Independent Cryptic #11826

2024-09-04

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Across

1a

Maybe bow's shot showing expertise in Sherwood? (8)

Generating...

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

Maybe bow’s shot showing expertise in Sherwood? FORE’S (=bow’s, on ship) + TRY (=shot, try, go); the reference is to Sherwood Forest, of Robin Hood fame

5a

Chat about head of finance in taxi (6)

Generating...

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

Chat about head of finance in taxi [ON (=about) + F <inance> (“head of” means first letter only)] in CAB (=taxi)

10a

Pressure on football club to get some balls (5)

Generating...

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

Pressure on football club to get some balls MAN U (=football club, i.e. Manchester United) + P (=pressure, in physics); the “balls” of the definition refer colloquially to backbone, guts, courage

11a

Bar's last pot to clear up (9)

Generating...

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

Bar ’s last pot to clear In a game of snooker, say, the black ball is the last ball (for the player) to pot; to blackball is to ostracise, exclude, hence “bar”

12a

Cheers at the Olympics intensified (13)

Generating...

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

Cheers at the Olympics intensified Cryptic definition: “merci (=cheers, thank you; “at the Olympics” implies French, since the Olympics were held in Paris) beaucoup (=intensified, i.e. very much)”

15a

Compare Liz with Boris's predecessor - we mustn't have her back (5)

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16a

New tea set Pip wants (9)

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18a

American's hat trick putting European record in danger (9)

Generating...

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

American’s hat trick putting European record in danger [E (=English) + EP (=record, i.e. e xtended- p lay)] in THREAT (=danger, risk); in US slang, a threepeat is a series of three sporting victories

20a

Several crosses mark battlefield (5)

Generating...

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

Several crosses mark battlefield M (=mark, i.e. former German currency) in SOME (=several)

22a

Issue of one's own when phoney Dr Chandler Bing releases book (13)

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25a

Aunt short of time keeps mislabelled fruit machine (9)

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27a

Don't worry about her elephant hides (5)

Generating...

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

Don’t worry about her elephant rides Hidden (“rides”) in “abou T HER E lephant”, cf. “There, there” to console a crying child

28a

Meter made by Siemens went round (6)

Generating...

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

Meter made by Siemens went round S (=Siemens, i.e. SI unit) + PEED (=went, weed) + O (=round, i.e. pictorially); colloquially, the speedo is the speedometer of a car

29a

Reluctance to move grey hat fixed on lady's head (8)

Generating...

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

Reluctance to move grey hat fixed on lady’s head L <ady> (“head” means first letter only) + *(GREY HAT); “fixed” is anagram indicator

Down

1d

Iron clothes in the morning for dance show (4)

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2d

Mark on uniform damaged in riot (7)

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3d

Manage at home with lovely nurse coming round (11)

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4d

Scotsman had to bag trash in cleric's office (9)

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6d

Fellow's outer door starts to open after knock (3)

Generating...

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

Fellow’s outer door starts to open after knock O <pen> A <fter> K <nock>; “starts to” means first letter only; cf. to sport one’s oak is to show visitors are not welcome, at university

7d

Fast asleep after lying down (7)

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8d

Notice sticker up in office electioneer vacated supporting Clinton (10)

Generating...

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

Notice sticker up in office electioneer vacated, supporting Clinton BILL (=Clinton, i.e. former US President) + POST (=office) + E <lectionee> R (“vacated” means all middle letters are dropped); a bill poster is someone who pastes posters onto billboards, hence “notice sticker up”

9d

Retail event that's small beer (4)

Generating...

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

Retail event that’s small beer S (=small, in sizes) + ALE (=beer)

13d

OK what might a flea-ridden bear get in winter? (11)

Generating...

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

OK , what might a flea-ridden bear get in winter? Cryptically, a flea-ridden bear may get up in winter to scratch himself!

14d

Expensive stuff in the window at GAP sells badly (10)

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17d

Favourite uncle manipulated with a childish impatience (9)

Generating...

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

Favourite uncle manipulated with a childish impatience PET (=favourite) + *(UNCLE + A); “manipulated” is anagram indicator

19d

Oven one opens touching hot potato (7)

Generating...

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

Oven one opens touching hot potato [OAST (=oven) + I (=one)] in RE- (=touching, regarding)

21d

Labour in 2024? A lot are switching (7)

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23d

Rwandan who also must be heard (4)

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24d

Unknown priest going to heaven incredibly (4)

Generating...

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

Unknown priest going to heaven incredibly Y (=unknown, in algebra) + REV (=priest); “going to heaven” indicates vertical reversal

26d

Online supervisor sulks removing 50% of content (3)

Generating...

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

Online supervisor sulks, removing 50% of content M <o> OD (=sulks, as in to be in a mood , have the sulks ); “removing 50% of contents” means one of the two middle letters is dropped; a mod is the moderator of an online forum or discussion