Independent Cryptic #12130

2025-08-25

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Across

1a

Officially approved drug charge (8)

Generating...

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

STAMPED + E

6a

Medieval weapon originally appearing after 1000 AD (4)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Colonising group, the European migrants initially in temporary accommodation (10)

Generating...

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

SET (group) + insertion of LE M in TENT

10a

Give a Fig Newton for recipe as source of sugar (4)

Generating...

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

CA r E (give a fig) with r[ecipe] replaced by N [ewton]

11a
24d

(and 24 Down) Spouse's song describing new husband absorbed by first child (4,3,5)

Generating...
12a

Frosty perhaps, sun presently starts to materialise around noon (7)

flowerflowerflower
14a
2d

(and 2 Down) Hot, newly broadcast US season includes kind of documentary (3-2-3-4)

Generating...
15a

Billionaire? Idiot carrying unreasonable clout (9)

Generating...

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

Insertion (carrying) of LUTOC (anagram of CLOUT) into PRAT . I wonder whether Lark has anyone particular in mind?

18a

Running after detectives apprehending popular poet (9)

Generating...

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

ON (running) after – and I won’t use the word ‘insertion’ here – DICKS (detectives) around IN , for the poet Emily

20a

Smell one primarily associated with earlier memory (5)

Generating...

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

A (one) + ROM (memory) before (earlier) A (primarily associated)

23a
29a

(and 29 Across) Famous houses succumbed to strain without leader to initiate work (7,4)

Generating...
25a

Change in Romania certain to bring about unemployment (7)

Generating...

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

LEI (plural of leu, Romania’s currency) + SURE

27a

The East Australian singer preceded by amateur (4)

Generating...

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

SIA (Australian singer – a NHO for me, I’m afraid, but that’s what the internet’s for) after A

28a

Returning and briefly dwelling around old city with hellish odour (10)

Generating...

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

Reversal of PLUS (returning and) + insertion of UR (crosswordland’s favourite ancient city) into HOUS [e]

29a

See 23 Across

30a

Unwary as desperate fugitives (8)

flowerflowerflower

Down

2d

See 14 Across

3d

Talk more excitedly about wife's artisanal craft (9)

Generating...

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

Anagram (excitedly) of TALK MORE around W

4d

Nationalist extremists carrying Britain's status post-Brexit in dramatic direction (6)

Generating...

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

NT (NationalisT extremists) below (carrying, in a down clue) EX-EU

5d

Annexed enclave includes biblical location (4)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Imitator of Apple product that's adorable (5)

Generating...

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

MAC (Apple product) + AW (that’s adorable)

7d

Song and dance halved, and cheers doubled (7)

Generating...

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

CAN (half of can-can) + TA TA (ta, cheers, twice)

8d

Alert newlywed vacated during catastrophic toast (5-2)

Generating...

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

Anagram (catastrophic) of TOAST around ND (NewlyweD vacated)

13d

Priest meeting holy texts' writer (5)

Generating...

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

ELI (high priest in the book of Samuel, whose name has become crosswordese for any old priest) + OT

16d

Opener part of Ireland's team (9)

Generating...

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

CORK’S (part of Ireland’s) + CREW (team)

17d

Engineering student failing his essential GCSE (7)

Generating...

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

ENG L (engineering student) + anagram (failing) of HIS

19d

Playwright's changed since winning Oscar upon Oscar (7)

Generating...

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

Anagram (changed) of SINCE around (winning) O , above (upon) O

21d

Copper plated with light element (7)

Generating...

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

Insertion (plated with) of CU into MERRY

22d

Relatively plain creature, cold, lacking in beauty, hollow even (6)

Generating...

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

PEA [c] H (beauty, lacking C) + EN (EveN hollowed). The peahen being relatively plain compared to the peacock

24d

See 11 Across

26d

Drink noisily, not quietly, and speak drunkenly (4)

Generating...

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

SLUR [p] without P (not quietly)