Times Cryptic #29393

2025-11-21

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Across

1a

Polish ambassador mostly utilised dispatch boxes (5)

flowerflowerflower
4a

One's returned reptile with it? (9)

Generating...

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

I’M (one’s) reversed + CROC (reptile) + HIP (with it) Returned to its owner, is what’s meant. But do people put microchips in reptiles?! I’ve heard of them in dogs.

9a

One regularly spending years in struggle (9)

Generating...

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

I (one) REGULARLY – (spending) Y (years) anagrammed (in struggle)

10a

Alarm having time set by mistake (5)

Generating...

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

TERROR (alarm) – T (having time set by)

11a

Wife's supplanted by female in artfully better clothes (6)

Generating...

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

W (wife) replaced (‘s supplanted) by F (female) in OUTWIT (artfully better)

12a

Flying ace heading by into base (8)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Urban housing that hurts duke's land (5,4)

Generating...

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

TOWN (urban) around (housing) OUCH (that hurts) D (duke)

16a

One end of support, far up from foot (5)

Generating...

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

last letter (one end) of SUPPORT + HIGH (far up from foot)

17a

Refugee perhaps cutting a couple of tons of fabric (5)

Generating...

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

removing two Ts from (cutting a couple of tons of) TEXTILE

19a

Festival's framing reproduction piece in Sunflowers tribute (9)

flowerflowerflower
21a

Left cutting fork out by remaining ham (8)

Generating...

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

L (left) in (cutting) PAY (fork out) next to (by) OVER (remaining)

22a

Redacted communique because it's province of Nato telecoms (6)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Edition that is covering return of American head of state (5)

Generating...

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

IE (that is) around (covering) reversal of (return of) US (American) + first letter (head) of STATE

26a

Earl's against parishioner delivering a pound of pickings (9)

Generating...

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

E (earl) + (‘s against) LECTOR (parishioner delivering) + A L (pound)

27a

Reaction of terrified swallow after cutting its wings (4,5)

Generating...

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

EAT (swallow) after COLD (cutting) + first and last letter of SWALLOW (its wings)

28a

Avid Conservative opposed to Labour changing sides (5)

Generating...

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

C (conservative) LAZY (opposed to labour) with L replaced by R (changing sides)

Down

1d

I got a dozen fish snapping and caught two of them? (4,2,3,6)

Generating...

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

I GOT A DOZEN FISH anagrammed (snapping) + (and) C (caught) A reference to Pisces.

2d

Opening of exhibition in Paris one limits to Corot and Degas? (5)

Generating...

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

first letter (opening) of EXHIBITION + JE (in Paris[,] one) + first and last of (limits to) COROT This one took me awhile. ‘Je’ is French for ‘I’, but of course we have the “Royal one” here or whatever you call it. I also understood to read it as ‘de-gas’, but I had assumed that this meant ‘remove gas from’, as opposed to — ahem — ‘emit gas’.

3d

City with no affluent quarters (7)

Generating...

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

NO RICH (affluent) around (quarters) W (with)

4d

Fur-clad creature's first in line for New Jersey production (4)

Generating...

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

MINK (fur-clad creature) has (‘s) first letter of (first in) LINE instead of (for) N (new)

5d

Flag-waving grand opening engaging six university cops (10)

Generating...
6d

Effective old treasure coffers bolted (7)

Generating...

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

O (old) PET (treasure) around (coffers) RAN (bolted)

7d

Killer in plot to pick up woman next door (9)

flowerflowerflower
8d

Play the clarinet with fiddle as a diversion (15)

flowerflowerflower
13d

Break black-stemmed pair of tennis racket heads (10)

Generating...

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

CON (racket) + (heads) RAVEN (black) in (-stemmed) first two letters (pair) of TENNIS

15d

Catholic doctor unravels source of infection (9)

Generating...

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

anagram of (doctor) UNRAVELS + first letter (source) of INFECTION

18d

CEO briefly engaged in sex on casting couch (7)

flowerflowerflower
20d

Answer short cry from swimmer guards note in the water (7)

Generating...

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

A (answer) QUAC{k} (short cry from swimmer) around (guards) TI (note)

23d

Take naked massage after raising garment (5)

Generating...

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

remove first and last from (naked) TAKE + RUB (massage) reversed (after raising)

24d

Small black gags could be funny (4)

Generating...

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

JET (black) around (gags) S (small)