Independent Cryptic #12181

2025-10-23

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Across

9a

Senseless how burlesque ends (5)

Generating...

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

Cryptically, the word “burlesqu E ” ends in an ‘e’!

10a

Explosive material about creativity sincere (9)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Crouchback for one thrown in road by king (9)

Generating...

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

CAST (=thrown, hurled) in [LANE (=road) + R (=king, i.e. rex)]; the reference is to Edmund Crouchback, the 1st Earl of Lancaster, member of the Plantagenet Dynasty

12a

Mischievous duo taking female out for drive (5)

Generating...

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

IMP + EL <f> (=mischievous duo, i.e. two mischievous characters; “taking female (=F) out” means letter “f” is dropped; to impel is to urge, instigate, drive (forward)

13a

Look after book for Welsh entertainer (7)

flowerflowerflower
15a
2d

(and 1 Down, 2 Down) Four in romcom linked with sexual celebration (7,4,8)

Generating...
17a

Tabloid target in SulawesiFrench are leaving (5)

Generating...

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

CELEB <es> (=Sulawesi, the original Indonesian name of the island known in Portuguese as Celebes; French are (=es, from you are=tu es) leaving” means letters “es” are dropped)

18a

Cheeky Girl shunning any number to be sociable? (3)

Generating...

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

MI <n> X (=cheeky girl; “shunning any number (=N, i.e. an indefinite number, in maths)” means letter “n” is dropped)

20a

Charm gypsy man among reformed drinkers (5)

flowerflowerflower
22a

Back where witch livedshe heartless (7)

Generating...

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

ENDOR (=where witch lived; the Witch of Endor is to be found in the OT in 1 Samuel, and is consulted by Saul for advice following the death of the prophet Samuel) + S <h> E (“heartless” means middle letter is dropped)

25a

Dander raised, wanted to strangle learner driver (7)

flowerflowerflower
26a

American devoured by worst animal (5)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Use handle wronglylet go (9)

flowerflowerflower
30a

Painting class in new term (9)

Generating...

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

BRAND (=class, sort) in *(TERM); “new” is anagram indicator; cf. A (painting by) Rembrandt brought millions at auction yesterday.

31a

Repeatedly questions MP involved in discharge (5)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

See 15 Across

2d

See 15 Across

3d

Letters from Brother Aldhelm deceived goddess (4)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Online space strange to M Roach (4,4)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Something tiny Romeo wore outside (6)

Generating...

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

R (=Romeo, in NATO alphabet) in HAD ON (=wore, e.g. clothes); a hadron is one of a class of subatomic particles, hence “something tiny”

6d

Tapestries restored where threads gradually removed? (10)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Parking in Asian metropolis for sacred site (6)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Lead removed from silver say and elsewhere (2,2)

Generating...

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

<m> ETAL (=silver, say); “lead (=first letter) from” means letter “m” is dropped; “et al” is an abbreviation of “et alibi” in this instance

13d

Husband in delicate position (5)

flowerflowerflower
14d

Room for experimentation in party rhetoric (10)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Good boy receiving new organ (5)

Generating...

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

N (=new, as in NT) in [G (=good) + LAD (=boy)]

19d

Times Cryptic Hotline gives 'rock fragment' (8)

Generating...

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

x (=times, as in 5 x 4 = 20) + *(HOTLINE); “cryptic” is anagram indicator; in Chambers , a xenolith is a rock fragment of extraneous origin which has been incorporated into magma

21d

State in which goodish priest keeps house (8)

Generating...

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

HO (=house, as abbreviation) in OK (=goodish, reasonable) +n LAMA (=priest)]

23d

Limb found in river and well (4,2)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Horse one Queen maltreated (6)

Generating...

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

*(I (=one) + QUEEN); “maltreated” is anagram indicator

26d

One called 11 baronet encircling old city (4)

flowerflowerflower
28d

Deadly reptiles spring up to claim son (4)

flowerflowerflower
29d

Many a Welsh runner in the gloaming (4)

Generating...

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

D (=many, i.e. 500 in Roman numerals) + USK (= a Welsh “runner”, i.e. river); gloaming is dusk, twilight