Independent Cryptic #12051

2025-05-24

Solve on Independent →

Across

6a

Scandal on Tyneside? Say it's not true (6)

Generating...

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

NE (Tyneside?) GATE (scandal)

8a

Bug 15D on road back (8)

Generating...

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

LISTER (15d – ‘categorist’) on a reversal (‘back’) of AI (road)

10a

Beware of getting haircut - bloke's uncivilised (7)

Generating...

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

CAVE (beware) MAN e (hair) missing last letter or ‘cut’

11a

Stop appeal for material (6)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Figure getting a lot of sex but not as much love on reflection (4)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘on reflection’) of N o OKI e (sex) missing last letter or ‘a lot of’ and missing one of the Os (‘not as much love’)

13a

God! I'm leaving country (3)

Generating...

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

TYR us (I’m – the setter is) missing or ‘leaving’ US (country) – a new word for us

15a

Bill backing FA - outsiders want it (6)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘backing’) of AC (bill) + NADA (FA – nothing) – once we had the NINA, this made sense

16a

Touching gift - not against what one of the outsiders is seeking (11)

Generating...

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

RE (touching) con TRIBUTION (gift) missing ‘con’ (against) – another reference to the NINA

20a

Reread by egghead not BBC man Alan (6)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘reread’) of BY E (first letter or ‘head’ of Egg) and NOT.

22a

Worry new government initiative's pointless (3)

Generating...

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

DOG e (new government initiative – Elon Musk’s department) missing E (east) or ‘pointless’

23a

Music's loud! Right about metal ultimately (4)

Generating...

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

F (loud) OK (right) about L (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of metal)

24a

Well-spoken Roman hit man employed by company (6)

Generating...

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

ICER (hit-man) inside or ’employed by’ CO (company)

26a

Wrong people caught suffering (7)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Wrongly seizing woman's old home by force (8)

Generating...

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

ANN (woman) EX (old) IN (home) G (force)

28a

Sudden enlightenment as far as wearing dress (6)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Carry outside each cold bun (7)

Generating...

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

TAKE (carry) around or ‘outside’ EA (each) C (cold)

2d

Easily charm tribe that'll exchange shells (10)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Slasher and boss (at time of writing) - foxtrot off! (4)

Generating...

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

f ELON (Trump – Elon Musks’s boss at the time of writing is a convicted felon) missing ‘f’ (foxtrot in the phonetic alphabet)

4d

Considered millions abandoned and tricked (4)

Generating...

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

m USED (considered) without or ‘abandoning’ M (millions)

5d

Mariner who previously played for England (6)

Generating...

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

A play on the fact that David SEAMAN used to be an England goalkeeper

7d

Go on! Bill accompanies one outsider (7)

Generating...

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

AC (bill) with VANCE (US vice president – one of the ‘outsiders’) – again, we needed the NINA to parse this one

9d

Locked up auditors' pub - sounded sad (6)

Generating...

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

A homophone (‘auditors’s) of INN (pub) and another homophone (‘sounded’) of SIGHED (sad)

14d

Fanatical attack involving Britain (5)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Cottager is suspect - he works with classified information (10)

flowerflowerflower
17d

Going to attend - that's unusual (7)

Generating...

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

OFF (going) BE AT (attend)

18d

Content to share Signal? Leave job (6)

flowerflowerflower
19d

Criticise Russian leader before getting a little stressed (are they working on roof?) (7)

Generating...

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

SLATE (criticise) R (first letter or ‘leader’ in Russian) and S (first letter or ‘a little’ of Stressed)

21d

Be unbalanced like one on X banning women (6)

Generating...

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

T w EETER (like one on X) without or ‘banning’ W (women)

25d

Listener's in spot ignoring outsiders (4)

Generating...

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

n OTIC e (spot) missing first and last letters or ‘ignoring outsiders’ – the outsiders here has nothing to do with the NINA

26d

Land for sale? (4)

flowerflowerflower