Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30473
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 2nd December 2023
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
This Saturday Prize Puzzle required a smattering of knowledge of both the works of Shakespeare and Dickens and was definitely one for lovers of anagrams
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Across
1a Irony perfect somehow in Pericles (6,2,4)
PRINCE OF TYRE – Shakespeare’s Pericles was the PRINCE OF TYRE, an anagram (somehow) of IRONY PERFECT
8a Magistrate of past and of future events (5)
REEVE – Hidden in futuRE EVEnts
9a Smitten peri had to love goddess (9)
APHRODITE – An anagram (smitten) of PERI HAD TO
11a Song of no great length about husband’s cat (9)
SHORTHAIR – SHORT AIR (song of no great length) ‘about’ the abbreviation for Husband
12a Loyal vassal in Belgian city (5)
LIEGE A loyal subject or the name of a Belgian city
13a Sort of western pie that’s cooked, good to be consumed (9)
SPAGHETTI – An anagram (cooked) of PIE THAT’S into which is inserted (to be consumed) the abbreviation for Good
16a Walk to embrace cold spell (5)
PATCH – PATH (walk) to ’embrace’ C (cold)
18a Sound of my army band? (5)
CORPS – Sounds like COR (like ‘my’, an interjection of surprise
19a Coat‘s second layer worn by ‘umble character (9)
SHEEPSKIN – S (second) SKIN (layer) into which is inserted (worn by) HEEP (Uriah, the Dickens character who was always saying he was very ‘umble
20a Your compiler’s Conservative, not Liberal, making charge (5)
IMBUE – IM BLUE (your compiler’s Conservative) without the abbreviation for Liberal
22a Stops one throw being returned in cricket series (9)
ABOLISHES – I LOB (one throw) being reversed (returned) and inserted in Ashes (cricket series)
25a Invalid filled in forms when touring university (9)
NULLIFIED – An anagram (forms) of FILLED IN ‘touring’ U (University)
26a Crisis where District Attorney takes stuff in … (5)
DRAMA – RAM (stuff) taken in by DA (District Attorney)
27a … this was used to prevent it! (8,4)
CHASTITY BELT – A device said to be worn by wives of absent crusaders to prevent them indulging in ‘it’ while their husbands were away
Down
1d Old lizard Mauro’s content after pint with love (9)
PTEROSAUR – the ‘content’ of mAURo goes after PT (pint) and EROS (God of Love)
2d Still at the crease: no boundaries in Perth (5)
INERT – IN (batting, at the crease) and the inside (no boundaries) of pERTh
3d Learner driver in vehicle with a woman (5)
CLARA – L (learner driver) inserted in CAR (vehicle) with A (from the clue)
4d Mum, not married, sensible apart from that (9)
OTHERWISE – mOTHER (mum without the abbreviation for Married) WISE (sensible)
5d Spooner’s dog — pointer — makes farewell (6-3)
TOODLE-PIP – POODLE (dog) TIP (pointer) as the dreaded Reverend might say
6d River‘s river with carp, not wide (5)
RHINE – R (river) wHINE (carp or complain) without the abbreviation for Wide
7d Displeased with department’s representative sample (5-7)
CROSS-SECTION – CROSS (displeased) with SECTION (department)
10d Marine mammal and mammoth, perhaps close up (8,4)
ELEPHANT SEAL – ELEPHANT (mammoth perhaps) SEAL (close up)
14d Sit and cry — he’s suffering these? (9)
HYSTERICS – An anagram (suffering)of SIT and CRY HES
15d Conductor‘s constipation appalling — pot not needed (9)
TOSCANINI – An anagram (appalling) of CoNStIpATION without (not needed) the letters POT
17d Choose to study organ: be encouraged (4,5)
TAKE HEART – TAKE (choose to study) HEART (organ)
21d Sir Toby‘s noisy expulsion after dinner? (5)
BELCH – A character from Twelfth Night or an expulsion of noise after eating food (dinner?)
23d Bond I’d play regularly in unusual fashion (5)
ODDLY – The regular letters of bOnD iD pLaY
24d Cool to check out music genre (5)
INDIE – IN (cool, fashionable) DIE (check out)