Independent Cryptic #11990

2025-03-14

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

Tricky moves nan and son played in Scrabble? (5-5,5)

Generating...

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

A ‘play’ on the fact that NAN and SON use tiles with a score of 1 in Scrabble – unless of course any of them are placed on a double or triple letter square

9a

Boss's secretary given buzzer that doesn't work (7)

Generating...

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

PA (secretary) DRONE (a bee – ‘buzzer’ – that doesn’t work)

10a

Mathematician's delivery person getting the wrong entrance (7)

Generating...

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

c OURIER (delivery person) with a different initial letter or ‘wrong entrance’ – should there have been some indication that it is an F that replaces the ‘c’?

11a

Made up and in agreement with date (6)

Generating...

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

AT ONE (in agreement) with D (date)

12a

50s classic - presumably not the original recording (4,4)

Generating...

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

A play on the fact that if the track needed FIVE TAKES then it certainly wasn’t the original recording. TAKE FIVE was a jazz hit by Dave Brubeck released in 1959.

14a

One on the rebound is content to neck with hot love (4)

Generating...

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

n EC k (middle letters only or ‘content’) with H (hot) O (love)

15a

A bunch of retired coppers ordered penne in European resort (9)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘ordered’) of PENNE in NICE (European resort)

20a

Old-fashioned denomination's terribly sad on entering bar (3,3,3)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘terribly’) of SAD ON in TWIX (bar – the chocolate variety)

21a

Female setter has X factor (4)

Generating...

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

F (female) I’VE (setter has) – 5 is a factor of 10 (X)

24a

Blend of wheat and rye involving multiple parts (5-3)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Notes provided around unfinished poems (6)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘around’) of IF + VERS e (poems) missing the last letter or ‘unfinished’

29a

Small quantities of heroin shifted in lofty settings (7)

Generating...

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

HEIGHTS (lofty settings) with the first H (heroin) ‘shifted’

30a

Old pope maybe recalling one with pride (7)

Generating...

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

Double definition – the second referring to a pride of lions

31a

School trips which caretakers are asked to go on (7,8)

Generating...

Down

1d

Hit on server, wanting one free drink (3,5)

Generating...

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

TAP (hit on) WA i TER (server) missing or ‘wanting’ I (one)

2d

Greek character to keep so long in Spain with programme? (5,4)

Generating...

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

RHO (Greek character) around or ‘keeping’ ADIOS (so long in Spain) followed by W (with)

3d

Base on Greek island reportedly crumbles (6)

Generating...
4d
13d

(and 13 Down) Initial lack of judgement's possibly done MP in (4,4)

Generating...
5d

Some plutocrat fancied overturning old trade deal (5)

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6d

Somehow neat duet made tighter (8)

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7d

Free kicks regularly taken by Methuselah in energetic practice (5)

Generating...

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

f R e E k I c K s (alternate or ‘regular’ letters) by I (Methuselah is the setter)

8d

Quiet PM sent up distress signal (6)

Generating...

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

SH (quiet) + a reversal (‘sent up’) of KEIR (PM Keir Starmer)

13d

See 4 Down

16d

City welcoming a number being celebrated today? Grand! (4)

flowerflowerflower
17d

Standard horror film skewering cornier novel (9)

Generating...

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

IT (horror film released in 2017) inside or ‘skewering’ an anagram (‘novel’) of CORNIER

18d

Republic of Dagenham and Stanmore reduced by 50% (8)

Generating...

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

DAGE nham and STAN more each reduced by 50%

19d

A bunch of bare asses shocked judge again (8)

flowerflowerflower
22d

American actress set aside, losing Oscar record (6)

Generating...

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

ST o RE (set aside) ‘losing’ ‘o’ (Oscar in the phonetic alphabet) + EP (record)

23d

Reject detective stitched up in hearing (6)

Generating...

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

DI (detective) and a homophone (‘in hearing’) of SEWN (stitched up`)

25d

I Got You Babe ultimately covered by couples fronting rock groups (5)

Generating...

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

E (last or ‘ultimate’ letter in babe) inside or ‘covered by’ pairs of letters (‘couples’) at the start of (‘fronting’) RO ck GR oups

26d

Eastenders in churches concealing large mistakes (5)

Generating...

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

l APSES (mistakes) without or ‘concealing’ ‘l’ (large) – though we’re not sure that the word order works

28d

European person putting son on throne (4)

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