Independent Cryptic #12151

2025-09-18

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Across

1a

Ethicist loosely associated with people of faith (8)

Generating...

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

Anagram of (loosely) ETHICIST

5a

Pressure games beset by wrong'un selected for England? (6)

Generating...

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

( P [pressure] + PE [physical education; games]) contained in (beset by) CAD (a man who lacks the instincts of a gentleman or who behaves dishonourably; a wrong’un)

9a

Sustains complaints one left on the counter (8)

Generating...

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

A IL MENTS (diseases; complaints) with ( I [Roman numeral for one] and L [left]) reversed (on the counter) to form LI

10a

Dejected British monkey peeled bananas (6)

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12a

Italian man wanting to separate welcomed by foxy girls sleeping around (12)

Generating...

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

( UMBER to [Italian male forename] excluding [wanting] TO + PART [separate]) contained in (welcomed by) SLY (foxy)

15a

Barman withdrawing milder bevvy periodically (5)

Generating...

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

VERDI ( reversed [withdrawing] characters 10 , 8 , 6 , 4 and 2 [periodically] of m I l D e R b E v V y)

16a

Outlaw recalled venture controlled by short tyrant (9)

Generating...

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

DARE (venture) reversed (recalled) and contained in (controlled by) DESPO t (tyrant) excluding the final letter T (short)

18a

Wealthy male taking ecstasy in German house (9)

Generating...

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

( RICH [wealthy] containing [taking] E [ecstasy tablet]) + STAG (male)

19a

Caught fish with this? Or in this? (5)

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20a

Large animal in river sinks carrying naked person over (12)

Generating...

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

HIP (trendy; in) + PO (river in Italy) + ( POTS [sinks, as in a snooker player POTS a ball in a pocket to score points] containing [carrying] h UMA n [person] excluding the outer letters  H and N [naked] and then reversed [over])

24a

Bolt in trouble taking performance enhancing drugs? (6)

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25a

Trivial piece repulsed a politician (8)

Generating...

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

GUN (piece) reversed (repulsed) + A + TORY (Conservative politician)

26a

High priest on television was out of order (6)

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27a

Teenager goes off to evolve (8)

Generating...

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

Anagram of (goes off) TEENAGER

Down

1d

Sting ultimately got to perform like Eminem? (4)

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2d

Impressive photograph online? (4)

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3d

Possibly how that woman will get hold of Ray's winkle? (9)

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4d

Warning assumes this setter would menace (12)

Generating...

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

INTIMATION (announcement, such as a warning) containing (assumes) I’D (this setter [ I ] would [ ‘D ])

6d

Following a brief threesome Penny just got out of bed (5)

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7d

Inscrutable Roger Federer initially served a winner against Potter earlier (10)

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8d

Yesterday was one of his number essentially held back? (10)

Generating...

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

DANNY BOY (song [number]) + EL ( central letters of [essentially] h EL d) reversed (held back)

11d

A flat for one in Turkey taking ages being renovated (12)

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13d

Eclipse lovers had own blankets (10)

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14d

Fine leg strides to the crowd in Melbourne Cricket Ground (10)

Generating...

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

DRAINPIPES – the clue seems to be just a cryptic definition

17d

Egg on your face having gone into prison (9)

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21d

This beast needs power to make sudden attack (5)

Generating...

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

If you add a P (power) at the beginning of OUNCE you get P OUNCE (make sudden attack)

22d

Unspecified number dropping from extreme pain held up exercise practice (4)

Generating...

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

AGO n Y (extreme pain) excluding (dropping from) N (unspecified number in some mathematical equations) then reversed (held up; down entry)

23d

Picked up light meal and a number of bits (4)

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