Independent Cryptic #12187

2025-10-30

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a
6d

(and 6 Down) Smell Polish fruit stalls (4,3,4)

Generating...
5a

Stripping off, bather felt behind (2,4)

Generating...

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

b ATHE r f EL t both missing first and last letters or ‘stripping off’

9a

Lots of water escapes, sending energy east (5)

Generating...

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

LEAKS (escapes) with the E (energy) moved or ‘sent’ to the right (east)

10a

Endangered creature's sad lament carried through waves (4,5)

Generating...

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

BLUE (sad) and a homophone (‘carried through waves’) of WAIL (lament)

11a

Such entertainment transformed drug-free nightlife (2-6)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘transformed’) of NIGHTLIF e without ‘e’ (‘drug-free’)

12a

That bloke's going to terrible place (4)

Generating...

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

HE’LL (‘that bloke’s going to’)

15a

See 8 Down

16a

American group attending church for second coming? (7)

Generating...

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

REM (American group) AT (attending) CH (church)

18a

See 29 Across

19a

Venetian maid like temptress from the east (7)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘from the east’) of AS (like) SIREN (temptress)

20a

Are you told to don protective layer on this? (3,3)

Generating...

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

A clue-as-definition – R U (a homophone – ‘told’ – of ‘are you’) in or ‘donning’ SKIN (protective layer)

22a

Bloodsucker's alternative to sign of the cross (4)

Generating...

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

A TICK, used by a teacher to show something is correct, is an ‘alternative’ to X (‘sign of the cross’) showing it is wrong

24a

Neanderthal amusements involving a little grey matter (8)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Spineless sort's pardon includes cunning argument about money (9)

Generating...

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

EH (‘pardon’) round or ‘including’ ART (cunning) + a reversal (‘about’) of ROW (argument) + M (money)

28a

Chatbot plugged by social media site exposed home truth (5)

Generating...

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

AI (‘chatbot’) round or ‘plugged by’ X (social media site) + h OM e missing the first and last letters or ‘exposed’

29a
18a

(and 18 Across) Terribly raunchy with Benedick's heart in Much Ado (3,3,3)

Generating...
30a

Villages beginning to hoard lucky charms, but not horseshoe (7)

Generating...

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

H (first letter or ‘beginning’ of hoard) AM u LETS (lucky charms) missing the ‘u’ (horseshoe)

Down

1d

Hot drink gets you right as rain (4)

Generating...

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

H (hot) ALE (drink)

2d

Heading to important piece checked by master and pro (6,3)

Generating...

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

KING (‘important piece’ – in chess) in or ‘checked by’ MA (master) FOR (pro)

3d

Despot's muscles ultimately undo plucky individual (10)

Generating...

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

ABS (muscles) O (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of undo) LUTIST (player of a lute – ‘plucky fellow’)

4d

Finds fault with first outings after replacing Tesla with Golf (6)

Generating...

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

DEBU t S (first outings) with the ‘t’ (Tesla) replaced by G (golf in the phonetic alphabet)

5d

Faithless behaviour from mad cult very lacking in leadership (8)

Generating...

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

m AD c ULT v ERY – all three words missing their first letters or ‘lacking in leadership’

6d

See 1 Across

7d

Half-cut gardener wearing his wife's skirt (5)

Generating...

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

AD am (‘gardener’ – as in the Garden of Eden) missing the last two letters or ‘half-cut’ in or ‘wearing’ EVE (his wife)

8d
15a

(and 15 Across) Key worker's fate potentially sealed by welcome regulations (6,3,6)

Generating...
13d

Enemy forces which - with 1D - could resort to Methuselah (2,3,4)

Generating...

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

US and THEM with ‘hale’ (1d) could make an anagram (‘resort’) of Methuselah

14d

Cure with a large supply which might save your life (5,5)

Generating...

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

SMOKE (cure) A L (large) ARM (supply)

17d

Quite sour converts like Reform rosettes (9)

flowerflowerflower
18d

Vehicle's worth changed a lot when acquired by queen? (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘changed’) of A LOT in or ‘acquired by’ CARD (queen?)

21d

Heat up green matcha every so often (6)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘up’) of RAW (green) + alternate (‘every so often’) letters of MaTcHa

23d

Choice of sides from chef united island (5)

Generating...

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

C OR F (‘choice of sides’ from chef) + U (united)

25d

Call to animal which people answer (4)

Generating...

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

WHO (which people) A (answer)

26d

They can't fly - superpower keeps 'em aloft (4)

Generating...

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

US (‘superpower’) with EM in front or ‘aloft’ in a down clue