Independent Cryptic #12022

2025-04-21

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Across

1a

Safety feature causes woman using broom to stumble (4,6)

Generating...

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

WITCH (woman using broom) after TRIPS (causes… to stumble)

6a

Fishy piece from Schubert? (4)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Vegan, at heart, ready to eat beef (5)

Generating...

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

Charade of G (veGan at heart) + RIPE (ready to eat)

11a

Scruffy fellow who might deter a murder? (9)

Generating...

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

Cryptic definition, with murder referring to the collective noun for a group of crows

12a

Security specialists having great time getting drunk (5,4)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Tip for cleaning leather carpet (5)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Old, old man, regularly rather prejudiced (2,5)

Generating...

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

EX (old) + PA (old man) + every other letter (regularly) of RaThEr

17a

See boss roughly interrupting dance (6)

flowerflowerflower
19a

Extremely painful? In that case, take it easy, ... (6)

flowerflowerflower
21a

... call upon two nurses! (7)

flowerflowerflower
24a

Newspaper article on airline gets award (5)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Pirate picked up $1 per body part (9)

Generating...

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

Homophone (picked up) of “buck an ear” (dollar per body part). The old chestnut asks “how much do a pirate’s earrings cost?”

28a

Transport in awkward situation after turn (9)

Generating...

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

BIND (awkward situation) after SPELL (turn)

29a

Are guests eating a Malaysian dish? (5)

Generating...

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

Envelope (eating) of A in STAY (are guests) for the very tasty, typically peanut-based dish that probably originated in Java rather than modern-day Malaysia but has since spread far and wide

30a

Impersonated old queen in play (4)

flowerflowerflower
31a

Looked like a nerd with teeth all wonky (10)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Thermal rating number: one (8)

Generating...

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

TOG (thermal rating for duvets, etc) + ETHER (substance that numbs)

2d

Decoration Henry erased from ancient Chinese text (5)

Generating...

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

The I CHING (ancient Chinese text) minus H (Henry erased)

3d

Who snips off coat tail of sessions judge? (7)

Generating...

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

S (tail of sessionS) + HEARER (judge, one who presides over a hearing)

4d

Lives upstairs from short fat children (5)

Generating...

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

IS (lives) above (upstairs from, in a down clue) SUE (suet without its last letter for “short fat”)

5d

Rope secures large object that may be requisitioned? (9)

Generating...

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

Envelope (secures) of CABLE (rope) round L (large) + AIM (object)

7d

Film VW carrying five men, one eating salad? (9)

Generating...

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

Envelope (carrying) of HERBIE (the VW Beetle in the film franchise that started with The Love Bug) around V (five) + OR (other ranks, men)

8d

Deliveryman's hat? (6)

Generating...

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

Cryptic definition, or possibly simply a double definition – this is one of those clues where the distinction between the two gets a bit blurry

9d

Church in area prone to flooding installs barrier (6)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Heard Bake Off judge given licence to look for errors (9)

Generating...

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

Homophone (heard) of Prue (Leith, Bake Off judge and mother of Tory MP Danny Kruger, not that I’m going to hold that against her…) and “freed” (given licence)

16d

Institute hates libs rioting (9)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Small hill inspected over several levels (8)

Generating...

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

Charade of S (small) + TOR (hill) + EYED (inspected)

20d

Permit being open but not before noon (6)

Generating...

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

“Amenable” (open) without AM (not before noon)

22d

Art isn't out of place in passage (7)

flowerflowerflower
23d

Tucked up trousers being cut down to size (6)

flowerflowerflower
26d

Tip of didgeridoo wedged in composer's bum (5)

Generating...

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

Envelope (wedged in) of D (tip of Didgeridoo) inside John CAGE

27d

Core members of team can dine at own table (3,2)

Generating...

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

Central letters (core members) of tEAm +TIN (can)