DT 29999

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29999

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on 28^th 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

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

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