Independent Cryptic #11978

2025-02-28

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Across

1a

22 in fairness not showing characteristic essence (5)

Generating...

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

JU ST ICE (fairness) excluding (not showing) ST ( STREET , entry at 22 down) to form JUICE

4a

Way to put in rosy colour, regarding certain carpets? (9)

Generating...

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

ROAD (way) contained in (put in) BLOOM (a rosy colour)

9a

Anger, passion, but not force (3)

Generating...

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

F IRE (passion) excluding (but not) F (force)

10a

Dishonest managers tackle sport misguidedly (11)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Paste provided by yellow shrub - a wise woman’s accessory (10)

Generating...

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

BROOM (shrub with yellow flowers) + STICK (paste)

12a

Metal: variable quantity in Cuba (4)

Generating...

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

Z (letter used to represent a variable quantity in mathematics for example) + IN + C (International Vehicle Registration for Cuba)

14a

Additional matters are ignored by insurgents (6)

Generating...

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

R A IDERS (insurgents) excluding (ignored) A (are, a unit of measurement)

15a

Startling volume during celebration, not entirely pleasant (8)

Generating...

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

( V [volume] contained in [during] GALA [festivity; celebration]) + NIC E (pleasant) excluding the final letter (not entirely)

18a

Initially some have permits for area near the shore (8)

Generating...

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

SH ( first letters of [initially] each of S OME and H AVE) + ALLOWS (permits)

20a

Blue stuff? I really enjoy absorbing new source of obscenity (6)

Generating...

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

([ I + DIG {slang term meaning ‘to really enjoy’}] containing [absorbing] N [new]) + O ( first letter of [source of] O BSCENITY

23a

Frequently our group returned to view sites (4)

Generating...

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

( FR [frequently] + US [our group]) all reversed (returned) to form SURF

24a

Performers I punished and criticised (10)

Generating...
26a

Soldiers misrepresented in article making things straight (11)

Generating...

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

RE (Royal Engineers; soldiers) + an anagram of (misrepresented) IN ARTICLE

27a

Spanish artist not unknown in part of India (3)

Generating...

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

GO Y A (reference Francisco GOYA [1746 – 1828], Spanish artist) excluding (not) Y (letter frequently representing an unknown value in mathematics)

28a

Meander with drunk, protected from some weather (9)

Generating...

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

WIND (meander) + TIGHT (drunk)

29a

High observation point has observer covering US state (5)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

I left a small amount to be picked up and brought in by James for prisoners (9)

Generating...

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

( I + L [left] + [ DRIB {a small amount} reversed {picked up; down entry}]) contained in (brought in by) JAS (JAMES)

2d

Frosty cricketing body restricting English as before (3-4)

Generating...

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

( ICC [International Cricket Council] containing [restricting] E [English]) + OLD (as before)

3d

More skill at sea, securing one’s first recovery from capsizing (6,4)

Generating...

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

Anagram of (at sea) MORE SKILL containing (securing) O ( initial letter of [‘s first] O ne’s )

4d

Light wind about to pass through English city (6)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Inspector of spying? Decide to participate, spies being involved (8)

Generating...

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

CIA (Central Intelligence Agency; spies) contained in (being involved) ( OPT IN [decide to participate] )

6d

Part of harbour is where criminal appears (4)

Generating...

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

DOCK (enclosure for the accused in a court of law; where [alleged] criminal appears) double definition

7d

Pub abandoning new concept gets positive response (7)

Generating...

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

INN OVATION (new concept) excluding (abandoning) INN (pub)

8d

Form of entertainment is upheld amidst a lot of rubbish (5)

Generating...

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

IS reversed (upheld; down entry) contained in (amidst) MUC K excluding the final letter K , leaving all the other letters (a lot of)

13d

A danger, with TV broadcast involving a modernist (5-5)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Meteorological measure originally considered obtrusive and worthless (5,4)

Generating...

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

C ( first letter of [originally] C ONSIDERED) + LOUD (obtrusive) + BASE (worthless)

17d

Asserting son’s something of an irritation? (8)

Generating...

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

S (son) + WEARING (descriptive of an irritation)

19d

A lot of grain gathered by a cool continental resident (7)

Generating...

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

RIC E (grain) excluding the final letter (a lot of) E contained in (gathered by) ( A + FAN [cool])

21d

Possibly two for one in Bury (7)

Generating...

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

E.G. (for example; for one) contained in (in) INTER (bury)

22d

Rising river swamping 40% of Truro road (6)

Generating...

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

TEES (river in the North of England) reversed (rising; down entry) containing (swamping) TR ( 2 of the 5 [40%] letters in TR URO)

23d

Raised consequences of virus for fodder? (5)

Generating...

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

WARTS (small hard excrescences on the skin caused by a virus) reversed (raised; down entry)

25d

Free up time for gossip (4)

flowerflowerflower