Times Cryptic #29468

2026-02-17

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Across

1a

Total construction reduced to powder (4)

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4a

Seductive invitation to advance success with woman (4-6)

Generating...
9a

I don’t believe you coach robbers in this? (7,3)

Generating...
10a

Small boat for start of adventure (4)

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11a

Barman in clubs given free clothing (6)

Generating...

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

FRAN~K (free) containing [clothing] C (clubs). César Franck is perhaps best known for his Symphony in D minor a piece I came to love when I studied it for O- or A-level Music..

12a

Herb returning a cheque, only half of amount (8)

Generating...

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

A + GIRO (cheque) reversed [returning], NUM {ber} (amount) [only half of…]

14a

Fish beginning to acquire thought (4)

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15a

A minute seaweed and partner combine (10)

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17a

Do like senior executive: toss one diamond after another on table? (6,4)

Generating...
20a

Scoff about withdrawing appeal for silence (4)

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21a

Big stone landed hard on a valuable one lying around (8)

Generating...

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

A + GEM (valuable one – ref: stone ) reversed [withdrawing], LIT (landed), H (hard)

23a

Religious house overlooking crucial thing in urgent matter (6)

Generating...

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

PRIOR {it} Y (urgent matter) [overlooking crucial thing – it ]

24a

Common sense surely not useless (4)

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25a

Noted suite set out following specific blueprint (3,7)

Generating...
26a

Taken to court to keep quiet urge prohibited (10)

Generating...

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

SU~ED (taken to court) containing [to keep] P (quiet) + PRESS (urge)

27a

Children’s author was made to turn left (4)

Generating...

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

HAD (was made to) reversed [turn], L (left)

Down

2d

In translation, reorder sad English poem (1,3,3,4)

Generating...
3d

In post after tea covering for old soldiers (5,4)

Generating...
4d

Plant early bird among spies (7)

Generating...

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

LARK (early bird) contained by [among] C-IA (spies). Early bird as in the saying, ‘Up with the lark’. NHO.

5d

Consume such fine ham, prepared all alike (4,2,1,8)

Generating...
6d

Fish finger girl needs for this? (7)

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7d

Flier put name to protagonist (5)

Generating...

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

HERO (protagonist), N (name)

8d

Band touring almost every region (5)

Generating...

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

RE~M ( rock band) containing [touring] AL {l} everything [almost]

13d

Busy with score of satisfactory quality (2,2,7)

Generating...
16d

Referred to people I noted wandering about (9)

Generating...

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

MEN (people), anagram [wandering] of I NOTED

18d

Signal extremely short period of time checks (7)

Generating...

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

WHI~LE (period of time) contains [checks] S {hor} T extremely

19d

Drank regularly, with Oscar for one, and fell over (7)

Generating...

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

TIPPLED (drank regularly) becomes TOPPLED when O (Oscar) stands in for I (one)

21d

Naughty girl, they say, wearing these? (5)

Generating...

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

Aural wordplay [they say]: “minx” (naughty girl). I was one letter out with my answer MINIS. My faulty logic was that the famous naughty girl in The Beano comic was called Minnie, but if I’d thought a little longer I’d have remembered that the title of the strip was Minnie the Minx .

22d

Odd that doctor’s admitting man with bellyache (5)

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