Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30605
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 4th May 2024
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
I knew this enjoyable Saturday Prize Puzzle had to be the work of NY Doorknob but it was nice of him to turn up and confirm the fact. It was clear from the comments during the day that many people found this crossword difficult and others didn’t enjoy it much, probably for that reason, but I was pleased to see that several people agreed with my thoughts on the crossword
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
1a Flier to pick up in Southern Ocean? (10)
SHEARWATER – HEAR (pick up) inserted between S (Southern) and WATER (ocean?)
6a Damage multiplied by socialist thinker (4)
MARX – MAR (damage) X (multiplied by)
9a Poet, author in ship: Queen Elizabeth (7)
SPENSER – PEN (author) inserted in SS (steamship) followed by ER (the regnal cipher of our late Queen)
10a Monarchy shows intelligence installing IT (7)
BRITAIN – BRAIN (intelligence) ‘installing) IT (from the clue)
12a People with common aims outstrip green parties (8,5)
INTEREST GROUPS – An anagram (parties) of OUTSRIP GREEN
14a Young bird shaking leg covered in down (6)
EAGLET – An anagram (shaking) of LEG ‘covered’ in EAT (down)
15a Tune in or out – it’s free of charge (8)
NEUTRINO – An anagram (out) of TUNE IN OR
17a The like of 6 & 9, do we hear? (8)
RETAILER Say the solutions to 6a and 9a out loud and you should hear a well-known example of the solution
19a Snooty sort sent back excellent little tree (6)
BONSAI – A reversal (sent back) of SNOB (snooty sort) followed by AI (excellent)
22a Set gathered together for an evening meal? (6,7)
DINNER SERVICE – A cryptic definition of a set used at an evening meal
24a Place in Bond for comic actor (7)
CHAPLIN – PL (place) inserted in CHAIN (bond)
25a Something fragrant? Drink wine! (3,4)
TEA ROSE – TEA (drink) ROSE (wine)
26a Tyrian princess accomplished nothing (4)
DIDO – DID O (accomplished nothing)
27a Great series in dismal summer? (10)
BLACKADDER – BLACK (dismal) ADDER (summer)
Down
1d Band in big hit denied million? (4)
SASH – SmASH (big hit) without (denied) M (million)
2d London tabloid still popular – good quality (7,8)
EVENING STANDARD – EVEN (still) IN (popular) G (good) STANDARD (quality)
3d Prize maestro setter keeps (7)
ROSETTE – Kept in maestRO SETTEr
4d Gold used by artist inspiring Golden Dawn (6)
AURORA – AU (the chemical symbol for gold) RA (artist) ‘inspiring’ OR (the heraldic term for gold)
5d Proud leader in Eastern Mediterranean (8)
EMBOSSED – BOSS (leader) inserted between E (Eastern) and MED (Mediterranean)
7d In car boot sale somehow identify body-builder? (8,7)
ANABOLIC STEROID – An anagram (somehow) of IN CAR BOOT SALE followed by ID (identify)
8d One in phone box, mad American fearing strangers? (10)
XENOPHOBIA – I (Roman numeral for one) inserted into an anagram (mad) of PHONE BOX, the result followed by A (American)
11d Bar popular with ghosts occasionally (5)
INGOT – IN (popular) with the occasional letters of GhOsTs
13d Expert contracted to come around had issue (10)
REPRODUCED – REDUCED (contracted) to ‘come around’ PRO (expert)
16d Intimate friend embracing Charles, Andrew or Edward? (8)
PERSONAL – PAL (friend) ‘embracing’ ER (the Queen) SON (either Charles, Andrew or Edward)
18d Current arrangement just right (5)
IDEAL – I (the symbol for electrical current) DEAL (arrangement)
20d Island okay to an extent that Yankee leaves (7)
OKINAWA – OK (okay) IN A WAy (to an extent without the letter represented by Yankee in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
21d Cold in HGV? Extremely so! (6)
ARCTIC – C (cold) in ARTIC (HGV)
23d Put up with English entering pub (4)
BEAR – E (English) ‘entering’ BAR (pub)