DT 29305

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29305

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 7^th March 2020

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Morning All! – A fairly straightforward Saturday puzzle with some very nice surface readings..

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Milk producer gives us energy another way (8)
GUERNSEY – The breed of cow is an anagram (another way) of US ENERGY.

5a           Heated battles approaching sea (6)
WARMED – A WAR/battle next to or approaching the MED(iterranean) sea.

9a           Mr Toad an eccentric lacking definite plan (2,6)
AT RANDOM – An eccentric anagram of MR TOAD AN. A fairly apt description.

10a        Economise seconds before squeeze (6)
SCRIMP – S(econds) followed by CRIMP for squeeze.

12a        Fruit, from tree, in can that needs a shake (9)
NECTARINE – An anagrm (that neds a shake) of TREE IN CAN.

13a        Young head-turner? (5)
OWLET – A cryptic definition of the young bird that can turn its head a good way around.

14a        Kitchen heater tested with pair getting evicted (4)
OVEN – Remove the PR for pair from (pr)OVEN or tested.

16a        Annual account about chap in Los Angeles (7)
ALMANAC – Place a MAN/chap in LA for Los Angeles and then place that inside AC for account.

19a        In which clip round the ear might be necessary? (7)
HAIRCUT – A nice cryptic definition of the use of hair-clippers.

21a        Stole material from gym in Knightsbridge (4)
MINK – A hidden clue (from) gy M IN K ightsbridge.

24a        In Netherlands notice American tennis star (5)
NADAL – Place AD/notice and A(merican) inside NL for the Netherlands.

25a        Ivy for one always jealous (9)
EVERGREEN – Simply EVER (always) and GREEN with envy/jealous.

27a        Freeholder in the old sultanate (6)
YEOMAN – Take YE, the old spelling of the, and add the sultanate of OMAN.

28a        Dries out, drinking tea, more sober (8)
STEADIER – Make an anagram of DRIES (out) and insert TEA from the clue.

29a        Service charges for castle in the air? (6)
UPKEEP – A castle in the air might cryptically be described as an UP KEEP.

30a        Male, no dove, carrying a weapon (8)
TOMAHAWK – TOM for Male and a HAWK (the opposite of a dove in US politics) carryoing A from the clue.

Down

1d           Not fine — initially grey then wet (6)
GRAINY – The initial letter of G(rey) an then RAINY for wet.

2d           Improve in hour after noon in Clapton? (6)
ENRICH  Place an H(our) after ERIC (Clapton) with N(oon) inserted.

3d           Assassin from town in Japan (5)
NINJA – A hidden word (from) tow N IN JA pan.

4d           Schoolboy son Baltic citizen expels (7)
ETONIAN – Remove S(on) from an E(s)TONIAN or Baltic citizen.

6d           Host on a march moving north (9)
ANCHORMAN – An anagram (moving) of ON A MARCH followed by N(orth) and a nicely deceiving definition/surface reading.

7d           Route zero comes up through American state (4,4)
MAINLINE – Reverse (it comes up) NIL for zero and then place in the US state of MAINE.

8d           Fool takes plunge short time later (8)
DIPSTICK – DIPS for takes plunge and then a TICK or short time afterwards/later.

11d        Star not totally conscientious foodie? (4)
VEGA – All but the last letter (not totally) of a VEGA(n)/conscientious foodie.

15d        Wobble being unwell during leave (9)
VACILLATE – Place ILL/unwell inside VACATE/leave.

17d        Sabotaged hunt okay to provide gift (5,3)
THANK YOU – A sabotaged anagram of HUNT OKAY.

18d        Turn, then punch, producing shower of blows? (8)
WINDSOCK – A charade of WIND/turn and SOCK for punch/hit. Lovely misdirection on shower as one that shows and not a plethora.

20d        Sentimental sports supporter keeping wicket (4)
TWEE – A golf TEE (that supports the ball in the sport of golf) containing/keeping W for wicket.

21d        Genius? Most are nuts (7)
MAESTRO – An anagram (nuts/crazy) of MOST RE and another good surface reading.

22d        Artist captures alien in part one needs to see (6)
RETINA – An R.A. (member of the Royal Academy of Arts) capturing ET/extraterrestrial/alien and IN from the clue.

23d        Habit of socially inept person (6)
ANORAK – a CD of the coat/habit traditionally worn by trainspotters and a synonym of people thought to be socially inept like IT support and trainspotters. Stereotypes abound!.

26d        Chinese people coming into Georgia’s country (5)
GHANA – The HAN nation/dynasty of China inside GA – the abb. for the US state of Georgia.

Thanks to the setter.