Independent Cryptic #12171

2025-10-11

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Across

1a

City transit protector's back half not opening when twisted (7)

Generating...

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

SEAT b ELT (‘transit protector’) with the ‘back half’ missing the first letter or ‘not opening’ and then reversed or ‘twisted’

5a

Took a shot weapon almost being dead (7)

Generating...

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

GU n (weapon) missing last letter or ‘almost’ + ESSE (being) D (dead)

9a

Russian's certainly left-wing with wicked alter ego (9)

Generating...

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

DA (Russian for yes or ‘certainly’) RED (left wing) EVIL (wicked). The definition must be ‘alter ego’ but we cannot find anywhere that describes these as synonyms. Can anyone help please?

10a

Complete set of countries pressing to drop borders (5)

Generating...

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

UN (United Nations – ‘set of countries’) a CUT e (pressing) missing first and last letters or ‘dropping borders’

11a

Both sides of strategy for Alexander (5)

Generating...

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

S AND Y (first and last letters or ‘both sides’ of strategy)

12a

Pares back - not as much as 1A resident? (9)

Generating...

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

PEELS (pares) reversed or ‘back’ + LESS (not as much as) – the ‘resident?’ refers to Tom Hanks who was “SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE”

13a

Tiger cub selected for shaving struggles and leaves (14)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘struggles’) of TIGER CUB and s ELECTE d (missing first and last letters or ‘for shaving’)

18a

Musician who played with Grieg's genre (14)

flowerflowerflower
20a

Mood of soft stringed instrument reflected a new church (9)

Generating...

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

P (soft) + a reversal (‘reflected’) of LUTE (stringed instrument) + A N (new) CE (church)

23a

Low-budget festival recalled after happening (5)

Generating...

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

EID (festival) reversed or ‘recalled’ after IN (happening)

25a

Warning of red room missed by companion (5)

Generating...

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

ch AMBER (room) missing CH (companion)

26a

Intelligence and super-intelligence Republican's taken from historical period (9)

Generating...

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

ESP (super intelligence) and I r ON AGE (historical period) losing ‘r’ (Republican)

27a

E.g. tin soldiers in revolutionary set (7)

Generating...

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

MEN (soldiers) in a reversal (‘revolutionary’) TELE (TV ‘set’)

28a

Odds certainly shortened without fighting Trojan horse? (7)

Generating...

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

SP (odds) YE s (certainly) missing last letter or ‘shortened’ about WAR (fighting)

Down

1d

Cruel fact: you need to get rid of tattoo for promotion (8)

Generating...

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

S tat ISTIC (fact) with AD (promotion) replacing ‘tat’ (tattoo)

2d

An old hand inhabits stage part (5)

Generating...

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

PRO (old hand) inside or ‘inhabiting’ AN

3d

Picnic-goer rearranged derby date (9)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Hip neighbour shunning lead singer (5)

Generating...

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

p ELVIS (‘hip neighbour’) missing first letter or ‘lead’

5d

Information about hackneyed detective movie (9)

Generating...

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

GEN (information) about OLD (hackneyed) + EYE (detective)

6d

Stock online joke? (5)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Afraid to bring up a bully who's beyond reproach (9)

Generating...

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

SCARED (afraid) with ‘a’ ‘brought up’ + COW (bully)

8d

T S Eliot ignoring content editor's rising hate (6)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘rising’) of TS E lio T (first and last letters only or ‘ignoring content’) ED (editor)

14d

Fit to choose the Spanish city lodge (9)

Generating...

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

EL (Spanish for ‘the’) EC (city) TABLE (lodge)

15d

Karate achievement that you can't build on? (9)

Generating...

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

Double definition

16d

One's working with you at first to undermine trial evidence (9)

Generating...

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

I’M (one’s) ON (working’) Y (first letter of ‘you’) underneath or ‘undermining’ TEST (trial)

17d

Go before disrupting leadership of Anthony Eden etc. (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘disrupting’) of A (first letter or ‘leadership’ of Anthony) and EDEN ETC

19d

Number one did shift after work (6)

Generating...

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

I (one) ATE (did shift) after OP (work)

21d

Big city about to host golf (5)

Generating...

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

LA (city) RE (about) around or ‘hosting’ G (golf)

22d

Shows part of Sussex positively (5)

flowerflowerflower
24d

A nymph from the underworld avoiding a goddess (5)

Generating...

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

A NAI a D (nymph) reversed or ‘from the underworld’ without or ‘avoiding’ ‘a’