Independent Cryptic #12261

2026-01-24

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Across

1a

Travel permit American lost ahead of Italian excursion (5)

Generating...

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

VIS a (travel permit) with A (American) missing or ‘lost’ ahead of IT (Italian)

4a

Exploding spout went as fast as possible (2,2,5)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘exploding’) of SPOUT WENT PEED (went)

9a

Defensive structure hawk circles at a distance endlessly (3,4)

Generating...

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

SELL (hawk) around or ‘circling’ AFAr AWA y (at a distance) missing last letter or ‘endlessly’

10a

Tilt one square, checking finishing touches of cyclic quadrilateral (7)

Generating...
11a

Swans crowding over English island mostly common knowledge? (4,6)

Generating...

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

PENS (swans) inside or ‘crowding’ O (over) E (English) CRET e (island) missing last letter or ‘mostly’

12a

Fish tooth incomplete (4)

Generating...

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

MOLA r (tooth) missing last letter or ‘incomplete’

14a

Blinded strongman succeeded in wrestling mason (6)

Generating...

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

S (succeeded) in an anagram (‘wrestling’) of MASON

16a

Made stable lad heading away head in immediately to stop horse (8)

Generating...

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

l AD (missing first letter or ‘heading away’ I (first letter or ‘head’ in immediately) inside or ‘stopping’ STEED (horse)

18a

Blue's Clues cut episode's beginning and ran wild (8)

Generating...
19a

Barrel through rolling volcanic area together (2,4)

Generating...

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

BL (barrel) inside a reversal or ‘rolling’ of CONE (volcanic area)

22a

I don't like this starter of toasted Asian bread (4)

Generating...

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

BAH (I don’t like) T (first letter or ‘starter’ to Toasted)

23a

Fighting with target lacking weakness (10)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Instrument on wheels I put in auditorium at the front (7)

Generating...

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

ON with CAR (wheels) and I inside or ‘put in’ and A (first letter of auditorium or ‘at the front’)

27a

Mush a chef originally left in box? (7)

Generating...

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

A C (first letter of Chef or ‘originally’) L (left) in TREE (box?)

28a

Rap battle's conclusion after fine dance includes spot of filth (9)

Generating...

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

E (last letter or ‘conclusion to battle) after F (fine) REEL (dance) around or ‘including’ STY (spot of filth)

29a

Maiden wanting a baby leaves bedroom feeling sullen (5)

Generating...

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

M (maiden) br OODY (wanting a baby) with BR (bedroom) ‘leaving’

Down

1d

Is half of North African dish underneath very sticky? (7)

Generating...

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

IS COUS cous (North African dish – losing half) under neath V (very)

2d

Bet someone was burned here (5)

Generating...

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

Double definition

3d

Notices Dorothy's dog eats regular bites of foulest fungi (10)

Generating...

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

ADS (notices) inside or being ‘eaten by’ TOTO (Dorothy’s dog in Wizard of Oz) and fOuLeSt (alternate letters or ‘regular bites’ only)

4d

Free amusing sheep fellows no longer needed (6)

Generating...

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

f UN (amusing) f LOCK (sheep) both missing F (fellows) or ‘no longer needed’

5d

Bet on three racers in TT race and F1 broadcast (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘broadcast’) of TT RACE and FI

6d

Wine bag (4)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Perhaps set books and papers up to support English article (9)

Generating...

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

LAIR (set perhaps) OT (books) ID (papers) reversed or ”up’ supporting E (English). We were more familiar with SETT being a lair.

8d

Reactionary detective caught dropping heroin (7)

Generating...

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

DI (detective) HEARD (caught) with H (heroin) ‘dropping’

13d

Mother drinks dodgy retsina - typical (10)

Generating...

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

MAM (mother) around or ‘drinking’ an anagram (‘dodgy’) of RETSINA

15d

Shrewd lot of wives put money first being considered mad (5,4)

Generating...

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

ARCH (shrewd) HAREM (lot of wives) with M (money) being moved to the front or ‘first’ Thanks PostMark

17d

May prisoner like to be confined as islander? (8)

Generating...

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

MAY around or ‘confining’ LAG (prisoner) AS (like)

18d

Pass fool eating black bread (7)

Generating...

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

COL (pass) OAF (fool) around or ‘eating’ B (black)

20d

Trimmed piece of meat at the edges really silver (7)

Generating...

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

CUTLE t (piece of meat) missing last letter or ‘trimmed’ ReallY (first and last letters only or ‘at the edges’

21d

Heart expert necromancer boxes up (6)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Government think to scrap border walls? No problem for me! (5)

Generating...

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

G (government) r ECKO n (think) without or ‘scrapping’ first and last letters or ‘border’. A gecko can climb walls – hence they are not a problem.

25d

Challenges pictures lacking flash (4)

Generating...

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

mo VIES (pictures) without or ‘lacking MO (flash)

4

Tilt one square checking finishing touches of cyclic quadrilateral (7)

Generating...

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

I (one) NINE (square) around or ‘checking’ the last letters or ‘finishing touches’ to cycliC quadrilateraL

9

Blue's Clues c (8)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘wild’) of CLUEs (missing last letter or ‘cut’) E (first letter or ‘beginning’ to Episode) and RAN