Independent Cryptic #12043

2025-05-15

Solve on Independent →

Across

9a

Caught The Society Of Jesus for example, buying from a catalogue? (4,5)

Generating...

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

A homophone (‘caught’) of MALE ORDER (the Society of Jesus for example)

10a

Keen on capturing rook as first piece (5)

Generating...

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

INTO (keen on) around or ‘capturing’ R (rook)

11a

Some truly crazy material (5)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Not being affected by if it's open surprisingly (2,5,2)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Ridicule vineyard providing case of chardonnay bottles (7)

Generating...

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

CRU (vineyard) + IF (providing) inside or ‘bottled by’ C hardonna Y (first and last letters only or ‘case’)

14a

One who stays in bed by the sound of it? (7)

Generating...

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

A homophone (‘by the sound of it’) of BORDER (bed)

16a

Ultimately wanting 22 nudists at casting for play (5,10)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘casting’) of UNICOR n (22ac) missing last letter or ‘ultimately wanting’ and NUDISTS AT. When we solved this we actually had a smile. We once saw the dress rehearsal at the Globe. When our son asked what we had missed by leaving early to catch our train home we said, 3 killings and one live burial. We cannot now remember whether we were there when the pies were eaten! We did return and saw the whole play.

22a

Military jacket ripped when leaders removed Scottish symbol (7)

Generating...

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

t UNIC (military jacket) t ORN (ripped) both missing initial letters or when ‘leaders are removed’

25a

Excuse starts in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (7)

Generating...

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

Initial letters or ‘starts’ to 5 (Crossbar), 4 (Oddities), 3 (Notaries), 2 (Discount), and ONE

26a

Period of calm to go over ideal serve by Henman (9)

Generating...

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

PEE (go) around or ‘over’ ACE (ideal serve) and TIM (Tim Henman the tennis player)

27a

A drunk touring clubs in town (5)

Generating...

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

A SOT (drunk) around or ‘touring’ C (clubs)

28a

Visiting ArsenalCity occasionally counter (5)

Generating...

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

Alternate letters  (‘visiting occasionally’) of aRsEnAl CiTy

29a

Sir Alan Parker on the radio, maybe to add positive spin? (9)

Generating...

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

SUGAR (Sir Alan) COAT (Parka – a homophone (‘on the radio’) of Parker)

Down

1d

Suggested unpretentiousness with no frills (8)

Generating...

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

s IMPLICIT y (unpretentiousness) missing first and last letters or ‘with no frills’

2d

Ignore dance number a company released (8)

Generating...

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

DISCO (dance) co UNT (number) missing or ‘releasing’ one of the COs (company)

3d

Officials sign name on books first (8)

Generating...

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

ARIES (sign) with N (name) OT (books) first

4d

Plastic toy did something strange (6)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Part of goal is to stop getting angry at the outset (8)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Regularly still dig clay to get mineral (6)

Generating...

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

Alternate letters (‘regularly’) in StIlL dIg ClAy

7d

Go to essentially imitate proteins found in regressive DNA (6)

Generating...

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

imi T ate pro TE ins (middle or ‘essential’ letters only) in a reversal (‘regressive’) of DNA

8d

Volkswagen Polo discovered as girlfriend goes outside (4)

Generating...

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

p OL o (middle letters only or ‘discovered’) with GF (girlfriend) outside

15d

Looking up document containing one on the no-fly list? (3)

flowerflowerflower
17d

Trendy new hotel (3)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Just 17 incorrectly describing origami conclusively as martial art (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘incorrectly’) of JUST and INN (17d) around or ‘describing’ I (last or ‘conclusive’ letter of origami)

19d

Dietary option that's ordinary after cooking using swan finally for a King (3-5)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘cooking’) of ORDINA r Y with N (last or ‘final’ letter of swan) replacing R (king)

20d

Cuts quickly! (4-4)

Generating...

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

CHOP CHOP (cuts)

21d

Watch intervention that uses current to stop flood (8)

flowerflowerflower
23d

Sort of home and not home (2,1,3)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Conclusionhaving made good terms in our contractpromise not to talk (6)

Generating...

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

OME g A (conclusion) with R T (last letters or ‘terms’ of our contract) replacing ‘g’ (good)

25d

Ministers extremely cranky when taking on large amount of work (6)

Generating...

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

C lerg Y (first and last letters or ‘extremes’) around or ‘taking’ L (large) ERG (amount of work)

26d

Opening gold during games (4)

flowerflowerflower