Independent Cryptic #11915

2024-12-17

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Across

1a

Wild bird Alfred claims caught crustacean (11)

Generating...

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

Anagram (wild) of BIRD ALFRED , containing (claiming) C (abbreviation for caught, in cricket scoring).

7a

Strike from account upon reflection (3)

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9a

French king welcoming black knight's comic sidekick (5)

Generating...

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

ROI (French word for king) containing B (abbreviation for black, as in 2B pencils), then N (abbreviation for knight in chess notation). Comic as in comic-book: Batman’s colleague.

10a

Insane character possessed substance according to Spooner (9)

Generating...

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

Spoonerism of HAD MATTER (possessed substance). Character from Alice in Wonderland .

11a

Fundamental right abolished in tribunal by German city (9)

Generating...

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

T [r] IAL (tribunal) without the R (abbreviation for right), after ESSEN (city in western Germany).

12a

Underworld organisation's original address (5)

Generating...

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

HELL (underworld) + first letter (original) of O [rganisation). Address = greeting.

13a

Avian enclosure finally providing emu with home (7)

Generating...

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

PEN (enclosure) + final letters of [providin] G [em] U + IN (home = at home, as in “will you be in this evening?”).

15a

Hands round stimulant before start of exhausting dance (4)

Generating...

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

R + L (abbreviations for right and left hands), around E (abbreviation for the drug ecstasy = stimulant) + starting letter of E [xhausting]. A fast country dance, especially in Scotland.

18a

Film star adding line to marriage vow (4)

Generating...

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

L (abbreviation for line) after I DO (traditional form of the response in a marriage service).

20a

Series of images Oscar found in container (7)

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23a

Some children worried about person with pet? (5)

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24a

Green Spanish boy taken in by virgin in Mexico (9)

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26a

Climber close to insanity following strange vision on river (9)

Generating...

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

Last letter (close) of [iv] Y , after an anagram (strange) of VISION , after PO (river in Italy, a favourite with crossword setters). Climbing plant, or at least some varieties of it are.

27a

Colour of boot locker some say (5)

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28a

Article written by married geezer (3)

Generating...

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

AN (a form of the indefinite article) next to M (abbreviation for married, in genealogical records). Geezer = old-fashioned slang for a man.

29a

Picked up seasonal acting work for starters (11)

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Down

1d

French retaining old castles in perpetuity (8)

Generating...

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

FR (abbreviation for French) containing O (abbreviation for old), then KEEPS (keep = the inner fortified building within a castle). For keeps = slang for forever.

2d

Shameful young lady for example supported by government (8)

Generating...

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

DEB (abbreviation for debutante = young lady in upper-class society) + AS IN (phrase used to introduce an illustration of how a word can be used = for example), with G (abbreviation for government) at the end (at the bottom, in a down clue = supporting).

3d

Textile from mill in Enniskillen (5)

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4d

Artist overlooks minute aphid regularly seen on flower (7)

Generating...

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

RA (abbreviation for Royal Academician = artist), before (above, in a down clue = overlooking) M (abbreviation for minute) + alternate letters (regularly seen) of [a] P [h] I [d], then ON . Generic name for a few species of wild flowers (and also some salad leaf vegetables).

5d

One asks hard questions of horseman touring Donegal on vacation (7)

Generating...

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

RIDER (horseman or horsewoman), around (touring) D [onega] L (on vacation = after emptying).

6d

Every week Earl enters pub in revealing clothing (9)

Generating...

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

EACH (every) + W (abbreviation for week) + E (abbreviation for earl), inserted into BAR (pub = drinking establishment).

7d

Odd elements of Brontë tale laid bare her courage (6)

Generating...

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

Odd-numbered letters of B [r] O [n] T [ë] T [a] L [e], then [h] E [r] with the outer letters removed (laid bare). Bottle = slang for courage. Though if you follow the derivation of “to lose one’s bottle” from Cockney rhyming slang, it actually means something rather less polite.

8d

King enthralled by quirky retro horror (6)

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14d

Don urged criminal to crush society's outsiders (9)

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16d

Shorter son goes missing? Don't mention it! (8)

Generating...

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

NOT A [s] TALL (shorter), without the S (abbreviation for son). Not at all = don’t mention it = a politely self-effacing response to thanks.

17d

Wicked deeds within heartless Mafia factions (8)

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19d

Pure milk when endlessly churned becomes more clotted (7)

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20d

Don't stop dupe ringing Henry in East end (7)

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21d

Decoration Englishman in Australia is given twice (6)

Generating...

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

POM (Australian slang for an English person) twice. A decorative ball of wool tufts, a bundle of glittery fibres used by cheerleaders, or a similar decoration.

22d

Germany abandons plan to adopt new flag (6)

Generating...

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

[d] ESIGN (plan) without the D (abbreviation for Deutschland = Germany), containing (to adopt) N (abbreviation for new).

25d

Judge fair queen to be fool (5)

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