Independent Cryptic #11927

2024-12-31

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Across

9a

Game over - curtains for suave heroic pilot (5)

Generating...

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

Game over – curtains for suave heroic pilot GO (=game) + O (=over, on cricket scorecard) + S <uav> E (“curtains” means first and last letters only); could this refer to the nickname of the character Nick Bradshaw in the film Top Gun ?

10a

Untrustworthy partner abused trade rule (9)

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11a

Back final runner clearing the last at Perth (7)

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12a

Song - could be work by The Police or work of the B52s (7)

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13a

Note: Knut's following the road from London to Leeds (5)

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

Note : Knut’s following the road from London to Leeds M1 N (=road from London to Leeds, i.e. the M1 North) + I’M (=Knut’s, i.e. today’s compiler)

15a

Island wharf radioed (3)

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16a

To play without interruption use guesswork to some extent (5)

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17a

Hurt husband is missing a limb (3)

Generating...

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

Hurt husband is missing a limb <h> ARM (=hurt, injure; “ husband (=H) is missing” means letter “h” is dropped)

19a

Troops drunk; one missing in action abroad (7)

Generating...

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

Troops drunk; one missing in action abroad [LIT (=drunk, inebriated) + I (=one)] in MIA (=missing in action); here “abroad” seems to be suggesting “on the outside” in a container-and-contents clue

20a

Bomb that might be dropped by Harrier? (3)

Generating...

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

Bomb // that might be dropped by Harrier? Double definition: an egg is a bomb or mine, colloquially AND e.g. a hen harrier, as a bird, could lay an egg

22a

Helping Susan finally to leave relationship (5)

Generating...

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

Helping Susan finally to leave relationship RATIO <n> (=helping, portion; “ Susa n finally (=last letter) to leave” means letter “n” is dropped)

23a

Senior Tory's multiple personality entities (3)

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

, hence “senior Tory”; the id is one of the three parts of the personality in psychoanalysis theory

24a

Chap drank vino when cycling (5)

Generating...

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

Chap drank vino when cycling WINED (=drank wine); here “when cycling” means that the first letter moves to the end of the word, then the second and then the third

26a

Daughter (24) engaged ruined grand celebration (7)

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

, engaged, ruined grand celebration [D (=daughter) in *(EDWIN (=entry at 24)] + G (=grand, i.e. $1000); “ruined” is anagram indicator

28a

Quiet as the French boring (7)

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31a

Will he secure the game or get a duck? (9)

Generating...

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

Will he secure the game or get a duck? Cryptic definition: the clue refers not to a game of cricket but to a dog employed to fetch game, ducks, etc on a shoot

32a

Uncovered generic retro name (5)

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Down

1d

Grim-sounding character therefore upset? (4)

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2d

Valuable information about antique (6)

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3d

Have English pub sandwiches (4)

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4d

Crowd packing terracing at Edgbaston (4)

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5d

Sup tea Lucy brewed that's good for the cold (10)

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6d

One guiding Southern sailor (4)

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7d

Confusion about Inland Revenue going over figure (8)

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8d

Ms Jones taking time off for a rest (6)

Generating...

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

Ms Jones taking time off for a rest BRIDGE <t> (=Ms Jones, as in the film Bridget Jones’s Diary ; “taking time (=T) off” means letter “t” is dropped); a bridge is a rest in e.g. snooker

13d

Old bird occasionally immoral (3)

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

Old bird , occasionally immoral <i> M <m> O <r> A <l>; “occasionally” means alternate letters only are used; the “old” of the definition means “extinct”

14d

UK doctor hosting his association's upcoming dance (5)

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15d

I'll give Ken hit TV show (10)

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16d

Factoid on European country (5)

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18d

Info on online info? Facebook nowadays has a bit turning over! (8)

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21d

17 ... good one! (3)

Generating...

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

17 … good one! G (=good) + UN (=one, in dialect); a gun is an arm (=entry at 17)

22d

Benefit coming from the bottom drawer? (6)

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25d

Stevie came first revolutionary Liverpool player (6)

Generating...
27d

Winger starting for Inter twice (4)

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28d

Foam kids' toy from Belgium millions despatched (4)

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

Foam kids’ toy from Belgium, millions despatched S <m> URF (=kids’ toy from Belgium; “ millions (=M) despatched” means letter “m” is dropped)

29d

Face lifting produced a (4)

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30d

Looks at those approving loudly (4)

Generating...

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

Looks at those approving loudly Homophone (“loudly”) of “ayes (=those approving, as in The ayes have it )”