Independent Cryptic #12284

2026-02-20

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

The same check is catching firm making a birdhouse (7)

Generating...

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

DO (do = old-fashioned abbreviation for ditto = the same) + VET (as a verb = check = verify), containing (catching) CO (abbreviation for company = firm).

5a

Strongly smelling substance affected half of horses (7)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Difficulty in getting up in an ancient language (15)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Comprehend inclination to bag runs (5)

Generating...

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

LEAN (inclination: it’s not usually a noun but the dictionaries say it can be), containing (bagging) R (abbreviation for runs, in cricket scoring).

11a

Call carvery at last: turkey? It’s not what you would call swan! (9)

Generating...

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

BELL (as in “give me a bell” = slang for a telephone call) + last letter of [carver] Y + FLOP (turkey = slang for a failed project, especially a film or stage show). A failed attempt at diving into water, in which the diver lands flat – as distinguished from a swan dive (also called a swallow dive), which is the classic style.

12a

Republican intervention - item that’s edited out? (9)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Study year all set to go (5)

flowerflowerflower
15a

Tower to be evacuated? Excellent suggestion (5)

Generating...

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

T [owe] R (evacuated = inner letters emptied out) + ACE (slang for excellent). Trace = suggestion = a barely-detectable flavour or scent.

16a

Small bird hurried to good heather (9)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Film company having value after good performance of course? (9)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Norse girl that mostly welcomes soldiers (5)

flowerflowerflower
22a

In a romantic move dropping English I garbled romantic Latin phrase (15)

Generating...

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

Anagram (garbled) of IN A ROMANTIC MOV [e] I , dropping the E (abbreviation for English). Latin phrase meaning “love conquers all”; also seen as “amor omnia vincit”, because Latin can be fairly flexible about word order.

23a

Skill in twirling shown by last character in number one circus act (7)

Generating...

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

ART (skill) reversed (twirling), then Z (the last character of the alphabet) in PEE (number one = slang for an act of urination).

24a

City of London to stop importing second drug (7)

Generating...

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

EC (postcode of the East Central London area known as the City of London) + STAY (stop = to hold back, as in “stay your hand!”), containing (importing) S (abbreviation for second). Psychoactive drug also known as MDMA or E.

Down

1d

Austrian physicist active person adopting very quiet line (7)

Generating...

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

DOER (someone who gets things done = active person), containing (adopting) PP (pp = abbreviation for Italian pianissimo = musical notation for very quiet) + L (abbreviation for line). Austrian physicist Christian Doppler, who described the “Doppler effect” in which the observed frequency of a wave changes with the relative velocity of the source and the observer (for example the perceived change in pitch of an emergency vehicle’s siren as it drives past you).

2d

An excess of words for this in an anagram? (15)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Rector in church suspended about half of LP record (9)

Generating...

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

R (abbreviation for rector), in CH (abbreviation for church) + ON ICE (suspended = delayed or held in reserve), around the first half of L [p]. Though I can’t help thinking that “half of a two-letter abbreviation” is a rather odd way to clue a single letter. Chronicle = a historical record of events.

4d

Corporation getting billions after introducing hard part of glove (5)

Generating...

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

TUM (corporation = slang for a fat belly) + B (abbreviation for billions), with H (abbreviation for hard) inserted.

5d

Object to everybody entering cold prehistoric area (9)

Generating...

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

ALL (everybody) inserted into C (abbreviation for cold) + HENGE (a prehistoric structure, as in Stonehenge).

6d

Significant expression of surprise about lunch? (5)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Once and for all a hit I fancy? (15)

Generating...

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

Anagram (fancy) of ONCE + FOR ALL A HIT I . Clue-as-definition: the 1970s song Hotel California by the Eagles, which is one of their best-known hits.

8d

Work steadily after harvest to try again (7)

flowerflowerflower
13d

Pub and church restricting chimney’s sway (9)

Generating...

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

INN (pub) + CE (abbreviation for Church of England), containing FLUE (chimney).

14d

Supporting justice is tougher unfortunately (9)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Leading politician blocking most admired person for key spot on board? (7)

flowerflowerflower
17d

Old American seen around North Arkansas food store (7)

Generating...

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

GRAY (American spelling of grey = grey-haired = old, so “old American”) around N (abbreviation for north) + AR (abbreviation for the US state of Arkansas). A grain store.

19d

Film version that is suppressed by Missouri (5)

flowerflowerflower
20d

A lot of attempts to keep time may be unconvincing (5)

Generating...

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

TRIE [s] (attempts) without the last letter (a lot of . . . ), containing (to keep) T (abbreviation for time).