Independent Cryptic #12188

2025-10-31

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Across

1a

American dullard needing month after school (5)

flowerflowerflower
4a

s i p (9)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Trick or treats possibly involving silver diadem ultimately (9)

Generating...

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

Anagram (possibly) of TREATS , containing AG (Ag = chemical symbol for silver, from Latin argentum ), then the last letter (ultimately) of [diade] M .

10a

Some treat ended having you taken in? (5)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Recalled excellent comment about Southern European country (7)

Generating...

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

AI (A1 = excellent) + NOTE (comment), around S (abbreviation for southern), all reversed (recalled).

12a

Merit shown by detective in series? On the contrary (6)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Trick husband with old guitar from America (4)

flowerflowerflower
15a

Big gardener’s treat being taken to stationery supplier (10)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Excessive on the other side? (10)

flowerflowerflower
20a

Uncovered guilt after returning around European place (4)

Generating...

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

[g] UIL [t] (uncovered = outer letters removed), reversed (after returning), around E (abbreviation for European). French-derived word for place, used in phrases such as “in lieu of” = in place of.

23a

Trick a lecturer into temporary housing (6)

Generating...

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

A + L (abbreviation for lecturer), inserted into TENT (temporary accommodation). Trick = talent = a particular skill in doing something? I can’t quite think of a sentence where they could be interchangeable.

25a

Nothing interrupting computer legend giving series of lectures? (7)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Auditorium associated with English orchestra in Manchester (5)

flowerflowerflower
28a

Depict one sneaky trick (9)

flowerflowerflower
29a

One’s little more than extra restraint: pound retained by one making expenditure (9)

Generating...

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

BIT (a restraint for a horse), then L (£ = abbreviation for pound sterling) contained in PAYER (one making expenditure). Bit player = an actor who plays a very small part, but still more than an “extra” (or “background actor”) who doesn’t usually get anything to say.

30a

Scrabble piece capturing two-point score - feature of Spanish set? (5)

Generating...

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

TILE (a playing piece in the board game Scrabble ), containing D (a letter that scores two points in the game). The “squiggle” in the Spanish letter Ñ, which is indeed a feature of a Spanish Scrabble set: there is one Ñ tile as well as five N tiles.

Down

1d

Group of nuns hide torsos in dressing (10)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Baronet coming in here with a healthy drink? (7)

Generating...

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

BT (abbreviation for baronet) inserted into HERE + A (from clue text).

3d

Not initially promoting treat? (6)

Generating...

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

[t] OUTING (promoting = advertising), without the first letter (not initially). Outing = treat = a day-trip provided by a company for its employees, by a school for its pupils, or similar.

4d

Badly using most of treat in a distinctive style (9)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Ready to defend maiden tucking into a wine (5)

Generating...

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

M (abbreviation for maiden, in cricket scoring) inserted into A RED (short for a red wine).

6d

Request to get certain treat? (8)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Rigged 60% of trick - mine - for the time being (7)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Stop after start of trick or treat? (4)

Generating...

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

END (stop) after the starting letter of T [rick]. Treat = tend = provide medical care to.

13d

After rewrite clue ending in ‘treat’? (10)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Exhibits regular bits of trick turning up in possession of a flash vehicle (9)

Generating...

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

SPORTS (wears, especially when referring to colourful or flamboyant clothes = exhibits), then alternate letters (regular bits) of [t] R [i] C [k] reversed (turning up = upwards in a down clue), containing (in possession of) A (from clue text).

17d

Some believe the realignment is immaterial (8)

flowerflowerflower
19d

Inverted ribbon binding rubber feature of American uniform (7)

Generating...

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

TAPE (ribbon) reversed (inverted), containing ULE (rubber from a tropical American tree; a guess-and-check, but it’s in both Chambers and Collins). American spelling for what in British uniforms would be called an epaulette (shoulder decoration).

21d

Core of trick I presented in twisted ancient language at the outset (7)

Generating...

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

Middle letter (core) of [tr] I [ck], then I (from clue text) inserted into LATIN (ancient language) reversed (twisted).

22d

Treat kindly given to youngster: a doll (6)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Source of treat: whirling motion in lingerie item (5)

Generating...

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

First letter (source) of T [reat], then EDDY (whirling motion). A woman’s one-piece undergarment.

26d

Apprentice devouring hot fish (4)

Generating...

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

CUB (apprentice, as in “cub reporter” = a trainee journalist), containing (devouring) H (abbreviation for hot).