Independent Cryptic #12173

2025-10-14

Solve on Independent →

Across

8a

15’s beginning mean edgy broadcast (8)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Polish fish nets repulsed island (6)

Generating...

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

EEL (fish) round or ‘netting’ a reversal (‘repulsed’) of MAN (island)

10a

Energy hack not quite sound on reflection (4)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Standard design company advanced toward agriculture sector? (10)

Generating...

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

CO (company) A (advanced) TO (toward) FARMS (agricultural sector)

12a

Gherkin maybe pickle-filled dairy product (10)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Too American to lead English orchestra (4)

flowerflowerflower
15a

It has tellies working when feed in back's plugged in (13)

Generating...

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

A clue-as-defintion: an anagram (‘working’) of IT HAS TELLIES with D (last letter or ‘back’ of feed) ‘plugged in’

19a

Selection from 15 to try finale first (4)

Generating...

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

HEAR (try – as in court case) with the last letter or ‘finale’ moved to the front

21a

Part from 15 extracted quietly works without casing (10)

Generating...

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

PULLED (extracted) P (quietly) + w ORK s missing the first and last letters or ‘without casing’

23a

Let's act wildly scheming in crass fashion (10)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘wildly’) of LET’S ACT + SLY (scheming)

25a

Hot spot not opening as is web? (4)

Generating...

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

w OVEN (‘as is web’) missing the first letter or ‘opening’

26a

Regret returning yearly to consume Oscar content from (6)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘returning’) of RUE (regret) PA (per annum – ‘yearly’) round or ‘consuming’ O (Oscar in the phonetic alphabet)

27a

University leaders retired unpaid sans affirmation (8)

Generating...

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

U (university) + a reversal (‘retired’) of VAN (leaders) + OWED (unpaid)

Down

1d

Secretary twisted neck catching a small bit of (8)

Generating...

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

PA (secretary) + an anagram (‘twisted’) of NECK round or ‘catching’ A + S (small)

2d

New York look essentially retranslates legwear (6)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Diamonds wow encrusted with proper gemstone (8)

Generating...

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

D (diamonds) COR (wow) in or ‘encrusted with’ REAL (proper)

4d

Table setter starts to skip accoutrements (4)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Electric vehicle put in dreary gorge (6)

flowerflowerflower
6d

15 feature about priest and rabbi on vacation (8)

Generating...

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

CA (circa – ‘about’) LAMA (priest) R abb I missing the middle letters or ‘on vacation’

7d

Portion of 15 shows blocked by head of ITV (6)

Generating...

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

DEMOS (shows) round or ‘blocked by’ I (first letter or ‘head’ of ITV1)

13d

Mate hoards most of his bottle (5)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Withdrawal doesn't include boat purchase (8)

Generating...

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

sub TRACTION (withdrawal) missing or ‘not including’ ‘sub’ (boat)

17d

Ordinary night before beam sucks up yard (8)

Generating...

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

EVE (night before) RAY (beam) round or ‘sucking up’ YD (yard)

18d

Perhaps hunters seem excited with horn (8)

flowerflowerflower
20d

Opening welcome present for crossworders (6)

flowerflowerflower
21d

Dwelling as The Beatles were in Hamburg? (6)

flowerflowerflower
22d

Piece of 15 snaps? Time to go for book (6)

Generating...

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

PHO t OS (snaps) with the ‘t’ (time) replaced by B (book)

24d

Very high extremity of (4)

flowerflowerflower