DT 30485 (Full Review)

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This puzzle was published on 16^th December 2023

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

An enjoyable Saturday crossword – for some reason the NW corner took the longest to solve

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Across

1a    American with knight welcomed by adorable king (6)
CANUTE – A (American) N (chess abbreviation for knight) ‘welcomed by’ or inserted into CUTE (adorable)

4a    Dalmatians most unlikely to be this pure (8)
SPOTLESS – You very rarely see a Dalmatian dog without spots

10a    One succeeded stocking beer in supermarket lane (5)
AISLE – I (one) S (succeeded) ‘stocking’ ALE (beer)

11a    Danish physicist fixed NHS boiler (5,4)
NIELS BOHR – An anagram (fixed) of NHS BOILER

12a    Resilience enlivens pirouettes? No energy needed! (7)
STAMINA – A reversal (pirouettes) of ANIMATeS (enlivens) without (no) the abbreviation for Energy

13a    Devious woman tempted to hold back travel permit (7)
EVASIVE – EVE (the first woman to be tempted) ‘holding’ a reversal (back) of VISA (travel permit)

14a    Decent prospect of beating the odds? (8,6)
FIGHTING CHANCE – FIGHTING (beating) CHANCE (the odds)

17a    As man had kitty, fresh meat so brought round in dish (6,8)
MASHED POTATOES – An anagram (fresh) of MEAT SO brought round AS HED POT (as man had kitty)

21a    Mechanic in a star that’s collapsing (7)
ARTISAN – An anagram (collapsing) of IN A STAR

23a    Snake seen in Rome and Eritrea (7)
MEANDER – Hidden (seen) in roME AND ERitrea

24a    Feature to pull in an ethnic community (9)
CHINATOWN – CHIN (feature) and TOW (pull) inserted in AN (from the clue)

25a    One young woman not quite right (5)
AMISS – A (one) MISS (young woman)

26a    Sounding healthy, vegetable chopped for tea? (5,3)
ROSIE LEE – A homophone (sounding) of ROSY (healthy) and LEEk (vegetable ‘chopped’)

27a    Well soggy duck in Johannesburg settlement (6)
SOWETO – SO WET (well soggy) O (duck in cricket scoring)

Down

1d    Stylish clothing provided in catalogue (8)
CLASSIFY – CLASSY (stylish) ‘clothing’ IF (provided)

2d    Giant also upset shows sentimental feeling (9)
NOSTALGIA – An anagram (upset) of GIANT ALSO

3d    Poet initially stuck in loo turned up (1,1,5)
T S ELIOT – S (the initial letter of Stuck) inserted into a reversed (turned up in a Down solution) TOILET (loo)

5d    Men cope: friends somehow showing calmness in crisis (8,2,4)
PRESENCE OF MIND – An anagram (somehow) of MEN COPE FRIENDS

6d    Saint feeding unpleasant person a fried tortilla (7)
TOSTADA – ST (saint) ‘feeding’ TOAD (unpleasant person), A (from the clue) being added at the end

7d    Tummy bug? Tablet reduced abdominal cramps! (1,4)
E COLI – E (Ecstasy table) COLIc (abdominal cramps ‘reduced’)

8d    Guard observed protecting credit (6)
SCREEN – SEEN (observed) ‘protecting’ CR (credit)

9d    Such funds as Labour won’t ever secure? (8,6)
UNEARNED INCOME – Income received without any work being involved

15d    Nuncio led astray finds seventh heaven (5,4)
CLOUD NINE – An anagram (astray) of NUNCIO LED

16d    European media thus covers something stimulating (8)
ESPRESSO – E (European) and PRESS (media) the latter ‘covered’ by SO (thus)

18d    Label put into socks for prisoner (7)
HOSTAGE – TAG (label) inserted into HOSE (socks etc)

19d    Native American artist parking in two areas by house (7)
ARAPAHO – RA (artist) P (parking) inserted between A A (two areas). HO (house) being added at the end)

20d    Reportedly one able to provide alien craft? (6)
SAUCER – A homophone (reportedly) of SOURCER (one able to provide)

22d    Catches  thin branches (5)
TWIGS – Double definition – comprehends (catches on) or thin branches