DT 30323 (Full Review) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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DT 30323 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30323

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 10th June 2023

BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ***

It is quite a strange experience solving the Saturday Prize Puzzle on a Monday evening – we were away at No 2 son’s wonderful wedding in Ireland,while the rest of you were getting to grips with this Chalicea crossword. I didn’t look at the hints or comments until after I’d finished, but had I been around on the day, my 50p would definitely have backed Chalicea as the setter of this crossword

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought

Across

1a    Freely opt in earnest for formal introduction (12)
PRESENTATION – An anagram (freely) of OPT IN EARNEST

9a    Undeterred by spume in Welsh river (7)
DESPITE – SPIT (spume) in DEE (Welsh river)

10a    Court order cardinal put on paper (7)
WRITTEN – WRIT (court order) TEN (cardinal number)

11a    Stretchy laciest pants (7)
ELASTIC – An anagram (pants) of LACIEST

12a    Fruitless steps to hide hesitation (7)
STERILE – STILE (steps) to ‘hide’ ER (expression of hesitation)

13a    General tendency to tear to pieces after tantrum, essentially (5)
TREND – REND (tear to pieces) goes after the essential (middle) letter of tanTrum

14a    Seems upset with short short periods of learning (9)
SEMESTERS – An anagram (upset) of SEEMS followed by a truncated (short) TERSe (short)

16a    Small old city highly valued we hear, struck with wonder (9)
SURPRISED – S (small) UR (the Old Testament (old) city beloved of crossword setters everywhere and a homophone (we hear) of PRIZED (highly valued)

19a    Drink with some Acapulco coastguards (5)
COCOA – Hidden in some acapulCO COAstguards

21a    Empty marquee a certain size (7)
MEASURE – The outside (empty) letters of MarqueE, A (from the clue) SURE (certain)

23a    About to become weary, daughter went to bed (7)
RETIRED – RE (about) TIRE (become weary) D (daughter)

24a    Pinning down any number in poor health (7)
NAILING – N (any number) AILING (in poor health)

25a    One revised a Latin language (7)
ITALIAN – I (one) and an anagram (revised) of A LATIN

26a    Still calm about reconstruction of shelters (12)
NEVERTHELESS – A reversal (about) of EVEN (calm) followed by an anagram (reconstruction) of SHELTERS

Down

1d    Father’s wise transaction (7)
PASSAGE – PAS (fathers) SAGE (wise) – as usual with a Chalicea crossword, you can find the link between definition and solution in the BRB

2d    Was left sheltering son (7)
EXISTED – EXITED (left) ‘sheltering’ S (son)

3d    Puts into practice duties surrounding English king (9)
EXERCISES – EXCISES (duties) ‘surrounding’ E (English) R (Rex, king)

4d    Lots circling western urban areas (5)
TOWNS – The third insertion clue in a row – TONS (lots) ‘circling’ W (western)

5d    Second Police Sergeant providing muscle (7)
TRICEPS – TRICE (second) PS (Police Sergeant)

6d    Dismissed team? Unlikely (7)
OUTSIDE – OUT (dismissed) SIDE (team)

7d    Public notice determines VAT wrongly (13)
ADVERTISEMENT – An anagram (wrongly) of DETERMINES VAT

8d    Making sense of redundant sign being moved (13)
UNDERSTANDING – An anagram (being moved) of REDUNDANT SIGN

15d    Update sermon I’d reworked twice in the end (9)
MODERNISE – An anagram (again!) of SERMON ID followed by the E at the end of twicE

17d    Understand increase of price involving brewed ale (7)
REALISE – RISE (increase of price) ‘involving’ an anagram (brewed) of ALE

18d    Regular performance of marsupial and adolescent for the audience (7)
ROUTINE – Homophones (for the audience) of ROO (marsupial) and TEEN (adolescent)

19d    Too much stored in prison house (7)
COTTAGE – OTT (over the top, too much) ‘stored’ in CAGE (prison)

20d    Conveys vehicle on trailer not oddly singular (7)
CARRIES – CAR (vehicle) on the even (not oddly) letters oftRaIlEr followed by S (singular)

22d    Boat crew‘s condition of being tall originally ignored (5)
EIGHT – Ignore the original letter of hEIGHT (condition of being tall)

 

1 comment on “DT 30323 (Full Review)

  1. 2*/4* …
    liked 18D ” Regular performance of marsupial and adolescent for the audience (7)” & the cartoon.

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