DT 30347 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30347

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 8^th July 2023

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment *** 

Apart from all the anagrams and insertions, I had to type ‘from the clue’ seven times while reviewing this Cephas Saturday Prize Puzzle

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought

Across

1a    Gain for female with sex appeal (6)
PROFIT – PRO (for) F (female) IT (sex appeal)

5a    Doctor seen with girls — that’s sweet (8)
MOLASSES – MO (doctor) LASSES (girls)

9a    Cheap comic one ordered (8)
ECONOMIC – An anagram (ordered) of COMIC ONE

10a    Put weight on! (6)
STRESS Put weight on a syllable or word

11a    And with this in France getting new rate — and the rest (2,6)
ET CETERA – ET (the French word for with) CE (the French word for this) and an anagram (new) of RATE

12a    Methuselah‘s nerve? (6)
BOTTLE – A very large bottle known as a Methuselah or a slang term for courage

13a    Alan being awkward losing answer that’s making things possible (8)
ENABLING – An anagram (awkward) of aLAN BEING without (losing) one of the abbreviations for answer

15a    Getting on with a good journalist (4)
AGED – A (from the clue) G (good) ED (journalist)

17a    Speed demonstrated by Bill during exercises (4)
PACE – AC (bill, account) inserted in (during) PE (exercises)

19a    12 showing hypocrisy, tucking into venison (8)
DECANTER – A type of 12a – CANT (hypocrisy) inserted (tucking) into DEER (venison)

20a    Cannon ball (6)
POMPOM – All the references I’ve found to this type of cannon or anti-aircraft gun have a hyphen in the middle; the fluffy ball doesn’t

21a    Rod takes the plunge a short time later? (8)
DIPSTICK – DIPS (takes the plunge) TICK (a short time)

22a    Fan not working, having had grease removed (3-3)
NON-FAT – An anagram (working) of FAN NOT

23a    Criminal kept coin with money (2,6)
IN POCKET – An anagram (criminal) of KEPT COIN

24a    Fugitive with brief notion to stay in hotel on holiday (8)
HIDEAWAY – IDEa (a brief or truncated notion) inserted between (to stay in) H (Hotel in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet) and AWAY (on holiday)

25a    Mitigation shown by judge locking up priest (6)
RELIEF – REF (judge) ‘locking up’ ELI (Old Testament priest)

Down

2d    Park it in garden at first? That’s telling (8)
RECITING – REC (recreation ground, park) IT and IN (from the clue) G (the first letter of Garden)

3d    Inclined to steal: light this! (8)
FINGERED – Light FINGERED or inclined to steal

4d    Moderate anger at end of voyage (9)
TEMPERATE – TEMPER (anger) AT (from the clue) E (the end of voyage)

5d    Plant from Himalayas medic’s wasted (10-5)
MICHAELMAS DAISY – An anagram (wasted) of HIMALAYAS MEDICS

6d    Intro to aria with unusually strong melody (3-4)
ART-SONG – the ‘intro’ to Aria and an anagram (unusually) of STRONG – a song whose words and music are the product of conscious art

7d    Flower that’s small found in street with no end of fruit (5,3)
SWEET PEA – WEE (small) inserted into (found) in ST (street), PEAr (fruit with no end)

8d    Mixed up senses in state of uncertainty (8)
SUSPENSE – An anagram (mixed) of UP SENSES

14d    Something to write on as college set up photographer with Queen (9)
NOTEPAPER – A reversal (set up) of ETON (college) PAP (paparazzi, photographer) ER (the regnal cipher of our late Queen

15d    A measure to restrict strike if absolutely necessary (2,1,5)
AT A PINCH – A (from the clue) INCH (measure) to ‘restrict’ TAP (light strike)

16d    Old article unearthed and investigated (8)
EXAMINED – EX (old) A (indefinite article) MINED (unearthed)

17d    Expert to pass diplomatic code (8)
PROTOCOL – PRO (expert) TO (from the clue) COL (mountain pass)

18d    Charlie on island — it’s very hard (8)
CONCRETE – C (Charlie in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet) ON (from the clue) CRETE (island)

19d    French couturier having morning with a model? (7)
DIORAMA – DIOR (French couturier) AM (morning) A (from the clue)