Independent Cryptic #12288

2026-02-25

Solve on Independent →

Across

1a

Top Belgium international ignored by Redknapp maybe (6)

flowerflowerflower
4a

Endless Swiss chocolate not ultimately beneficial for heavenly body (6)

flowerflowerflower
9a

Forcefully strike the wrong way resulting in tie (4)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Robin Hood's friend is potty? (10)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Periodically Grace left in charge of language (6)

Generating...

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

G r A c E (alternate or ‘periodic’ letters) L (left) IC (in charge)

12a

Bible passage disheartened observer in the main (8)

flowerflowerflower
13a

President's retreat affected fanatical Dutch bores (9)

Generating...

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

CAMP (affected) AVID (fanatical) round or ‘bored by’ D (Dutch)

15a

Tramp removed from more uneven seaside attraction (4)

Generating...

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

bum PIER (more uneven) missing ‘bum’ (tramp)

16a

Mark wonderful staff (4)

flowerflowerflower
17a

Try to stop strangely anaemic Donald Trump? (9)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Multilingual parrot obtained with more eastern languages originally (8)

Generating...

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

POLLY (parrot) GOT (obtained) with an ‘l’ (first or ‘original’ letter of languages) moved to the right (‘more eastern’)

22a

Main course in Europe is meat stew with bit of nutmeg in (6)

Generating...

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

DAUBE (French meat stew) round N (first letter or ‘bit’ of nutmeg)

24a

By one Fritz possibly recalled old Rugby broadcast? (10)

Generating...

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

TIMES (by – as in multiplication) I (one) + a reversal (‘recalled’) of LANG (Fritz Lang, Austrian-born film director) – the UK radio time signal apparently used to be broadcast from Rugby

25a

Picked up pace to make entrance (4)

flowerflowerflower
26a

German writer's allowed boring item (6)

Generating...

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

G (German) I’M (writer is) LET (allowed)

27a

Moneylender texted You're certain to be included (6)

Generating...

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

U R (text for ‘you are’) round or ‘including’ SURE (certain)

Down

1d

Fruit cakes beginning to deteriorate in large handkerchief (7)

Generating...

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

BANANA (fruit) round or ‘caking’ D (first letter or ‘beginning’ of deteriorate)

2d

Concerning number withdrawing flat cola bottles (5)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Revolutionary sects primarily infiltrated an island nation (7)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘revolutionary’) of CULTS (sects) + I A (first or ‘primary’ letters of infiltrated an)

5d

Oddly beetle and fish found in part of steeple (6)

Generating...

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

B e E t L e (alternate ‘odd’ letters) + FRY (fish)

6d

Denial of unhappiness with leader becoming Republican (9)

Generating...

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

d EJECTION (unhappiness) with the ‘d’ (first letter or ‘leader’) replaced by R (Republican)

7d

Japanese drama show with singing finishing early a complete failure (7)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Pete Tong spins wrong song by Duffy (13)

flowerflowerflower
14d

Perhaps tapir rhymed with 'cap queer' (9)

flowerflowerflower
16d

Space to turn in good parking space (7)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘to turn’) of ROOM (space) + IN G (good)

18d

After returning rarely bored by university course sections (7)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘after returning’) of SELDOM (rarely) round or ‘bored by’ U (university)

19d

Cooked rarebit for judge (7)

flowerflowerflower
20d

Mishit crossing centre of defunct drain (6)

Generating...

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

SLICE (mishit – in cricket, golf, etc) round or ‘crossing’ U (middle letter or ‘centre’ of defunct)

23d

Raised on booze in country (5)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘raised’) of RE (on’) GIN (booze)