Times Cryptic #29423

2025-12-26

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Across

1a

Cryptic method, so clue giving little away (5-7)

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9a

High pipe still cold and loo out of order (7)

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10a

Pants take up entire laundry (7)

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11a

Big shot reportedly put hole in ship's side (9)

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12a

Rush to seize protestor munching sandwiches (5)

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13a

Where riders may be introduced by heartless groom? (6)

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14a

Drop into New Delhi bar opening in capital (8)

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17a

Chance I had to open Molière's grave? (8)

Generating...

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

I’D (I had) contained by (to open) ACCENT (Molière’s grave-accented ‘e’).

19a

Act as a prisoner's guiding light (6)

Generating...

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

BE A CON (act as a prisoner).

22a

Shift for one female prison officer without conflict (5)

Generating...

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

warDRESS (a female warden, or prison officer) missing ‘war’ (without conflict). Neither word was completely familiar to me, and this was my LOI.

24a

Butcher at the farm? It follows (9)

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25a

Meaningless like one three by itself (7)

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26a

Get rich from tip put in mug (5,2)

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27a

Creative exploring dreams, possibly making Radio 5 all ads (8,4)

Generating...

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

anagram of (possibly making) RADIO V ALL ADS.

Down

2d

Something you do to feed after due date? (7)

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3d

Trapped by falls, start to swim then leap (9)

Generating...

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

first of (start to) Swim + NOW (then) + BOUND (leap).

4d

Low note, fiver perhaps (6)

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5d

Easy to see runs wanted for hundred in ground (8)

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6d

Secondary schools that boy's going round superficially goodish (5)

Generating...

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

HIS (that boy’s) containing (going round) the outermost letters of (superficially) GoodisH.

7d

Soldier bore with American thug sharing a cell (7)

Generating...

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

DRAG (bore) and GOON (American thug), written so that the ‘G’ shares a cell in the grid.

8d

Maybe open expensive wines, taking one aboard for Agnes (12)

Generating...

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

CHAMPagnes (expensive wines) with I (one) and ON SHIP (aboard) in place of (for) ‘agnes’. I think this must not refer to The Open, but to the type of championship that could just be open to non-professionals.

9d

Upright piano slipped, tuner maybe coming after dinner? (12)

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15d

Van at this point drove too fast for Spooner (9)

Generating...

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

“hear” (at this point) and “sped” (drove too fast) Spoonerised.

16d

Painter perhaps made an entrance out of sight (2,6)

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18d

King checks and changes roll of film (7)

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20d

New French designer clothes, medium (7)

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21d

Plaster didn't come off, I'm surprised to hear (6)

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23d

10 second abridged Shakespeare? (5)

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