Independent Cryptic #1660

2021-12-19

Solve on Independent →

Across

9a

Develop complex (9)

Generating...

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

Double defn: 1st: To add more detail to, say, a theory, policy, or basic story line; and 2nd: Involving many complicated parts and details.

10a

Dunce Tees had nothing invested in it (5)

Generating...

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

I’D(Tees’d/Tees had, with the setter using the self-referential pronoun) + [ O(letter representing 0/nothing) contained in ( invested in ) ] IT .

11a

Red 6 held back in trade centre as 9 is in catalogue (7-8)

Generating...

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

Reversal of ( … held back ) SIX(6) contained in ( in ) MART(trade centre/market) + reversal of ( as … is /is held back like 6 in the first half of the clue) NINE(9) contained in ( in ) LIST(a catalogue/a register of items).

12a

Killer in wood, wife smiled devilishly in repose (5,3,7)

Generating...

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

DUTCH(one’s wife, especially among Cockneys, from “duchess”) + [ anagram of ( … devilishly ) SMILED contained in ( in ) EASE(repose/in a state of comfort) ].

15a

Aircraft enclosure's energy supplied with sodium battery (7)

Generating...

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

E(abbrev. for “energy” in physics) placed after ( supplied with ) [ NA(symbol for the chemical element, sodium) + CELL(a battery/a device for converting chemical energy into electricity).

18a

Nuclear installation on river unstable at core (7)

Generating...

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

Reversal of (abbrev. for “river”) + anagram of ( unstable ) AT CORE .

20a

Not all there spreading nepotism among subordinate officers (3,6,6)

Generating...

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

Anagram of ( spreading ) NEPOTISM contained in ( among ) NON-COMS(short for non-commissioned officers, subordinate to commissioned officers).

23a

Unorthodox ideas after blood found in Icelandic parliament (7,8)

Generating...

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

LATER(after, in time) + KIN(blood/familial relations) contained in ( found in ) ALTHING(the Icelandic parliament).

26a

Cat wants mouse's heart brought in as soon as (5)

Generating...

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

Middle letter of ( …’s heart ) “ mouse ” contained in ( brought in ) ONCE(as soon as, as in “once you have done the first step, go on to …”).

27a

Clear directions when entering old address (9)

Generating...

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

N,E(abbrev. for “north” and “east”, two directions) contained in ( when entering ) [ EX-(prefix signifying “old”/former) + ORATE(to address/to give a speech) ].

Down

1d

Rook on wet earth trapped by head islander (8)

Generating...

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

[ R(abbrev. for “rook” in chess notation) placed above ( on , in a down clue) MUD(wet earth/a soft sticky mixture of earth and water) ] contained in ( trapped by ) BEAN(informal term for one’s head).

2d

Polly run over, which stops involvement (6)

Generating...

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

[ R(abbrev. for “run” in cricket scores) + O(abbrev. for “over”, again in cricket scores) ] contained in ( which stops ) PART(involvement/contribution to an action or situation).

3d

Reduced ambition to join one native group (4)

Generating...

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

“hope”(ambition/aspiration) minus its last letter ( Reduced … ) plus ( to join ) I(Roman numeral for “one”).

4d

Transport ecstasy left for political alliance (6)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Footballer put off allows goal in (8)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Sometimes dotty characters supporting feminine state? (4)

Generating...

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

I,J,I(characters/letters having dots/dotty sometimes, viz. when written in lower case) placed below ( supporting , in a down clue) F(abbrev. for “feminine”).

7d

Limit broken: industrious worker becoming aggressive (8)

Generating...

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

Anagram of ( … broken ) LIMIT + ANT(an industrious worker in an ant-hill).

8d

United in mess, bust possibly (6)

flowerflowerflower
13d

Tragedy to be denied sacred booksare you listening? (5)

Generating...
14d

Underworld Society brought up ghost (5)

Generating...

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

HADES(the underworld/the underground abode of the dead in Greek theology) with “s”(abbrev. for “Society”) moved to the top of the word ( brought up , in a down clue).

16d

Insincere talk about on street? It's true! (8)

Generating...

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

CANT(insincere/hypocritical talk) containing ( about ) [ ON + ST(abbrev. for “street”) ].

17d

Tree forced flat to sprawl among scattered pears (8)

Generating...

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

LIE(to sprawl/to lie with arms and legs outstretched) contained in ( among ) anagram of ( scattered ) PEARS .

19d

Reconciled where gender is not fixed? (8)

flowerflowerflower
20d

Our highest military man with grip on opponent? (6)

Generating...

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

Double defn: 1st: Cryptically, refering to the statue of Admiral Nelson standing on his monumental Column high above Trafalgar Square, London, and presumably above any statue of an English military man; and 2nd: … in the wrestling ring.

21d

Southern fan guards principal in Harrow train (6)

Generating...

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

S(abbrev. for “southern”) + COOL(to fan/to create a current of air that will effect cooling) containing ( guards ) 1st letter of ( principal in ) “ Harrow “.

22d

Island where Brown consumes excellent whiskey (6)

Generating...

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

TAN(brown colour) containing ( consumes ) [ AI(A1/of an excellent grade, with the Roman numeral substitution) + W(letter represented by “whiskey” in the phonetic alphabet) ].

24d

Impolite daughter taken down felt remorse (4)

Generating...

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

RUDE(impolite) with “d”(abbrev. for “daughter”) moved to the end of the word ( taken down , in a down clue).

25d

Swede regularly entered Portugal (4)

Generating...

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

2nd, 4th and 6th letters of ( regularly ) “ entered ” + P(International Vehicle Registration code for Portugal).