Independent Cryptic #12163

2025-10-02

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

Continue performing after horror novel's recited (7)

flowerflowerflower
5a

Artificial gin drunk at Glastonbury? (7)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Get fruit via supermarket loyalty scheme in mid-September (9)

Generating...

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

NECTAR (Sainsburys supermarket loyalty scheme) IN E (middle letter of September)

10a

Delicious warm doughnut disappears (5)

Generating...

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

T o ASTY (warm) with the ‘o’ (‘doughnut’) missing or ‘disappearing’

11a

Substance found in delicatessen - celery? (7)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Loosen pants having consumed 500 items from a Chinese takeaway (7)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘pants’) of LOOSEN round or ‘consuming’ D (500 in Roman numerals)

14a

Business contractors freely inspect empty rooms around hotel (10)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘freely’) of INSPECT, R S (‘rooms’ missing the middle letters or ’empty’) and H (hotel) – interesting definition!

16a

Benny's cool not cold (4)

Generating...

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

c HILL (cool) missing the ‘c’ (cold) – a reference to Benny Hill of the 1ac films

18a

' The Independent s (4)

Generating...

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

c OURS e (programme) missing or ‘shunning’ the first and last letters or ‘extremes’

19a

Naked goblin queen departs gingerly without complaint (10)

flowerflowerflower
23a

Deal perhaps with the spreading of disease (7)

flowerflowerflower
24a

Beat up around 50 Salvation Army leaders from Teddington and Ealing (7)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘around’) of UP + L (50 in Roman numerals) + SA (Salvation Army) + T E (first letters or ‘leaders’ of Teddington and Ealing)

26a

Diminished a knight at last is resting (5)

Generating...

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

A T (last letter of knight) in BED (‘resting’)

27a

How we wish others were here to edit podcasts about nude art (9)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘edit’) of PODCASTS round R (‘art’ without the first and last letters or ‘nude’)

28a

Journalist joining small people in boat getting fixed (7)

Generating...

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

ED (editor – ‘journalist’) after or ‘joining’ S (small) CREW (people in boat)

29a

Graduate performer in hospital sick leaving worker to deal with the rubbish (7)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Things given up when renouncing Catholic fellow admitted (11)

Generating...

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

A clue-as-definition: CON c ESSIONS (things given up) missing or ‘renouncing’ the ‘c’ (Catholic) round or ‘admitting’ F (fellow) – CONFESSIONS can also be ‘given up’

2d

Strains of seaweeds with leaves (5)

Generating...

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

w RACKS (seaweeds) missing ‘w’ (with)

3d

Head of Yamaha making money - yen? (8)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Extremely green water coming up street (7)

flowerflowerflower
5d

C-lister in rehab? (7)

Generating...

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

C-LEANER (‘lister’ as in ‘leaning over’)

6d

Old lady finally affluent or elevated leader among nurses? (6)

Generating...

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

Another clue-as-definition? : MA (‘old lady’) T (last or ‘final’ letter of affluent) + a reversal (‘elevated’) of OR + N (first letter or ‘leader’ of nurses) – part of the wordplay being the definition

7d

Rude novel's opening linguist translated (9)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘translated’) of N (first letter or ‘opening’ of novel) and LINGUIST

8d

In high spirits Gary Lineker finally comes out (3)

Generating...

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

GA r Y with the ‘r’ (last or ‘final’ letter of Lineker) omitted or ‘coming out’

13d

Second review of Lassie ? Only when there's nothing serious to report (11)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Foregathered mobs renouncing God and heaven? (9)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘mobs’) of F o RE g ATHERE d missing or ‘renouncing’ ‘g’, ‘o’ and ‘d’ (God)

17d

Idiots slip up outside bar (8)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘up’) of SLIP round LOCK (bar)

20d

Part of questionable EP edited/censored (7)

flowerflowerflower
21d

Plausible statement from model getting charged (7)

Generating...

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

A model might plausibly say I’M POSED

22d

Opening punch in the stomach that hurts (6)

flowerflowerflower
25d

A burger but hold the filling - Bluebird's full (5)

Generating...

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

A B urge R (missing or ‘holding’ the middle letters or ‘filling’) I’M (Bluebird – the setter – is)

26d

Coach that's kaput - its back-end's come off (3)

Generating...

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

BUS t (kaput) missing the last letter or ‘back-end’