Independent Cryptic #12044

2025-05-16

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1a

No time for stimulating stuff in symphony (6)

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

ERO [t] ICA (stimulating stuff), without the T (abbreviation for time). Title given to Beethoven’s 3rd symphony, meaning Heroic .

5a

Curtailed stay having recalled no sight (6)

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

VISI [t] (stay, as a noun = a period of time in a specific place) without the last letter (curtailed), then NO reversed (recalled).

9a

Very angry? Very quiet after inversion of character (4)

Generating...

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

[m] ILD (very quiet), with the initial M inverted to give a W .

10a

Bowling technique - ungainly style limiting runs - in style befitting maidens? (10)

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

SPIN (a bowling technique in cricket), then an anagram (ungainly) of STYLE containing (limiting) R (abbreviation for runs, in cricket scoring). For the definition, maiden = spinster = unmarried woman, rather than the cricket definition of an over in which no runs are scored.

11a

Faintly shining luminance occupying a long time before morning (6)

Generating...

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

L (scientific symbol for luminance = light intensity per unit area) inserted into AGE (a long time), before AM (am = abbreviation for Latin ante meridiem = before noon = morning).

12a

Legendary kingdom under the sea? Sees only rocks (8)

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13a

Look for note in shed (4)

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14a

Omitting verse, papacy loves varying content of Revelation? (10)

Generating...

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

Anagram (varying) of PAPACY LO [v] ES , omitting the V (abbreviation for verse). Apocalypse = Greek word for revelation, but used more specifically to mean “the end of the world” as described in the Bible book of Revelation.

16a

Redefined ‘elver’ ‘fishy’ in a delirious way (10)

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18a

Female with trouble in Portuguese song (4)

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19a

Various pets tucked into food in Welsh town (8)

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

Anagram (various) of PETS , inserted into CHOW (slang for food). Town on the river Wye in south-east Wales (near the border with Gloucestershire in England).

21a

Phone has bass even deeper? (6)

Generating...

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

B (abbreviation for the bass singing voice) + LOWER (even deeper). Slang for a telephone, as in “get on the blower” = make a telephone call.

22a

Car company beginning to organise athletic event, ignoring university records (5,5)

Generating...

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

AUDI (German car manufacturer) + beginning letter of O [rganise] + DISC [u] S (an event in field athletics), without the U (abbreviation for university). Is this really a phrase? Perhaps as a retronym to distinguish “compact discs containing music” from other uses of the CD format such as DVDs or data storage – but I’d probably call them “audio CDs” if I needed a phrase for them.

23a

Sun currently - what will winter bring? (4)

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24a

Both sides in card game skipping last turns (6)

Generating...

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

R + L (abbreviations for right and left = both sides) in WHIS [t] (a card game), skipping the last letter.

25a

Recall? Recall part of early Rome, maybe (6)

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Down

2d

Anger going round in historic France after dropping litre as water measure (4,5)

Generating...

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

IN + GAU [l] (historic name for France), dropping the L (abbreviation for litre), with RAGE (anger) going round the outside. A device for measuring rainfall.

3d

Remained in 9 10, possibly (7)

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

Anagram (possibly) of WILD (9 = reference to 9a) + TEN (10).

4d

Service area uphill in region of India (5)

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

MASS (a church service) + A (abbreviation for area), all reversed (uphill = upwards in a down clue). State in north-eastern India, known as a major tea-growing region.

5d

Imaginative person having charged item in travel document on railway (9)

Generating...

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

ION (charged particle) in VISA (travel document), then RY (abbreviation for railway).

6d

South Central: extremely short of top flats? (7)

Generating...

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

S (abbreviation for South) + CEN (abbreviation for Central) + [v] ERY (extremely) without its first letter (top, in a down clue). Flats = theatre term for tall painted panels used as scenery on stage.

7d

Attempt to rise above the French generating rude looks (5)

Generating...

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

GO (attempt, as in “have a go) reversed (to rise = upwards in a down clue), then LES (plural form of “the” in French). Ogle = usually a verb (to look lustfully at someone), but it can also be a noun (a lustful look).

8d

Strange lights? Son hiding amidst white pillows, quaking (5-1-3-4)

Generating...
14d

Athenian statesman - a gentleman rising above ebbs and flows? (9)

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

A , then SIR (gentleman) reversed (rising = upwards in a down clue), then TIDES (ebbs and flows). Athenian statesman and military general around 500 BC.

15d

Battleground with elevated parts of buildings around border (9)

Generating...

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

ROOMS (parts of buildings) reversed (elevated = upwards in a down clue), around EDGE (border). Site of a battle during the Monmouth Rebellion, an attempt to depose King James II.

17d

More meaningless European politician at forefront of row (7)

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18d

Material drifting to shore - family gathering a good deal (7)

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20d

Ham, hard and chewy? Not at first (5)

Generating...

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

H (abbreviation for hard) + [t] OUGH (chewy) without its first letter (not at first). A variant form of hock = a joint in the back leg of an animal, or a cut of meat from this area, which is called “ham” if it’s from a pig.

21d

Source of passion: succeeded in time of success (5)

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