DT 29473

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29473

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 19th September 2020

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

An enjoyable Saturday puzzle and, with a fair amount to make you smile when solving, possibly one of the easier weeks to play Guess the Setter

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Across

1a    Conscientious old man at home killing vampires? (11)
PAINSTAKING – PA (old man) IN (at home) STAKING (killing vampires)

9a    Make one college tenure vacant? (5)
UNITE – UNI (college) and the outside (vacant) letters of TenurE

10a    Biscuit and drink with German enthusiast (6,3)
GINGER NUT – GIN (drink) GER (German) NUT (enthusiast)

11a    Maybe Gatwick Express connects to harbour (7)
AIRPORT – AIR (express) PORT (harbour)

12a    Prisoner worn out becomes repentant (8)
CONTRITE – CON (prisoner) TRITE (worn out)

14a    One dies in little pain (8)
PERISHER – Someone who dies or a little pain in the you know what

15a    Have novel experience? (4)
READ – What you have to do to experience a novel

17a    Force joins battle group (7)
FACTION – F (force) joins ACTION (battle)

19a    Charlie greatest boxer in Colombian city (4)
CALI – C (Charlie in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet and ALI (the greatest boxer)

20a    Go through on car providing last trip? (8)
REHEARSE – RE (on) HEARSE (car providing last trip)

21a    European snake in Geordie town? That causes a stir (8)
TEASPOON – E (European) ASP (snake) inserted into TOON (how a Geordie would say town)

23a    Mammoth in doomed vessel (7)
TITANIC – Double definition

25a    One million in criminal deposit made most favourable (9)
OPTIMISED – I (one) M (million) inserted into an anagram (criminal) of DEPOSIT

26a    Hospital situated in lovely position (5)
NICHE – H (hospital) inserted (situated) in NICE (lovely)

27a    Recklessly altered mint causing harm (11)
DETRIMENTAL – An anagram (recklessly) of ALTERED MINT

Down

2d    Spanish chum is yours truly? Get away! (5)
AMIGO – AM I (is yours truly?) GO (get away)

3d    Demand to carry gun denied (7)
NEGATED – NEED (demand) to ‘carry’ GAT (gun)

4d    Wrong answer to consume evil pancake (8)
TORTILLA – TORT (wrong) A (answer) to ‘consume’ ILL (evil)

5d    First nine letters sent north — the ninth from Greeks (4)
IOTA – A reversal (sent north in a Down clue) of A TO I (first nine letters)

6d    Champion to watch out for Duncan-Smith? (8)
GUARDIAN – GUARD (watch out for) IAIN (Duncan–Smith) Shame that Mr Duncan Smith has an I in his Christian name which means that the wordplay doesn’t work ☹ not to mention the fact that his surname isn’t hyphenated

7d    Irish ham cut round inside Asian place (9)
HIROSHIMA – An anagram (cut) of IRISH HAM with O (round) inside)

8d    Depend on love helping recovery (11)
RESTORATION – REST (depend) O (love) RATION (helping)

12d    Gains control over temper — it’s very important (11)
CORNERSTONE – CORNERS (gains control over) TONE (temper)

13d    Word to describe English PM receiving ambassador (7)
EPITHET – E (English) PITT (Prime Minister) ‘receiving’ HE (His Excellency the Ambassador)

16d    Wren was one flying the Arctic (9)
ARCHITECT – An anagram (flying) of THE ARCTIC

17d    Waved proudly and ran to embrace relative (8)
FLAUNTED – FLED (ran) to ’embrace’ AUNT (relative)

18d    Being in minor gas explosion? (8)
ORGANISM – An anagram (explosion) of MINOR GAS

19d    Top international appearing in fashion title (7)
CAPTION – CAP (top) and I (international) ‘appearing’ in TON (fashion)

22d    Carmen perhaps clad in proper attire (5)
OPERA – Hidden (clad) in prOPER Attire

24d    Son put to bed shows damage (4)
COST – S (son) put in COT (bed)

B2