Independent Cryptic #12126

2025-08-20

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

Smoke when discontented? Possibly smoke to become contented (6)

flowerflowerflower
4a

Church drops housing constraint at last to be sure (7)

Generating...

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

CE (abbreviation for Church of England) + RAIN (drops), containing (housing) the last letter of [constrain] T .

9a

Perhaps his reign gets misinterpreted (9)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Youngsters support Poles (5)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Leaves your old mate on vacation (5)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Generous setter protects fruit bat (9)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Entrance the German being very determined (7)

flowerflowerflower
15a

Convert from Islam in national park? (6)

flowerflowerflower
17a

Chemical entity close to another one and one or other close to another (6)

Generating...

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

I (one in Roman numerals) + SOME (one or other = an unspecified person or thing) + last letter (close) of [anothe] R . Isomers = substances that have the same chemical formula but different arrangements of atoms (and therefore may have different physical or chemical properties).

19a

Post Office loaned a staple (7)

Generating...

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

PO (abbreviation for Post Office) + LENT (loaned) + A . Staple = a basic foodstuff; polenta = a staple made from cornmeal and/or other grains.

22a

Cover urinal apt to wobble (9)

flowerflowerflower
24a

Behaving as wild dog Oscar advanced (5)

Generating...

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

DINGO (wild dog), with the O (Oscar in the radio alphabet) advanced towards the front of the word.

26a

Setter is mature in photograph? (5)

Generating...

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

I’M (the crossword setter is) + AGE (as a verb = mature = get older).

27a

Give up art careers to provide medicine (9)

flowerflowerflower
28a

Reliant on working toilet (7)

flowerflowerflower
29a

Dictator's ostentatious walk to get packet of ketchup? (6)

Generating...

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

Sound-alike (dictator’s = spoken out loud) of SASHAY (an ostentatious walk). Definition by example: a portion-sized food package.

Down

1d

Saw insulted Labour leader leaving (7)

Generating...

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

S [l] IGHTED (insulted), without the L which is the leading letter of L[abour].

2d

Car chase (5)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Scoundrel joins mother in port (9)

flowerflowerflower
4d

I'm not sure Earl is after fee for outfit (7)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Boundaries ignored by most angry judges (5)

Generating...

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

[i] RATES [t] (most angry) without the outer letters (boundaries). Rate, as a verb = judge = assess the merits of.

6d

American man and sister hiding love for employer? (9)

Generating...

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

A (abbreviation for American) + GENT (abbreviation for gentleman = man) + NUN (sister), containing O (zero = love in tennis scoring). Definition by example. In linguistics, an agent noun is a noun derived from some other word indicating an action, and means a person or thing who does that action. So from the verb “employ” we get the agent noun “employer” meaning a person who employs.

7d

Former President is idiot donning new gear regularly (6)

Generating...

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

ASS (idiot), contained in (donning = putting on) N (abbreviation for new) + alternate letters (regularly) of [n] E [a] R . Short name for Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, President of Egypt in the mid 20th century.

8d

Missing wife went on English course (6)

flowerflowerflower
14d

Watchful old bishop gets help (9)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Alarm mode activated in emotive play (9)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Degenerate put up trellis after one departs (7)

Generating...

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

ESPAL [i] ER (a trellis on which plants are trained to grow up a wall), reversed (put up = upwards in a down clue), without the I (one in Roman numerals). Degenerate = relapse = return to a previous poor state.

19d

Sleep around and score in rugby store (6)

flowerflowerflower
20d

Increase mutagen supply (7)

flowerflowerflower
21d

When one chooses a Scottish fabric (6)

flowerflowerflower
23d

Kamikaze ritual enthrals Asian (5)

flowerflowerflower
25d

Like the Taoiseach former British PM cycles (5)

Generating...

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

RISHI (former British PM Rishi Sunak), with the letters “cycling” round so that the I is at the start. The surface is presumably intended to make us think of another former PM Boris Johnson, a frequent cyclist. Taoiseach = Irish title for the head of government, equivalent to Prime Minister.