Independent Cryptic #12096

2025-07-16

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

Playground gossip briefly about waste storage facility (6)

flowerflowerflower
4a

Gather with difficulty what Farage wants to do quietly? (8)

Generating...

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

SCRAP EU (what Farage wants to do) P (quietly)

10a

Being in the vicinity of surprisingly huge robin (9)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Snap up hot outgoing nurses (5)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Field is tip predominantly (3)

Generating...

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

LEA n (tip) missing last letter or ‘predominantly’

13a

One in senior competition welcoming Tom Daley saya legendary figure (11)

Generating...

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

I (one) in SR (senior) BEE (competition) around or ‘welcoming’ DIVER (Tom Daley, say). We thought we may be looking for one of the Knights of the Round Table when we had all the crossing letters but it took a while for us to think of BEE as a competition.

14a

Perhaps Melania initially only becoming American for Trump? (6)

Generating...

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

FL o TUS (Melania perhaps – First Lady of The United States) with ‘o’ (first or ‘initial’ letter of only) becoming A (American)

16a

Person who photographs fish (7)

flowerflowerflower
19a

Amateur a big fan of lecture (7)

flowerflowerflower
20a

Someone excessively fond of sailor in party dress at first (6)

Generating...

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

TAR (sailor) in DO (party) and D (first letter of dress)

22a

Fat dude's content doing without bit of orange dessert (11)

Generating...

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

PLUMP (fat) d UD e (middle letters only or ‘content’) D o ING (missing ‘o’ – first letter or ‘bit’ of orange)

25a

Hopelessness when both wingers get dismissed in game (3)

Generating...

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

g LOO m (hopelessness) missing first and last letters or ‘with wingers dismissed’

26a

One spreading legs producing bulb (5)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Glower then I long for change (9)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘change’) of THEN I LONG

28a

Authenticate this is a pay freeze therefore — ? (8)

Generating...

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

A play on the fact that a pay freeze is NOT A RISE

29a

Songs of Praise s (6)

Generating...

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

First or ‘primary’ letters of Praise Suspended After Letting Minister Swear

Down

1d

Irritate the French supporting division (6)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Unusual canal between X and Y that provides component of porcelain (9)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘unusual’) of CANAL between CHI (X) and Y

3d

Residue from ablutions women ignored (5)

Generating...

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

w ASHES (ablutions) ignoring w (women)

5d

Rush to get blue screen for planning assistant (14)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Singer Arnold enters Spanish city briefly to become candidate (9)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Recalled taking clothes off to arouse (5)

Generating...

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

r EVOKE d (recalled) missing first and last letters or ‘with clothes off’

8d

Morgan possibly drinks drink and opens up (8)

flowerflowerflower
9d

Porn den with escorts corrupted journalists (14)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Rope in ten jockeys and one helps to access food (9)

flowerflowerflower
17d

Knock over beer on girl a lawyer's assistant (9)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Rebuke upwardly mobile friends in adversity (8)

flowerflowerflower
21d

Enemy beginning to taunt American youngster yet to make an appearance (6)

Generating...

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

FOE (enemy) T (first letter or ‘beginning’ to taunt) US (American)

23d

Australian punches one member of Eastern church (5)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Festivities in German unfortunately (5)

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