DT 29138 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 29138

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29138

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 28th August 2019

BD Rating – Difficulty ***Enjoyment ***

Morning All! A fairly regular Saturday Puzzle whih was a quick solve and not quite a pangram.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           One slaying behemoth finally in land of dragons and scary monsters (6,6)
KILLER WHALES – A KILLER is one slaying, then add the final letter of (behemoth)H into WALES – the land of dragons.

8a           As the French say, one leap can make you free (7)
UNBOUND -UN for ‘one’ as a Frenchman might say it and then BOUND for leap.

9a           Personal extension often given a ring that is put through or hangs on (7)
EARLOBE – A cryptic definition of a part of the body that can be piered to but a ring through or hang one from.

11a        Articles in English and German keeping tabloid newspaper in pieces (7)
ASUNDER – The English and German articles ar A and DER. Place the SUN tabloid in between (they are keeping).

12a        Lopsided grin lad gives beloved (7)
DARLING – A lopsided anagram of LAD GRIN.

13a        Feeling faint, sleep comically interrupts home repairs (5)
DIZZY – Place ZZ (a comical way of showing one is asleep) inside DIY for home repairs.

14a        Organised newsroom split by a group having a row (9)
OARSWOMEN – An anagram (organised) of NEWSROOM including (split by) A from the clue.

16a        Henry Marsh welcomes parking beside US city — little money is needed (9)
HALFPENNY – Hal for Harry then P inside/welcomed by a FEN/marsh and finally NY for a US city.

19a        Reporter’s style cut (5)
MOWED – A homophone (for a reporter/someone speaking) of MODE for style.

21a        Legendary creature in college — something afoot! (7)
UNICORN – A UNI(versity) or college followed by a CORN that might be found on the foot.

23a        Extract from mineral ore Leicester woman found on rocks (7)
LORELEI – A hidden word (an extract from) minera L ORE LEI cester.

24a        Was fashionable tailor’s outer coat finished? (7)
TRENDED – The outer letters (coat) of T(ailo)R followed by ENDED for finished

25a        Drip fermented a keg ale (7)
LEAKAGE – A fermented anagram of A KEG ALE.

26a        Exercise? Right kind should be easy to follow (4-8)
USER-FRIENDLY – USE for exercise (as a verb) then R(ight) followed by FRIENDLY for kind.

Down

1d           One promotes growth in the Middle East (7)
KIBBUTZ – A cryptic definition of a communal farm (that promotes growth) in Israel.

2d           Professional restorers clean up nude, Roy missing odd bits (7)
LAUNDRY – remove the odd letters/bits from cLeAn Up NuDe RoY.

3d           Dishevelled, I wondered what comes over me at night? (9)
EIDERDOWN – An anagram, indicated by dishevelled, of I WONDERED.

4d           Like a weed — just put energy in to make it flourish (5)
WIELD – A weed is a WILD plant. Insert E for Energy.

5d           Raw rice to be cooked for jumbo’s handlers? (7)
AIRCREW – A cooked anagram of RAW RICE.

6d           Pride, I’ve got — I smile to cover it up (7)
EGOTISM – A hidden word (covered up by) I’v E GOT I SM ile.

7d           Hack with press making argument from both sides (3,3,6)
CUT AND THRUST – CUT/hack AND/with THRUST/press.

10d        Rail traveller with no ticket who gets in first (6,6)
ENGINE DRIVER – A cryptic definition of the man who sits up front/first and doesn’t need to pay a fare on the train.

15d        Shade‘s down with prince maybe coming over (5,4)
ROYAL BLUE – BLUE for down with a ROYAL (e.g. prince) first (coming over) in a down clue.

17d        Signs of hesitation after one in bunch dilly-dallies (7)
LOITERS – ERS for signs of hesitation after I for one inside a LOT or bunch.

18d        Place stranger finds tortoise? (7)
PLODDER – Pl. for Place and then ODDER for stranger.

19d        Woman, originally, mariners admire at sea (7)
MERMAID – The original letter in M(ariners) and then an anagram (at sea) of ADMIRE. My favourite clue this week.

20d        Wife all over infant with no top or jumper (7)
WALLABY – W for Wife and ALL over a (b)ABY or infant with the top removed.

22d        All-time low turnover of desperate man tailed by Inland Revenue (5)
NADIR – A reversal/turnover of Desperate DAN followed by IR for the Inland Revenue.