Independent Cryptic #1655

2021-11-14

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Across

1a

Books from dump missing covers and devoured by rodents (7)

Generating...

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

dUMp (missing covering letters) inside (devoured by) VOLES (rodents(

5a

Arab revolutionary claims it's difficult to get job (7)

flowerflowerflower
9a

One following strict diet, say, squeezed into vehicle (5)

flowerflowerflower
10a

A dog tears around rock (9)

Generating...

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

A LAB (labrador, dog) then anagram (around) of TEARS

11a

Demolish theatre in very poor quarter (9)

Generating...

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

NT (the National Theatre) inside DISMAL (poor) and E (east, quarter of the compass)

12a

Refined sweetheart taking year off before degree (5)

Generating...

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

HONEy (sweetheart) missing Y (year) then D (degree)

13a

Playwright scoffs behind enemy's back (5)

Generating...

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

EATS (scoffs) following enemY (back of)

15a

Motor originally bought by relative is a gem (9)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Cracks about clergyman meeting clowns (9)

Generating...

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

C (circa, about) REV (clergyman) and ASSES (clowns)

19a

Top 40 on the radio (5)

Generating...

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

sounds like (as heard on the radio) "XL" (40 in Roman numerals)

21a

English musketeer lacks a moral code (5)

Generating...

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

E (english) then aTHOS (one of The Three Musketeers ) missing A

23a

Predecessors hog markets for Spooner (9)

Generating...

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

a Spoonerism of "Boar Fairs" (hog markets)

25a

Enticed unfit to embrace exercise bug (9)

Generating...

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

anagram (unfit) of ENTICED contains PE (exercise)

26a

Call up First Lady about Oklahoma (5)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Itinerant almost steals King Tut's head ornament (7)

Generating...

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

TINKEr (itinerant, almost) contains (steals) R (rex, king) then Tut (first letter, head of)

28a

Alcoholic has fling with Mary Jane (7)

Generating...

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

TOSS (fling) and POT (Mary Jane, cannabis)

Down

1d

Victors guarding island in an indolent manner, clearly (7)

Generating...

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

V V (Victor, phonetic alphabet, twice) contains (guarding) I (island) then IDLY (in an indolent manner)

2d

Write rules and pin one above blackboard (9)

Generating...

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

LEG (pin) I (one) an SLATE (blackboard)

3d

Institute providing support for fellow with a mental condition (5)

Generating...

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

I (institute) following (providing support, in the grid) for MAN (fellow) then A

4d

Gladiator fights nursing a cut, amazingly (9)

Generating...

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

SPARS (fights) contains (nursing) anagram (amazingly) of A CUT

5d

Burglars initially lie about fire (5)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Anger about commotion outside hotel's American bar (9)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Some knit a scarf, having spun material (5)

Generating...

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

found inside (some of) kNIT a Scarf reversed (having spun)

8d

Prune tips of azalea bush on hilltop (7)

Generating...

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

first letters (tips) of Azelea Bush on RIDGE (hilltop)

14d

Friends rolled joint in perverse kind of comedy (9)

Generating...

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

PALS (friends) reversed (rolled) T (a type of joint) inside SICK (perverse)

16d

Making a comeback, ruler takes second Sumerian city (9)

Generating...

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

REGENT (ruler) contains (takes) S (second) UR (Sumerian city)

17d

Euphoric old hack is drunk in supermarket (4-1-4)

Generating...

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

O (old) with anagram (is drunk) of HACK inside COOP (a supermarket brand)

18d

Queen enters church toilet with extremely unkempt hairstyle (7)

Generating...

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

R (regina, queen) inside CE (Church, of England) WC (toilet) then outer letters (extremely) of UnkempT

20d

Most sumptuous female consumed by desire (7)

flowerflowerflower
22d

Government department defends article on international capital (5)

Generating...

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

HO (Home Office, government department) contains (defends) AN (an article, grammar) then I (international)

23d

Swift measures blocked by Left (5)

Generating...

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

FEET (measures, in verse) contains (blocked by) L (left)

24d

Make cross hand gesture (5)

Generating...

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

cryptic definition