AFR Cryptic (31/1/2026) Solution

Across Answers and Clues Explanations
1 LIVER SPOT
Skin blemish that’s usually brown or silver, disfigured large belly (5,4) Anagram of SILVER + POT
6 KAVA
Some drink, a Vanuatuan beverage (4) drinK A VAnuatuan
10 GUEST
Visitor took a shot in the dark reportedly (5) Sounds like GUESSED
11 TRAGEDIAN
Actor partied hard with one sporting buff (9) (RAGED + I) inside TAN
12 TONALITY
Plaything, inscribed with a translation of Latin, is key (8) Anagram of LATIN inside TOY
13 VACANT
Empty vessel stored in another (6) CAN inside VAT
15 MEDICINE CHEST
Senior journalist, in view of nice chemist, maligned drug store (8,5) ED inside anagram of NICE CHEMIST
18 PRIME MINISTER
Leader’s formal dress worn in compound (5,8) PRIM + (MINI inside ESTER)
22 RUTILE
Form containing titanium? (6) RULE outside TI
23 REPRISAL
Public relations is limited by actual retaliation (8) (PR + IS) inside REAL
26 TUNING OUT
Fanatic, regressing during disease, is losing interest (6,3) NUT returned + IN + GOUT
27 SIDLE
Creep is left in team (5) L inside SIDE
28 AMEN
Your Grace’s ending change? Not entirely (4) (AMEN)d
29 NO CONTEST
Plea by prisoner put back on trial (2,7) CON reversed + ON + TEST
 Down  Answers and Clues Explanations
1 LIGHTS
Flimsy pole catches fire (6) LIGHT + S
2 VIETNAM
Country’s volcano involved in spirited activity (7) ETNA inside VIM
3 RATEL
Measure tail of normal honey badger (5) RATE + norma(L)
4 POTATO CHIP
Chunk of Sebago, say – plant a bed up with it (6,4) POT + A + (COT reversed) + HIP
5 TEAK
Timber cut down one side (4) (s)TEAK
7 AGITATE
Shake a barrier holding it (7) IT inside (A + GATE)
8 ANNOTATE
Comment on article not fully digested (8) AN + NOT + ATE
9 FERAL CAT
Wild animal left a car damaged (5,3) Anagram of LEFT A CAR
14 ANTISEPTIC
Uninspiring colonist is first to tower in heroic story (10) ANT + IS + [(T)ower inside EPIC]
16 DWELLING
Section of uncovered well in grand residence (8) uncovereD WELL IN Grand
17 OPERETTA
Musical drama’s toe-tapper not usually played without piano accompaniment (8) Anagram of TOE-TAPPER minus P
19 INTENSE
Powerful tennis played with energy (7) Anagram of TENNIS + E
20 RESIDUE
Rise adversely impacted outstanding balance (7) Anagram of RISE + DUE
21 CLIENT
Customer left with one in small Australian capital (6) (L + I) inside CENT
24 RESIN
Fall over pine product? (5) Double Definition
25 DOWN
Blue feathers (4) Double Definition

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