Independent Cryptic #11976

2025-02-26

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Across

1a

Old woman finally conceiving is miracle that's reimagined in literary style (5,7)

Generating...

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

MA (old woman) G (last or ‘final’ letter of conceiving) and an anagram (‘that’s reimagined’) of IS MIRACLE

9a

Terrible meal in Alaska, say, leads to impasse (9)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘terrible’) of MEAL in STATE (Alaska, say)

10a

Roadie regularly working in concert hall (5)

Generating...

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

r O a D i E (alternate or ‘regular’ letters only) ON (working)

11a

Communist seems to reject outsiders, free from blame (6)

Generating...

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

RED (communist) s EEM s (missing first and last letters or ‘rejecting outsiders’)

12a

In the interval, I'm chasing intended bride at last (8)

Generating...

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

I’M after or ‘chasing’ MEANT (intended) + E (last letter of bride)

13a

Shuffle pieces of wood (6)

Generating...

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

Double definition

15a

Contract British disease (8)

Generating...

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

B (British) AILMENT (disease) – a new word for us

18a

In a detailed manner, rate Only Fans (8)

flowerflowerflower
19a

Fly backwards inside coolest establishment (6)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Pass colonists in winter clothing (3,5)

Generating...

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

SKIP (pass) ANTS (colonists)

23a

Stop discharges over the phone (6)

Generating...

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

A homophone (‘over the phone’) of FREES (discharges)

26a

Distributes treats around Luxembourg (5)

Generating...

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

DOES (treats) around L (Luxembourg). We had to check that DO = TREAT.

27a

Filming the drunk male leaving various clubs and pubs (9)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘drunk’) of FIL m ING THE with ‘m’ (male) ‘leaving’

28a

Very worried now, as citadel is damaged (2,1,4,5)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

The result of hearing problem possibly, I expelled violent wind (7)

Generating...

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

MISTR i AL (result of hearing problem possibly – the hearing being a trial) without or ‘expelling’ I

2d

£1000 in German currency (5)

Generating...

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

G (German) RAND (currency)

3d

Starts to climb large mountain, being most intelligent (9)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Times removed striking editor (4)

Generating...

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

ERAS ed (removed) without or ‘striking’ ‘ed’ (editor)

5d

Eccles is boring celebrity setter about subject (8)

Generating...

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

I (Eccles – the setter) inside or ‘boring’ a reversal (‘about’) of NAME (celebrity) GEL (setter)

6d

Son dropping new piece of cutlery (5)

Generating...

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

S (son) POO (dropping) N (new)

7d

Local team in tears, mostly (8)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Most enjoyable, following being ignored, to force kids to leave home (6)

Generating...

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

f UNNEST (most enjoyable) ‘ignoring’ ‘f’ (following). We weren’t sure that the word existed so had to check.

14d

Animated officer half-heartedly supporting member of staff getting part in The Bill (8)

Generating...

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

DIB b LE (officer in ‘Top Cat’ – a children’s cartoon) missing one of the middle letters or ‘half-heartedly’ underneath or ‘supporting’ MAN (staff) – we have to be of a certain age to remember ‘Top Cat’!

16d

Girl welcomes hackneyed words for passing on (4,5)

Generating...

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

LASS (girl) around or ‘welcoming’ TRITE (hackneyed)

17d

Hades lovely when shorn of rocks formed deep underground (8)

Generating...

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

PLUTO (Hades) NIC e (lovely) missing last letter or ‘shorn’

18d

Think carefully about going naked, being of the same mind (6)

Generating...

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

c ONSIDE r (think carefully) missing first and last letter or ‘going naked’

20d

Hint of lead? (7)

Generating...

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

Double definition

22d

Crime of the Century ignored by iconic American talk show host (5)

Generating...

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

c ARSON (iconic American talk show host – Johnny Carson) ‘ignoring’ ‘c’ (century)

24d

Finest diet drug? (5)

flowerflowerflower
25d

At one time, the same leaders in Europe gave Abkhazia legitimacy (4)

Generating...

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

First letters or ‘leaders’ in Europe Gave Abkhazia Legitimacy – an old word from the French for ‘equal’