DT 29287

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29287

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 15^th February 2020

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

An extremely straightforward pangram – a perfect candidate for the proposed new ‘easier’ crossword slot

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Across

6a    Greatest ever intoxicated state, this level has never been reached before (3-4,4)
ALL-TIME HIGH – ALL TIME (greatest ever) HIGH (intoxicated state)

9a    Cunning but not to start with having information on gas (6)
OXYGEN – fOXY (cunning but without the F at the start) and GEN (information)

10a    Urges one to become bountiful (8)
GENEROUS – An anagram (to become) of URGES ONE

11a    Avert filly travelling in depressed area in Africa (4,6)
RIFT VALLEY – An anagram (travelling) of AVERT FILLY

14a    Cut out of wet chalk (4)
ETCH – Lurking in wET CHalk

15a    Supposed to have done some magic round European court (11)
CONJECTURED – CONJURED (done some magic) ’round’ E (European) CT (court)

21a    Symbol of Conservative and most of opposition? (4)
CLEF – C (Conservative) LEFt (most of the opposition)

22a    Finished week taking on number too heavy (10)
OVERWEIGHT – OVER (finished) W (week) EIGHT (number)

25a    Advance in French vehicle going round centre of Bourges (8)
ENCROACH – EN (the French word for in) and COACH (vehicle), the latter ‘going round’ the letter at the centre of BouRges

27a    Puzzle that might be draining (6)
RIDDLE – A type of puzzle or something that strains or drains

28a    Jack perhaps clearer as a cheat (4-7)
CARD-SHARPER – CARD (Jack perhaps) SHARPER (clearer). I’d not heard of this cheat with ER at the end but is in the BRB

Down

1d    It may come before and after landing (6)
FLIGHT – This can relate to either stairs or travelling by aeroplane

2d    Good person has articles about New Zealand verse (6)
STANZA – ST (saint, good person) has A and A (indefinite articles) ‘about’ NZ (New Zealand)

3d    Second simpleton self-satisfied (4)
SMUG – S (second) MUG (simpleton)

4d    One might say this very much as an expression of gratefulness (5,3)
THANK YOU – an expression of gratefulness often said with the words ‘very much’

5d    Give rage in order to afflict (8)
AGGRIEVE – An anagram (in order) of GIVE RAGE

7d    Bloomer having neat edge (5)
OXLIP – OX (neat here referring to cattle) LIP (edge)

8d    Painfully sensitive flesh lasting a short time (5)
QUICK – Double definition, the first referring sensitive parts of the body, for example around a finger nail

12d    I will leave Russian front (3)
VAN – Remove the I (will leave) from IVAN, the Russian

13d    Endless good fortune concerning money (5)
LUCRE – Remove the end from LUCk (good fortune) and then follow with RE (concerning)

16d    Baker upset after cancelled delivery (3,5)
OFF BREAK – An anagram (upset) of BAKER goes after OFF (cancelled)

17d    Jo prayed about hazard (8)
JEOPARDY – An anagram (about) of JO PRAYED

18d    Soldiers drinking unknown whisky (3)
RYE – RE (Royal Engineers, soldiers) ‘drinking’ Y (mathematical unknown)

19d    Smooth learner in orchestra (5)
BLAND – L (learner) in BAND (orchestra)

20d    Quiet and mischievous being in part of library? (5)
SHELF – SH (quiet) and ELF (mischievous being)

23d    Careful to adopt Catholic slogan (3,3)
WAR CRY – WARY (careful) to ‘adopt’ RC (Roman Catholic)

24d    In action? Certainly (6)
INDEED – IN (from the clue) DEED (action)

26d    Had old money dropped repeatedly in ditch (2-2)
HA-HA – Drop the D (representing a penny in old money) from two lots (repeatedly) of HAd HAd