Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29096
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 6th July 2019
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment **
Our ‘wordy’ Saturday setter trying to be less wordy? It took me a 5* time to solve but I’ve removed a star to take account of severe hay fever and an annoying husband asking me a question about the GK puzzle while I was trying to solve this crossword
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Breakfast for rascal breaking into a run? (7,3)
POACHED EGG – If a rascal broke into a chicken run and stole an egg, he’d be eating a POACHED EGG – it took me a while to see how this one worked, and when I had to explain it to a fellow long-time solver, his reaction can’t be repeated in a public forum!
6a Perhaps overheat article after both taps run (4)
CHAR – A (indefinite article) goes after C H (cold and hot taps) and the result is followed by R (run)
10a Greet fussy white fish eater (5)
EGRET – An anagram (fussy) of GREET produces a white bird that eats fish. Three of these lovely white birds visit our marshes every year.
11a Delighted us by our part being recast (9)
RAPTUROUS – An anagram (recast) of US and OUR PART
12a Up to appear in risky war drama (7)
SKYWARD – Lurking in riSKY WAR Drama
13a Corrupt, displaced from cabinet, apparently? (7)
DEFILED – DE-FILED (displaced from [filing] cabinet apparently)
14a Female minister? She’s a fighter (12)
SERVICEWOMAN – This female member of the armed services, if split 7, 5, could perhaps be a female member of the clergy
18a Stable‘s water source and cable repaired (4-8)
WELL-BALANCED – WELL (source of water) followed by an anagram (repaired) of AND CABLE
21a Spare time in retirement, so they’re often building extensions (4-3)
LEAN-TOS – LEAN (spare) T (time) and a reversal (in retirement) of SO (from the clue)
23a Raise status of East German city taken over by the French (7)
ENNOBLE – E (East), a reversal (taken over) of BONN (German city) followed by LE (French definite article)
24a In the red lippy, cuddling Victor (9)
INSOLVENT – INSOLENT (lippy) ‘cuddling’ V (Victor in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet)
25a Complaint filled out orally (5)
GROAN – A homophone (orally) of GROWN (filled out)
26a Bloody Mary’s knocked mum out after work (4)
GORY – Remove the MA (knocked mum out) from maRY and place after GO (work)
27a Praiseworthy, like money paid into one’s account? (10)
CREDITABLE – The second half of the clue being a cryptic definition
Down
1d It’s said to help one get parking with tenancy (6)
PLEASE – P (parking) with LEASE (tenancy)
2d Shows pub lacks original character beams (6)
ARRAYS – Remove the original or first letter of bAR (pub) and follow with RAYS (beams)
3d Trouble with grit in night heater (3-5,6)
HOT-WATER BOTTLE – HOT WATER (trouble) BOTTLE (grit)
4d Diamonds are dealer’s lead — fiendish or foolhardy? (4-5)
DARE-DEVIL – D (Diamonds in a pack of cards) ARE (from the clue) D (the ‘lead’ of Dealer) and EVIL (fiendish)
5d Midway through grooming, ape daintily yawned (5)
GAPED – Lurking midway through groominG APE Daintily
7d Blokes in mob ruined lush mood (8)
HOODLUMS – An anagram (ruined) of LUSH MOOD
8d Local is No.1 in America after cutting piano intro (8)
RESIDENT – Cut or remove the P (piano) at the start of pRESIDENT (no 1 in America)
9d Regular event, seeing a rebellious chap get fired (3,6,5)
GUY FAWKES NIGHT – A cryptic definition of Bonfire Night, an event which happens regularly every 5th November
15d Happy not working, gripped by decent novel (9)
CONTENTED – An anagram (working) of NOT ‘gripped’ by another anagram (novel) of DECENT
16d Gushing after seeing daughter’s home (8)
DWELLING – WELLING (gushing) goes after D (Daughter)
17d Skin lotion that needs 6 seconds to penetrate (8)
CLEANSER – CLEANER (an alternative meaning to the solution of 6a) into to which is inserted (to penetrate) S (seconds) – another one that took longer than it should, probably because I was trying to think of a skin lotion that contained VI (six) and S (seconds)
19d Sailor’s round, getting drink in (6)
ABSORB – ABS (Able Bodied Seaman or sailor’s) ORB (round)
20d Dead rousing session putting up beacon — rake ash now and then (6)
SÉANCE – Found hidden in reverse (putting up) in the alternate letters (now and then) of bEaCoN rAkE aSh
22d Gather son’s put on top and fleece (5)
SHEAR – S (son) put on top of HEAR (gather)
Like CS my first thought was too wordy. I was t sure about 1a 21a and 17d so thanks to CS for help in parsing those. It was challenging and took me into 3* time but tbere wdre a few bung-ins and, ultimately, it was not all that enjoyable. Some elastic synonyms and a totally unfamiliar term for November 5th detracted from the experience but maybe I’m just grumpy as I have hayfever too!
This took longer than usual but I put it down to one (or six) too many glasses of Cotes du Rhone.
Though I am not generally a fan of cross-referenced clues, the penny-drop on twigging 17d was more like a sack of bullion.
Thanks CS
5*/4*…..
liked 1A (breakfast for rascal breaking into a run?) and 5D (midway through grooming, ape daintily yawned).