Independent Cryptic #12021

2025-04-19

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Across

9a

Money invested in Sussex town's bakery products (3,6)

Generating...

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

BREAD (money) ‘invested’ in RYE’S (Sussex town’s)

10a

Gently turning about a copper coin (5)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘turning’) of ON (about) A 1P (one penny – ‘copper coin’)

11a

Understand only a small extract from strange text (3)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Swiss home of winger making regular appearances (6,5)

Generating...

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

A cryptic definition – CUCKOO CLOCKS typically come from Switzerland – the cuckoo appears regularly on the hour

13a

Nipple rings are worn by leads in Eugene Onegin, Lohengrin and Aida (7)

Generating...

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

ARE round or ‘worn by’ E O L A (first letters or ‘leads’ in Eugene, Onedin, Lohengrin and Aida)

14a

Police chief holding one end of rubber thing with unknown length (6)

Generating...

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

STING (lead singer or ‘chief’ in the band Police) round or ‘holding’ R (last letter or ‘end’ of rubber) – how long is a piece of string?

16a

Something served in Grandma's house? (4)

flowerflowerflower
17a

Sealed by you in Senegal, a letter from abroad (3)

Generating...

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

A in or ‘sealed by’ TU (French, as spoken in Senegal, for ‘you’)

18a

See 25 Down

22a

Our colonel, leading in khaki? (6)

flowerflowerflower
24a

Great Victorian industrialist manufacturing plastic (7)

Generating...

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

ACE (great) TATE (Victorian industrialist – of Tate & Lyle and Tate Gallery fame)

26a

Mass-produced article seen amongst rotten, decomposing flesh (3-3-5)

Generating...

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

THE (article) in or ‘seen amongst’ OFF (rotten) and an anagram (‘decomposing’) of FLESH

28a

After 20, a fellow is a fool (3)

Generating...

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

O (nothing – 20 down) A F (fellow)

29a

Head of Nike's in love with new fabric (5)

flowerflowerflower
30a

Express regret when first post office account is essentially discredited (9)

Generating...

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

A (first) PO (post office) LOG (account) IS E (middle or ‘essential’ letter of discredited)

Down

1d

Friends, say, in favour of the metric system? (9)

Generating...

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

PRO (in favour of) GRAMME ((part of) the metric system) – we’re not happy with defining ‘gramme’ as ‘the metric system’

2d

Layer upon layer of egg mayonnaise finally eaten by parents (8)

Generating...

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

E (last or ‘final’ letter or mayonnaise) in or ‘eaten by’ FATHERS (parents)

3d

Notorious Transylvanian doctor pursued by a copper north of Los Angeles (7)

Generating...

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

DR (doctor) A CU (copper) LA (Los Angeles)

4d

Close to Oldham, an English city (10)

Generating...

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

A clue-as-definition: M (last letter of Oldham) AN CHESTER (English city)

5d

Place with dodgy loos (4)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Online photograph TikToker's first taken for foodie (7)

Generating...

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

E-PIC t URE (‘online photograph’) with the ‘t’ (first letter of Tik-Toker’s) missing or ‘taken’

7d

Monkey bar broken by short kick (6)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Boxer at risk of toppling over? (5)

Generating...

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

Double definition

14d

Pet with small gold/green tail (7,3)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Give smaller portions to United defender when injured (9)

Generating...

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

U (united) + an anagram (‘when injured’) of DEFENDER

19d

Doughnut artist put doughnuts on another doughnut to create noted work (8)

Generating...

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

O (doughnut) RA (artist) TORI (doughnuts) O (doughnut)

20d

A trifle disintegrating in thong (7)

flowerflowerflower
21d

Was the drink left by this type of dish? (7)

Generating...
23d

Kill and kill again, causing upset (6)

Generating...
25d
18a

(and 18 Across) Say "3, 2, 1 ... (9)

Generating...
27d

...blast off!" Abandon the first part of launch attempt (4)

Generating...