Independent Cryptic #11684

2024-03-22

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Across

9a

Caught male leaving disturbed cemetery, carrying wide feature of cemeteries? (3,4)

Generating...

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

Anagram (disturbed) of [c] E [m] ETERY , without the C (abbreviation for caught, in cricket scoring) and the M (abbreviation for male), containing W (abbreviation for wide, in cricket scoring). A traditional feature of church graveyards in the UK.

10a

Salamander all too unsettled around centre of Texas (7)

Generating...

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

Anagram (unsettled) of ALL TOO around the centre letter of [te] X [as].

11a

Cancelling tunnel man dug up (9)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Backed suggestion about the French hairstyle (5)

Generating...

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

TIP (suggestion = piece of advice), reversed (backed), around LA (feminine form of “the” in French).

13a

Precision in disposal of next cases (9)

flowerflowerflower
15a

Rice dish - mum’s invested in outfit almost completely (5)

flowerflowerflower
16a

Dessert successfully brought to couch potato after work in kitchen (8,7)

Generating...

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

WELL (as in “well done” = successfully) + PUDDING (couch potato = slang for an overweight lazy person, if we’re allowed to call them that these days), after BAKE (to cook food in an oven = work in kitchen). An earlier version of Bakewell tart; they’re not quite the same but they both include pastry, jam and an almond filling.

19a

North America, mostly dreadful, the worst place (5)

Generating...

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

NA (abbreviation for North America) + DIR [e] (dreadful) without the last letter (mostly).

21a
8d

(and 8 Down) Line in second working socket possibly moving suddenly (9,8)

Generating...
24a

Looking up naturally allows review, initially of celestial object (5)

Generating...

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

First letters (initially) of L [ooking] U [p] N [aturally] A [llows] R [eview]. Relating to the moon = of a celestial object.

25a

Neutralising element redeployed on Vietnam (9)

flowerflowerflower
26a

I’m a Nationalist repelled by a lot of prejudice in African country (7)

Generating...

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

I’M A + N (abbreviation for Nationalist), all reversed (repelled), then BIA [s] (prejudice) without the last letter (a lot of . . .).

27a

Painter’s change in direction after capturing the writer following completion of chapter (7)

Generating...

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

VEER (change in direction), containing (capturing) the last letter (completion) of [chapte] R followed by ME (the writer). Johannes Vermeer, 17th-century Dutch painter.

Down

1d

Particular title picked up among the many books (6)

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2d

Harm in boasting symbol of ownership (4-4)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Member’s decoration granted power at first (6)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Church dissenter leading curtailed Mass - movement co-ordinator? (10)

Generating...

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

CE (abbreviation for Church of England) + REBEL (dissenter), before LUM [p] (mass) without the last letter (curtailed). The part of the brain that controls movement.

5d

Form or class? Not entirely (4)

Generating...

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

CAST [e] (social class) without the last letter (not entirely). Cast, as a verb = to form by pouring molten metal into a mould.

6d

Jotted down notes, being calm (8)

Generating...

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

Double definition. Wrote down musical notes to create a piece of music; or not anxious and in control of oneself.

7d

Difficult situation - not quite additional example of idiocy (6)

Generating...

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

MOR [e] (additional) without the last letter (not quite), then ASS (proverbially a silly animal = example of idiocy).

8d

See 21 Across

14d

Helping it to rise, very into redefined purpose (10)

Generating...

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

IT reversed (to rise = upwards in a down clue) + V (abbreviation for very), inside an anagram (redefined) of PURPOSE .

16d

Gathering indication of flowering, including Northern heather (8)

Generating...

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

BUD (the first sign of a flower = indication of flowering) containing N (abbreviation for northern), then LING (another name for the heather plant).

17d

Conflict over medic getting award for contribution to operating theatre? (8)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Popular group to include European starlets (8)

Generating...

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

IN (popular, as in “the in crowd”) + GENUS (a group of related plants or animals), containing E (abbreviation for European). Ingenue = starlet = a young actress, not yet well known but potentially a star of the future.

20d

Busy person duly disheartened, old chap’s upset (6)

Generating...

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

D [ul] Y (dis-heartened = inner letters removed), then O (abbreviation for old) + MAN (chap) all reversed (upset = upwards in a down clue). Dynamo = slang for an energetic person who runs around doing everything.

22d

Uniform but disordered? (6)

Generating...

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

Definition and cryptic definition. Uniform worn by servants in a specific house or the staff of a specific company; or another word for liverish = suffering from a disorder of the liver, or in a bad mood traditionally associated with such disorders.

23d

Period in which British will exhibit sound tone (6)

flowerflowerflower
25d

A deviation, swinging round in different direction (4)

Generating...

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

A , then YAW (of a ship or aircraft, deviation from a straight course) reversed (swinging round).