Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29000

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 16^th March 2019

BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***

I found this landmark-numbered DT cryptic to be a tricky solve but even after typing the review, I’m not exactly sure why- perhaps because it appears to be the work of the setter who uses more words to the square inch than most. My Across favourite was 21a and my Down favourite was the smile-inducing 1d

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

4a    Prompt check on car — that is to save tax (8)
MOTIVATE – MOT (check on car) and IE (that is) ‘saving’ VAT (tax)

8a    Power given by Irish water that produces agricultural turnover (6)
PLOUGH – P (power) LOUGH (Irish water – I recommend a visit to the beautiful Upper and Lower Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh)

9a    Tea-maker who tries really hard? (8)
STRAINER – Someone who tries really hard could also be something used as part of making a cup of loose-leaf tea

10a    Blended label rum — one should keep water away (8)
UMBRELLA – An anagram (blended) of LABEL RUM

11a    Old rocker’s following used to be dissipated (6)
WASTED – TED (old rocker) following WAS (used to be)

12a    Repress what head and tail of pups do? (6,2)
BOTTLE UP – The outside letters (head and tail) of pUPs ‘bottle’ UP

13a    Most uneven nap, having eaten duck — that’s horrid! (8)
ROUGHEST – REST (nap) ‘having eaten’ O (duck in cricket scoring) and UGH (that’s horrid)

16a    In great detail, eventually (2,6)
AT LENGTH – Double definition

19a    Doctor envied church grounds (8)
EVIDENCE – An anagram (doctor) of ENVIED followed by CE (Church of England)

21a    It’s left on Dec 24 by Santa and his reindeer, and grand to put around rhubarb (6)
GROTTO – I thought this a particularly nicely misleading definition – G (grand) and TO (from the clue) put around ROT (rhubarb)

23a    Out-of-the-way tipsy cuddles, ecstasy to be hugged (8)
SECLUDED – An anagram (tipsy) of CUDDLES ‘hugging’ E (Ecstasy)

24a    Learned folk will be polite, rational, internally … (8)
LITERATI – Found hiding (internally) in poLITE RATIonal

25a    … more calm, sitting back in chauffeured limousine (6)
MILDER – And a second hidden solution – this time reversed (sitting back in) chauffeuRED LIMousine

26a    Northern god missing nothing, consumed in menace (8)
THREATEN – Remove the O (missing nothing) from THoR (Northern god) and add EATEN (consumed)

Down

1d    Puzzle seeing married male, strong beast, oppressed by what he calls a cold! (7)
FLUMMOX – Lovely clue – M (married) M (male) OX (strong beast) ‘oppressed by’ or going under FLU (how a male, married or otherwise, might refer to what a female would call a cold)

2d    Traitor after endless fortune — one has to be well-paid (9)
LUCRATIVE – RAT (traitor) goes after LUCk (‘endless’ fortune) and the result followed by IVE (one has)

3d    The woman loveless love put off (6)
SHELVE – SHE (the woman) and LVE (loveless LOVE)

4d    False impression made by undertaking absorbing little program about chicken (15)
MISAPPREHENSION – MISSION (undertaking) ‘absorbing’ APP (little program) RE (about) and HEN (chicken)

5d    Reject that could show worth? (5,3)
THROW OUT – Because THROW is an anagram (out) of WORTH

6d    Circulation aids weathercocks, it’s said (5)
VEINS – A homophone (it’s said) of VANES (weathercocks)

7d    Having defeats and victories only, apparently, in an open-neck shirt? (7)
TIELESS – If you only win or lose, your run of matches would be tie-less

14d    House idly refurbished in a frightful way (9)
HIDEOUSLY – An anagram (refurbished) of HOUSE IDLY

15d    I will join good number going to rave in the dark (8)
IGNORANT – I (from the clue) G (good) NO (number) RANT (rave)

17d    Like a mere stain? (7)
TARNISH – a mere and a tarn being small bodies of water

18d    Half of school rejected studying sacred books by this writer, one inventing plots (7)
SCHEMER – SCH (half of school) and a reversal (rejected) of RE (studying sacred books) and ME (this writer)

20d    Pay and enter with the wrong order! (6)
INCOME – COME IN (enter) ‘with the wrong order!’

22d    Melody that gives those people energy (5)
THEME – THEM (those people) E (energy)