DT 25954 – Hints

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25954 – Hints

Selected hints by Big Dave

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

A good puzzle which, for me, was spoilt by the return of the dreaded place names.  Just to make things worse, three of the four are interlinked.   As I have previously remarked, if I want a General Knowledge crossword I will do the Telegraph’s excellent Giant GK puzzle.  To me it’s a lazy way of filling the grid, and I always have more respect for setters that avoid them.

As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them.  Peter Biddlecombe’s full review of this puzzle will be published at 12.00 on Thursday, 18th June.

Across

1a Cautious man’s cutting edge? (6,5)
This is a cryptic definition of a tool used by many men to achieve a wet shave

7a Badly torn, too, in the city (7)
Here badly tells you that Canada’s largest city is an easy anagram of TORN, TOO

8a One interfering with fruit report (7)
This interfering person sounds like this fruit

10a Another food store said to be in the capital (3,5)
The capital of India sounds like a store which sells high quality prepared foods has just been opened

11a Knife used by one in accident (6)

13a Very black in an American state (4)
It could be very black IN KentuckY

14a Push a man who can get you covered (5,5)
A weak charade which leads to someone who arranges for coverage in newspapers – looks like it’s got something to do with insurance, but it hasn’t

18a Jamaica, Virginia or island farther east (4)
Combine the abbreviations for these two places to get an island that is best known for it’s coffee

21a Heard freeman had something to eat (6)

I couldn’t resist this picture!

22a Overindulged recklessly — Nero refused, it was made known (8)
here recklessy indicates that there is an anagram in the offing – take Nero away from overindulged and you are well on your way!

24a Fine weather, little bit preceding festival (7)
This festival, which occurs on the seventh Sunday after Easter, is a charade of a little bit and a feature of fine weather

Down

1d Lady to come to losing energy in Malaysia (7)
My ultimate dislike is a place name clued on a girl’s name! – the girl cropped up in a slightly different form yesterday and the rest of the charade is the first thing you do in the morning, without the final E(nergy); all of this leads to a place in Malaysia

2d Offence readily included by sportsman (6)
The sportsman hiding here is rather too easily spotted

4d Be inclined to swindle (4)
The first part of this double definition is a verb which is more usually found as a noun – a slope that often replaces one or more steps

5d These signs are heavenly (8)
… and used in astrology

7d Courtier’s joint complaint? (6,5)
Maybe someone at Queen’s Club today will be suffering from this!

9d Best passed clockwise (5-6)
The wrong way to pass the port

17d Range of experience according to said survey (7)
Here the range of experience sounds like per view

20d Case of the shakes (6)
Did Robin Hood have this?

23d One Parisian officer found it strange (4)
Combine the French for one and a Commanding Officer to get a Scottish word meaning strange

For new visitors to the blog, and there seem to be more and more every day, if you follow the link on the pictures then the url usually gives the game away!