Independent Cryptic #11813

2024-08-20

Solve on Independent →

Across

8a

Gold chain seen in bourse regularly (5)

Generating...

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

CH (chain) in the alternate (regular) letters of bOuRsE

9a

Cornish banker in decline spared last pound (3)

Generating...

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

FAL l (decline) missing the last ‘l’ (pound) – the ‘banker’ being a river

10a

Monk runs to be entered in a Derby? (5)

Generating...

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

R (runs) in or ‘entering’ A HAT (‘Derby?’) – a new word for us

12a

Mum in Blockbuster a female returning holy book (7)

Generating...

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

MA (mum) in a reversal (‘returning’) of HIT (Blockbuster) A F (female) – we had to check this as we are not overly familiar with Islam

13a

Old court letter's content and composition (7)

Generating...

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

O (old) CT (court) l ETTE r (middle letters or ‘content’ only)

14a

Moved quickly to secure vessel abandoned (7)

Generating...

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

SPED (moved quickly) round or ‘securing’ URN (vessel)

15a

Svenson say is an eccentric in little plane? (6)

Generating...

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

This had us foxed for some time, as we had to google Bo Svenson, never having heard of him – it’s BO + an anagram (‘eccentric’) of IS AN – the ‘plane’ being a tree

18a

Reckon D notice should come first (3)

Generating...

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

D with AD (notice) coming first

19a

Virtuous sort with a drop hidden away (7)

Generating...

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

ST (saint – ‘virtuous sort’) + A SHED (drop)

20a

Seer contributing to Crome Yellow (3)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Was fitting American with desire for wealth (6)

flowerflowerflower
22a

See 25 Down

26a

Forming a unit see unit formed (2,5)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘formed’) of SEE UNIT

28a

Chicken is served with rook hearts and hock (7)

Generating...

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

HEN (chicken) IS ‘served’ in R (rook – in chess) H (hearts – card suit)

29a

Kahlo say delivered in fits and starts? (5)

Generating...

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

This one also had us foxed, as we did not know Frida Kahlo. However, wth the crossers we decided it must be RID (deliver) in F A (first letters or ‘starts’ of fits and)

30a

Character spoken for leaves to make drink (3)

flowerflowerflower
31a

See 18 Down

Down

1d

Execute our Charlie across the pond? (6)

Generating...

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

DO (execute) OF US (our) – another one we had to check

2d

See 7 Down

3d

See 11 Down

4d

See 17 Down

5d

His was TWL, retiring to Parisian island (5)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘retiring’) of TO ILE (French for island) – the clue that gave the game away for us.

6d

Rage of Zyzzyva? (4,4)

Generating...

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

Zyzzyva would be the LAST WORD in an alphabetical dictionary – although it is not in Chambers

7d
27d

(and 2 Down, 27 Down) TWL's V: that with Hades swirling around below (4,3,7,4)

Generating...
11d
3d

(and 3 Down) He's in for playing with singular metre in TWL's III (3,4,6)

Generating...
16d

Drink from west in view, Ram's Head receiving order raised (5,5)

Generating...

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

W (west) in SEE (view) R (first letter or ‘head’ of ram) round or ‘receiving’ a reversal (‘raised’) of EDICT (order)

17d
4d

(and 4 Down) Bats left to fate here, Buddha saving one: TWL's I (3,6,2,3,4)

Generating...
18d
31a

(and 31 Across) Hard to stop enemy with Trumpian slogan upping tax in TWL's II (1,4,2,5)

Generating...
19d

Haggard heroine managed to net fish for playwright (8)

Generating...

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

SHE (Rider Haggard heroine) RAN (managed) round or ‘netting’ ID (fish)

23d

Church supporting Navy woman in difficult separation (6)

Generating...

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

CH (church) after or ‘supporting’ (in a down clue) WREN (‘Navy woman)

24d

Maybe an old idea slightly altered on mixed dish (6)

Generating...

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

RE (on) HASH (mixed dish)

25d
22a

(and 22 Across) TWL's IV's what betrayed criminal (5,2,5)

Generating...
27d

See 7 Down