Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29556
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on Boxing Day 2020
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment **
Happy New Year
I think it says quite a lot about how entertaining a Saturday Prize Puzzle is when the majority of the comments on the Hints Post relate to how one should pronounce the word “scone” – to rhyme with ‘gone’ naturally
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Part-timer shocks alluring women (11)
TEMPTRESSES – TEMP (part-timer) TRESSES (shocks of hair)
10a Confused when fishing, perhaps? (2,3)
AT SEA – where you might be fishing?
11a Hit yourself (6,3)
NUMBER ONE – Double definition
12a Weapon striking girl? (9)
BOMBSHELL – Double definition
13a The writer of this puzzle a subject for discussion (5)
THEME – THE (from the clue) ME (writer of this puzzle)
14a Something like a cricket cap is coveted, and delighting Australian openers (6)
CICADA – The openers of Cap Is Covered And Delighting Australian
16a Wine around South Africa certainly not for ladies’ man (8)
CASANOVA – CAVA (wine) around SA (South Africa) NO (certainly not)
18a Particular brewing of ales, epic (8)
ESPECIAL – An anagram (brewing) of ALES EPIC
20a County provides employees (6)
STAFFS – Double definition
23a A flower came to light (5)
AROSE – A (from the clue) ROSE (came to light)
24a Money man in more ostentatious clothes (9)
FINANCIER – FANCIER (more ostentatious) ‘clothes’ IN (from the clue)
26a Move top article in magazine (9)
CARTRIDGE – CART (move) RIDGE (top)
27a Ordinary wares (5)
STOCK – Double definition
28a Rich yellow food in salad stuffed in mouth, perhaps? (11)
HOLLANDAISE – An anagram (stuffed) of IN SALAD inserted into HOLE (mouth, perhaps)
Down
2d Course record so modest at the outset (5)
EPSOM – EP (record) SO (from the clue) M (modest at the ‘outset’)
3d Oddly, despair spoken highly of (7)
PRAISED – An anagram (oddly) of DESPAIR
4d Stem river perhaps? (6)
RUNNER – Double definition where one had to look really carefully at the printout to make sure the first word wasn’t ‘sterN’
5d African very African! (8)
SOMALIAN – SO (very) MALIAN (African)
6d Vengeful Greek spoiled treacle (7)
ELECTRA – An anagram (spoiled) of TREACLE
7d Reported impertinence by those waiting for a haircut? Spicy stuff! (8,5)
BARBECUE SAUCE – SAUCE (impertinence) by a homophone (reported) of the BARBER QUEUE (those waiting for a haircut)
8d Solitary type, fellow struggling to carry on (4,4)
LONE WOLF – An anagram (struggling) of FELLOW into which is inserted (to carry) ON (from the clue)
9d Comprehensive hit when everyone refuses to work (7,6)
GENERAL STRIKE – GENERAL (comprehensive) STRIKE (hit)
15d Store trophy on flat surface (8)
CUPBOARD – CUP (trophy) BOARD (flat surface)
17d Flower opened, a daisy’s beginning to come up (8)
DAFFODIL – A reversal (to come up) of LID OFF (opened) A (from the clue) D (Daisy’s beginning)
19d All the best encouragement I love (7)
CHEERIO – CHEER (encouragement) I (from the clue) O (love)
21d Swimmer touring islands and one country (7)
TUNISIA – TUNA (swimmer) ‘touring’ IS (Islands) and I (one)
22d An official in college on the range (6)
ANDEAN – AN (from the clue) DEAN (official in college)
25d Clubs I initially rely on, not spades (5)
IRONS – I (from the clue) and the initial letters of Rely On Not Spades