2025 Mini V

I loved the clues for COLANDER and CROPTOPS! The clue for OGRE is non-Ximenean, but inferable. I feel like the clue for OMELETTE could be an &lit if you dropped the last two words?  
Nice work!

Thank you! Is it non-Ximenean because it’s ambiguous which side is the def? & yeah I thought about trying an &lit but imo scramble doesn’t really fit an omelette.

Exactly. Disambiguity isn't a requirement, but it can help the solver. "Beast is repelled thusly" would work fine here

**ACROSS**\
1A: ||**problems**: BUG[-le]S||\
4A: ||**it was the worst of times**: [-b]LAST||\
7A: ||**breakfast**: O (“egg”) + MELE(T_ + T_)E||\
9A: ||**2x def**: CO-LANDER/COLANDER||\
11A: ||**They expose the trunk**: C_R + OP (“work”) + TO + P_S||\
12A: ||**Slippers**: [-h]EELS||\
13A: ||**Beast**: OGRE<||\
**DOWN**\
1D: ||**Ball game**: “botchy” homophone||\
2D: ||**Product**: .G.E< (“for one”) + \_L (“buns of steel”)||\
3D: ||**Is my jam**: S(L)AP (“syrup source taking losses”) + S_||\
4D: ||**down in speed**: LENTO*||\
5D: ||**part**: [-fir]ST +EP||\
6D: ||**Curt**: boosTER SEat||\
8D: ||**Perhaps triple**: MO (“sec”) + ([liqueu]R + [orang]E)<||\
10D: ||**sausage**: D_ + OG (“authentic”)||

I loved all of the acrosses for their own reason. 4A, though, has to be the one of the most clever surfaces I've seen! Great work!

Thank you, I'm glad that one worked for you!

Mini Cryptic 28

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