DT 29616 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

DT 29616

by crypticsue  

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29616

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on 6th March 2021

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Chalicea provided this week’s Saturday Prize Puzzle

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Two tunnels under a bridge? (8)
NOSTRILS – A cryptic definition – the bridge being part of your nose

5a    Witness observed children’s plaything (6)
SEESAW – SEE (witness) SAW (observed)

9a    Fuel broken-down Chelsea tractor disgruntled setter leaves (8)
CHARCOAL – An anagram (broken-down) of CHeLseA tRACtOr without the letters SETTER (disgruntled telling you that they aren’t in that order in the clue)

10a    Hip and excellent independent island state (6)
HAWAII – Sorry but HIP and HAW aren’t the same thing! HAW plus AI (excellent) plus I (independent) I Island)

12a    Cat put out the compiler’s busy (6)
ACTIVE – An anagram (put out) of CAT followed by IVE (the compiler’s)

13a    College sent back reserve computer (8)
NOTEBOOK – A reversal (sent back) of ETON (college) BOOK (reserve)

15a    Signals transmitted if craft destroyed (7)
TRAFFIC – An anagram (destroyed) of IF CRAFT

16a    Equitable trade show (4)
FAIR – Double definition

20a    Foul smelling taxis here? (4)
RANK – Smelling horrible or a place where taxis wait

21a    Spotted and quoted on the radio (7)
SIGHTED – A homophone (on the radio) of CITED (quoted)

25a    South American ways of handling cases packed with meat? (8)
SAUSAGES – SA (South American) USAGES (ways of handling)

26a    Fruit found in old stove (6)
ORANGE – O (old) RANGE (stove)

28a    Kind of brewed tea urn (6)
NATURE – An anagram (brewed) of TEA URN

29a    Hard to work reaped field the French cut or glean finally (8)
STUBBORN – STUBBle (the French definite article ‘cut’ from a reaped field) OR (from the clue) N (the final letter of glean)

30d    Saw, for example, in heart of Belgium (6)
SAYING – SAY (for example) IN (from the clue) and the letter at the heart of BelGium.   The meaning of saw as a saying or proverb is well worth remembering as it makes regular appearances in cryptic crosswords

31a    Find stern tests all exposed curiosity (8)
INTEREST – Remove the outside letters to expose fINd sTERn tESTs

Down

1d    Upset innovator at centre introduces delicious drink (6)
NECTAR – Hidden in reverse (upset) in innovatoR AT CENtre

2d    Sets up amount of numerical data about king (6)
STARTS – STATS (amount of numerical data) goes ‘about’ R (Rex, king)

3d    Rally finished in sports ground yard (8)
RECOVERY – OVER (finished) goes between REC (sports ground) and Y (yard)

4d    Lout pursuing goal ultimately to idly hang around (4)
LOAF – OAF (lout) ‘pursuing’ or going after L (goal ultimately)

6d    Periods of time chief journalist wiped out (6)
ERASED – ERAS (periods of time) ED (chief journalist)

7d    A child wrapped in fur in the winter, perhaps (8)
SEASONALL – A SON (a child) ‘wrapped’ in SEAL (fur)

8d    Hairy rye principally used in distilled spirit (8)
WHISKERY – The principal letter of Rye inserted into WHISKEY (distilled spirit)

11d    Thing to put in order this evening (7)
TONIGHT – An anagram (put in order) of THING TO

14d    Policeman in command enters proposal (7)
OFFICER – IC (in command) ‘enters’ OFFER (proposal)

17d    Gifts Portugal considers as an affront (8)
PRESENTS – P (IVR code for Portugal) RESENTS (considers an affront)

18d    Attempt to follow Asian river is hard work (8)
INDUSTRY – TRY (attempt) to follow INDUS (Asian river)

19d    Live on type of farmland? That’s just about okay (8)
BEARABLE – BE (live) ARABLE (type of farmland)

22d    Taproom about noon providing no sustenance (6)
BARREN – BAR (taproom) RE (about) N (noon)

23d    A Big Apple individual: Tom, Dick or Harry? (6)
ANYONE – A (from the clue) NY (New York, Big Apple) ONE (individual)

24d    Swimmer turned up after exercise for bit of food (6)
PEANUT – A reversal (turned up) of TUNA (fish) goes after PE (exercise)

27d    Amaze star — about time! (4)
STUN – SUN (star) goes ‘about’ T (time)

 

9 comments on “DT 29616”

  1. Thanks CS. I still don’t really get why saw = saying however. Could you throw any further light?

    1. A saw is an old, often-repeated saying, phrase, repeated idea or piece of wisdom

        1. Steve. The compiler has written the clue and if he owned something (nothing specific) he might say, “I’ve a xxxx”. Or you could say the xxxx is “the compiler’s” (possession). So I’ve = the compiler’s. It’s one of those devices setter’s like to use. Does that help?

            1. Jose – thanks for the note. I have been doing the Telegraph crossword for more than twenty years so I have seen most of the devices used by the various setters. My problem with this one is that the setter appears to be saying ‘my’ rather than ‘I have’. I guess it’s one I’ll have to agree to disagree on!

Comments are closed.