Independent Cryptic #12212

2025-11-28

Solve on Independent →

Across

8a

French painter indicated by easel colour and tutu possibly (15)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Good women avoiding industrial action in European city (4)

Generating...

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

[g] O-SLO [w] (deliberately delaying work as a form of protest = industrial action), without G (abbreviation for good) and W (abbreviation for women). Capital of Norway.

10a

Wit and wine - a feature of the table? (10)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Monks initially ready to tuck into a lot of tea subsequently (8)

Generating...

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

First letter (initially) of R [eady], inserted into BRE [w] (slang for a drink of tea) without the last letter (a lot of . . .) + THEN (subsequently).

12a

A lot of aid heading for Italy or place there(6)

Generating...

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

ASSIS [t] (aid, as a verb = to help) without the last letter (a lot of . . .) + first letter (heading) of I [taly]. Town in central Italy.

13a

with another apparently discouraging tourists? (15)

flowerflowerflower
16a

Productive moral tale but lacking power (6)

Generating...

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

[p] ARABLE (a moral tale) without the P (abbreviation for power). As in arable land = used for growing crops = productive.

18a

Thinker is probing the bit left over (8)

Generating...

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

IS inserted into THE (from clue) + ORT (a scrap of food left after a meal = bit left over). I can’t remember where I’ve seen “ort” before but it seems vaguely familiar.

20a

Roger droned to us unfortunately (10)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Scientist suspending oxygen and hydrogen in bromine (4)

Generating...

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

A collection of chemical symbols: O (oxygen) = H (hydrogen), inserted into BR (Br = bromine). Danish theoretical physicist Niels Bohr.

22a

Leave advisor to cross street in front of English shop (15)

Generating...

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

DEPART (leave = go away) + MENTOR (advisor), around (to cross) ST (abbreviation for street), then E (abbreviation for English).

Down

1d

Old policeman’s inclination to take attractive person hugging gnarled tree right? (15)

flowerflowerflower
2d

American writer a good deal tense about chapter (6)

Generating...

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

A LOT (a good deal) + T (abbreviation for tense), around C (abbreviation for chapter). Louisa May Alcott, 19th-century US author of Little Women and its sequels.

3d

Better periods after skipping British tour (8)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Good friends to dine - ten possibly? Planning for the best (15)

flowerflowerflower
5d

American science probing nothing - it’s just a front (6)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Pen German song about Society in elaborate fashion? (8)

Generating...

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

STY (as in pigsty = pen = animal enclosure) + LIED (German word for song, used generically in classical music to mean a song for solo singer and piano), around S (abbreviation for society).

7d

Mountaineer’s statement wildly cheers beauties seen around heart of mountains (15)

Generating...
14d

Aristo with unusual male name? (8)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Story and a remark about European recording (8)

Generating...

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

A NOTE (a remark), around E (abbreviation for European) + CD (abbreviation for compact disc = sound recording).

17d

Expression of hesitation over second town guide dropping old fake (6)

Generating...

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

ER (a sound expressing hesitation) before (over, in a down clue) S (abbreviation for second), then A T [o] Z (brand name for a series of town street atlases, especially the original London edition) without the O (abbreviation for old). German-derived word for fake, in the sense of a cheap low-quality substitute for the real thing.

19d

Discount Republican replacing Democrat in discussion (6)

Generating...

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

[d] EBATE (discussion), with R (abbreviation for Republican) replacing D (abbreviation for Democrat). As in “tax rebate”: a partial refund of money paid.