DT 28869

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28869

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 13^th October 2018

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Morning All! I found this a pretty standard Saturday puzzle with nothing to grumble or shout about.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Penny weighing very little? That’s a predicament (6)
PLIGHT – P for Penny and then LIGHT/weighing very little.

9a           Asking for gent, squire’s all over the place (10)
REQUESTING – An anagram (all over the place) of GENT SQUIRE’S

10a         Disguise chef finally having mixed guacamole outside (10)
CAMOUFLAGE – The final letter of (che)F is inside a mixed anagram of GUACAMOLE.

11a         Crazy, but often seen with motive? (4)
LOCO – This crazy synonym is often seen at the start of motive to create a train.

12a         A giant in excited eagerness (4)
AGOG – A GOG, not A MAGOG.

14a         First step, introduce about four (10)
INITIATIVE – Place INITIATE or introduce (a plan) around IV – four in Roman Numerals.

17a         Devil getting on with mostly agreeable Kelvin (3,4)
OLD NICK – OLD for ‘getting on’ then mose of NIC(e)/agreeable and finally K for Kelvin.

18a         Grouse making grand deep sound? (7)
GRUMBLE – G for Grand and then a RUMBLE for a deep sound.

20a         Steep slope recent maps disguised (10)
ESCARPMENT – An anagram, indicated by disguised, of RECENT MAPS.

21a         Power of wife lying in state (4)
SWAY – W for Wife is inside (lying in) SAY for state.

22a         Officer has American drink (4)
COLA – A COL. For Colonel/officer and then A for American.

23a         Direct empty cartridge close to target (5-5)
POINT BLANK – A charade of POINT/direct and BLANK/empty cartridge.

25a         Might England’s openers consolidate? (10)
STRENGTHEN – STRENGTH for might/power and then the two opening letters (openers) of EN(gland).

26a         Excessively bright rig has collapsed (6)
GARISH – An anagram (collapsed) of RIG HAS.

Down

2d           Messenger is beaten going round metropolis (3,7)
LOS ANGELES – An ANGEL or messenger has LOSES (is beaten) going around the outside.

3d           Travel carrying little weight in island (4)
GOZO – To GO or travel with an OZ/ounce/little weight in(side).

4d           Officer‘s phoney tip-off — car about to be seized (7,3)
TRAFFIC COP – A phoney anagram of TIP-OFF CAR with C for Circa/about inside (seized).

5d           Wretched group circling Long Island (7)
SQUALID – A SQUAD or group going around/circling the abbs. L and I for Long and Island.

6d           Present from the residents (4)
HERE – A hidden word FROM t HE RE sidents.

7d           Always a metallist suffered (2,3,5)
AT ALL TIMES – An anagram (suffered) of A METALLIST. \m/

8d           Take no notice of Italian gentleman failing to start (6)
IGNORE – Remove the first letter (failing to start) from a (s)IGNORE or a Mr in Italian.

13d         Trap positions American inside pretentious public houses (3,7)
GIN PALACES – A GIN is an animal trap. Then put another A for American inside PLACES or positions.

15d         Bringing up to scratch, perhaps that’s annoying (10)
IRRITATING – A double definition, I believe, although I think that everyone just threw the answer in from the second definition and checking letters.

16d         Half-dozen with nasty allusion that is wicked (10)
VILLAINOUS – Start with VI, 6 or half a dozen in Roman Numerals, and then add an anagram (nasty) of ALLUSION

19d         In France, I love crossing wealthy city (7)
JERICHO – JE (I when said in France) and then O for love/nothing going across RICH or wealthy.

20d         Cut tax (6)
EXCISE – A straightforward double definition.

23d         Get stick for going up and down? (4)
POGO – A cryptic definition of the toy pole/stick that goes up and down.

24d         Look always beyond lake (4)
LEER – Place E’ER, the poetic way of saying ever/always, after or beyond L for Lake.

Thanks to the setter, Ill be back next week.