Independent Cryptic #12024

2025-04-23

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

Stir up trouble in Tube, which is illuminating (5,5)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘up’) of STIR + PLIGHT (trouble)

6a

Purple swelling quietly moved to the head (4)

Generating...

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

LUMP (swelling) with P (quietly) moving to the front or ‘head’

10a

Horrify father with twisting and lap-dancing (5)

Generating...

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

PA (father) reversed or ‘with twisting’ and an anagram (‘dancing’) of LAP

11a

I see Eccles spot advertisement for Indian city (9)

Generating...

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

AH (I see) ME (Eccles – the setter) DAB (spot) AD (advertisement)

12a

Lengthen professional pamphlet (8)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Use a mask in audition (5)

Generating...

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

A and a homophone (‘in audition’) of VEIL (mask)

16a

Slight in poem welcoming Rwandan initially ignored (7)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Schedule of émigré broadcast by nationalist (7)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘broadcast’) of EMIGRE by N (nationalist)

20a

Be quiet entering platform with no line or safety rail (7)

Generating...

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

SH (be quiet) ‘entering’ PU l PIT (platform) without ‘l’ (line). Another one that needed checking – it’s a safety rail at the stern of a yacht.

22a

Manipulate communication with American for leading European (7)

Generating...

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

M e SSAGE (communication) with A (American) instead of E (European). As E stands for European we don’t actually need to know that Eccles wants us to use the first or ‘leading’ letter in European. However, it does help with the surface reading.

23a

Restore official with indefinable charisma (5)

Generating...

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

REF (referee – ‘official’) with IT (indefinable charisma)

25a

Entrance to church on Greek island is composite material (8)

flowerflowerflower
28a

Husband left separately, overwhelmed by fruit punch in Asian utopia (7-2)

Generating...

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

H (husband) and L (left) inside or ‘separately overwhelmed’ as they are not next to each other by SANGRIA (fruit punch)

29a

Influence Penny to be in the red car, ultimately (5)

Generating...

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

P (penny) OWE (to be in the red) R (last or ‘ultimate’  letter of car)

31a

Generously accommodates legendary fiddler (4)

flowerflowerflower
32a

Fairness is having writer and director instead of Charlie in Jersey? (10)

Generating...

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

DE c ENCY (fairness) with PEN (writer) and D (director) replacing or ‘instead of’ ‘c’ (Charlie)

Down

1d

Impression of marine mammal (4)

Generating...

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

Double definition

2d

Nearly ready to burst (3)

Generating...

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

RIP e (ready) missing last letter or ‘nearly’

3d

Guide one in bed (5)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Cheeky reason to be allowed into party office of Islamic leader (7)

Generating...

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

A play on the fact that if you want to be admitted to a party without an invite and are feeling cheeky, you may well explain that, I’M A MATE

5d

Henry right to hide most of lager for cheeky individual (7)

Generating...

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

H (Henry) and R (right) round or ‘hiding’ AMSTE l (lager) missing last letter or ‘most of’

7d

Sign from railway shed in book store (5)

Generating...

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

LIBRA ry (book store) without or ‘shedding’ ‘ry’ (railway)

8d

Indulge Mrs Mills in malicious gossip (10)

flowerflowerflower
9d

Proposals tackling logjam oddly becoming theoretical matter (5,3)

Generating...

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

IDEAS (proposals) around or ‘tackling’ L o G j A m (odd letters only)

13d

Become weak when making schedules (5)

Generating...

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

ROT (to become weak) AS (when)

15d

Analogy from school getting a denial to teacher raised (10)

Generating...

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

COMP (school) A with a reversal (‘raised’) of NO (denial) SIR (teacher)

17d

I am cherished before I develop skin infection (8)

Generating...

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

I’M (I am) PET (cherished) I GO (develop)

19d

Intended average temperature (5)

flowerflowerflower
21d

Feline climbing on part of roof is touchy-feely (7)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘climbing’) of CAT (feline) on TILE (part of roof)

22d

Unnamed Liberal's routine (7)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Feel just about functional at last (5)

Generating...

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

FAIR (just) about L (last letter of functional)

26d

Express's Sally hosting leader in private (5)

Generating...

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

RAID (sally) around or ‘hosting’ P (first letter or ‘leader’ of private)

27d

Reportedly, Scottish bank hit hard in Northern England (4)

Generating...

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

A homophone (‘reportedly’) of BRAE (Scottish river bank). We had to check the definition on line as it wasn’t in Chambers.

30d

Group of ladies close in on victory (3)

Generating...

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

WI (group of ladies) and N (last letter or ‘close’ of ‘on’)