Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29006
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 23rd March 2019
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ***
One of those very wordy crosswords that took me longer than it should to solve (even allowing for Mr CS trying to interrupt me to tell me about something in the garden) but then when you type the review, there are so many anagrams and ‘put something into something else’ type clues that you wonder why you struggled – although perhaps its because it appears to be the work of the setter who likes to fill all the available space with his clues?
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Season meals provided something to give you a boost (11)
SPRINGBOARD – SPRING (season) BOARD (meals provided with lodging)
10a Fuss about worship (5)
ADORE – ADO (fuss) RE (about)
11a Something very funny after spells of cricket go too far (9)
OVERSHOOT – HOOT (something funny) goes after OVERS (spells of cricket)
12a Cry from victim of crime could make poet shift (4,5)
STOP THIEF – An anagram (could make) of POET SHIFT
13a One running wild in Australia caught by commanding officer (5)
DINGO – Lurking in (caught by) commanDING Officer
14a One may be lucky to run out of gear (6)
STREAK – Double definition
16a Deliver energy suffering from cold (8)
FREEZING – FREE (deliver) ZING (energy)
18a Animus of falling out is notorious (8)
INFAMOUS – An anagram (falling out) of ANIMUS OF
20a Pretentious type is sorry for work backfiring (6)
POSEUR – A reversal (backfiring) of RUES (is sorry for) OP (work)
23a Pants with holes around back of knees (5)
GASPS – GAPS (holes) ‘around’ the S at the ‘back’ of kneeS
24a Take nourishment amidst eking out precarious situation (5-4)
KNIFE-EDGE – FED (take nourishment) inserted into (amidst) an anagram (out) of EKING
26a Omen still represented heavy burden (9)
MILLSTONE – An anagram (represented) of OMEN STILL
27a Trained in computer science and medicine (5)
AIMED – AI (Artificial Intelligence, computer science) and MED (medicine)
28a Light snack — santé (6,5)
FRENCH TOAST – Santé being a French word used to toast someone – the equivalent of our Good Health!
Down
2d Petty Officer welcoming opposite of cold snap (5)
PHOTO – PO (Petty Officer) ‘welcoming’ HOT (opposite of cold)
3d Sluggishness I retain at work (7)
INERTIA – An anagram (at work) of I RETAIN
4d Coming out with pithy remark (6)
GNOMIC – An anagram (out) of COMING
5d This may need log on to start ‘shoot-em-up’ (4,4)
OPEN FIRE – A misleading surface reading sending you off in the direction of computer games but really this is a double definition clue where the log is needed on an OPEN FIRE, which is also an instruction to start shooting
6d Deposit needed to live outside university (7)
RESIDUE – RESIDE (live) goes outside U (University)
7d What manager of grouse moor does gives improved performance (6,3,4)
RAISES HIS GAME – What a grouse moor manager does!
8d Public school‘s disadvantage (8)
DOWNSIDE – A public school in Somerset or a disadvantage – well there has to be at least one clue for people to say “I didn’t know…..”
9d Disagreeing with a lumberjack appearing in the promotional films? (2,11)
AT LOGGER HEADS – A (from the clue) and LOGGER (lumberjack) appearing in or inserted into THE ADS (promotional films)
15d Real fuss about problems for showjumpers? (8)
REFUSALS – An anagram (the second use of about to indicate an anagram) of REAL FUSS
17d Material for pillow to avoid bumping head (4,4)
DUCK DOWN – An instruction to avoid bumping a head
19d One guilty of malpractice, stingy type takes us in (7)
MISUSER – MISER (stingy type) takes in US (from the clue)
21d Herb Egon Ronay cooked shunning New York (7)
OREGANO – An anagram (cooked) of EGON ROnAy without (shunning) NY (New York)
22d Snag besetting European using latest devices (2-4)
HI-TECH – HITCH (snag) ‘besetting’ E (European)
25d Ends relationship with sadness (5)
DUMPS – An informal way of saying ends relationships or some gloomy sadness
I agree. I got most of the clues from the word shapes. but the narrative was too convoluted for me on many of them.
Thank you for putting me out of my misery, CS. It was obvious what the answer to 13 ac was, but as usual I completely missed the lurker. When will I learn? Thanks also to the setter for a fun puzzle, I loved french toast and duck down.
Thanks CS – Found this one in a pile of old papers. Needed the explanation for DINGO and as you suggested had to look up public schools. A fun puzzle, even though it took 3 days!
Welcome to the blog – we don’t normally mention solving times for fear of upsetting people who take longer than most to solve a crossword but I think on this occasion I can leave your time in the comment!!