Independent Cryptic #12221

2025-12-09

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Across

1a

Keep parts for sailor appealing to film's producers (8)

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5a

Fit au pair periodically used car (6)

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9a

Whisper need to run off (9)

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11a

Fact spinning commercial corporation (5)

Generating...

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

AD ( AD vertisement; commercial) reversed (spinning) + TUM (stomach; corporation)

12a

Breed a little fox with koala's tail (5)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Animal one-piece papa slips into for tango (7)

Generating...

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

LEO T ARD (one-piece skintight garment worn by dancers, acrobats, etc, sleeveless or long-sleeved) with P (papa is the international radio communication code words for the letter P) replacing (slips into for) T (tango is the international radio communication code words for the letter T )

15a

One in audience stuck behind singular coat taker (7)

flowerflowerflower
16a

Pronoun initially bandied about somewhere biblical (5)

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19a

Strands thespian without air conditioning (5)

Generating...

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

ac TRESS (thespian) excluding (without) AC (Air-Conditioning)

21a

Spotted one philanderer getting caught (7)

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24a

Germanic singer learning luau piece (7)

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26a

14 bettered in seconds: two cheeky dogs plus felines (5)

Generating...

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

WHOL E ( word constructed from the second letters [seconds] of each of t W o, c H eeky, d O gs, p L us, f E lines)

28a

Woods perhaps line outside of garden's entrance (5)

Generating...

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

TIER (line) containing (outside of) G ( first letter of [‘s entrance] G arden)

29a

Swirling as yin and yang showing opposition (9)

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30a

Group chasing retreating green carnivore (6)

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31a

Swap old purse’s contents? (8)

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Down

1d

Puma company mock-up to clothe United (6)

Generating...

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

( CO [company] + RAG [ridicule, mock] reversed [up; down entry]) containing (to clothe) U (United)

2d

Child supports team that hardly matters (9)

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3d

Trouble with flight time after AI emptied register (7)

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4d

Charged piece prefaced by liberal pride figure? (4)

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6d

Tough Americans embracing Republican couple (7)

Generating...

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

( A [American] + US [from the United States; American] giving Americans) containing (embracing) ( R (Republican] + DUO [couple])

7d

Cult rapper somewhat extreme (5)

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8d

Doctor almost cuts actual curative (8)

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10d

Remix of Al Green record ultimately blew up (8)

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14d

Maybe 8 out of 10 Cats ended prematurely in for broadcast (8)

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17d

Person from country mostly values quiet cycling (9)

Generating...

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

ETHI cs (values) e xcluding the final two letters CS leaving 4 of 6 [mostly]) + PIAN O (quiet) with the final O cycled to the front to form O PIAN

18d

Blade glowing when lifted in fight (8)

Generating...

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

LIT (glowing) reversed (lifted; down entry) contained in (in) SET TO (fight)

20d

Italian place selling starter of ramen? Surely not! (7)

flowerflowerflower
22d

Walk along canal with top hat wobbling (7)

Generating...

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

Anagram of (wobbling) W (with) and TOP HAT

23d

Pet bird bachelor's sat on (6)

flowerflowerflower
25d

Villain originally concealing accent (5)

Generating...

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

b ROGUE (broad, gentle-sounding accent) excluding the first letter (originally concealing) B

27d

Creature reported where golf's played (4)

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