Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28054
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
This puzzle was published on Saturday, 5th March 2016
A fairly typical Saturday puzzle.
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Across
1a Unnerve character returning in rickety old car (10)
RATTLETRAP – RATTLE (unnerve) followed by a reversal (returning) of PART (character).
6a Ruin in Madrid is here (4)
DISH – As Richard said on Saturday, “if you can’t find out how a clue works, look for a lurker” – a verb (informal) meaning ruin is hidden in MadriD IS Here. As for DISH meaning RUIN, Big Dave said “I expect it will be explained on Friday…” everyone’s probably forgotten all about it now but according to my favourite reference book Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, this informal term for ruin can mean exhausted or defeated (the allusion being to food, which when it is quite done, is dished up); The verb DISH can also mean to distribute spiteful gossip, which again could lead to someone’s ruin. So, if anyone out there is reading this, I hope you are now satisfied with the explanation.
9a What a golfer may get on tee to one side? (5)
APART – A PAR (a score a golfer might get) and T (tee)
10a Leading man drinking wine in it (9)
IMPORTANT – MAN (from the clue) drinks PORT (wine) and the result is then inserted in IT (from the clue)
12a One progresses rapidly in this designer outfit? (3,4)
TOP GEAR – A gear selected when driving at speed might also be used to refer to a designer outfit.
13a Hit it off, being mature (3,2)
GET ON – To be compatible.
15a Very thirsty chap — red ordered (7)
PARCHED – An anagram (ordered) of CHAP RED
17a Awkward type wrestling endlessly for one-time payment? (4,3)
LUMP SUM – LUMP (awkward type) SUMo (wrestling ‘endlessly’)
19a Annoyance shown by King George during succession (7)
CHAGRIN – GR (George Rex) inserted into CHAIN (succession)
21a Come clean about one written about female saints (7)
CONFESS – C (circa, about), ONE (from the clue) written about or put round F (female) and then followed with SS (saints).
22a Vessel in Scottish river coming back with companion on board (5)
YACHT – A reversal (coming back) of the Scottish river TAY into which is inserted CH (the abbreviation for a Companion of Honour)
24a Exotic brew in a bistro, perhaps (4,3)
WINE BAR – An anagram (exotic) of BREW IN A
27a Therapist‘s in work, at hospital (9)
HOMEOPATH – HOME (in) OP (work) AT (from the clue) H (hospital)
28a Sign in accounts — no comment (5)
ARIES – Simply remove the COMMENT from COMMENTARIES (accounts).
29a Spoils play (4)
LOOT – Plunder and stolen goods; a play by Joe Orton.
30a Rugby ref’s award achieved by fine endeavour (7,3)
PENALTY TRY – PENALTY (fine) TRY (endeavour)
Down
1d Actual region’s miles off (4)
REAL – Remove (off) the M (miles) from REALM (region)
2d Restaurant pastry dish knocked over — a riot breaks out (9)
TRATTORIA – A reversal (knocked over in a Down clue) of TART (pastry dish) followed by an anagram (breaks out) of A RIOT.
3d Drunk started smoking (3,2)
LIT UP – Drunk or put a match to a cigarette.
4d Take care of fencing trouble — back part only (4,3)
TAIL END – TEND (take care of) going round (fencing) AIL (trouble)
5d Clothes variously appear on line (7)
APPAREL – An anagram (variously) of APPEAR goes on or before L (line)
7d I doze before end of broadcast — that’s not appropriate (5)
INAPT – I (from the clue) NAP (doze) T (the end of broadcasT)
8d Unpredictable schoolgirl supporting it in writing (3-3-4)
HIT AND MISS – IT (from the clue) goes in HAND (writing) and is supported or followed by MISS (schoolgirl).
11d Most of army unit’s recommended diet (7)
REGIMEN – Almost all of a REGIMENt.
14d Carol happy to change? That’s questionable (10)
APOCRYPHAL – Of doubtful authority – an anagram (to change) of CAROL HAPPY.
16d Hornblower and his capital short speech (7)
HORATIO – H (the capital of Hornblower) and ORATIOn (‘short’ speech)
18d Small fruit with perfect flavour (9)
SPEARMINT – S (small) PEAR (fruit) MINT (perfect)
20d Famous London prison — deny wife being incarcerated (7)
NEWGATE – W (wife) being incarcerated or put inside NEGATE (deny)
21d Girl, 22, in frolics (7)
CYNTHIA – An anagram (frolics) of the solution to 22a and IN from this clue.
23d Jazz band — old doctor in company (5)
COMBO – O (old) and MB (doctor) inserted into CO (company)
25d Severely criticise book ending a series (5)
BLAST – B (book) LAST (ending a series)
26d Game is extremely pricey (1-3)
I-SPY – IS (from the clue) and the ‘extreme’ letters of PriceY
S1
Thanks for the explanation for 6a. I got the answer but was reluctant to write it in!
Re 6a, BD said “I’m sure there are situations in which you will have heard it used.” Well, I’m not sure I’ve come across any instances where the two words would be used interchangeably, so I was rather hoping for an example of the answer’s use in this context.
Also, I think your explanation for 13a overlooks the double definition, the second part being the verb “to mature” or “get older”. Well, that was my reading of it, anyway.
From The Free Dictionary:
Dish: informal British, to ruin or spoil: he dished his chances of getting the job
Many thanks, Big Dave. I think that confirms that I haven’t heard it used. If I saw that sentence written down, I think I would assume it was a typo for dash (as in to dash the hopes). Having looked it up, I didn’t doubt the veracity of the answer; it was just your original assertion that intrigued me. Dare I suggest that this meaning may be slightly dated (my online source says archaic) and that you might need to be of a certain age to understand it?
I couldn’t possibly comment.
I’m sticking with ‘relatively young, but extremely well read’
Yes, that’ll be it – I’m definitely not well read!