Independent No. 12,237 by Eccles

Good morning cruciverbalists. A very Merry Xmas to you all, whether celebrating or not.

A delightful stocking filler here: nothing too demanding nor a giveaway either. As Goldilocks said: “just right”. Somewhat unusual for Eccles, I feel, but welcome after yesterday’s seeing-to from Nimrod!

A message from the National Guild of Pedants though: “Apes and Monkeys are not the same. Merry Xmas”

Thanks Eccles for the grid and see you all in 2026.

Solutions are underlined.

Across

1 Strange discharge results in uproar (6)

RUMPUS

Strange [RUM] discharge [PUS]

5 A couple of right masculine guards imitate parasite (8)

TAPEWORM

A couple of [TWO ] right [R] masculine [M] guards [around] imitate [APE]

9 Case of cold Greek wine returned (8)

CANISTER

Cold [C] Greek wine [RETSINA] returned [backwards]

10 Organised considerable cut price for redemption (6)

RANSOM

Organised [RAN] considerable cut [SOME]

11 Second occurrence regarding formal request (10)

REPETITION

Regarding [RE] formal request [PETITION]

12 Escape from the trap in Staffordshire town (4)

LEEK

Sounds like [“from the trap”] ESCAPE = LEAK

13 Relating to change in shape (8)

TRIANGLE

Anag. [“to change”] RELATING

16 Fraudulent call by Yankee (6)

PHONEY

Call [PHONE} by Yankee [Y]

17 Language in Luton guesthouse (6)

TONGUE

Hidden word [“in”] LUTON GUESTHOUSE

19 A quiet little craving (8)

APPETITE

A quiet [P = musical direction Pianissimo] little [PETITE]

21 Old woman is magnificent, mostly (4)

GRAN

Magnificent, mostly [GRAND]

22 Inscrutable cop freaked out (5-5)

POKER FACED

Anag [“out”] COP FREAKED

25 Dye-producing plant, one doing badly (6)

INDIGO

One [I] doing badly [anag DOING]

26 Supplement part of the digestive system (8)

APPENDIX

Double def

27 Clergyman never changing into Marxist (8)

REVEREND

Never changing [anag} into [inside] Marxist [RED]

28 I strained shoulders and travelled by cab (6)

TAXIED

I [I] strained [TAXED] shoulders [around]

Down

2 Employment of wise man after 4th of January (5)

USAGE

Wise man [SAGE] after 4th of January [U]

3 Pressure to travel by bike gives satisfaction (5)

PRIDE

Pressure [P] to travel by bike [RIDE]

4 Location for writing this puzzle? (7)

SETTING

Cryptic & DD

5 End sex and love, ultimately, for homewrecker? (7)

TERMITE

End [TERM] sex [IT] and love, ultimately [E]

6 Root’s standard cut (7)

PARSNIP

Standard [PAR] cut [SNIP]

7 Little by little, extract shellfish completely (6,3)

WINKLE OUT

Shellfish [WINKLE] completely [OUT]

8 Sole voter upset president (9)

ROOSEVELT

Anag [“upset”] SOLE VOTER

14 Ordering a cocktail as a main course in America (3,6)

RIO GRANDE

Anag [“cocktail”] ORDERING A

15 Juan Perón, perhaps: somewhat vulgar gent in exile (9)

TERMITE

Hidden word [“somewhat”] VULGAR GENT IN EXILE

18 Go off former police officer on ecstasy (7)

EXPLODE

Former [EX] police officer [PLOD] on ecstasy [E]

19 A week with protégé is tricky (7)

AWKWARD

A [A] week [WK] with protégé [WARD]

20 Protective wall section protecting monkey (7)

PARAPET

Section [PART] protecting [around] monkey [APE]

23 Join queen, getting cross (5)

ANNEX

Queen [ANNE] getting cross [X]

24 Best priest extremely tense (5)

ELITE

Priest [ELI] extremely tense [T~~ENS~~E]

12 comments on “Independent No. 12,237 by Eccles”

PostMark

#1 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:03

Ref PARAPET, yep – I seem to recall having my knuckles rapped on the occasion I tried to utilise the dictionary equivalence of apes and monkeys in a clue. Sources on the internet seem to contradict each other with some claiming one is a subset of the other and others noting the taillessness of the apes as the feature that differentiates them. Above my taxonomical pay grade.

Very nice hidden clue for ARGENTINE. Thanks both.

Leedsclimber

#2 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:08

12a. Typo fixed. Repetition indeed!

Hovis

#3 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:08

The monkey/ape issue arises occasionally with the same reply: they can both refer to a mischievous person, usually a child.
I’m guessing the blog’s solution to 12a is an inadvertent joke.

Ah, you fixed it while I was typing.

PostMark

#4 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:21

Hate to say it, Leedsclimber, but REPETITION has a superfluous R in the parse

Rabbit Dave

#5 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:37

Unusual to find Eccles on a Saturday, but a very welcome surprise. It was also surprisingly light for one of his puzzles and with no new words for me. In any event, it was as enjoyable as ever.

Many thanks to Eccles and to Leedsclimber.

Leedsclimber

#6 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:39

Thanks Mark #4

I’ll avoid the v poor joke about parse rather needing it’s r. Corrected

Petert

#7 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:41

Relieved to discover that I can still do crosswords in spite of inventing hectagon as a shape, as it’s an anagram of to change and trying to convince myself that if one were madder, one would be doing badly.

E.N.Boll&

#8 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 10:42

Thank you Eccles, for a perfect hangover cure.
Like Petert @7, I was starting to think I couldn’t hack it any more.
This was like a couple of aspirin, after too many blows to my head from recent puzzles.
( yes…you, Nimrod! )
Thanks, the Ecc, and LC

Keith

#9 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 10:52

There is a repetition in the blog for 5dn & 15dn

Ian SW3

#10 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 11:06

We members of the National Guild of Pedants would also have appreciated an acknowledgement that the use of REVEREND as a noun is an Americanism!

jane

#11 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 13:43

Our setter giving us quarter for any over-indulgence during the Christmas festivities – or he’s just softening us up for a grilling on his next outing! I was ridiculously slow to fathom the 10a cut price but had to smile at the guy with strained shoulders needing a cab. Favourite was the compiler’s location for writing this puzzle.

Many thanks to Eccles and also to LC for the review.

Simon S

#12 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 14:10

Thanks Eccles and Leedsclimber

Ian @ 10 from Chambers:
“revˈerend adjective
1. Worthy of reverence
2. Clerical
3. (with cap; usu written Rev) a title prefixed to the name of a member of the clergy

noun (informal)
A member of the clergy”

The OED also gives it as a noun.

PostMark

#1 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:03

Ref PARAPET, yep – I seem to recall having my knuckles rapped on the occasion I tried to utilise the dictionary equivalence of apes and monkeys in a clue. Sources on the internet seem to contradict each other with some claiming one is a subset of the other and others noting the taillessness of the apes as the feature that differentiates them. Above my taxonomical pay grade.

Very nice hidden clue for ARGENTINE. Thanks both.
Leedsclimber

#2 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:08

12a. Typo fixed. Repetition indeed!
Hovis

#3 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:08

The monkey/ape issue arises occasionally with the same reply: they can both refer to a mischievous person, usually a child.
I’m guessing the blog’s solution to 12a is an inadvertent joke.

Ah, you fixed it while I was typing.
PostMark

#4 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:21

Hate to say it, Leedsclimber, but REPETITION has a superfluous R in the parse
Rabbit Dave

#5 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:37

Unusual to find Eccles on a Saturday, but a very welcome surprise. It was also surprisingly light for one of his puzzles and with no new words for me. In any event, it was as enjoyable as ever.

Many thanks to Eccles and to Leedsclimber.
Leedsclimber

#6 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:39

Thanks Mark #4

I’ll avoid the v poor joke about parse rather needing it’s r. Corrected
Petert

#7 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 09:41

Relieved to discover that I can still do crosswords in spite of inventing hectagon as a shape, as it’s an anagram of to change and trying to convince myself that if one were madder, one would be doing badly.
E.N.Boll&

#8 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 10:42

Thank you Eccles, for a perfect hangover cure.
Like Petert @7, I was starting to think I couldn’t hack it any more.
This was like a couple of aspirin, after too many blows to my head from recent puzzles.
( yes…you, Nimrod! )
Thanks, the Ecc, and LC
Keith

#9 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 10:52

There is a repetition in the blog for 5dn & 15dn
Ian SW3

#10 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 11:06

We members of the National Guild of Pedants would also have appreciated an acknowledgement that the use of REVEREND as a noun is an Americanism!
jane

#11 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 13:43

Our setter giving us quarter for any over-indulgence during the Christmas festivities – or he’s just softening us up for a grilling on his next outing! I was ridiculously slow to fathom the 10a cut price but had to smile at the guy with strained shoulders needing a cab. Favourite was the compiler’s location for writing this puzzle.

Many thanks to Eccles and also to LC for the review.
Simon S

#12 - Sat 27th Dec 25, 14:10

Thanks Eccles and Leedsclimber

Ian @ 10 from Chambers:
“revˈerend adjective
1. Worthy of reverence
2. Clerical
3. (with cap; usu written Rev) a title prefixed to the name of a member of the clergy

noun (informal)
A member of the clergy”

The OED also gives it as a noun.

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Across

Down

12 comments on “Independent No. 12,237 by Eccles”

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