Independent Cryptic #11675

2024-03-12

Solve on Independent →

Across

9a

Disorderly Irish customer frequently in pub (9)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Character coming before Papa gets 22A award (5)

Generating...

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

In the radio alphabet, OSCAR (representing O) comes before PAPA (representing P). Nickname for an Academy Award (reference to 22 across): it’s a statuette of a man, but precisely why he’s called Oscar is the subject of various different stories.

11a

Obscure bookpromotional copy? (5)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Wave to welcome pained daughter? Thick-skinned sort (9)

Generating...

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

PERM (short for permanent wave = chemically-produced curls in hair), containing (to welcome) ACHY (pained) + D (abbreviation for daughter). Term for thick-skinned animals such as elephants and rhinos.

13a

Restricted way in which sulphur absorbed into volatile nebula (7)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Bighead having grand slam of 25 21D 10 & 6 first? (7)

flowerflowerflower
16a

Dog tucking right into food (5)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Latest information unknown: work for MI6? (3)

flowerflowerflower
19a

False strokes producing boundaries (5)

flowerflowerflower
21a

More on passing through eighteenth entrance? (7)

Generating...

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

RE (on = on the subject of) inserted into (passing through) GATE R (which would be the eighteenth of a set of alphabetically-marked entrances starting from Gate A).

22a

Day came for reforming educational institution (7)

flowerflowerflower
24a

Soon pressing flesh leader from Mycenae? That's him (9)

Generating...

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

ANON (soon), containing (pressing) GAME (meat from wild animals = flesh) + leading letter of M [ycenae]. Extended definition: in Greek mythology, Agamemnon was king of Mycenae and commander of the Greek army during the Trojan War.

26a

Flying V? (5)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Bonkers seen with a male brothel-keeper (5)

flowerflowerflower
28a

Story run about noble's unreasonable request (9)

Generating...

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

TALE (story) + R (abbreviation for run, in cricket scoring), around LORD (nobleman).

Down

1d

Graduallyhow crypto fortune is made? (8)

Generating...

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

Definition and cryptic definition: for the latter, cryptocurrencies are based on computer data and calculations (stored as binary digits or bits).

2d

Talks back when checking explosive urge (6)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Group about to appear in Great Bake Off (10)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Drinks in midweek? Pass! (6)

flowerflowerflower
5d

China has many an ornamental garden (8)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Play about Gazan finally getting award (4)

Generating...

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

TOY (play, as a verb) around the last letter of [gaza] N . Common abbreviation for the New York theatre award more formally known as “Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre”.

7d

French path in South Gironde at first slippery (8)

Generating...

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

CHEMIN (French word for a path, as in chemin de fer = iron path = railway), in the first letters of S [outh] G [ironde]. Scheming = slippery = descriptive of a dishonest or untrustworthy person.

8d

Quick to help the erring player? (6)

flowerflowerflower
15d

N European in country who's wrecked individual enterprise? (10)

Generating...

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

N + E (abbreviations for North + European) in OMAN (country on the Arabian Peninsula), then an anagram (wrecked) of WHO’S .

17d

'Queen dead' a lie possibly (8)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Calmness before stupid coming through Surrey's borders? (8)

Generating...

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

ERE (archaic word for “before”) + NIT (stupid, as a noun = a foolish person) inserted into the outer letters (borders) of S [urre] Y .

20d

Perhaps on air one refused a farewell (8)

Generating...

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

SAY (perhaps = for example) + ON A [i] R , refusing the I (one in Roman numerals), then A . Japanese word for “farewell”, used in English as a casual goodbye – though I’ve read that in Japanese it has more the sense of a final I’m-never-going-to-see-you-again.

21d

Elegist covering very short distance gets award (6)

flowerflowerflower
22d

Poet Italian flower died around lake (6)

Generating...

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

ARNO (Italian river, or in Crossword-speak “flower” = a thing that flows) + D (abbreviation for died, in genealogical records) around L (abbreviation for lake). There seem to have been a number of poets with the surname Arnold and I can’t say I’m familiar with any of them; I’ll hazard a guess that Tees intends the 19th-century English poet Matthew Arnold, and a quick Google of “poet arnold” appears to back me up.

23d

What Cockney repairman does? Makes alterations! (6)

Generating...

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

What does a Cockney repairman do? Well, [h] ‘E MENDS , and according to crossword convention he usually drops his initial H sounds.

25d

Award or prize judge denied? (4)

Generating...

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

[j] EMMY (prize, as a verb = to force something open using a lever) without the J (abbreviation for judge). I’ve always used the spelling “prise” and assumed that “prize” was the US version, but the dictionaries accept both as British English. An award presented for artistic and technical merit in the television industry. According to Wikipedia the name is derived from “immy”, short for “image orthicon tube” (a component of early television cameras), but changed to sound more like a woman’s name because the award statuette depicts a woman. I may or may not remember that next time someone asks.