Independent Cryptic #11983

2025-03-06

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Across

1a

European organ eclipsing a Beyoncé record (8)

Generating...

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

LE MONDE (French daily newspaper; European organ) containing (eclipsing) A

5a

One mushroom without more or less white top? (6)

Generating...

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

I (Roman numeral for one) + ( CEP [type of  edible mushroom] containing [without; outside] CA [circa; about; more or less])

10a

Only playing new material (5)

Generating...

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

Anagram of (playing) ONLY + N (new)

11a

My French/Arabian/Australian fixation (9)

Generating...

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

MON (French for ‘my’) + OMANI (descriptive of a citizen of OMAN ; Arabic) + A (Australian)

12a

Fury of king amid loss of power (7)

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13a

Isolated second outbuilding of five, originally (4,3)

Generating...

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

S (second) + HUT (outbuilding) + OF + F ( first letter of [originally] F IVE)

14a

Lay on sponsor with finale getting rearranged (15)

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18a

Supporter fatally injured with boots in game of soccer (7,8)

Generating...

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

FAN (supporter) + an anagram of (injured) FATALLY and (with) BOOTS

20a

P Mescal stripped to be lead in The Count of Monte Cristo? (7)

Generating...

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

ESCA ( M ESCA L stripped) going in front of (leading) PEE (the letter P) with the definition just being ‘character in The Count of Monte Cristo’)  – Paul Mescal (born 1996) is an Irish actor.

23a

Less interesting compliment (7)

Generating...

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

FLATTER (treat with insincere praise and servile attention; compliment) double definition

25a

Tibetan backing a country like Germany (5,4)

Generating...

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

( A + MALI [African country] + À LA [in the manner of; like] + D [International Vehicle Registration for Germany]) all reversed (backing)

26a

Rear end of doctor is trapped in A&E (5)

Generating...

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

R ( last letter of [end of] DOCTO R + ( IS contained in [trapped in] [ A + E ])

27a

Money back for abandoning villain (6)

Generating...

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

RE PRO BATE (villain or rogue) excluding (abandoning) PRO (in favour of; for)

28a

Sign to stop Conservative welcoming Islamophobic organisation (3,5)

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Down

1d

See nothing up with Mark dropping round (7)

Generating...

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

NIL (nothing) reversed (up; down entry) + COL O N (punctuation mark excluding [dropping] the second O [a round character])

2d

Hormone you get from fruit, staying at home (9)

Generating...

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

( MELON [fruit] containing [staying {detaining}] AT ) + IN (home);

3d

Older relative from northern Scottish town (5)

Generating...

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

ANNAN (town in Dumfries and Galloway, South West Scotland) reversed (northern, reading upwards; down entry)

4d

Mother nature undermined by extremely lowly insect (9)

Generating...

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

DAM (mother) + SELF (personality;  nature) + LY ( outer letters of [extremely] L OWL Y )

6d

Red partly rolled-up tights in, um, moccasins? (9)

Generating...

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

COMMUNIST ( reversed [rolled-up; down entry] hidden word in [partly] TIGH TS IN UM MOC CASINS)

7d

Country dance shortly over (5)

Generating...

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

CONG A (dance) excluding the final letter (shortly) A + O (over)

8d

Fun quantity of acts? (7)

Generating...

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

PLAY FUL – does this describe a PLAY as being FULL of acts.  Shouldn’t FUL be spelled with two L s in this case.  Are we being asked to consider PLAYFUL as just sounding like PLAY FULL ?

9d

Golf course ignoring opening signs (4)

Generating...

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

L INKS (stretch of flat or gently undulating ground along a seashore; hence a golf course, especially one by the sea) excluding (ignoring) the first letter (opening)

15d

Bring back harvest location (9)

Generating...

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

REAP (harvest) + POINT (a location)

16d

Gen Z member allegedly mixing up wolf and snake (9)

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17d

Navy making safe getaway, barely (4,5)

Generating...

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

N (navy) + EARTHING (making an electrical appliance safe)

18d

Perhaps slip if climbing tree (7)

Generating...

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

IF reversed (climbing; down entry) + ELDER (tree)

19d

City break covering ground at first like Tokyo? (7)

Generating...

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

LA (Los Angeles; city) + ( REST [break] containing [covering] G [initial letter of {at first} G ROUND])

21d

Star couple finally leaving Sulawesi (5)

Generating...

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

CELEB ES (Sulawesi is an Indonesian island also known as CELEBES ) excluding (leaving) the final two letters (couple) ES

22d

President set up yard sale site (4)

Generating...

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

ABE (reference Abraham [ ABE ] Lincoln [1809 -1865], 16th President of the United States) reversed (set up; down entry) + Y (yard)

24d

May's predecessor having trouble about image management (5)

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