Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29975
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 30th April 2022
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Another Saturday Prize Pangram from Cephas
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Across
1a Confirm Valerie has one assignation (8)
VALIDATE – VAL (Valerie) I (one) DATE (assignation)
5a Having spokes diverging from centre of gunnery clock-face (6)
RADIAL – RA (Royal Artillery, gunnery) DIAL (clock face)
9a She heard about it having been used again (8)
REHASHED – An anagram (about) of SHE HEARD
10a Heroine‘s false statement in project (6)
JULIET – LIE (false statement) in JUT (project in the sense of stick out)
11a Go long way with artist first in medley (7)
FARRAGO – FAR (a long way) and RA (artist) go first before GO (from the clue)
12a One fights naked over South American city, right? (7)
WARRIOR – A reversal (over) of RAW (naked) followed by RIO (South American city) and R (right)
13a Health-giver? (11)
TOASTMASTER – A cryptic definition of someone who asks you to raise a glass to toast the health of someone
16a Alarm artist about methods of self-defence (7,4)
MARTIAL ARTS – Another anagram indicated by ‘about’ – this time of ALARM ARTIST
21a One who used to play Shylock, say (7)
EXACTOR – Someone who used to play might be an EX-ACTOR, without the hyphen it might describe a character such as Shylock
22a Heavy metal, one that’s strange, I had one inside (7)
IRIDIUM – I (one) RUM (strange), into which is inserted (put inside) ID (I had) I (one)
23a Friends turned up with lots of good food to eat served in style (4-2)
SLAP-UP – A reversal (turned) of PALS (friends) followed by UP (from the clue)
24a Fight to include part of best rug gleaming (8)
STRUGGLE – Hidden in part of beST RUG GLEaming
25a Train passes by the European (6)
DIESEL – DIES (passes) EL (European – Spanish – definite article – the)
26a Sportsman regarded as favourite (4-4)
BLUE-EYED – BLUE (sportsman at Oxford or Cambridge) EYED (regarded)
Down
1d Prove to be true provided there’s light outside (6)
VERIFY – a VERY light (a pistol providing a signalling or illuminating flare) into which is inserted IF (provided)
2d Learning about a hot place in the east (6)
LAHORE – LORE (learning) goes about A (from the clue) and H (hot)
3d Music from in France barely sufficient (7)
DESCANT – DE (the French word for from) SCANT (barely sufficient)
4d Dry man, does he count all the holes, except the nineteenth, of course? (11)
TEETOTALLER – A very nice cryptic description of man who doesn’t drink – he wouldn’t count the 19th hole as that is the bar!
6d Tanks having water and fresh air (7)
AQUARIA – AQUA (water) and an anagram (fresh) of AIR
7d Start what I did in restaurant (8)
INITIATE – IN IT (restaurant) I ATE
8d Three-quarters of learned people having lines from books (8)
LITERARY – Three-quarters of LITERAti (learned people) RY (railway)
12d Spray gun (5,6)
WATER PISTOL – A cryptic definition of a gun that sprays you with water
14d Put into liquidation? (8)
IMMERSED – Another cryptic definition
15d Interruption long time afterwards causing damage (8)
BREAKAGE – BREAK (interruption) AGE (long time)
17d Meddle with tuner I’d repaired (7)
INTRUDE – An anagram (repaired) of TUNER ID
18d Fit and size fancy furrier occasionally missed (7)
SEIZURE – An anagram (fancy) of SIZE followed by the even (occasionally missed) letters of fUrRiEr
19d Husband in drab boat (6)
DINGHY – H (husband) in DINGY (drab)
20d Threaten to come to a devilish conclusion (6)
IMPEND – A devilish conclusion might be described as an IMP END
3*/4*…..
liked 13A “Health-giver? (11)”
Having spent a delightful week on Madeira, we settled down to work out the crossword from 30 April. One of the most enjoyable ones we have done, with favourites13a,20d,10a and the last one in 18d. We were wondering when the z would appear! Many thanks to the setter!