Times Cryptic #29342

2025-09-23

Solve on Times →

Across

1a

Something immune to challenge, customs-wise, landed aboard boat (6,3)

flowerflowerflower
6a

Person with plenty of time dismantled rifle (5)

Generating...

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

Anagram [dismantled] of RIFLE

9a

Funny mineral found in mountain pass (7)

flowerflowerflower
10a

Unplait curls for wedding (7)

flowerflowerflower
11a

Positions spectacles on one's ears? (5)

Generating...

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

Aural wordplay [on one’s ears]: “sights” (spectacles)

12a

Altercation between boozer and son, a wheeler-dealer? (6,3)

flowerflowerflower
13a

Mother stopping in city destroyed close relationship (8)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Solo number from West Side Story missing intro (4)

Generating...

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

{M}ARIA (number from West Side Story) [missing intro]

17a

Angry god from the east (4)

flowerflowerflower
18a

Fix data set for digital manager (4,4)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Dictatorship decides pot is malevolent to some extent (9)

flowerflowerflower
22a

Trifle endlessly, frolicking (5)

Generating...

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

Anagram [frolicking] of TRIFL{e} [endlessly]

24a

Articulate sign up for series of talks (7)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Drama (TV) where politicians took a stand (7)

Generating...
26a

Stretch of forest habitat around bits of Thailand (5)

flowerflowerflower
27a

Shabby, dilapidated home: a tent (4-5)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Caught half-a-dozen cats (5)

Generating...

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

Aural wordplay [caught]: “six” (half-a-dozen). I’ve heard this expression before, usually in ‘cats up’

2d

Wake up, time for schoolchange, not having cold to get over (4,2,5,4)

Generating...

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

COME TO (wake up), TERM (time for school), SWIT{c}H (change) [not having cold]

3d

Might I pass exam, scoring 50 per cent? See you at half-term (6,2)

flowerflowerflower
4d

State where Congress banned a bicycle, bizarrely (8)

flowerflowerflower
5d

Rugby score underpinning victory characteristic of season (6)

flowerflowerflower
6d

US cops on leave picked up devoted admirer (6)

Generating...

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

LAPD (US cops), then GO (leave) reversed [picked up]

7d

Force freedom in hearing where criminals once hung mischief-maker (15)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Tie once more, going round course at which most won't reach finish line? (5,4)

flowerflowerflower
13d

It could be theft of internal post (6,3)

flowerflowerflower
15d

Monkey to stroll scratching tail in souk? (8)

Generating...

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

MOSE{y} (stroll) [scrapping tail] contained by [in] MAR~T (souk). I was distracted for a while when parsing, thinking that ‘souk’ was to be ‘market’.

16d

Vintage candle, perhaps one separated from candle-holder? (3,5)

flowerflowerflower
19d

Trade union beset by enemies, one needing Labour in due course (6)

flowerflowerflower
20d

Crown land regularly seized by parliament, but not last month (6)

Generating...

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

{l}A{n}D [regularly] contained [seized] by DI~E{t} (parliament) [but not last], then M (month)

23d

Reject scripture being brought upit's poisonous (5)

Generating...

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

NIX (reject) + OT (scripture) reversed [brought up]