Independent Cryptic #1867

2025-12-07

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Across

1a

Teacher made knots in his hair (12)

Generating...

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

Anagram (knots) of MADE inside HIS TRESS (his hair)

9a

Practising lawyers troubling to Morse (7)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Bad mushroom trip's beginning in a frenzy (7)

Generating...

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

T (trip’s beginning) inside A MANIA (a frenzy) for the genus of fungi that contains some highly toxic species, including the death cap and fly agaric, along with some edible ones

11a

Vet again checks animal that's caught cold (9)

Generating...

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

REINS (checks) + PET around (that’s caught) C (cold)

12a

Cheap fizz from Majestic brought round (5)

Generating...

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

Reversal (brought round) of REGAL . For those outside the UK, Majestic Wine is a major chain of wine stores, which gives the surface a bit more… fizz

13a

Hampshire's opener exploited fault as much as bowler could bear? (6)

Generating...

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

H (Hampshire’s opener) + anagram (exploited) of FAULT , with a somewhat whimsical definition – the bowler of course being a hat, and nothing to do with cricket as the surface might suggest

15a

Offer suit to sell back keeping current winter clothing (8)

Generating...

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

WOO (offer suit) + reversal (back) of SELL around (keeping) I (symbol for electrical current)

18a

Biking kit verges on lingerie where she lives (8)

Generating...

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

LE (first and last letters, or verges, of lingerie) + AT HERS (where she lives)

19a

Ass kept hidden in apprehension age-related (6)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Premier turned up to speak missing point? (5)

Generating...

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

Anagram (turned) of UP TO S (speak without peak, ie missing point), solution being an acronym for President Of The United States

23a

Keep quiet pinching gold alone in the Taj Mahal? (9)

Generating...

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

MUM (quiet – keep quiet? I suppose, like ‘hush’, it could be used as an order) around (pinching) AU (chemical symbol for gold) + SOLE (alone). Question mark to indicate definition by example

25a

Freedom from restraint which Glastonbury stage might have? (7)

Generating...

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

A stage at Glasto would very often have A BAND ON

26a

Sun now implying this rain? (7)

Generating...

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

If it’s Sun(day) now, that implies it will be MON (day) SOON

27a

School nerd retaking sports (12)

flowerflowerflower

Down

2d

Meaningful picture from reading out Mog's letters (5)

Generating...

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

Soundalike (reading out) of the letters that spell ‘mog’: Em, Oh, Gee

3d

Tear up unfashionable husband's old cotton belt? (9)

Generating...

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

Reversal (up) of SPEED (tear, as in tear down the road) + OUT (unfashionable) + H , def referring to the former cotton-growing region of the US

4d

Faces court released to the public (6)

Generating...

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

IS SUED (faces court)

5d

Grip case with empty travelator ahead (8)

Generating...

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

TR (outer letters – ’empty’ – of TravelatoR) before ACTION (legal case)

6d

Message from girl I am excited about (5)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Severe wife burning trousers (9)

Generating...

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

Insertion (trousers) of W inside SINGEING

8d

Play guitar supporting Prince an old (12)

Generating...

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

STRUM below (supporting) HARRY (prince) + AN (from surface) for the 33rd US president

9d

8's scheme for regenerating height with everyone in chocolate factory shrunk? (12)

Generating...

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

H (height) + ALL (everyone) between MARS (chocolate bar) + PLAN (plant minus the T, so factory shrunk), definition referring to the post-WWII reconstruction and aid scheme for Europe enacted by the Truman administration

14d

B&B owner might stand round here (9)

Generating...

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

Cryptic def, ’round’ referring to a round of toast

16d

Title holder's fallen during road race at the start (9)

Generating...

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

DOWN (fallen) inside (during) LANE (road) + R (race at the start)

17d

Platonic relationship troubled Macron in bed mostly (8)

Generating...

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

Anagram (troubled) of MACRON inside BE [d] (bed mostly)

20d

Spice in fruitcake Margaret reduced (6)

Generating...

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

NUT (fruitcake) + MEG (nickname for Margaret)

22d

Date with Mr Bean from the telly outside saloon in US (5)

Generating...

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

SEAN (the actor Sean Bean, hence ‘from the telly’ – nothing to do with Rowan Atkinson’s comic creation) around (outside) D . A sedan is the US term for what is known elsewhere as a saloon car

24d

Call up the day before collecting permit (5)

Generating...

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

Envelope (collecting) of EVE around OK (permit, both OK and permit being verbs here)