6)

Generating...

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

A homophone (‘discussed’) of SIN ODDS (chances of bad behaviour)

21a

Jack comically takes a bit of exercise pushing back cover (8)

Generating...

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

DEE (Jack Dee the comedian) around a reversal (‘pushing back’) of SIT UP (a bit of exercise)

23a

Where animal keepers might go reportedly for film (4)

Generating...

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

A homophone (‘reportedly’) of ZOO LOO – ‘where animal keepers might go’. This was one of those answers I said – ‘Why is it Zulu? – and as soon as I it was said out loud, the penny dropped. No pun intended.

25a

Romeo in state of excitement takes both right off - the ladies love him (10)

Generating...

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

R (Romeo) in HEAT (state of excitement) and an anagram (‘off’) of BOTH R (right)

27a

See plane struggling and people (8)

flowerflowerflower
28a

More spacious but not as safe away from hotel (6)

Generating...

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

h AIRIER (not as safe) missing H (hotel)

Down

1d

Left to find out everything about burial site (8)

Generating...

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

L (left) and an anagram (‘out’) of FIND in ALL (everything)

2d

Vision and sound engineer (6)

Generating...

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

A homophone (‘sound’) of EIFFEL (engineer)

3d

Charged admission for one feature of Manchester? (4)

Generating...

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

RAN (charged) round or ‘admitting’ I (one)

4d

After attack crazed nurse shoved in cupboard (8)

Generating...

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

EN (nurse) ‘shoved in’ an anagram (‘after attack’) of CRAZED

5d

Delay support (6)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Unprotected attacker gets wingman (4)

Generating...

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

r AIDE r (attacker) missing first and last letters or ‘unprotected’

8d

Drive off around town with hack: Where do we go for a shag? (9)

Generating...

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

ALLAY (drive off) around T (town) HEW (hack)

13d

Feared old fellow on entering (5)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Wants deposit (after home on the coast) (9)

Generating...

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

LONGS (wants) + ORE (deposit) after H (home)

17d

With Prime Minister at first is causing trouble (8)

Generating...

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

We think this must be: CHIEF (prime) with M (Minister) IS first – but we can’t find M as an abbreviation for Minister – is ‘at first’ doing double duty?

18d

Winston Smith may be another one (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘may be’) of ANOTHER I (one). Winston Smith was the fictional antihero in George Orwell’s ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’

20d

Eye's humorous though not front cover (6)

Generating...

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

j OCULAR (humorous) missing first letter or ‘not front cover’

22d

Old tool for two - it's in hand (6)

Generating...

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

IT’S in PAW (hand)

24d

Creature allegedly ingesting waste product (4)

flowerflowerflower
26d

I agree male organ is way short (4)

Generating...

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

st AMEN (male organ in a flower) without or ‘short of’ ‘st’ (street – ‘way’)