Times Cryptic #29425

2025-12-29

Solve on Times →

Across

1a

Turbulent ocean trip up around far side of major capital (4-2-6)

Generating...

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

majo R in anagram* of OCEAN TRIP UP; capital of Haiti

8a

Open boxes at the front all contain ham (7)

Generating...

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

A~ C~ in OVERT

9a

Certain Antipodeans in Paris also sense regularly being overlooked (7)

Generating...

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

AUSSI (French for ‘also’) s E n S e ; once famously described as the most balanced people in the world, these banter lovers have just handed the Pommies another thrashing down under

11a

Rise of work involving routines? (5-2)

flowerflowerflower
12a

Illegal activity in key London district (7)

Generating...

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

D EALING

13a

Marketing gimmick that is canned? (3-2)

flowerflowerflower
14a

Additional information is about ecstasy (9)

flowerflowerflower
16a

Delicious fresh salami cut by family member (9)

flowerflowerflower
19a

Clubs suffer defeat in the ballpark? (5)

Generating...

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

C LOSE

21a

Greenville's most impressive breakfast possibly is in N Eastern St (7)

Generating...

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

EAT (to breakfast) in N E ST; Greenville is a city in South Carolina; allegedly, then, denizens of the good ol’ US of A use the word ‘neat’ to  mean ‘good’. All I can say is that, when I visited my mother’s family in New Zealand for the first time in 1977, everyone was saying things were ‘real neat-aye,’ with an alarmingly ascending intonation.

23a

Current legislator wasn't honest, as suggested (7)

flowerflowerflower
24a

Intern bored by editor finally to leave Express? (7)

flowerflowerflower
25a

Something free of charge in new German sci-fi franchise (7)

flowerflowerflower
26a

Support for each number expressing "good for you" (6,6)

flowerflowerflower

Down

1d

Upper-crust folks look mature (7)

flowerflowerflower
2d

Managed to bring on board staff from part of Africa (7)

flowerflowerflower
3d

Recommendation to split an Italian bubbly and appetisers (9)

flowerflowerflower
4d

Type of cloth placed beneath piano (5)

Generating...

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

P before LAID

5d

Set up popular booth at farmers' market? (7)

flowerflowerflower
6d

Cap requires waterproofing by the sounds of it (7)

flowerflowerflower
7d

Doing business externally, the auditor's forced to what extent? (5-7)

flowerflowerflower
10d

Musician's skill in this grade sadly lacking, ultimately (5-7)

Generating...

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

IN THIS GRADE* lackin G; in my dotage, I am fortunate enough to sing in a semi-professional choir with many excellent singers. While my sight-reading is poor, I have been praised by our chorusmaster for my listening. When I told my wife this, she roared with laughter.

15d

Casual relationship beginning to destroy marriage (9)

Generating...

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

D~ ALLAINCE

17d

Somebody very close to you catching a spider? (7)

Generating...

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

A in BESTIE; not my favourite word. I very nearly put in ‘beautie’, as I couldn’t see anything else that fitted.

18d

Old ass sent up Herb (7)

Generating...

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

O ONAGER reversed; the good old ONAGER is getting his first outing for quite a while

19d

Poor excuses from police officers getting dismissed (3-4)

flowerflowerflower
20d

Character just after small parts (7)

flowerflowerflower
22d

Firm word of denial upset senior journalist (5)

flowerflowerflower