Independent Cryptic #1847

2025-07-20

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Across

1a

Office enjoys short meal quickly (9)

Generating...

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

Charade of POST + HAS + TE [a] (short meal)

6a

Nut packers agreed to include high grade plant fibre (5)

Generating...

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

KP (the nut people) + OK (agreed) around A (high grade). Kapok trees can be quite extraordinary, as this photo shows

9a

Woman in Number 10 once remembered primarily for bag? (7)

Generating...

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

CARRIE (Johnson, wife of former prime minister Bozo the Clown) + R

10a

Fresh out of clothing may I ask for new coat? (7)

Generating...

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

RES (fRESh out of clothing) + PRAY

11a

Somewhere to stay during November (3)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Less beefy women's crew on land (11)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Early Jesuit outfit an American soldier brought back (8)

Generating...

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

Reversal (brought back) of SUIT + AN (from surface) + GI . St Ignatius of Loyola was a co-founder of the Society of Jesus

15a

Honk in MG taking the car outside (4)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Simple liver in water left in oven (4)

Generating...

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

L inside AGA , the word liver here suggesting lifeform

19a

Man upset with deity destroying stuff (8)

flowerflowerflower
22a

Fish follows Brighton swimming master (11)

Generating...

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

EEL following anagram (swimming) of BRIGHTON

24a

Mischievous goddess visiting Earth (3)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Pass food on its way to being frozen? (7)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Returning European sent a telegram having left late in fiasco (7)

Generating...

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

Reversal (returning) of E + LCABED (CABLED/sent a telegram with L sent to the end (having left late). Or the beginning before it gets reversed)

27a

Smart abstaining in negative vote (5)

flowerflowerflower
28a

Nun cared about English patient suffering (9)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Never finishing choose appropriate meal (6)

Generating...

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

PIC [k] (choose) + NIC [k] (appropriate)

2d

Shy type treating fellow winner like Mike Teavee? (15)

Generating...

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

In Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mike Teavee (one of the five winners of a tour of Willy Wonka’s factory) ends up SHRINKING to the size of a chocolate bar. One of his fellow winners is VIOLET Beauregarde (who gets tuned into a giant blueberry)

3d

Very fine ventilation policy introduced by hospital (8)

Generating...

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

AIR (ventilation) + LINE (policy) after (being introduced by) H

4d

Frisky agent holding hands? (9)

Generating...

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

SPY (agent) around (holding) RIGHT + L

5d

Tall bird among others on time (5)

Generating...

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

EG (for example, so one example among others) + RE (on) + T

6d

Pure in faith that woman bears heavy blows (6)

flowerflowerflower
7d

High diver losing day in terrible career-ending flop (15)

Generating...

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

Anagram (terrible) of CAREER EN [d] ING FLOP (losing day)

8d

King with deer in sight shows years of education (8)

Generating...

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

K + EYE around STAG . In England’s education system the national curriculum is divided into distinct key stages

14d

Football team having gone up finished without improvement (9)

Generating...

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

Reversal (having gone up) of MAN U + ENDED

16d

Watchtower a (8)

Generating...

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

AN (article) after (starts with) BARB + last letters (ends in) of min I panegyri C

17d

Some pressure building across stream perhaps obstruction limiting current (8)

Generating...

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

MILL (building across stream, perhaps) and BAR (obstruction) around (limiting) I (current)

20d

Ill guy trembles in a bad way (6)

flowerflowerflower
21d

Refuse some fake generosity returning it (6)

flowerflowerflower
23d

Brown ring lifted in unpleasant job (5)

Generating...

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

CHORE with O lifted to the top