DT 29604

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29604

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 20th February 2021

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

A fairly friendly Saturday Prize Puzzle – I’d guessed this was the work of  NY Doorknob for a couple of reasons, especially the definition in 25a!

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    City, foremost in commerce, one holding record (7)
COLOGNE – The ‘foremost’ letter in Commerce and ONE (from the clue) ‘holding’ LOG (record)

5a    Shaker to accompany piano? Nonsense (7)
PRATTLE – RATTLE (shaker) to accompany P (piano)

9a    Very rude about bust? (9)
INSOLVENT – INSOLENT (rude) goes ‘about’ V (very)

10a    Working class making start (5)
ONSET – ON (working) SET (class)

11a    Discussed more peaceful destiny (5)
KARMA – A homophone (discussed) of CALMER (more peaceful)

12a    Irish curse adopted by the poor (5-4)
THIRD-RATE – IR (Irish) and DRAT (curse) ‘adopted’ by THE (from the clue)

13a    Student inside growing fond of lecture (7-2)
TALKING-TO – L (learner, student) inside TAKING TO (growing fond of)

16a    Seconds served with fish and flower head (5)
SPIKE – S (seconds) served with PIKE (fish)

17a    Police finally leave small wood (5)
COPSE – COPS (police) and the final letter of leavE

18a    What might be moon disturbed little sea (9)
SATELLITE – An anagram (disturbed) of LITTLE SEA

20a    Race around 500 trees without thinking (9)
HEADFIRST – HEAT (race) ‘around’ D (Roman numeral for 500) and FIRS (trees)

23a    Aggressive performer good in row (5)
TIGER – G (good) inserted in TIER (row)

25a    Tool secures device unloaded behind washer (5)
BIDET – BIT (tool) ‘secures’ the outside letters (unloaded) of DevicE

26a    Girl almost taken in by trivial prediction (9)
PALMISTRY – MISs (girl almost) ‘taken in’ by PALRY (trivial)

27a    Maliciously burned, Hector sadly died (7)
TORCHED – An anagram (sadly) of HECTOR followed by D (died)

28a    Lancashire town immediately north? (7)
PRESTON – PRESTO (immediately) N (north)

Down

1d    Insect in game with long hops? (7)
CRICKET – Double definition, a long hop being a type of delivery in a game of cricket

2d    Failed contender more relaxed missing an Oscar (5)
LOSER – LOOSER (more relaxed) missing an O (Oscar in NATO Phonetic Alphabet)

3d    Shock where vehicle is caught in strong wind (9)
GALVANISE – VAN (vehicle) IS (from the clue) ‘caught’ in GALE (strong wind)

4d    Vote for English appearing in the Spanish court (5)
ELECT – E (English) appearing between EL (Spanish definite article) and CT (court)

5d    Slip in some London lane? (9)
PETTICOAT – Double definition

6d    Keen to get around old dodge (5)
AVOID – AVID (keen) to get ‘around’ O (old)

7d    Conductor contains oscillating current (9)
TOSCANINI – An anagram (oscillating) of CONTAINS followed by I (electrical current)

8d    Great old plane maybe carrying millions (7)
EXTREME – EX (old) TREE (plane maybe) ‘carrying’ M (millions)

14d    What falls easily to one as northerner? (9)
LAPLANDER – Something that falls easily or ‘lands in one’s lap’ could be described as a LAP LANDER

15d    Perhaps winkle good parts out (9)
GASTROPOD – An anagram (out) of GOOD PARTS

16d    Patience tried endlessly as oil wasted (9)
SOLITAIRE – An anagram (wasted) of TRIEd (‘endlessly’ telling you to omit the D) and AS OIL

17d    Company practice to share accommodation (7)
COHABIT – CO (company) HABIT (practice)

19d    Nobleman over there with but little time elapsed (5,2)
EARLY ON – EARL (nobleman) YON (over there)

21d    Get female to make deep impression (5)
FETCH – F (female) ETCH (make deep impression)

22d    Flower in middle of mature border (5)
TULIP- TU (the middle of maTUre) LIP (border)

24d    Criticise characters on the rise in state government (3,2)
GET AT – Hidden in reverse in sTATE Government