Independent Cryptic #12025

2025-04-24

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Across

1a

Johnny runs ride-sharing firm bringing in billions (6)

Generating...

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

R (abbreviation for runs, in cricket scoring) + UBER (car ride-sharing firm), containing B (abbreviation for billions). Rubber = johnny = slang for a condom.

4a

Olympians allowed to enter mixed heats (8)

Generating...

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

LET (allowed), entering into an anagram (mixed) of HEATS .

10a

Reviewed Jacobi Lear, simply captivating National (7)

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11a

Finished with depression after hospital visits (7)

Generating...

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

TROUGH (depression, especially in weather forecasting), with H (abbreviation for hospital) inserted (visiting).

12a

Which women's accessory? (4)

Generating...

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

W (abbreviation for women’s, as in WAAF) + HAT (a clothing accessory).

13a

Ladies' College home match Helen played (10)

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15a

More keen on swapping francs for yen over there (6)

Generating...

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

[f] ONDER (more keen), with the F (abbreviation for francs) swapped for Y (abbreviation for yen).

16a

Troops ordered to conceal equipment (7)

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21a

Wagon driver and Mary got frisky (7)

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22a

Bereaved woman seizes new opportunity (6)

Generating...

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

WIDOW (bereaved woman), containing N (abbreviation for new). As in football’s “transfer window” = a limited period of time during which something can be done.

25a

Whimsically perhaps writing to Charlie - rambling, flamboyant in style (10)

Generating...

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

R (perhaps writing = whimsically, one of the “three Rs”) + anagram (rambling) of TO CHARLIE . Rhetorical = in the style of a grand public speech (rather than as in “a rhetorical question” which doesn’t expect an answer).

28a

Food periodically consumed by embezzler? (4)

Generating...

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

Alternate letters (periodically contained by . . .) in [e] M [b] E [z] Z [l] E [r]. Assorted small dishes of food served together, often as an appetiser or to accompany drinks, in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean region.

30a

Only high fliers may take this post (7)

Generating...

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

Cryptic definition: post (mail) transported by aeroplanes.

31a

New electronic mobile home in Spain that helps me relax (7)

Generating...

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

N (abbreviation for new) + E (prefix e- = abbreviation for electronic) + RV (abbreviation for recreational vehicle = motorhome = campervan) + IN + E (abbreviation for España = Spain). A patent medicine from the 1880s, supposedly a cure for anxiety; or more recently an alternative-medicine term to describe other treatments for the same purpose.

32a

Very easy to return universal copyright bottled condiment (3,5)

Generating...

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

SO (very, as in “I’m so happy”), then EASY reversed (to return), containing (. . . bottled) U (abbreviation for universal, especially in film classifications) + C (abbreviation for copyright). A condiment brewed from fermented soya beans.

33a

Pressure beginning to weaken cube (6)

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Down

1d

Right every time, Knut gets on board transport network (8)

Generating...

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

R (abbreviation for right) + ALWAYS (every time), with I (Knut, today’s crossword setter, talking about himself) inserted (getting on board).

2d

One negotiates after pub profit starts to experience recession (9)

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3d

Out of bounds, goalie knocked over Blade (4)

Generating...

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

[k] EEPE [r] (goalie = short forms of “goalkeeper” in football), without the end letters (bounds), reversed (knocked over). For the surface, “The Blades” = nickname of Sheffield United Football Club. A blade used in the sport of fencing.

5d

Young King, 26, worked as a guardian (8)

Generating...

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

TUT (young King in ancient Egypt, also called Tutankhamun: he became king when he was about nine, and died at eighteen), then an anagram (worked) of EARLY (reference to 26d).

6d

Great beer Ruddles initially promoted (5)

Generating...

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

LAGER (a type of beer), with the R (the initial letter of Ruddles) moved a couple of places towards the front (moved upwards, in a down clue = promoted). For the surface, Ruddles was formerly the name of a brewery, and is still used as a brand name by the bigger company that bought it.

7d

Finger beginning to throb - that hurts! (5)

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8d

Plan Nietzsche managed to keep under wraps (6)

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9d

Short trip by plane taking off first thing (5)

Generating...

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

[f] LIGHT (a trip by plane), taking off the first letter. As in “short measure” = light = failing to achieve the full quantity required.

14d

Extremely upset clergyman on holiday finally (4)

Generating...

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

REV (abbreviation for Reverend = title for a clergyman), reversed (upset = upwards in a down clue), then the final letter of [holida] Y .

17d

Rent golf's leading bag (4)

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18d

Infirm with age, Duke, more eccentric, discovered bingo (9)

Generating...

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

D (abbreviation for Duke) + ODDER (more eccentric) + [b] ING [o] without the outer letters (dis-covered).

19d

After draining cuppa, Herb put on air-conditioning in US car (8)

Generating...

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

C [upp A (after draining = inner letters emptied out) + DILL (a herb) + AC (abbreviation for air-conditioning).

20d

Second little exam, most gentle (8)

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23d

Bill's bored by river holidays (6)

Generating...

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

BEAK’S (bill = a bird’s beak), containing R (abbreviation for river).

24d

500 waxwings regularly fly away when days break (5)

Generating...

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

D (500 in Roman numerals) + [w] A [x] W [i] N [g] S with alternate letters (regularly) “flying away”.

26d

Nobleman years ahead of his time? (5)

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27d

Old, married group of Norwegians in the city (5)

Generating...

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

O (abbreviation for old) + M (abbreviation for married, especially in genealogical records) + A-HA (Norwegian synth-pop group from the 1980s, still active according to Wikipedia). City in Nebraska, US.

29d

Genuine ceasefire excluding Crimea at first (4)

Generating...

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

TRU [c] E (ceasefire), without the C which is the first letter of C[rimea].