No 14675, Friday 26 Dec 2025, Crescent

RULES FOR POSTING COMMENTS FOR FRIDAY ONLY

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ACROSS

1   Sacking friend, difficulty arises (6) BURLAP {PAL}{RUB}<=

5   Piece of sausage in rolled wraps, baloney? (4) TOSH {H{Sa...e}OT<=}

7   Duck is tipped by game bird (6) OSPREY {O'S}{PREY}

9   Receivers have one each on one end of receiver to rest on the phone (8) EARPIECE [CD] (Correction {EA}{Re...r}{(~peace)PIECE} - Semi&lit}

11 Nobles taken in by spoof with dim, deceptively sage utterances (6,2,6) PEARLS OF WISDOM {EARLS} in {SPOOF+W+DIM}*

12 Let's focus on card played, the diamond nine (5,2,8) CURSE OF SCOTLAND*

14 About time to follow beach crowds with right article at home - bucket? (4,4,3,4) RAIN CATS AND DOGS {CA}{T}{SAND{DOG}S}<=>{R}{A}{IN}

17 Uncomplicated version of India limits panic abroad (14) SIMPLIFICATION {OF+I+LIMITS+PANIC}*

19 Irritating counter, say not available on call (8) ANGERING {EG}{NA}<={RING}

20 Weak insect folds in one millisecond (6) FLIMSY {FL{1}{MS}Y}

21 King inspired by silly questions (4) ASKS {AS{K}S}

22 One piping hot spilt by assistant following final in play (6) YELPER {hELPER}<=>{plaY}

DOWN

2   Rackets favouring a Republican in America (7) UPROARS {U{PRO}{A}{R}S}

3   Aluminium seen later in brass perhaps? True (5) LOYAL (-al)LOY(+al)AL

4   Busy, sly gossip preens attractively (15) PREPOSSESSINGLY*

5   Challenge hospital leads to fight onset of disease in urban area (9) THROWDOWN {H}{ROW}{Di...e} in {TOWN}

6   Scrap metal from disc is selectively sampled (7) SCISSEL [T]

8   Drink before turning up to share matter in gathering (11) SUPPURATION {SUP}{UP<=}{RATION}

10 Representatives for overseas commerce start war with Government consent (5,6) CROWN AGENTS {WAR+G+CONSENT}

13 Names one probes after operation are those not transparent? (9) OPACITIES {CIT{1}ES}<=>{OP}{A}

15 Retracted nail heads by means of special claws (7) NIPPERS {PIN<=}{PER}{S}

16 Divine execution independent boards judge (7) DEICIDE {DE{I}CIDE}

18 Just out of line, foul (5) AWFUL lAWFUL

Reference List

With = W, About = CA, Time = T, Right = R, At home = IN, India = I, King = K, Hot = H, Republican = R, Hospital = H, Drink = SUP, Government = G, Operation = OP, Are = A, Special = S, Line = L