Independent Cryptic #12127

2025-08-21

Solve on Independent →

Across

9a

Vessel's active measure of speed or acceleration (7)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Expert made changes inside university say (7)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Vessel involved in fight an extremely stressful situation (7)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Little man's headgear? (7)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Forest fruit railway destroyed starts to emotionally trouble UN soldier (9)

flowerflowerflower
15a

Broadway show news that is written on the first of April (5)

flowerflowerflower
16a

Musical giant finally wanting hot stuff for dessert (7)

flowerflowerflower
19a

Motorhome's stuck in aquatic plants in holiday destination (7)

flowerflowerflower
20a

Roughly 55% income tax for space traveller (5)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Part of theatre in which 200 see captivating unknown play (with no director) (9)

Generating...

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

( CC [Roman numerals for 200] + LO [behold; see]) containing [captivating] Y (letter frequently used to denote an unknown value in an equation) + d RAMA (play) excluding (with no) D (director)

25a

Excitement as noisy party leader is deposed (7)

Generating...

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

c AROUSAL (a drinking bout or feast; noisy party) excluding the first letter C (leader deposed)

26a

Two parts of the UK one country (7)

flowerflowerflower
28a

Barometer's software package requiring a different key (7)

Generating...

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

AN D ROID (an operating system [software package], a complete software stack based on the Linux kernel, designed primarily for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets) with D (a musical key) replaced by (requiring a different) E (another musical key)

29a

Intensely dislike revolutionary chasing red cat (7)

Generating...

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

CHE (reference CHE Guevara [1928 – 1967], Marxist revolutionary [red]) + HATE (intensely dislike) reversed (revolutionary)

Down

1d

Tree of Life scarf held up by attractive young woman briefly (6)

Generating...

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

BOA (woman’s long thin scarf, usually of feathers or fur) reversed (up; down entry) and contained in (held by) BAB e (informal term for an attractive young woman) excluding the final letter E (briefly)

2d

Insightful comment made when disposable item has part removed from both ends (6)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Ex-PM informally to express disapproval when judge interferes (4)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Skilled worker dismisses writer as president (6)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Just over half of mathematical subject ultimately taught throughout American city (8)

flowerflowerflower
6d

He painted endless group of camels going astray with at first none missing (10)

Generating...

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

CARAVA n (company of traders journeying together with a group of camels) excluding the final letter (endless) + an anagram of [astray] GOI n G excluding (missing) N ( initial letter of [at first] N one)

7d

German newspaper format (8)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Bit of exquisite taste he developed? (8)

Generating...

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

Anagram of (developed) TASTE HE – &Lit clue where the whole clue is the definition

14d

A boy upset about tense facial feature (10)

Generating...

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

Anagram of (about) A BOY UPSET + T (tense)

16d

Reversing taxi in front of vehicle with a trailer initially a game of luck (8)

Generating...

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

CAB (taxing) reversed (reversed) + CAR (vehicle) + A + T ( first letter of [initially] T railer)

17d

Possibly German internet domain facing difficult problem (8)

flowerflowerflower
18d

One consuming soft drink died but gets strong praise (8)

Generating...

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

ACE (the one in dice; a single unit) containing ( COLA [soft drink] + D [died])

22d

Rachel Reeves ignores rollover opportunity (6)

Generating...

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

CHANCE llor (Rachel Reeves [born 1979] is currently Chancellor of the Exchequer in the United Kingdom government) excluding (ignores) LLOR ( a reversal of ROLL [ ROLL over])

23d

Relative's name written in stone (6)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Quickly injecting heroin - that's brave (6)

Generating...

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

APACE (quickly) containing (injecting) H (heroin)

27d

Singer-songwriter regularly visited bordello (4)

Generating...

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

BREL (letters 1, 3, 5 and 7 of B o R d E l L o)