Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29150
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 7th September 2019
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *
Finished in a ‘back page time’ rather than a time I’d expect to take for Saturday Prize Puzzle (as we used to know and love them). I think the number of anagrams helped me get going, and it was possible to solve many of the clues from the wordplay rather than getting a solution and then trying to work out how the clue worked which has been the case on some recent Saturdays. Sadly, quite a bit of hard work for very little enjoyment.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Man wishing each woolly could be cleaner (7,7)
WASHING MACHINE – An anagram (woolly) of MAN WISHING EACH
9a In the main gallery exhibits change (7)
LARGELY – An anagram (exhibits change) of GALLERY
10a It’s a far-reaching message, on paper (7)
AIRMAIL – A cryptic definition of something I would imagine these days has been mainly replaced by email
11a The Law of Clipped Woodland (4)
COPS – The Law and COPS are slang terms for the police obtained by clipping the end from COPSe (woodland)
12a Smoothly made as a one-piece? (10)
SEAMLESSLY – Unbroken like a one-piece garment with no seams
14a Contract requiring three partly to supply occasional items (6)
TREATY – The ‘occasional’ letters of ThReE pArTlY
15a Satisfied to see delta after eluding storms (8)
INDULGED – D (Delta) goes after an anagram (storms) of ELUDING
17a Overcome being pretentious (8)
AFFECTED – A double definition clue
18a Couples coming from Dorset in urge to head west (6)
UNITES – Found in reverse (heading west in an Across clue) in dorSET IN Urge
21a Following spell inside, had a bite with daughter over (10)
TERMINATED – TERM (spell) IN (inside) ATE (had a bite) with D (Daughter)
22a Creep giving lip (4)
EDGE – Double definition
24a Eats having been swimming? (7)
SEAFOOD – A rather odd cryptic definition for food that once swam in the sea
25a Something at the greengrocer‘s that’s mostly under water (7)
ICEBERG – A lettuce (named apparently because the growers used to ship it covered in ice) or something found in the sea where most of it hides under the water
26a Images backing US city article — second is making things greener (14)
PHOTOSYNTHESIS – PHOTOS (images), a reversal (backing) of NY (US city) THE (definite article) S (second) IS (from the clue)
Down
1d Animal that might give act? (7)
WILDCAT – If a clue mentioned a WILD CAT, you might take this as an indication that an anagram of CAT would lead you to the word ACT
2d Bust flogged to get funds (8,3,4)
STRAPPED FOR CASH – STRIPPED (flogged) FOR (to get) CASH (funds)
3d Article requires hi-tech the writer rejected (4)
ITEM – IT (hi-tech) followed by a reversal (rejected in a Down clue) of ME (the writer)
4d It makes hot water muddy grey around London area (6)
GEYSER – An anagram (muddy) of GREY around SE (London area)
5d Dreadful, getting tooled up to support the French uprising (8)
ALARMING – ARMING (getting tooled up) supports (in a Down clue) a reversal (uprising) of LA (the French feminine definite article)
6d Fifteen pantomime figures (10)
HARLEQUINS – The fifteen players of a London rugby club or some pantomime figures
7d Local with spotted head causes viewer’s complaint (4-11)
NEAR-SIGHTEDNESS – NEAR (local) SIGHTED (spotted) NESS (head)
8d Given food that keeps set, being whipped (6)
FLAYED – FED (given good) ‘keeps’ LAY (set)
13d Last instruction from ENT nurse? (5,2,3)
STICK IT OUT – An ENT nurse might tell you to STICK IT (your tongue) OUT
16d A red van’s going around galleries (8)
VERANDAS – An anagram (going around) of A RED VANS
17d Rat afloat, first one pursuing craft (6)
ARTIST – An anagram (afloat) of RAT followed by IST (first)
19d They’re made to run where it’s freezing his legs off (7)
SLEIGHS – An anagram (off) of HIS LEGS
20d Troop‘s physical restraint right out the window (6)
LEGION – Remove the R (right out the window) from LEG IrON (physical restraint)
23d Web links the compiler with mum (4)
MESH – ME (the compiler) with SH (mum in the sense of ‘be quiet’)
Thanks for the review, CS, my only failure was legion, I was getting tired! But unlike you, I thoroughly enjoyed what was quite a struggle – I liked the variety of anagram indicators which fooled me for ages, and the whole thing felt just that bit different, in a good way. So thanks to the setter too!
Thank you for providing clarity to a few I managed to solve without being quite sure they were right.
Initially struggled, however enjoyed 26a and 7d both of which helped a lot. 24a last to be filled in and agree it was an odd cryptic definition.
Welcome to the blog Mike