Times Cryptic #29385

2025-11-12

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Across

1a

Very large one that makes you feel better (6)

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4a

Huge mistake whenever one enters court from the back (8)

Generating...

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

ERR (mistake) IF I (whenever one) in CT, reversed.

10a

Shortened dress soldier keeps shortening (9)

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11a

Back massage ends in slight pop (5)

Generating...

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

RUB (massage, back, ie rev.) + S(ligh)T.

12a

Fancy a cry? (7)

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13a

Far too much poetry in that novel (2,5)

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14a

Gang violence postponing love for very eager Romeo (5)

Generating...

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

AGOG (very eager) + R, from NATO alphabet Romeo. Then the O is postponed, ie moved to the back..

15a

Don't stop stars performing? (6,2)

Generating...

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

a DD, the second one fanciful in nature. The Plough is a formation of seven stars within Ursa Major, in some countries called the Big Dipper. Am I right, Starstruck?

18a

Council property unlikely to house private hospital (4,4)

Generating...

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

OWN (private, personal) + H(ospital) in TALL, unlikely. As in a tall tale..

20a

Anvil is iron on the outside, and every other part of course (5)

Generating...

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

I(ro)N, + C(o)U(r)S(e). The incus is a bone in the middle ear that resembles an anvil. If you squint. Possibly. A little. Tricky if you don’t know the word, but at least you do get three crossers.

23a

One should adopt a diplomatic attitude towards facial hair (7)

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25a

Giant sounded tense (7)

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26a

Animated Lego, minute figure brought to life (5)

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27a

Pocketing a grand, trained men earn ninefold figure (9)

Generating...

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

A G(rand) in *(MEN EARN). Brownie point if you knew this word! I didn’t, but I did know that ennéa is Greek for nine and I had heard the word ennead.

28a

Resolve so many letters for Birmingham and Manchester? (8)

Generating...

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

How many letters? TEN A CITY. I liked this clue!

29a

Fowl transfixed by male's tail that's lovely? (6)

Generating...

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

On the one hand, a CD depicting a peahen bowled over by her mate’s wonderful tail. On the other hand, it is A HE (a male) in PEN, a female swan, a waterfowl and therefore a paid-up member of the fowl clade. The full ramifications of this clue took a while to dawn on me but now they have, I love it. On edit: It can be the PEN, with (mal)E + AH! (that’s lovely) in it.. that makes it a full &lit, so seems a better parsing than that above.. thanks to those commenting

Down

1d

A little addition reported that's a surprise (8)

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2d

Sneaky man checked beneath bait after docking (7)

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3d

Attempt to suppress someone who won't talk quietly, in writing (9)

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5d

Putting coat on, return work left in class (14)

Generating...

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

ELECT (return); then OP + L(eft) in RATING, class. This last a bit iffy imo; a rating can be a classification (eg credit rating) but making it an actual class seems a stretch to me. Not in Collins, except as an Americanism. Electroplating itself is a fascinating subject. Read here about such delights as the Haring-Blum cell, used to test throwing power ..

6d

Fanatic offered to support member of artistic establishment (5)

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7d

Miles shred old jumble (7)

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8d

Memorable speed of light yacht at sea (6)

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9d

Change of part, hence end of troublesome limp? (3,11)

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16d

Damage you'd expect to be contained by fireplace (5,4)

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17d

Advanced child turned handle all at once (2,3,3)

Generating...

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

A(dvanced), as in A level perhaps, + SON (child) + NAME (handle), reversed.

19d

Bunting seen in town a lot, royalists put up (7)

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21d

Tom perhaps arrived hot, running from cold? (7)

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22d

Go in search of fun and receive something that does the trick (6)

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24d

Order military chief accepts is ridiculous (5)

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