Daily Telegraph Crossword No 30461
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 18th November 2023
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
I hadn’t got very far in solving this crossword when I found I was having so much fun that I decided (correctly as it turns out) that it had to be the work of the NY Doorknob
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
1a Debauched rag do at uni — students looking forward to it? (10)
GRADUATION – An anagram (debauched) of RAG DO AT UNI
6a Where you may see Victoria and Mike crawl? (4)
SWIM – SW1 (the area of London where Victoria is found) and M (Mike in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet)
10a Playful animal more sexy for Cockneys? (5)
OTTER – ‘OTTER or how a Cockney would say hotter or more sexy
11a Callow youth taking in new country (9)
GREENLAND – GREEN (callow) LAD (youth) ‘taking in’ N (new)
12a Husband occupying house an opportunist (7)
CHANCER – H (husband) ‘occupying’ CANCER (House of the Zodiac)
13a One to settle scores opposing Spain in rage (7)
AVENGER – V (versus, opposing) and E (IVR code for Spain) inserted in ANGER (rage)
14a This attained, so: can one get involved, cuddling female? (3,2,7)
AGE OF CONSENT – An anagram (involved) of SO CAN ONE GET ‘cuddling’ F (Female)
18a I’m surprised: is brown sauce put into horrible local dish? (7,5)
CORNISH PASTY – COR (I’m surprised) followed by IS (from the clue) HP (brown sauce) inserted into NASTY (horrible)
21a Letter in Greek about a dance (7)
LAMBADA – LAMBDA (Greek letter) ‘about’ A (from the clue)
23a James Bond for one recalled mark given by Scotsman (7)
ETONIAN – A reversal (recalled) of NOTE (mark) by IAN (Scotsman) – Ian Fleming went to Eton and so his ‘hero’ obviously had to go there too! Apparently, Captain Hook, the enemy of Peter Pan, was another fictional Etonian
24a Seesaw in local site vandalised (9)
OSCILLATE – An anagram (vandalised) of IN LOCAL SITE
25a Defence from boxer swinging both ways? (5)
ALIBI – ALI (Crosswordland’s favourite boxer) and BI (bi-sexual, swinging both ways
26a Indifferent over after spinner on song initially (2-2)
SO-SO – The cricket abbreviation for Over goes after the initial letters of Spinner On Song
27a Below zero inside so like stormy weather? (10)
THUNDEROUS – UNDER (below) O (zero) ‘inside’ THUS (so)
Down
1d Chronic complainer in great cry of pain (6)
GROUCH – GR (great) OUCH (cry of pain)
2d Smoking receptacle hotel’s thrown out, or lost (6)
ASTRAY – ‘Throw out’ the H (Hotel in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet) from an AShTRAY (smoking receptacle)
3d Touring America, club singer one performing incognito? (14)
UNRECOGNISABLE – An anagram (performing) of CLUB SINGER ONE ‘touring’ A (America)
4d Insect one bug found in baby hospital? (5,4)
TIGER MOTH – I (one) GERM (bug) found in between TOT (baby) and H (hospital)
5d Last symbol of resistance? (5)
OMEGA – The last letter of the Greek alphabet and/or the symbol for the SI Unit of Electrical Resistance (Ohm)
7d Cattle-herder with park official crossing line (8)
WRANGLER – W (with) RANGER (park official) ‘crossing’ L (line)
8d Sensible friend on Oder’s banks (8)
MODERATE – MATE (friend) ‘banks’ ODER
9d Neat trio playing in pub with beer and song (14)
INTERNATIONALE – An anagram (playing) of NEAT TRIO inserted into INN (pub), the result followed by ALE (beer)
15d Person blending in tea with energy-packed fruit? (9)
CHAMELEON – CHA (tea) and MELON (fruit) ‘packed’ with E (Energy)
16d Seafood demand beset by concessions (8)
SCALLOPS – CALL (demand) ‘beset’ by SOPS (concessions)
17d Charming qualities masking your compiler’s ugly looks? (8)
GRIMACES – GRACES (charming qualities) ‘masking’ MY (your compiler’s)
19d One’s capacity for it? (6)
LIBIDO – A cryptic definition of one’s impulses for sex (it)
20d What zombie does? Unmentionable things! (6)
UNDIES – A zombie UNDIES or comes back from the dead – the word can also be used as a informal term for underwear (unmentionables)
22d In sea was Hesperus flooded? (5)
AWASH – Hidden in seA WAS Hesperus
Isnt 22d awash?
Sorry, my left hand obviously wasn’t listening to my brain
Thanks for the review and original hints CS.
NYDK
3*/4* …..
Liked the swinging boxer in 25A