Independent Cryptic #12239

2025-12-30

Solve on Independent →

Across

9a

Way to eliminate unsatisfactory service in game (5)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Irish province has church for new city (9)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Husband going astray with school member (7)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Confirm playground's back in repair (7)

Generating...

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

RECTIFY (=repair, put right); “ playground (=rec, i.e. a recreation ground)’s back” means that the letters “rec” are reversed

13a

Bleaches hairstyles (5)

flowerflowerflower
15a

Part of computer described by web user (3)

flowerflowerflower
16a

Prow of icebreaker blocking a dock (4)

Generating...

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

I <cebreaker> (“prow of” means first letter only) in PER (=a, as in 60p a pound ); according to Chambers , a dock is a wharf or pier

17a

Strange cyst removed from pelvic bone (3)

Generating...

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

<sac> RUM (=pelvic bone); “ cyst (=sac, of fluid) removed” means letters “sac” are dropped

19a

Catch a flier briefly returning meal (7)

Generating...

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

NAIL (=catch, secure) + A + TI <t> (=”flier”, i.e. bid; “briefly” means last letter is dropped); “returning” indicates reversal; cf. We’re going out for an Italian on Saturday

20a

A lot of water in small local river (3)

flowerflowerflower
22a

Try to extract everything from onion (4)

flowerflowerflower
23a

Keystone Kops part reviewed for Ryan Gosling role (3)

flowerflowerflower
24a

New York ward features in key warning (5)

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26a

Composer welcomes old driver (7)

flowerflowerflower
28a

Duke and German boy meeting a king for curry (7)

Generating...

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

D (=duke) + HANS (=German boy, i.e. a male forename in Germany) + A + K (=king, in cards or chess)

31a

Gets head in painting (9)

flowerflowerflower
32a

Frivolous rest day (5)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Structure of pollarded tree (4)

Generating...

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

<l> ARCH ; “pollarded” means the top – or here, the first letter – is cut off

2d

Rank obscenity fully raised (6)

Generating...

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

DIRT (=obscenity, filth) + UP (=fully, completely, as in to use up ); “raised” indicates vertical reversal

3d

Half of shipment for food shop (4)

Generating...

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

DELI <very> (=shipment, of order); “half of” means 4 of 8 letters only are used

4d

Peter out with Mark and Jack? (4)

Generating...

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

Triple definition: to peter out is to fade, flag AND to flag is to mark, draw attention to AND a jack is a flag indicating nationality, as in the Union Jack

5d

Turn up chinos and incorporate trendy sewer’s accessory (10)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Report of simple child’s plaything (4)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Sister's pinching wheels for some footballers (8)

Generating...

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

TRIKE (=wheels, tricycle) in SR’S (=Sister’s)

8d

Head off out to lunch with host (4)

Generating...

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

<b> ARMY (=out to lunch, slightly crazy); “head off” means first letter is dropped

13d

Tree has shoot cut (3)

Generating...

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

FIR <e> (=(to) shoot, e.g. a gun); “cut” means last letter is dropped

14d

Change working time (5)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Bad tempered cook called out brother (10)

Generating...

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

BLACK (=bad-tempered, angry, as in a black look ) + homophone (“called out”) of “frier (=cook)”; a Black Friar is a Dominican monk, so called because of his black mantle

16d

Animal seen in the outskirts of Pasadena (5)

Generating...

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

P <asaden> A ; “outskirts” means first and last letters of, i.e. P and A!

18d

A gym Noah built in wood (8)

flowerflowerflower
21d

Colonist and Australian conservationists (3)

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25d

Trump's rating: Standard (6)

Generating...

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

In the US – hence “Trump’s – an ensign is a officer of lowest commissioned rank in the navy, hence a rating; an ensign is a flag distinguishing a nation or regiment, hence a standard

26d

Block Liberal legislation in U-turn (4)

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27d

European native stands up to see informer (4)

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28d

River and river animal (4)

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29d

Expert filling barrel with beer - quite the reverse (4)

flowerflowerflower
30d

Christopher Lee finally getting aircraft (4)

Generating...

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

KIT (=Christopher, i.e. abbreviation) + <le>E (“finally” means last letter only); a kite is an aircraft in RAF slang