The Hindu Cryptic on Sunday No 31, Sunday 23 Nov 2025, Incognito

ACROSS

8   Spy meets in the beginning with a Spanish cry (4) MOLE {Me..s}{OLE}

9   Belts and socks (5) BEATS [DD]

10 Thought from guide accepted (4) IDEA [T]

11 Make by fitting bearing in box (6) CREATE {CR{E}ATE}

12 Moving fast after individual leaves train to get harmful cooking ingredient (5,3) TRANS FAT {FAST}*<=>{TRAiN}

13 God's with president and Russian monk (8) RASPUTIN {RA'S}{PUTIN}

15 One maiden grows old in pictures (6) IMAGES {1}{M}{AGES}

17 Arranging owl feathers gives esoteric information (3,4) LOW DOWN {OWL}*{DOWN}

19 I am having throb in artery in sudden inclination (7) IMPULSE {I'M}{PULSE}

22 To some extent, former manager's a fishy guy (6) MERMAN [T]

24 Take to court about some Europeans and Africans (8) SUDANESE {SU{DANES}E}

26 Twisted muscle around one at commencement of rodeo? That's more ungraceful (8) CLUMSIER {CLUMS{1}ER*}{Ro..o}

28 Staff in ship providing means of propulsion (6) SCREWS {S{CREW}S}

30 Since artificial intelligence is rejected in the continent... (4) ASIA {AS}{AI<=}

31 Resign, leaving emergencies, in turmoil to become host at event (5) EMCEE EMErgEnCies*

32 Eats out in the Orient (4) EAST*

DOWN

1   Animal and snake get rights at first (4) BOAR {BOA}{Ri...s}

2   German representative went around California with editor and suddenly left (8) DECAMPED {DE}{CA}{MP}{ED}

3   Sailor transferred. Not present (6) ABSENT {AB}{SENT}

4   Secures guns after note (7) FASTENS {FA}{STENS}

5   Same pics altered displaying tendency to forget about reality (8) ESCAPISM*

6   Post lunch nap? Start sleeping in Spain at beginning of the afternoon (6) SIESTA {Sl...g}{In}{ES}{The}{Af...n}

7   Editor in Virginia produces Indian scripture (4) VEDA {V{ED}A}

14 Home built from adobe (5) ABODE*

16 Reduces difficulty of eating a salty enchilada snack for starters (5) EASES Acrostic

18 Women getting single measure of drink around tavern in city (8) WINNIPEG {W}{INN}{1}{PEG}

20 Inland Revenue expelled alien by mistake. Scared? (8) UNNERVED {inlaND+REVENUe}*

21 Staggering sot with lots of money gets bird (7) OSTRICH {SOT*}{RICH}

23 Snakes from Mombasa slithering around releasing odour at first (6) MAMBAS MoMBASA*

25 Dude walking around street removed dry dirt (6) DUSTED {DU{ST}ED*}

27 Girl starting to love silly guy (4) LASS {Love}{ASS}

29 Insect from Washington starts to secrete poison (4) WASP {WA}{Se...e}{Po...n}

Reference List

Spanish cry= OLE, Bearing = E, Maiden = M, Ship = SS, German = DE, Representative = MP, Editor = ED, Sailor = AB, Note = FA, Spain = ES, Women = W