Independent Cryptic #12196

2025-11-10

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Across

1a

Writer in bed overwhelmed by endless lovemaking (6)

Generating...

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

Crib(=bed) in se[x](=lovemaking)

4a

Everything screened by broadcaster is more jaundiced (8)

Generating...

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

All in sower(=broadcaster of seeds)

10a

Deliveries cancelled before holidays (3,6)

flowerflowerflower
11a

See 15 Across

12a

Secure country (4)

Generating...

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

DD. The first def would be in the sense of "I've secured/landed a prize".

13a

Gallery on board after controller returns to former position (10)

Generating...

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

(Tate(=gallery in London and other cities) in SS(=onboard i.e. inside a steamship)) after rein(=controller in the sense of the rein used for a horse)

15a
11a

(and 11 Across) Bum echoed Brando somewhere close to Los Angeles (7,5)

Generating...
16a

Animals record released 50 years ago (6)

Generating...

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

DD referring to the Patti Smith album Horses , which was released on the 10th November 1975.

19a

Tissue-wrapped gold halo (6)

Generating...

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

Glia(=tissue, a type of cell in the brain and spinal cord also called neuroglia) around or(=golden in heraldic usage)

21a

Secret love is nearby (5,2)

flowerflowerflower
23a

Singer and model coming back with German opening track (5,5)

Generating...

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

(Sit<(=model) + mit(=German for "with")) in(=opening) path(=track)

25a

3 characters reflected in strange TikToks (4)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Cabaret singer loses face covering AC/DC in rave venue (5)

Generating...

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

[L]iza(=Minelli, who appeared in the film version of Cabaret) around bi(=AC/DC as a slang term for bisexual)

28a

Political doctrine on the subject of class is principle of Marxism (9)

Generating...

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

Re(=on subject of) + form(=class when used in things like "fourth form") + is + M[arxism]

29a
7d

(and 7 Down) Mike Batt wryly remixed Pussycat Doll (8,5)

Generating...
30a

Royal daughter hosting a president (6)

Generating...

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

Regan(=one of the daughters of King Lear) around a

Down

1d

They try to stop drag queen stuffing booty (8)

Generating...

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

ER(=late queen) in spoils(=booty, as in "spoils of war")

2d

Racketeer pilots a new car in reverse (4,5)

Generating...

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

RAF(=pilots, although this is questionable since the RAF has ground crew, engineers etc as well) + a n{ew} + Lada<(=make of car). The definition is a somewhat whimsical reference to Nadal using a racket while playing tennis.

3d

Amount offered to kidnap right-winger (4)

Generating...

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

Bid(=amount offered at an auction) around r{ight}

5d

Ban this awful drink (7)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Behold Harry Potter crushing rubbish basket (7,3)

Generating...

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

(Lo(=behold) + potter*)(harry used as the anagram indicator) around b{ull} s{h*t}(=rubbish)

7d

See 29 Across

8d

Soldiers' mess showing The Magnificent Seven perhaps (6)

Generating...

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

RE(=Royal Engineers) + hash(=mess). The Magnificent Seven was a rehash of the Japanese film Seven Samurai .

9d

Happy Monday afternoon coming up in wee outhouse (6)

Generating...

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

(Bez(=Happy Mondays band member) + a{fternoon})< in go(=wee as in urinate)

14d

Excessive noise worried uninitiated child at first (10)

Generating...

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

(Din(=noise) + ate(=worried)) after [m]inor

17d

Nigel in Reform welcomes unusual form of protection delivering sorrowful lines (9)

Generating...

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

Nigel* around egis, which is an unusual spelling of the word aegis(=protection).

18d

Financier contracted Brazilian footballer within a day (8)

Generating...

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

Neyma{r} in Mon{day}

20d

One commanding batsman going up over mid-off (7)

Generating...

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

Lara<(=Brian Lara, West Indian batsman) around mid*

21d

Stop cat spending month inside box (3,3)

Generating...

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

Seems to be to{m} in cuff(=box). Spending is used as the removal indicator to take m{onth} from tom. I think box is used as a synonym for cuff in the sense of a light blow (cuff someone/box their ears).

22d

Happy over credit increase (6)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Apostrophe is dividing corporation (5)

Generating...

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

Is in tum(=corporation). I'd never heard of tuism before but it is in Chambers as a synonym for apostrophe.

26d

Independent bank promoting Head of Finance (4)

Generating...

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

Reef with F[inance] "promoted" to the front.