Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29820
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 30th October 2021
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
An enjoyable Saturday Prize Puzzle, made even better by it actually appearing in its rightful place on the back page of the newspaper.
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Across
8a Eradicate native Australian solicitor (4,3)
ROOT OUT – ROO (native Australian) TOUT (solicitor)
10a The real jerks hit hard (7)
LEATHER – An anagram (jerks) of THE REAL
11a A county going after prize turned over huge sum of money (9)
MEGABUCKS – A (from the clue) and the county of BUCKS go after a reversal (turned over) of GEM (prize)
12a Item, fine and good (5)
THING – THIN (fine) G (good)
13a Consequently, cover reliable (5)
SOLID – SO (consequently) LID (cover)
14a For example, 22 kettle has one (7)
ELEMENT – The solution to 22d is an example of this solution. A kettle has an element to heat the water
17a Retreat harder on sons failing to clinch victory (4,2,4,5)
DRAW IN ONES HORNS – An anagram (failing) of HARDER ON SONS into which is inserted (to clinch) WIN (victory)
19a Go around cutting fruit in French city (7)
LIMOGES – A reversal (around) of GO ‘cutting’ LIMES (fruit)
21a Colour I observed in ring, twirling it around (5)
LILAC – I (from the clue) seen in a reversal (twirling it around) of CALL (ring)
24a Wife in love, remarkably I say (5)
VOWEL – I is an example (say) of the solution – insert the abbreviation for Wife into an anagram (remarkably) of LOVE
26a Butterfly operating when windy? (6-3)
ORANGE-TIP – An anagram (when windy) of OPERATING
27a Morsel on red dish (7)
RAREBIT – BIT (morsel) goes on or after RARE (red)
28a On supermarket shelf just around the corner (2,5)
IN STORE – Imminent. The ‘on supermarket shelf’ bit did make me smile as I’d just returned from the weekly shop where there were more empty shelves than ever!
Down
1d Evidence cake’s been swiped? Good Lord! (6)
CRUMBS – Evidence that a piece of cake had been ‘swiped’
2d Igloo man built in sparsely populated country (8)
MONGOLIA – An anagram (built) of IGLOO MAN
3d Threatening, in order to achieve command (10)
FORBIDDING – FOR (in order to achieve) BIDDING (command)
4d Hammered — as one’s walls may be? (9)
PLASTERED – A slang term for being drunk (as is plastered) or how one’s walls might be covered
5d Biting pie (4)
TART – Double definition
6d The short grains seen, again and again (6)
THRICE – TH (the ‘short’ or truncated) RICE (grains)
7d Three goddesses maintaining equipment in ships (8)
FRIGATES Both the Greeks and the Romans believed there were three FATES, here RIG (equipment) should be inserted (maintaining)
9d Food trapped, starter refused (4)
TUCK – Refuse or remove the ‘starter’ from sTUCK (trapped)
15d Student of behaviour got hostile when misbehaving! (10)
ETHOLOGIST – An anagram (when misbehaving) of GOT HOSTILE
16d Petty official patient man throws out (9)
JOBSWORTH – The Biblical personification of patience and an anagram (out)of THROWS
17d Food retailer really for shipment (8)
DELIVERY – DELI (food retailer) VERY (really)
18d Link Republican with joy (8)
RELATION – R (Republican) ELATION (joy)
20d Assurance given by yours truly, well! (2,4)
MY WORD – An assurance or a mild interjection of surprise (well!)
22d Boy in blue or reddish-brown (6)
COPPER – An informal term for a policeman (boy in blue) or a reddish-brown colour
23d Country in Burma likeable, and in Panama liberated (4)
MALI – Found in burMA Likeable and in panaMA LIberated
25d Oil perhaps observed from below in defective bulldozer (4)
LUBE – A chiefly North American or Australian word meaning to lubricate found in reverse (from below in a Down solution) in defectivE BULldozer
3*/3*……
liked 1D “Evidence cake’s been swiped? Good Lord! (6)”