Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29999
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 28th May 2022
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
A friendly pangram guarantees that, if you play ‘guess the setter’ and go for Cephas, you are bound to be proved right
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Across
1a Dandy Joseph with Lisa blending wine (10)
BEAUJOLAIS – BEAU (dandy) JO (Joseph) and an anagram (blending) of LISA
6a Lot of goddesses? Only one (4)
FATE – A synonym for destiny (lot) – According to the BRB and Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, there are three goddesses connected with fate!
8a Master’s joint title (8)
LORDSHIP – LORDS (master’s) HIP (joint)
9a Fertiliser obtained from worker by river in Yorkshire (6)
MANURE – MAN (worker) URE (river in Yorkshire)
10a Show disapproval of hardwood, we hear, in shop (8)
BOUTIQUE – A homophone (we hear) of BOO (show disapproval) TEAK (hardwood)
11a Sad girl dropping second half in vehicle reversing (6)
TRAGIC – The first half of GIrl inserted into a reversal of CART (vehicle)
12a Quiz old lover before noon (4)
EXAM – EX (old lover) AM (morning, before noon)
14a Put letters in different order again concerning magic formula (7)
RESPELL – RE (concerning) SPELL (magic formula)
18a Corrupt socialite with empty coach full of gold … (7)
DEBAUCH – DEB (socialite) with the outside (empty) letters of CoacH into which is inserted (full of) the chemical symbol for gold
20a … yours truly had reportedly seen (4)
EYED – Another homophone (reportedly) of I’D (yours truly had)
23a Gag found in part of barrel (6)
MUZZLE – A double definition clue, the barrel here being part of a gun
24a Side labour to provide group action (8)
TEAMWORK – TEAM (side) WORK (labour)
25a Indication that’s remarkably good (6)
SIGNAL – Double definition
26a See April adjusting latticework (8)
ESPALIER – An anagram (adjusting) of SEE APRIL
27a Watchdog lectures somewhat unpleasant peer (4)
OGLE – Hidden in watchdOG LEctures
28a Resolute, put off explosive old copper (10)
DETERMINED – DETER (put off) MINE (explosive) D (old copper penny)
Down
1d Live with party whip (8)
BELABOUR – BE (live) LABOUR (party)
2d Weapon that will not work in a vacuum? (6)
AIRGUN – A cryptic definition of a type of weapon
3d Newly arrived boy (6)
JUST IN Remove the space between JUST IN (newly arrived) to get a boy’s name
4d The continental one certainly taking plenty of time (9)
LEISURELY – LE (continental (French) definite article) I (one) SURELY (certainly)
5d Formerly on a future occasion! (8)
SOMETIME – Double definition
6d Aficionado playing it as a musical composition (8)
FANTASIA – FAN (aficionado) and an anagram (playing) of IT AS A
7d Dreadful, some say, or very good (8)
TERRIFIC – Another double definition
13d Person named in the post (9)
ADDRESSEE – A not particularly cryptic cryptic definition clue
15d Putting up with unpleasant diner with gun (8)
ENDURING – An anagram (unpleasant) of DINER with GUN
16d Last character absorbed in act of humiliation in town in south-west (8)
PENZANCE – Z (last character) ‘absorbed’ in PENANCE (act of humiliation)
17d Even went first and scored equaliser (8)
LEVELLED – LEVEL (even) LED (went first)
19d Yearned after length of yarn, made a mistake right away (8)
HANKERED – HANK (length of yard) ERrED (made a mistake with one of the R’s taken away)
21d Preserve from doctor having bad meal outside (6)
EMBALM – MB (Bachelor of Medicine, doctor) with an anagram (bad) of MEAL ‘outside’
22d What’s to be voted on could be moving (6)
MOTION – A final double definition clue
3*/3*…
liked 1A “Dandy Joseph with Lisa blending wine (10)”