Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30749
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This puzzle was published on 19th October 2024
BD Rating –Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Another NYDK Saturday production, friendly enough to be solved before I set off for the station to get the train to London
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Across
1a Good boy receiving new liver? (5)
GLAND – G (good) LAD (boy) ‘receiving’ N (new)
4a Romanians on the rampage in microstate (3,6)
SAN MARINO – An anagram (on the rampage) of ROMANIANS
9a Old couple leading people helping process (9)
OPERATION – O (old), the first two letters (couple) of PEople, RATION (helping)
10a Spanish runner clutching at relationship (5)
RATIO – RIO (Spanish river, runner) ‘clutching’ AT (from the clue)
11a Bishop leaving animal meat in London district (4,3)
EAST HAM – B (chess abbreviation for Bishop) ‘leaving’ bEAST (animal) followed by HAM (meat)
12a Doreen’s bad back (7)
ENDORSE – An anagram (bad) of DOREEN
13a See 6 Down
15a An enhancing drug for heavenly body? (8)
ASTEROID – A (an) STERIOD (enhancing drug)
18a Reshuffle protects ex-minister (8)
PRESCOTT – An anagram (reshuffle) of PROTECTS
20a Notice Exeter’s centre: shopping centre? (6)
MARKET – MARK (notice) and ET (the centre of exETer)
23a Dictatorial rule from FA: Hearts leaving division! (7)
FASCISM – FA (from the clue) and SChISM without (leaving) H (hearts)
24a American ram for neighbouring landowner? (7)
ABUTTER – A (American) BUTTER (ram being an animal that butts)
26a Gangsters embodying dread (5)
ANGST – Hidden in (embodying) gANGSTers
27a Diverting feature in fringe publication (4,5)
SIDE ISSUE – SIDE (fringe) ISSUE (publication)
28a Drunk in turn had accident (3-3-3)
HIT-AND-RUN – An anagram (drunk) of IN TURN HAD
29a Dog with no lead brings advantage (5)
ASSET – a bASSET dog without its first letter (lead)
Down
1d Depart with poetess on travels in March (5-4)
GOOSE-STEP – GO (depart) with an anagram (on travels) of POETESS
2d Partners in crime: Lincoln and Eliot? (5)
ABETS – ABE (Abraham Lincon) and TS (Eliot)
3d Old bread from church in crisis (7)
DRACHMA – CH (church) in DRAMA (crisis)
4d Letter to Greeks about time in disgrace (6)
STIGMA – SIGMA (Greek letter) ‘about’ T (time)
5d Rhubarb not to French taste? (8)
NONSENSE – NON (the French word for rot) and SENSE (taste)
6a and 13a Film describing 9 20 22 cut excessively? (1,6,3,3)
A BRIDGE TOO FAR – OPERATION (9a) MARKET (20a) GARDEN (22d) was the code name for an Allied military operation in the Second World War, the solution being the title of a film made about this operation
7d Become engaged to Bury rugby player (9)
INTERLOCK – INTER (bury) LOCK (rugby player)
8d Australia has a certain invigorating air (5)
OZONE – OZ (Australia) ONE (a certain)
14d Complain open clothes will show boob? (9)
OVERSIGHT – SIGH (complain) ‘clothed’ by OVERT (open)
16d Heron taken up in dip that will remove oil etc (9)
DETERGENT – A reversal (taken up) of EGRET (heron) inserted into DENT (dip)
17d Adult male cat is seen with queen, generating spray (8)
ATOMISER – A (adult) TOM (male cat) IS (from the clue) ER (the regnal cipher of our late Queen)
19d Eastwood perhaps in contact with Chelsea? (7)
CLINTON – CLINT (Eastwood perhaps) ON (in contact with)
21d Former student ingesting one white powder (7)
ALUMINA – ALUMNA (former student ) ‘ingesting’ I (Roman numeral for one)
22d Serpentine danger in Eden? (6)
GARDEN – An anagram (serpentine) of DANGER
23d Briefly show yourself as Harry or Gordon? (5)
FLASH – Flash Harry or Flash Gordon
25d Polish PM’s long teeth (5)
TUSKS – The Polish Prime Minister is Donald TUSK