DT 28618

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28618

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 23^rd December 2017

BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***

Quite a few seasonal references, as we’ve come to expect on the Saturday before Christmas. Lots of double definitions, anagrams and ‘putting something after something later in the clue’.

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Across

1a    Problem, queen possibly admits, is gossip (4-4)
CHIT-CHAT – CAT (queen possibly) ‘admits’ HITCH (problem)

5a    Artist designed channel (6)
STRAIT – An anagram (designed) of ARTIST

9a    Orange tongue (8)
MANDARIN – A type of orange or the most widely spoken form of Chinese (tongue here referring to language)

10a    Savage beating rather ugly then, after lunch all kicking off (6)
BRUTAL – The letters ‘kicking off’ Beating Rather Ugly Then After Lunch

12a    Tinseltown broadcaster with excellent backing in country (6)
LATVIA – LA (Los Angeles, Tinseltown) TV (broadcaster) with a reversal (backing) of AI (excellent)

13a    Very cold energy to give away? (8)
FREEZING- Split 4,4, this solution might well be energy to give away

15a    Go back over caterer’s cooking (7)
RETRACE – An anagram (cooking) of CATERER

16a    Greek character confined to maze, taurine (4)
ZETA – Lurking (confined to) in maZE TAurine

20a    Worker flush, perhaps? (4)
HAND – The reference to ‘flush, perhaps?’ referring to playing cards

21a    Given guidance, American English grasped by the masses (7)
USHERED – US (American) E (English), the latter ‘grasped by’ HERD (the amasses)

25a    A hang-up at Christmas? (8)
STOCKING – A seasonal cryptic definition

26a    Musketeer almost takes me in (2,4)
AT HOME – Almost all of ATHOs the Musketeer followed by ME (from the clue)

28a    Number in round, unknown figure (6)
NINETY – A reversal (round) of TEN (number) and IN (from the clue) followed by Y (mathematical unknown)

29a    Scoundrel heading for bar before match? (8)
BLIGHTER – B (the ‘heading’ for Bar) goes before LIGHTER (match?)

30a    Attempt to impress that man with old supposition (6)
THEORY – Insert (impress) HE (that man) and O (old) into TRY (attempt)

31a    By the sound of it wet, beloved animal (8)
REINDEER – Homophones (by the sound of it) of RAIN (wet) and DEAR (beloved)

Down

1d    Pretty modest about me getting first in linguistics (6)
COMELY- COY (modest) ‘about’ ME (from the clue) and L (the ‘first’ in Linguistics)

2d    Native visited restaurant after pub (6)
INNATE – ATE (visited restaurant) goes after INN (pub)

3d    Wine bottles in — one’s blown (8)
CLARINET – CLARET (wine) ‘bottles’ IN (from the clue)

4d    Eager opera singer on the rise (4)
AVID – A reversal (on the rise in a Down clue) of DIVA (opera singer)

6d    Country that’s a let-down? (6)
TURKEY – A country or a play or film that is a complete failure

7d    Got date and ain’t bothered! (8)
ATTAINED – An anagram (bothered) of DATE and AINT

8d    Breaking metal chains say, right message (8)
TELEGRAM – An anagram (breaking) of METAL ‘chains’ or holds in EG (say) and R (right)

11d    Firework, a beauty (7)
CRACKER – Another double definition

14d    It’s wrapped up here (7)
PRESENT – And another – the first one being a cryptic definition

17a    Horse, old joke (8)
CHESTNUT – And yet another – could have been a triple definition if the clue had mentioned ‘old friends’ of the crossword solver

18d    Oz girl leads state (8)
ANNOUNCE – Misleading surface reading: I wonder how many solvers briefly ‘visited’ Australia while solving this one? – ANN (girl) leads OUNCE (oz being the abbreviation for ounce)

19d    Figure pathogen out (8)
HEPTAGON – An anagram (out) of PATHOGEN

22d    One slipping on ice takes off, ending on floor (6)
SKATER – An anagram (off) of SKATES and the ‘ending’ on flooR

23d    Type that is for attack (6)
SORTIE – SORT (type) IE (that is)

24d    Fear slip after tottering initially (6)
TERROR – ERROR (slip) goes after T (Tottering initially)

27d    Fruit that takes time, we hear? (4)
SLOE – A homophone (we hear) of SLOW (takes time)

I’m pretty sure I know who set this one but I’m not saying just in case I’m wrong.   I’d like to wish Cephas, the Saturday Mysterons and Mister Ron, a very Happy New Year.   I’m looking forward to blogging more of your Prize Puzzles in 2018

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