DT 30359 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30359

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 22^nd July 2023

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

The Crossword Editor set this Saturday Prize Puzzle where one clue in particular caused consternation for many solvers

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Across

1a    Lenders upset at Rees-Mogg (10)
MORTGAGEES – An anagram (upset) of AT REES MOGG

6a    Autumn
trip (4)
FALL – A chiefly North American word for autumn or a verb meaning to fall

9a    Spooner‘s position boring, we hear (5)
LADLE – This was a particularly sneaky clue with a considerable number of solvers trying to make a Spoonerism out of the solution. However, it wasn’t a dreaded Spoonerism, but a clue for something that spoons (a spooner!) requiring homophones (we hear) of LAY (position) and (although it doesn’t sound anything like it) DULL (boring, tedious).

10a    Shock having rescued revolutionary gallery (9)
DEVASTATE – A reversal (revolutionary) of SAVED (rescued) followed by TATE (gallery)

12a    Concern, changing NHS timetables (13)
ESTABLISHMENT – An anagram (changing) of NHS TIMETABLES

14a    Sweet eaten by Starmer in guesthouse (8)
MERINGUE – Hidden in (eaten by) starMER IN GUEsthouse

15a    Rule minister managed to avoid article (6)
GOVERN – GOVE (the surname of a current Government minister) RaN (managed) without the A (to avoid article)

17a    Reveal first of MPs stopping Sunak, possibly (6)
UNMASK – The first letter of MPs ‘stopping’ an anagram (possibly) of SUNAK

19a    Retrospective criminal charge accepted and shared (8)
PARTAKEN – A reversal (retrospective) RAP (criminal charge) followed by TAKEN (accepted)

21a    Cool one’s ardour in court (13)
DISPASSIONATE – IS (one’s) PASSION (ardour) inserted in DATE (court)

24a    Home team visiting Mr Bean regularly before church (9)
RESIDENCE – SIDE (home) ‘visiting’ the regular letters of mR bEaN, the result put before CE (Church of England)

25a    Damp smell, then I died (5)
HUMID – HUM (smell) I (from the clue) D (died)

26a    Drop dart (4)
DASH – A drop of something or a verb meaning to move rapidly (dart)

27a    American’s place to wash one’s dirty linen in public? (10)
LAUNDROMAT – The American place where people go to wash their dirty linen

Down

1d    Exploit masculine style (4)
MILK – M (masculine) ILK (style)

2d    Drug injected by more embarrassed member of stag party? (3,4)
RED DEER – E (Ecstasy, drug) ‘injected’ into REDDER (more embarrassed)

3d    Post for wishing well? (9,4)
GREETING CARD – A cryptic definition of something usually sent with good wishes

4d    Wanderer showing a light touch during disorder (8)
GADABOUT – A (from the clue) DAB (light touch) in GOUT (disorder)

5d    Last words from forgotten voices (5)
ENVOI – Hidden in forgottEN VOIces

7d    A rogue and yours truly embracing English university life (7)
ACADEME – A (from the clue) CAD (rogue) and ME (yours truly) ’embracing’ E (English)

8d    Officer‘s place one rents (10)
LIEUTENANT – LIEU (place) TENANT (someone who rents)

11d    In-form professional? (13)
SCHOOLTEACHER – A cryptic definition of a professional working with a form

13d    Fumed and condemned rude models (10)
SMOULDERED – An anagram (condemned) of RUDE MODELS

16d    Christmas over, criticise rising French leader (8)
NAPOLEON – A reversal (over) of NOEL (Christmas) and another (rising) of PAN (criticise)

18d    Thinks about beginning to ignore son’s wrongs (7)
MISUSES – MUSES (thinks) goes ‘about’ the beginning of Ignore and the abbreviation for Son

20d    Have relative stay quiet (4,3)
KEEP MUM – KEEP (have) MUM (relative)

22d    Satan’s reformed: he brings presents! (5)
SANTA – An anagram (reformed) of SATAN

23d    Check Mediterranean houses (4)
EDIT – Housed in mEDITerranean