Independent Cryptic #12291

2026-02-28

Solve on Independent →

Across

8a

Don Juan in hell starts to torment each Russian ballerina? (10)

Generating...

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

ROUE (‘Don Juan’) in PIT (hell) + T E R (first letters or ‘starts’ to torment each Russian)

9a

Actor 1 goes west in landing craft (3)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘goes west’) of MEL (Mel Gibson – 1 down) – ‘Lunar Excursion Module’

11a

Former European bacteriologist (7)

Generating...

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

PAST (former) EUR (European)

12a

A flier's good for advertising (7)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Oscar Wilde's savage beauty could spark a new romance (9)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘could spark’) of A N (new) ROMANCE

15a

Outlaws stealing £1000 in deposits (5)

Generating...

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

BANS (outlaws) round or ‘stealing’ K (£1000)

16a

Poet reluctant to appear in women's magazine? On the contrary (7)

flowerflowerflower
18a

This silly woman's getting laid without resistance (7)

Generating...

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

HER (woman’s) BET (laid) round (‘without’) R (resistance) – strange definition!

21a

City dandy beginning to move to the far right (5)

Generating...

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

SWELL (dandy) with the first letter (‘beginning’) moving to the ‘far right’

23a

Lie back briefly cuddling cat (9)

Generating...

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

STER n (back) missing the last letter (‘briefly’) round (‘cuddling’) RETCH (cat) – we had to check the definition

25a

Fur producer managed to keep company in business (7)

Generating...

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

RAN (managed) round (‘keeping’) CO (company) in CO (business)

26a

State drinking clubs must ignore Washington state (7)

Generating...

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

DELA wa RE (US state) round (‘drinking’) C (clubs), missing ‘WA’ (Washington – US state)

27a

French crew snubbed in NZ party (3)

Generating...

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

HUI t (French for ‘eight’ – ‘crew’) missing the last letter or ‘snubbed’ – a new word for us

28a

Rose again serenaded with contralto in medley (10)

Generating...

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

An anagram (‘in medley’) of SERENADED round C (contralto)

Down

1d

Joe finally starts playing after grabbing bass guitar (6)

Generating...

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

GI (‘Joe’ – American serviceman) S (last or ‘final’ letter of starts) ON (playing) round (‘grabbing’) B (bass)

2d

Bishop and cardinal spread fertiliser (8)

Generating...

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

B (bishop) ONE (‘cardinal’ number) MEAL (spread)

3d

Live next to a river or brook (4)

Generating...

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

BE (live) A R (river)

4d

Relative has rung the girl about money (10)

Generating...

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

STEP (rung) HER (the girl) round FAT (‘money’ – a new slang word for us)

5d

House official punches Baptist up (6)

Generating...

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

REF (referee – ‘official’) in (‘punches’) a reversal (‘up’) of BAP (Baptist)

6d

Daughter abandons casual affair for marriage? (8)

Generating...

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

d ALLIANCE (casual affair) missing (‘abandoning’) ‘d’ (daughter)

7d

Pictures one needs to see one million times (6)

Generating...

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

I (one) M (million) AGES (times) – rather long definition?

10d

That woman stays busy over long periods (6)

Generating...

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

A reversal (‘over’) of SHE (that woman) round or ‘staying’ COP (‘busy’ – slang term for a detective)

14d

Old African employed by South Asian nursing home (10)

Generating...

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

An anagram (’employed’) of BY S (south) ASIAN round (‘nursing’) IN (home)

17d

Divers charged for possessing cocaine run away (8)

Generating...

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

ELECT r IC (‘charged’) round (‘possessing’) C (cocaine) and missing (‘away’) ‘r’ (run)

19d

Withdrawn novel about rampant sex (8)

Generating...

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

RECENT (‘novel’) round a reversal (‘rampant’) of IT (sex)

20d

Traitor picked up at Land's End (6)

flowerflowerflower
21d

Why rot away like some victims? (6)

flowerflowerflower
22d

This course will suppress beastly diarrhoea (6)

flowerflowerflower
24d

Erica leaves second husband for the sun? (6)

Generating...

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

HEAT h ER (erica) missing the second ‘h’ (husband)

26d

Gumshoe spotted one at lunch (4)

Generating...

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

Spotted DICK is something one might have at lunch