Independent Cryptic #12275

2026-02-10

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

Pale slim naked lady having a day out (4)

Generating...

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

[s] LI [m] (naked = outer letters removed) + L [ad] Y without A + D (abbreviation for day). Lily, as an adjective = pale like a white lily.

3a

A male animal one of four in pack (4)

flowerflowerflower
6a

Starts to feel apostatic - it tests his religion (5)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Continued creeping around under the radar (9)

Generating...

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

Anagram (creeping around) of CONTINUED .

11a

Second century article gold-plated statuette (5)

Generating...

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

S (abbreviation for second) + C (abbreviation for century) + A (the indefinite article), contained in (plated with) OR (heraldic term for the colour gold). Statuette presented for the film industry’s Academy Awards: there are various conflicting stories about the name and which Oscar it may have been named after.

12a

Classical scholar caught in the embrace of 22 shockingly (7)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Todd Small very small by the sound of it (7)

Generating...

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

S (abbreviation for small) + sound-alike of WEENY (very small). Sweeney Todd, fictional barber and serial killer.

14a

Liberal backed Labour leader's draft law (4)

Generating...

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

LIB (abbreviation for Liberal) reversed (backed), then the leading letter of L [abour]. Bill, in parliamentary debates = a proposed new law or amendment to an existing one.

16a

Section of lung displays advanced cilia at the front (6)

Generating...

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

AIRS (as a verb = displays, as in “to air one’s opinion”) + first (front) letters of A [dvanced] C [ilia].

18a

Angler uses it to catch perch (3)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Regular portions of greasy fish (3)

Generating...

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

Alternate letters (regular portions) of [g] R [e] A [s] Y . A flatfish.

22a

Advanced African country totally rejected queen (6)

flowerflowerflower
23a

Other European college (4)

flowerflowerflower
25a

One perhaps choosing Green carrot celery sandwiches when retired (7)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Material for filling in the morning magazine the French rejected (7)

flowerflowerflower
29a

Country hotel's successor (5)

flowerflowerflower
30a

Harridan British PM once capturing adult vote (9)

Generating...

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

B (abbreviation for British) + ATTLEE (Clement Attlee, former UK Prime Minister = PM once), containing (capturing) A (abbreviation for adult) + X (symbol used to indicate a vote on a ballot paper). Harridan = battle-axe = disparaging term for a bad-tempered or strong-minded woman.

31a

A month in Capri? Lovely! (5)

flowerflowerflower
32a

Arrest nation's number one baseless conspiracy theorist (4)

Generating...

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

First letter (number one) of N [ation], then ICK [e] (David Icke, former sports journalist but now better known for supporting various dubious beliefs and conspiracy theories) without E (e = symbol for the base of natural logarithms in mathematics). Arrest, as a verb = nick (slang) = take into police custody.

33a

County hospital department opened by king (4)

Generating...

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

ENT (abbreviation for the Ear, Nose and Throat department in a hospital, which is easier to say than otorhinolaryngology), with K (abbreviation for king) at the beginning (opening). County in south-east England.

Down

1d

Place serving cooked grub (no ale sadly) (9)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Delicate material pierced by new weapon (5)

Generating...

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

LACE (delicate material) containing (pierced by) N (abbreviation for new). A spear used in combat or in jousting.

4d

Play sing dance like a lark? (9)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Credit this country for setting up parties (5)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Barrier put around Lima old resistance capital once (8)

Generating...

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

FENCE (a barrier), around L (Lima in the radio alphabet) + O (abbreviation for old) + R (abbreviation for electrical resistance). City in Tuscany, Italy; according to Wikipedia it was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy for about six years in the 19th century.

7d

Clinton or Dicky showing who's boss (9)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Persecuted ginger badger? (5)

flowerflowerflower
9d

Gertrude introducing Lawrence to lust? (5)

flowerflowerflower
15d

21 chief according to Spooner one licensed by the bishop (9)

Generating...

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

Spoonerism of RAY (21a) LEADER (chief). In the Anglican church, a lay reader is someone who is not an ordained minister but is licensed to take on some leadership and pastoral roles.

17d

Periodically spying on policy to do with grammar (9)

Generating...

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

Alternate letters (periodically) of S [p] Y [i] N [g], then TACTIC (policy: I’m not sure the two are quite equivalent, but close enough).

19d

Flying Emirates after Delta - most wonderful! (9)

Generating...

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

Anagram (flying) of EMIRATES , after D (Delta in the radio alphabet).

20d

Comms bod employed by football authority left after large blunder (8)

Generating...

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

Someone employed by the Football Authority to handle public relations (comms) might be known as PR AT FA ; then L (abbreviation for left) after L (abbreviation for large). Pratfall = originally a fall landing on one’s buttocks, but now also used to mean an embarrassing mistake.

24d

Liverpudlian rogue leaves Charlie a witty retort (5)

Generating...

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

S [c] ALLY (Liverpool slang for a badly-behaved young man), without C (Charlie in the adio alphabet).

25d

Girl 11 transported by Beethoven's 3rd (5)

Generating...

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

O (11a = OSCAR = O in the radio alphabet) contained in (transported by) ERICA (a girl’s name) would give EROICA (the title of Beethoven’s 3rd symphony). An awkwardly constructed clue: it would work better if “transported by” meant “removed from”, but I can’t really see that it does.

26d

Lad in tights introduced fetish to Navy (5)

flowerflowerflower
28d

Golf electronic vehicle's elevated elegance (5)

Generating...

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

G (Golf in the radio alphabet), then E-CAR (electronic vehicle) reversed (elevated = upwards in a down clue).