Independent Cryptic #12220

2025-12-08

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

Frenzied dancing here the outcome of Tom's hip replacement (7)

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5a

Remove front from sheds with a wide cutting tool (7)

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9a

Rats uncovered the fish (5)

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10a

Argument about city one's to visit causing anxiety (9)

Generating...

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

Reversal of ROW (argument about) + insertion of IS (I’s/one’s to visit) into ROME

11a

Boron must be swathed in cloth after girl handled container (10)

Generating...

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

B (boron) inside (swathed in) RAG (cloth) after CARRIE (girl’s name)

12a

Finally Aldi marketed the French loaf (4)

Generating...

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

Last letters (finally) of ald I markete D + LE (‘the’ in French)

14a

Discovered naked bishop using drug - it's almost indecent (11)

Generating...

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

[U] NEARTHE [D] (discovered naked, ie without first and last letters) + B (bishop) + ON E (on ecstasy, using drug)

18a

Guy's: key hospital for injection and nursing with fear of epidemic maybe (11)

Generating...

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

Insertion (for injection) of ALT (key on a computer keyboard) + H inside HE’S (he is/guy’s) + CARE (nursing)

21a

On way back Deborah's sporting loose garment (4)

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22a

Big stick taken by Trump? (10)

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25a

Catastrophe for Greens - it involves energy that's plain (9)

Generating...

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

Anagram (catastrophe for) of GREENS IT around (involves) E (energy)

26a

Pens work in Greek island (5)

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27a

Old coins identified by numerical data (including old sovereign) (7)

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28a

Lumpy large noodles from the East are trimmed (7)

Generating...

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

Reversal (from the east) of L (large) UDON (noodles) + AR [e] (are trimmed)

Down

1d

Second American call girl possibly pursued by twisted barrister the old rogue (6)

Generating...

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

MO (second, as in just a mo) + HO (US slang for whore, so American call girl possibly) + reversal (twisted) of KC (king’s counsel, a barrister). A jorum for me, I was fascinated to discover the history of Mohock gangs , which sound a little like an 18th-century version of the Bullingdon Club

2d

Cattle and horses registered in Duke's place (6)

Generating...

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

STEE [d] S with R (registered) instead of D (Duke, so ‘in Duke’s place’)

3d

Stick around southern island getting hot (10)

Generating...

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

PASTE (stick) around S + IONA (Scottish island)

4d

Wrote off breakdown van? (5)

Generating...

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

Anagram (off) of WROTE . A breakdown van might tow a car and thus be described as a ‘tower’

5d

Concocted a lethal brew dropping bottom bits to make infusion (9)

Generating...

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

Anagram (concocted) of A LETHA [L] BRE [W] (dropping bottom bits)

6d

Cut speed (4)

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7d

Straightaway falls when cycling - the first bloomer (8)

Generating...

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

NOW DROPS (straightaway falls) with the S cycling to the front. Minor quiblettino: snowdrops are not necessarily the first plants to bloom – round where I am winter aconite tends to be earlier

8d

Hesitate to leave area for this place or any place (8)

Generating...

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

W [A] VER (hesitate) with the A (to leave area) replaced by HERE (this place)

13d

Samples of rare ermine traded illegally covering note mentioned (10)

Generating...

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

First letters (samples of) R are E rmine + FENCED (traded illegally) around (covering) RE (note)

15d

Melania ultimately attends meetings having sent people away (9)

Generating...

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

A (MelaniA ultimately) + BEES (meetings, as in spelling or sewing bees) around (having, as in eating, perhaps) SENT

16d

Compositions sung about Egyptian god shown on tablets (8)

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17d

Capital may be arranged retrospectively (8)

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19d

Firstly selecting carriage hop onto Circle Line train (6)

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20d

In report remove references to swinger at Mass (6)

Generating...

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

Soundalike (in report) of ‘censor’

23d

Two legs astride one head (5)

Generating...

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

ON (another term for the leg side in cricket) + ON (hence ‘two legs’) around (astride) I (one)

24d

After skunk taken intermittently finally smoke the joint (4)

Generating...

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

Alternate letters (taken intermittently) of s K u N k + last letters (finally) of smok E th E