Times Cryptic #29258

2025-06-17

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Across

1a

Survey of a number of deliveries to struggle with (8)

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9a

Left prince accepting university examination (8)

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10a

Make a temporary stop using enclosed chart with motorway going east (6)

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11a

Abandonment of ski harness on the run (10)

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12a

Lead actor's prompt about line (4)

Generating...

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

CUE (actor’s prompt) containing [about] L (line)

13a

What's triggered by burning cooked korma meals (5,5)

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16a

Ingredient of salad that's cold in the main (7)

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17a

Youngster born under Leo? (4,3)

Generating...

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

Cryptic

20a

Formerly present until late afternoon broadcast? (10)

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22a

Came out with it one day (4)

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23a

Expert in smut, say, mostly I go dancing around clubs (10)

Generating...

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

Anagram [dancing] of MOSTLY I GO containing [around] C (clubs). Having derived the answer from wordplay with some difficulty I learned that a mycologist studies fungus. That made sense as I already knew of smut as a fungal disease affecting cereal.

25a

I am left message (6)

Generating...

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

I’M (I am), PORT (message). Easy to solve but I struggled to understand the definition here until I found this amongst other examples: “The import (message) of his words was clear.”

26a

Case of intolerable situation for teacher's union? (8)

Generating...

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

NUT’S HELL (intolerable situation for teacher’s union – National Union of Teachers)

27a

One may react against this chap of greater stature stripped (8)

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Down

2d

Army's foremost youth turned up in charge of Germanic raiders (8)

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3d

Get together again concerning mounting chaos in island (10)

Generating...

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

RE (concerning), then MESS (chaos) contained by [in] ELBA (island) both reversed [mounting]

4d

Devil back grabbing saint, one old one receiving help from angels (10)

Generating...

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

IMP (devil), REAR (back) containing [grabbing] S (saint), then I (one), O (old). Angels are financial backers of theatrical productions, possibly  enlisted by an impresario.

5d

Factory work in town near Doncaster (7)

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6d

Not as much to be thankful for having lost billions (4)

Generating...

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

{b}LESS (be thankful for) [having lost billions]

7d

What's used in the studio of advanced artist (6)

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8d

Members of Balliol initially supporting gaudy meet for a purpose (5,3)

Generating...

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

FLASH (gaudy), M{embers} + O{f} + B{alliol} [initially]. I’m not sure of the grammar here. If ‘flash mob’ can be used as a verb, that works, or perhaps ‘meet’ is as a noun as it is e.g. in hunting.

14d

Tending to prove event Iliad misrepresented (10)

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15d

Brown perhaps touches the earth before spring (10)

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16d

Cruel, being puerile round unpleasant smell (8)

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18d

Creation of educational poetry? (8)

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19d

Heavily-set man, soldier keeping men all back (7)

Generating...

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

GI (soldier) containing [keeping] OR (men), then ALL reversed [back]

21d

Perform ceremony outside Mecca regularly (6)

Generating...

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

RITE (ceremony) containing [outside] {m}E{c}C{a} [regularly]

24d

Warning females to lose weight (4)

Generating...

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

{w}OMEN (females) [to lose weight]