DT 29551

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29551

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 19^th December 2020

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

A fairly average Saturday Prize Puzzle

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Across

7a    Sporty student to initiate classy descent (4,5)
BLUE BLOOD – BLUE (sporty student at Oxford or Cambridge) BLOOD (initiate)

8a    Born in Paris she is lovely woman (5)
BELLE – B (born) ELLE (French word for ‘she’)

10a    Rich cake and drink found in Gaul, mostly (6)
GATEAU – TEA (drink) found in most of GAUl

11a    First-year student cheeky in front of staff (8)
FRESHMAN – FRESH (cheeky) MAN (staff)

12a    Old girl distributed medals (6)
DAMSEL – An old-fashioned word for a girl is an anagram (distributed) of MEDALS

14a    During hostilities Democrat reveals secret (6)
INWARD – IN (during) WAR (hostilities) D (Democrat)

16a    Northern valley supplied at last with beer (4)
DALE – The last letter of supplieD with ALE (beer)

17a    Bishop in posh car West Indian moves? (5)
LIMBO – B (chess notation for Bishop) in LIMO (posh car)

18a    Dance venue wanting backer in circle (4)
DISC – A DISCo (dance venue) ‘wanting’ its last letter (backer)

19a    Giselle perhaps takes everyone in punt (6)
BALLET – ALL (everyone) in BET (punt)

21a    Sailor repeatedly sees fierce person (6)
TARTAR – TAR (sailor) repeatedly

24a    He has dog rolling big barrel (8)
HOGSHEAD – An anagram (rolling) of HE HAS DOG

26a    God needs a mark to locate treasure chest (6)
THORAX – THOR (god) A (from the clue) X (marks the spot where treasure can be found)

27a    Bone discovered in Roman villa (5)
ANVIL – Hidden in RomAN VILla

28a    Protest about short audition for leading lady (9)
MATRIARCH – MARCH (protest) goes about a truncated (short) TRIAl (audition)

Down

1d    Crow and lark’s head covered in butter (5)
GLOAT – L (the ‘head’ of Lark) ‘covered’ in GOAT (butter)

2d    Dame Edna supports learner making purchase (8)
LEVERAGE – Dame Edna’s surname EVERAGE supports L (learner)

3d    100 yobs coming to blows (6)
CLOUTS – C (Roman numeral for 100) LOUTS (yobs)

4d    Swell to fortissimo (4)
TOFF – TO (from the clue) FF (musical abbreviation for fortissimo)

5d    Relative in north-east: that’s a relief (6)
NEPHEW – NE (North East) PHEW (that’s a relief)

6d    Beaten Arabs lost an impressive winger (9)
ALBATROSS – An anagram (beaten) of ARABS LOST

9d    Sheep from Ireland doctor keeps (6)
MERINO – MO (doctor) ‘keeps’ ERIN (Ireland)

13d    The writer is drunk outside — over this perhaps? (5)
LIMIT- IM (the writer) with LIT (drunk) ‘outside’

15d    Supreme soldier often up on horse (9)
PARAMOUNT- PARA (nicely defined as soldier often up) on MOUNT (horse)

17d    Young family makes mess (6)
LITTER – Double definition

18d    Cross having endless pain in face (8)
DIAGONAL – ‘endless’ AGONy (pain) in DIAL (face)

20d    Bark’s courageous owner sails absurdly close to shore (6)
LASSIE – An anagram (absurdly) of SAILS and the ‘close’ to shorE

22d    Finish work and go to bed (6)
RETIRE – Double definition

23d    Composer keeping time in group (5)
BATCH – BACH (composer) ‘keeping’ T (time)

25d    Pain in the neck? Medic rang regularly (4)
DRAG – DR (medic) and the ‘regular’ letters of rAnG