Independent Cryptic #11988

2025-03-12

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Across

1a

Fuel prejudice about orgy, oddly (6)

Generating...

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

BIAS (prejudice) containing (about) OG ( letters 1 and 3 [oddly] of O r G y)

5a

Son and second daughter abandoning hopeless witness (8)

Generating...

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

DE S PON D ENT (despairing; hopeless) excluding (abandoning) S (son) and the second occurrence of [second] D [daughter])

9a

Outrages Conservative, wearing attire showing a bit of skin (8)

Generating...

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

( C [Conservative] contained in [wearing] SANDALS [footwear with an openwork upper; attire showing a bit of skin])

10a

Second time Eccles has to give ground (6)

Generating...

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

MO (moment; second) + T (time) + I’VE (I have; Eccles [the setter] has])

11a

Forlorn nurse is drilling head (10)

Generating...

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

( REAR [raise; cause to help; nurse] + IS ) contained in (drilling) DOME (head or cover)

12a

Country, before India invades (4)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Relieved idiot carried on broadcast (8)

Generating...

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

ASS (idiot) + UAGED ( sounds like [broadcast] WAGED [carried on])

16a

Despot’s drug left for later time (6)

Generating...

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

STA T IN (any of a class of drugs that inhibit an enzyme used in cholesterol production, used to treat heart disease) with L (left) replacing (for) the second [later] occurrence of T (time)

17a

Stokes stopping Broad and Anderson finally producing their bible (6)

Generating...

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

S (stokes [the CGS unit of kinematic viscosity]) contained in (stopping) ( WIDE [broad] + N [ last letter of {finally} ANDERSO N ]) – Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad and James Anderson are all English cricketers of some note.

19a

Predict that man gets terribly sad where a miracle occurred (8)

Generating...

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

BET (predict) + HE (that man) + an anagram of (terribly) SAD

21a

Tackle good listener (4)

flowerflowerflower
22a

Abused whisky and responded heartlessly (10)

Generating...

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

MALT (type of whisky) + REA C TED (responded) excluding the middle letter (heartlessly) C

25a

Stop plugging uncouth war tunes (6)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Aim to slip lead in cordial (8)

Generating...

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

Anagram of (to slip) AIM + CABLE (an electric lead)

27a

Is going to cut short boring drunk just after sunset (8)

Generating...

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

( WIL L [is going to] excluding the final letter [cut short] L ) contained in (boring) TIGHT (drunk)

28a

Morose Mexican's hat, 25% off (6)

Generating...

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

SOMBRE RO (Mexican hat) excluding the last two of eight [25%] letters RO

Down

2d

Get dog at home, to start with (5)

Generating...

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

IN (at home) + CUR (dog)

3d

Information on old American city (5)

Generating...

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

GEN (information) + O (old) + A (age)

4d

Saw guards beginning to like killing (7)

Generating...

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

SAYING (proverb; saw) containing (guards) L ( first letter of [beginning to] L IKE)

5d

Dance record on vacation creates division (7)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Publications about masculine pets (7)

Generating...

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

PAPERS (publications) containing (about) M (masculine)

7d

No red meat cooked in place of worship (5,4)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Revolutionary study protects pests? It doesn't matter (5,4)

Generating...

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

DEN (study) reversed (revolutionary) containing (protects) VERMIN (pests)

14d

Descends on eccentric who provides presentation (5,4)

Generating...

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

SLIDES (descends) + an anagram of (eccentric) WHO

15d

Ireland and US: works in progress (5,4)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Bloke at entrance turned round to show piece of identification (7)

Generating...

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

GATEMAN (bloke standing guard at an entrance) reversed (turned round)

19d

Sat around after dance and put on weight (7)

Generating...

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

BALL (dance) + an anagram of (around) SAT

20d

Goes up and down, sharing new vegetables (7)

Generating...

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

TURN (go, as in it’s your TURN ) + SPIN (go [swiftly]) reversed – the two words share the N (new)

23d

Exposed male member creates distress (5)

Generating...

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

AL (letters remaining in M AL E when the outer letters M and E are removed [exposed]) + ARM (limb; member)

24d

Mathematician and European leader wanting introduction (5)

Generating...

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

E (European) + R ULER (leader) excluding (wanting) the first letter (introduction) R