Independent Cryptic #11880

2024-11-06

Solve on Independent →

Across

9a

Reform bring up diversity (9)

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10a

Accepted women are enlightened (5)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Extra responsibility follows job's termination (5)

Generating...

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

ON US (responsibility) following B (last letter or ‘termination’ of job)

12a

Police fire on pub which produces drug (9)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Hormone transforms common bird (7)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Dry and skiddy oddly? Turned round creating inconvenience (7)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘turned round’) of BRUT (dry) S I D (alternate or ‘odd’ letters of skiddy)

17a

Left-winger receives a card (5)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Bladed tool in Mike's shed (3)

Generating...

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

HO m E (in) missing or ‘shedding’ the ‘m’ (Mike in the phonetic alphabet)

19a

Japan losing first point that would win match (5)

Generating...

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

n IPPON (Japanese name for Japan) missing the first letter – a winning point in judo and karate

21a

France not just an exciting place for kids (7)

flowerflowerflower
23a

Say I test solved Enigmatic Variations primarily after recalling hint (7)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘after recalling’) of EG (say) I + T S E V (first or ‘primary’ letters of test solve Enigmatic Variations) – a clue for crossword buffs

24a

Contrite urge left and right to adapt (9)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Pitiable soul told gag (5)

flowerflowerflower
28a

Little cycling seen in shopping centres (5)

Generating...

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

SMALL (little) with the first letter moved to the back, or ‘cycling’

29a

Fire nukes at sea? I say no (9)

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Down

1d

Cut short drum'n'bass in club (4)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Easy target saving crooked donor (8)

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3d

Singer James Blunt reportedly goes ahead to make open sandwich (10)

Generating...

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

ETTA (singer Etta James) after a homophone (‘reportedly’) of BRUSQUE (blunt)

4d

Some funding is never returned; this could be a red flag (6)

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5d

Feud led bishop to stir disorder (8)

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6d

Broadcast follows Labour leader in retreat (4)

Generating...

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

AIR (broadcast) following L (first letter or ‘leader’ of Labour)

7d

Head of Football League stopping team getting debilitating illness (6)

Generating...

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

F (first letter or ‘head’ of football) L (league) in or ‘stopping’ MAN U (team)

8d

Observed setting for audition (4)

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13d

Second place for twisting symbolic design (5)

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15d

Unmarried woman plays with hair (10)

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16d

Drink a lot being reckless (5)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘reckless’) of BEING

18d

Thus gets naked with duke in county town (8)

flowerflowerflower
20d

Almost immaculate American city (8)

flowerflowerflower
22d

Annoy Germans in river (6)

Generating...

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

G G (‘Germans’) in NILE (river)

23d

Degenerate briefly provided end to discriminatory abuse (6)

Generating...

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

VIL e (degenerate) missing the last letter or ‘briefly’ IF (provided) Y (last letter or ‘end’ of discriminatory)

24d

Remains bottom (4)

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25d

Queen Street at an earlier time (4)

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27d

Whisker regularly plucked for tramp (4)

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