Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30299
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 13th May 2023
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Another friendly Saturday Prize Puzzle from Chalicea.
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Across
1a Real information Independent put in French article (7)
GENUINE – GEN (information) and I (Independent), the latter inserted into UNE (French feminine indefinite article)
5a More powerful shredder, we’re told (7)
GREATER – A homophone (we’re told) of GRATER (shredder)
9a Players and artist going after gold box (9)
ORCHESTRA – RA (artist) going after OR (heraldic term for gold) and CHEST (box)
10a Reportedly take construction material (5)
STEEL – A homophone (reportedly) of STEAL (take)
11a Inflamed with passion only involving the navy (5)
BURNT – BUT (only) ‘involving’ RN (Royal Navy)
12a At one’s disposal, one dog in American valley (9)
AVAILABLE – A LAB (one dog) inserted between A (American) and VALE (valley)
13a Fence I fit clumsily is working competently (9)
EFFICIENT – An anagram (clumsily) of FENCE I FIT
16a Orchard’s foremost thriving tree (5)
OLIVE – The foremost letter of Orchard and LIVE (thriving)
17a Substance found in an offshore bank? (5)
CORAL – A cryptic definition of something found in a bank or reef under the sea
18a Mistake having a change of heart very quickly (9)
OVERNIGHT – Change the letter at the heart of OVERSIGHT (mistake) from an S to an N
20a Inform about tiny person sewing (9)
STITCHING – SING (inform) ‘about’ TITCH (tiny person)
23a Some opera is expected to elate (5)
RAISE – Hidden in some opeRA IS Expected
25a Ian heartlessly sent back aid for eastern country (5)
INDIA Remove the letter at the heart of IaN and follow with a reversal (sent back) of AID (from the clue)
26a Point represented another way (5-4)
NORTH-EAST – An anagram (represented) of ANOTHER followed by ST (street, way)
27a Widespread in related species on lake (7)
GENERAL – GENERA (related species) L (lake)
28a Most excellent meat dish (7)
SUPREME – Double definition, the second related to a dish of meat, usually chicken, in a rich cream sauce
Down
1d Cheers advantageous purchase, we hear (7)
GOODBYE – A homophone (we hear) of a GOOD BUY (advantageous purchase)
2d More agreeable French Riviera city river (5)
NICER – NICE (French Riviera city) R (river)
3d In dialect novel’s the same (9)
IDENTICAL – An anagram (novel) of IN DIALECT
4d Run over (5)
EXTRA – A run in cricket or an adjective meaning additional (over)
5d Assurance of dancing septuagenarian, lacking various pains (9)
GUARANTEE – An anagram (dancing) of sEpTuagenarIAN lacking the letters PAINS (various) telling you that they aren’t in that order
6d Stand and comfort student (5)
EASEL – Yet another appearance of Crossword Setters’ Word of the Month – EASE (comfort) L (learner, student)
7d Anxious quivering started, not oddly, over male with expensive jewellery (9)
TREMBLING – The even (not oddly) letters of sTaRtEd, M (male) BLING (expensive jewellery)
8d Lighten burden, enjoy life again embracing energy (7)
RELIEVE – RELIVE (enjoy life again) ’embracing’ E (energy)
14d In favour of president hugging Democrat: it’s banned (9)
FORBIDDEN – FOR (in favour of) BIDEN (the current US President) ‘hugging’ D (Democrat)
15d Eastern movement a Liberal worked up (9)
EMOTIONAL – E (eastern) MOTION (movement) A (from the clue) L (Liberal)
16d Possession when pro is involved (9)
OWNERSHIP – An anagram (involved) of WHEN PRO IS
17d Estimating the price of business do (7)
COSTING – CO (company, business) STING (do, rob or cheat)
19d New threat over English playhouse (7)
THEATRE – An anagram (new) of THREAT goes over (in a Down solution) the abbreviation for English
21d Carry in triumph from public display after check (5)
CHAIR – AIR (display in public) goes after CH (check)
22d Micro-organisms carried at heart in precious stones (5)
GERMS – The letter at the heart of carRied inserted into GEMS (precious stones)
24d Mental picture of one learned person (5)
IMAGE – I (one) MAGE (learned person)
2*/4* …..
liked 5D “Assurance of dancing septuagenarian, lacking various pains (9)”
Easiest Telegraph puzzle I’ve ever solved. Complete write-in except for being uncertain about that definition for CHAIR. Being American, I’d not heard of ‘titch’ but it was the only thing that fit.