DT 28970

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28970

A full review by gnomethang

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Morning All! This was about a two start difficulty and pretty standard for a Saturday Prize puzzle with a fair mix of clue types.

Across

1a           Visit happening regularly at short intervals (8)
FREQUENT – Two definitions – to FREQUENT e.g. a bar and also something that happens at short intervals.

9a           A final song for Scotsman (8)
ALASTAIR – A charade of A LAST/final and AIR for song.

10a        Thought that is less than perfect (4)
IDEA – All but the last letter in IDEA(l) or ‘less than perfect’.

11a        Familiar-sounding activity before service? (7,1,4)
RINGING A BELL – The second (cryptic) definition refers to the call to a church service (or possibly a bell on a service desk that is unattended).

13a        Resent it becoming something that is enjoyable (8)
INTEREST – An anagram (becoming) of RESENT IT.

15a        Edward leaving to increase foreign money (6)
ROUBLE – Remove ED(ward) from R(ed)OUBLE or increase.

16a        Scoff as article gets penned by Sue’s partner (4)
MEAL – Place a (the indefinite article) inside MEL (Giedroyc from ‘Mel and sue’ ‘fame’).

17a        Prohibit Joanna from playing this? (5)
BANJO – To BAN or prohibit and the diminutive of JO(anna).

18a        Cautious with Ray drunk (4)
WARY – W as an abb. For With and a drunk anagram of RAY.

20a        Record US soldier by area in arcade (6)
LOGGIA – A LOG or record then a GI (US soldier) and A for Area.

21a        Talk about son, occasionally filthy, showing virtue (8)
CHASTITY – Place CHAT or talk around/about S(on) and add the even/occasional letters of f I l T h Y.

23a        It’s to do with pictures of hip-hop go-cart crashing (12)
PHOTOGRAPHIC – An anagram , indicated by crashing, of HIP-HOP GO CART. Enduring image, isn’t it?

26a        Some buffalo in Kentucky making grunting sound (4)
OINK – A hidden ford is some of buffal O IN K entucky.

27a        Notice said ungulate that’s found in the main (8)
SEAHORSE – SEA, a homophone (said) of ‘see’ followed by a HORSE or ungulate (any of a number of similar hoofed animals)

28a        Man reorganising the rodeo (8)
THEODORE – An anagram (reorganising) of THE RODEO.

Down

2d           A good one might be welcome relief (8)
RIDDANCE – GOOD RIDDANCE being an exclamation of welcome relief from a pest.

3d           A fourth window? (12)
QUARTERLIGHT – A cryptic definition with fourth also meaning a quarter mathematically.

4d           Show clearly Eastern Church storing French wine (6)
EVINCE – E(astern) an CE for Church of England are holding/storing VIN – the French word for wine.

5d           Strain shown over one in vehicle (4)
TAXI – Place TAX or strain above (over in a down clue) I for one.

6d           One’s jumpy in impromptu kind of court (8)
KANGAROO – The marsupial and a hastily cobbled an executed court case.

7d           Look in two-thirds of summerhouse (4)
GAZE – 4/6 or two thirds of a GAZE(bo)/summerhouse.

8d           Comedy hair curler found between beginning and end of day (8)
DROLLERY – A ROLLER or hair curler between D and Y.

12d        Low-tech build terribly discoloured because of low temperature (4,4,4)
BLUE WITH COLD – An anagram (terribly) of LOW-TECH BUILD.

14d        Some medicine inside grotto nicked (5)
TONIC – Another hidden word is INSIDE grot TO NI cked.

16d        By the way it indicates important stage in one’s life (8)
MILEPOST – A wayside distance marker and a significant life event (although milestone was more familiar to me).

17d        Dress up with band, not Queen, one boasts (8)
BRAGGART – GARB or dress is reversed (up in a down clue) and then a GART(er) or band is added and E.R. for the Queen removed (not Queen).

19d        Keeper‘s fee? (8)
RETAINER – Two definitions – one who retains and a fee to retain services over a period..

22d        Stick the lady in second half of parade (6)
ADHERE – Place HER for ‘the lady’ inside the last half of the word (par)ADE.

24d        Approve of Hungarian tipple that has not been started (4)
OKAY – Remove the first letter of (t)OKAY – a Hungarian sweet wine.

25d        Help alphabetise clothes (4)
ABET – A final hidden word that is clothed by alph ABET ise.

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