Times Cryptic #29156

2025-02-18

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Across

1a

Abandon heroin after police officer seizes it (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

DC (police officer – Detective Constable) contains [seizes] IT, then H (heroin)

4a

Rat's expression of disdain when eating rotten acorn (8)

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8a

Former nurse unfortunately failed my loved ones and relatives (8,6)

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10a

Side ultimately score five, being overcome by joy (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

{scor}E [ultimately] + V (five) contained [being overcome] by ELATION (joy)

11a

One used to turn left by hospital before closure of route (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

L (left), AT (by), H (hospital), {rout}E [closure of…]

12a

Life is special, flag being twirled around (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

TIRE (flag) reversed [being twirled] containing [around] SP (special). Spirit, liveliness, life.

14a

Increasingly bad-tempered doctor swallowing drink that is initially relaxing (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

GP (doctor – General Practitioner) containing [swallowing]  RUM, then IE (that is), R{elaxing} [initially]

17a

Border resident shot me with airgun (8)

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18a

Think about eating head of gingerbread man (6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

THINK  reversed [about] containing [eating] G{ingerbread} [head of…]. Chessman. I have amended my original parsing which had ‘about’ as anagram indicator rather than a reversal. Thanks to alfiethecoder for suggesting this.

20a

Cops seen in Ontario less regularly (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

{O}N{t}A{r}I{o} L{e}S{s} [seen…regularly]. Captures.

22a

Antisocial lout set fire to boat whose interior's about to turn black (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

LIT (set fire to), TUG (boat) containing [whose interior’s] RE (about) reversed [to turn] + B (black). I’m a bit dubious about ‘lout’ in the definition. Thanks to Deezzaa for reminding me of the alternative nomenclature ‘litter lout’ which had somehow slipped my mind.

24a

Problem with Duke's meal (4,10)

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25a

Swimmer last to get aboard cutter? (8)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

{ge}T [last to…] contained by [aboard] SURGEON (cutter)

26a

Large vessel is in capital (5)

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Down

1d

Needing lies to be circulated, European that has a thirst for power? (6,6)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

Anagram [to be circulated] NEEDING LIES, then E (European)

2d

It's in the tenth part (5)

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3d

Suspended over answer, managed to bite one's tongue (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

HUNG (suspended), A (answer), RAN (managed) containing [to bite] I (one)

4d

Clothing accessory and linked merchandise worn by page (6)

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5d

Engineers passionate about new industrial plant (8)

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6d

Part of train perhaps drew near London's West End (5)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

CAME (drew near), {Londo}N [’s West End]. Camel train – a series of camels tied in single file, used to transport goods or passengers.

7d

Sharing out a couple of litres too much gin indiscriminately (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

A, L+ L (couple of litres), OTT (too much), anagram [indiscriminately] of GIN

9d

Spies on army reserve chaps after short time (6,6)

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13d

Theatre set up marquee to host popular material (9)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

REP (theatre) reversed [set up], TENT (marquee) contains [to host] IN (popular). Relevant.

15d

Brother starts to experience yearninghead for something to eat (6,3)

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16d

Caught by short projectile, sure to capsize with fifty on board (5,3)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

YES (sure) reversed [to capsize] contained [caught] by BULLE{t} (projectile) [short]. Worth 50 points on a darts board.

19d

Hotheading towards 45 degrees with many keeling over (6)

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21d

Consecutive notes in descending scale heard until now (2,3)

Generating...

I haven't cracked this one yet — but Times for the Times have:

Aural word play [heard]:  “soh fah”  (consecutive notes in descending scale). You may recall from the song that the ascending scale is ‘doh re mi fah soh lah ti doh’. There are several different spellings of most of the notes but I have picked two that enable the aural wordplay to apply to both needed for the clue.

23d

Staff working to support sonar operator, perhaps? (5)

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