DT 29323 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 29323

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29323

Full Hints and Tips* by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty *Enjoyment ****

*As the Prize Puzzles have been paused, this review follows on from Tilsit’s Hints and Tips earlier on today. I have left the solutions hidden and not given full explanations in case people still need just a little bit of help with clues for which Tilsit had not provided a hint so that they can finish off the crossword.

Thanks to the setter for a crossword which didn’t take me long to solve, but left me with a smile on my face when I’d finished.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Selecting players for hurling (7)
CASTING A double definition clue

5a    Mum’s vehicle about to start — will it run? (7)
MASCARA Another way of saying mum’s, a vehicle and the start of About

9a    Swallow one gin cocktail (7)
MARTINI Another name for the swallow and the letter that looks like a one

10a    Fantastical riches: husband finds treasure (7)
CHERISH An anagram (fantastical) of RICHES plus H (husband)

11a    Painter a liability? Partly, among other things (5,4)
INTER ALIA Lurking in part of paINTER A LIAbility

12a    Glower from club user initially barred (5)
EMBER Bar or remove the first letter from a person who belongs to a club or society

13a    Old number three fouled (5)
ETHER An anagram (fouled) of THREE produces a substance used in the past (old) as an anaesthetic (number)

15a    In which all men are brothers? (9)
MONASTERY A cryptic definition that made me smile

17a    Two scholars placed in reform school (4,5)
ALMA MATER Two lots of the abbreviation for Master of Arts (scholars) placed in a verb meaning to reform

19a    Relative‘s oddly naive before church (5)
NIECE The odd letters of NaIvE before the abbreviation for the Church of England

22a    Asian city or Greek one without parking (5)
DELHI Remove the P (without parking) from a Greek city famous for its oracle

23a    Facetious talk about right presentation prop (4,5)
FLIP CHART An abbreviated form of an adjective meaning over smart or frivolous in speech (facetious) followed by a familiar talk about the abbreviation for Right

25a    Not settled round greenery, second rook departs (7)
OVERDUE The ’round’ letter followed by some fresh greenery, the second R (rook) being omitted (departs)

26a    With which court proceedings ensue? (7)
SERVICE These court proceedings take place on a tennis court

27a    Time to reflect in shed with fleece removed (7)
SHEARED A reversal (to reflect) of a period of time inserted into SHED (from the clue)

28a    Believe to be dodgy (7)
SUSPECT A double definition

Down

1d    Groom and lovely female going to marry (7)
COMBINE A verb meaning to groom and a synonym for lovely without the F (female going)

2d    Slight wound is no handicap (7)
SCRATCH A slight wound or the starting point for a golf player with no handicap

3d    Here in Paris, Queen is more aloof (5)
ICIER The French word for here (as said in Paris) and the regnal cipher of our current Queen

4d    Diver‘s shame, eating most of fruit (9)
GUILLEMOT This diver being a type of bird obtained by inserting most of a particular citrus fruit into a synonym for shame

5d    Instant tea and dark brown coffee (5)
MOCHA A short period of time (instant) and another word for tea

6d    Good person with just the same name as writer (9)
STEVENSON An abbreviated Saint (good person), an expression meaning just the same, and the abbreviation for name

7d    Amelia B strangely approachable (7)
AMIABLE An anagram (strangely) of AMELIA B

8d    Smoker’s item lost around hospital (7)
ASHTRAY A synonym for lost ‘around’ the abbreviation for Hospital

14d    Rest survive communist uprising (9)
REMAINDER Another way of saying survive, stay behind, followed by a reversal (uprising in a Down clue) of the colour associated with communism

16d    Cuss — rains damaged flower (9)
NARCISSUS An anagram (damaged) of CUSS RAINS

17d    Tough resistance with pair in Australia (7)
ARDUOUS The symbol for electrical resistance and a pair inserted into the abbreviation for Australia

18d    One who wrote less about truth, might we infer? (7)
MOLIERE If we look at this French writer’s name, we might infer that the opposite of less goes ‘about’ the opposite of truth

20d    Study what was formerly a bomb? (7)
EXAMINE The two letters meaning formerly, A (from the clue) and a type of bomb

21d    Some in Jobcentre attended to request (7)
ENTREAT Another lurker – this time in jobcENTRE ATtended

23d    Father due to turn up for psychiatrist (5)
FREUD The abbreviation for father followed by a reversal (to turn up in a Down clue) of DUE

24d    Soldiers and police surrounding king (5)
CORPS Some informal policemen ‘surrounding’ the Latin abbreviation for king

These are some of the bears I saw on my morning walk – obviously from the same household given that they are definitely not two metres away from each other :D

18 comments on “DT 29323

  1. Was the answer to 23d actually a psychiatrist? I knew he practised as a psycho-analyst and was somewhat controversial. I just checked and he did a medical degree and then specialised in neurology. I am not an expert but there may be medics amongst us who are. I do know that the road to becoming a psychiatrist in this country is long following on from the usual medical degree. The answer was easy to get so did not trouble me unduly. Thanks for the review CS

  2. I found 18D was a very difficult clue; almost too difficult.

    17D I felt should have had “old” or “former” inserted before the ‘definition’ part…

    15A was my favourite.

  3. I did fine on the East side but the West flummoxed me. 18d was really abstruse. I still don’t get 1a. Agree monastery amused. For me: ***/*

  4. I found this much harder than a 1 star. 18 d was very difficult. Liked 5a. Wished I could have enjoyed it more.probably more to do with the times we are living in. Anyway gratefully received and thanks to all.

  5. We reckoned 2 and 4 stars for difficulty and enjoyment. It was just over a one-porridge effort. Where is everybody today? We always join the party later than most, as we normally tackle the crossword the day after publication. There’s usually a whole host of comments which leave us with nothing to say! Very enjoyable puzzle. Thanks to the setter, Tilsit and Cryptic Sue.

    1. Most of the comments are on the Hints page – the actual ‘review’ page which normally appears on a Friday hardly ever has any comments at all.

  6. Enjoyable puzzle but 18d? Very theatrical and b…….. difficult. Thanks to Tilsit and Crypticsue.

  7. Can I just say I preferred the format where you gave the explanation as well as the answer. I’m just cutting my teeth on cryptics and in the past I’ve found the explanation to be far more informative and useful than the answer. Stay well everyone let’s hope we are soon out of this mess

    1. I did wonder about doing the review the usual way but then we’d probably have had comments from people who didn’t want the solution and full explanation given on the day of publication as they were still trying to solve on their own

      It was a one off which won’t be repeated – once the DT Prize Puzzles are up and running again, Gnomethang and I will revert to the normal full review for the prize puzzles

  8. Got them all pretty quickly but 18d foxed me and I had to look it up on your site which I only do when beaten! Rather preoccupied at moment being in front line at hospital. I’ll be glad when it’s all over.

Comments are closed.