The Guardian Cryptic Answers - Wednesday, 24th December 2008 There are 16 across clues and 13 down clues for the The Guardian Cryptic crossword on Wednesday, 24th December 2008. View the answers below.. Also try..All The Guardian Cryptic AnswersAll PublicationsThe AnswersNumber# Clue Answer AAcross 1: Sporting ploy of taking left back past first of strikers, if organisedOFFSIDEAAcross 5: Happy as the carpet beetle?SNUGASAAAcross 10: A little wind from the rear, producing tuneARIAAAcross 11: Essay penned by school square, a killerSTRYCHNINEAAcross 12: Put in little round object, old coinPESETAAAcross 13: French comic written in twelve symbolsNOTATIONAAcross 14: Beginning to advance, a sharply shifting stream of charged particlesALPHARAYSAAcross 16: Flying boatsFLEETAAcross 17: How W-H-E-A-T is?SPELTAAcross 19: See 5BUGINARUGAAcross 23: Flatter bottom, straight back!BUTTER UPAAcross 24: Maybe solar power applied to carPLEXUSAAcross 26: Soaks approaching Arab with a serious drink problemDIPSOMANIAAAcross 27: See 1TRAPAAcross 28: City light filled with gas, explodingGLASGOWAAcross 29: See 3CHARMERDDown 2: Stray snatched up by young animal, certainlyFORREALDDown 3: Doubly caddish musician?SNAKEDDown 4: Is padre in disguise? Give upDESPAIRDDown 6: Detail of Germanic etymologyNICETYDDown 7: Facts on nation, as they say, cobblers, sayGENITALIADDown 8: US city judge so upstanding, insane?SAN JOSEDDown 9: Not entirely glorious state with short, fat person left out in relative abandonmentGRANNYDUMPINGDDown 15: Scrabble sloth (ai) exists to create social problemHALITOSISDDown 18: Intimate about love, one appearing wetPLUVIALDDown 20: Find fault with constituency allocation?IMPEACHDDown 21: Wail in grief as South African executed, deadULULATEDDown 22: Messiah initially placed in manger getting nothing for his birthday!CRIMBODDown 25: Apple warmer, though not hotEATER