Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29604
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 20th February 2021
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
A fairly friendly Saturday Prize Puzzle – I’d guessed this was the work of NY Doorknob for a couple of reasons, especially the definition in 25a!
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a City, foremost in commerce, one holding record (7)
COLOGNE – The ‘foremost’ letter in Commerce and ONE (from the clue) ‘holding’ LOG (record)
5a Shaker to accompany piano? Nonsense (7)
PRATTLE – RATTLE (shaker) to accompany P (piano)
9a Very rude about bust? (9)
INSOLVENT – INSOLENT (rude) goes ‘about’ V (very)
10a Working class making start (5)
ONSET – ON (working) SET (class)
11a Discussed more peaceful destiny (5)
KARMA – A homophone (discussed) of CALMER (more peaceful)
12a Irish curse adopted by the poor (5-4)
THIRD-RATE – IR (Irish) and DRAT (curse) ‘adopted’ by THE (from the clue)
13a Student inside growing fond of lecture (7-2)
TALKING-TO – L (learner, student) inside TAKING TO (growing fond of)
16a Seconds served with fish and flower head (5)
SPIKE – S (seconds) served with PIKE (fish)
17a Police finally leave small wood (5)
COPSE – COPS (police) and the final letter of leavE
18a What might be moon disturbed little sea (9)
SATELLITE – An anagram (disturbed) of LITTLE SEA
20a Race around 500 trees without thinking (9)
HEADFIRST – HEAT (race) ‘around’ D (Roman numeral for 500) and FIRS (trees)
23a Aggressive performer good in row (5)
TIGER – G (good) inserted in TIER (row)
25a Tool secures device unloaded behind washer (5)
BIDET – BIT (tool) ‘secures’ the outside letters (unloaded) of DevicE
26a Girl almost taken in by trivial prediction (9)
PALMISTRY – MISs (girl almost) ‘taken in’ by PALRY (trivial)
27a Maliciously burned, Hector sadly died (7)
TORCHED – An anagram (sadly) of HECTOR followed by D (died)
28a Lancashire town immediately north? (7)
PRESTON – PRESTO (immediately) N (north)
Down
1d Insect in game with long hops? (7)
CRICKET – Double definition, a long hop being a type of delivery in a game of cricket
2d Failed contender more relaxed missing an Oscar (5)
LOSER – LOOSER (more relaxed) missing an O (Oscar in NATO Phonetic Alphabet)
3d Shock where vehicle is caught in strong wind (9)
GALVANISE – VAN (vehicle) IS (from the clue) ‘caught’ in GALE (strong wind)
4d Vote for English appearing in the Spanish court (5)
ELECT – E (English) appearing between EL (Spanish definite article) and CT (court)
5d Slip in some London lane? (9)
PETTICOAT – Double definition
6d Keen to get around old dodge (5)
AVOID – AVID (keen) to get ‘around’ O (old)
7d Conductor contains oscillating current (9)
TOSCANINI – An anagram (oscillating) of CONTAINS followed by I (electrical current)
8d Great old plane maybe carrying millions (7)
EXTREME – EX (old) TREE (plane maybe) ‘carrying’ M (millions)
14d What falls easily to one as northerner? (9)
LAPLANDER – Something that falls easily or ‘lands in one’s lap’ could be described as a LAP LANDER
15d Perhaps winkle good parts out (9)
GASTROPOD – An anagram (out) of GOOD PARTS
16d Patience tried endlessly as oil wasted (9)
SOLITAIRE – An anagram (wasted) of TRIEd (‘endlessly’ telling you to omit the D) and AS OIL
17d Company practice to share accommodation (7)
COHABIT – CO (company) HABIT (practice)
19d Nobleman over there with but little time elapsed (5,2)
EARLY ON – EARL (nobleman) YON (over there)
21d Get female to make deep impression (5)
FETCH – F (female) ETCH (make deep impression)
22d Flower in middle of mature border (5)
TULIP- TU (the middle of maTUre) LIP (border)
24d Criticise characters on the rise in state government (3,2)
GET AT – Hidden in reverse in sTATE Government
I looked and looked 21D and could not figure it out. It seems that I put a horizontal line through the figure one making it look like a four so I was trying to get the clue for 24D to fit 21D. As Homer would say (no not that one) 😖 Other than that thanks everyone I enjoyed today’s offering very much.
Just wish setters wouldn’t resort to proper name solutions e.g. I want to do cryptic crosswords not general knowledge variants