DT 29658

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29658

A full review by Rahmat Ali

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on 24^th Apr 2021

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

Greetings from Kolkata. I now present to you the full review of yet another Saturday puzzle for your kind perusal. Don’t know who the setter is, but surely a pleasantly straightforward and enjoyable puzzle.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a Help a relative into position (10)
ASSISTANCE: A from the clue, followed by the common abbreviation used for sister, that is SIS (relative) placed inside (into) STANCE (position)

6a Plug vessels the wrong way (4)
STOP: POTS (vessels) in a reversal order (the wrong way)

9a Animal cold in Shanghai, say? (10)
CHINCHILLA: CHILL (cold) placed inside (in) CHINA (Shanghai, say)

10a Understand refusal to hear? (4)
KNOW: NO (refusal) to serve as a homophone (to hear) to the definition

12a A flat, say, turned over in school (4)
ETON: A musical NOTE (a flat, say) reversed (turned over)

13a Drone accompanying bell perhaps, amazing thing (9)
HUMDINGER: HUM (drone) followed by (accompanying) one that dings or DINGER (bell perhaps)

15a Abducted by alien in ET, I estimate for ten years (8)
NINETIES: Part of or hidden inside (abducted by) alieN IN ET I EStimate leading to the definition of a period beginning with start of ninety years and ending at close of ninety-nine years

16a Penning nothing, horribly tired journalist (6)
EDITOR: Putting inside (penning) an anagram (horribly) of TIRED the letter O (nothing)

18a Evident father needs temporary accommodation (6)
PATENT: A charade of PA (father) and (needs) TENT (temporary accommodation)

20a Hellish nan playing with rifle (8)
INFERNAL: An anagram (playing) of NAN and (with) RIFLE

23a Difficult to get credit, one broke (9)
RECONDITE: An anagram (broke) of CREDIT and ONE

24a Ultimately silent, private borough perhaps (4)
TOWN: The last letter (ultimately) being T (silent), followed by OWN (private)

26a Silly person, proceed? (4)
GOON: GO ON (proceed)

27a Racecourse built somewhere in Paris (5,5)
SACRE COEUR: An anagram (built) of RACECOURSE leads to the definition of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris

28a Cheesy nibbles as finger food for starters (4)
NAFF: The definition arising out of the first letters (starters) of Nibbles As Finger Food

29a A benefit, after shave possibly for young person (10)
ADOLESCENT: A charade of A from the clue, DOLE (benefit) and SCENT (after shave possibly)

Down

1d Rainbow possibly mysterious (4)
ARCH: Double definition; the first referring to the shape of colours sometime visible in the sky and caused by the refraction and dispersion of the sunlight by rain or other water droplets in the atmosphere and the second serving as crafty, curious and mischievous feature of a look

2d Bird touching cheese (7)
STILTON: A charade of STILT (bird) and ON (touching)

3d Best one puts on more weight? (6-2-4)
SECOND-TO-NONE: Cryptically, ONE from the clue, a down one, has upon itself (puts on) SECOND TON (more weight?)

4d Mischievous lad, eight, stepped down (8)
ALIGHTED: An anagram (mischievous) of LAD and EIGHT

5d Post topical piece in newspaper (6)
COLUMN: Double definition; the first referring to an upright pillar supporting an arch, entablature or other structure or standing alone as a monument and the second denoting a regular section of a newspaper or magazine devoted to a particular subject

7d Difficult carrying on later today (7)
TONIGHT: TIGHT (difficult) having inside (carrying) ON from the clue

8d Boring thing might exercise (5,5)
POWER DRILL: A charade of POWER (might) and DRILL (exercise)

11d Orchestral instrument remains — blow it! (12)
FIDDLESTICKS: A charade of FIDDLE (orchestral instrument) and STICKS (remains) leading to the old-fashioned expression used when annoyed or angry

14d Plant photograph on domineering person (10)
SNAPDRAGON: SNAP (photograph) is placed upon (on) DRAGON (domineering person) in the down clue

17d Tearing forms, fifty complete (8)
INTEGRAL: An anagram (forms) of TEARING, followed by the Roman numeral L (fifty)

19d Mark wrong in lecture (4,3)
TICK OFF: A charade of TICK (mark) and OFF (wrong)

21d Lost, new hero impossible to find? (7)
NOWHERE: An anagram (lost) of NEW and HERO

22d Fantastic magician (6)
WIZARD: Double definition; the first being an old colloquial adjective meaning wonderful or fabulous and the second denoting a noun or someone who works wonders

25d In short, beginning to reduce horse’s pace (4)
TROT: The initial letter (beginning to) being R (reduce) is placed inside (in) TOT (short) as a small drink of alcohol

Favourites were 27a and 11d, though I also liked 13a, 23a and 3d. The term in 23a was completely new to me. Thanks to the setter for the entertainment and to BD for the encouragement. Would love to be here again. Have a nice day.

---