DT 30761 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30761

A Full Review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 2^nd November 2024

BD Rating –Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****

A vampire themed crossword for our Saturday delight, with some excellent surface readings

Please let us know what you thought

Across

1a/5a     Prototype for 18 in private hell with mad bats? (4,3,7)
VLAD THE IMPALER –  An anagram (bats) of PRIVATE HELL with MAD produces the person said to have inspired Bram Stoker’s gothic horror novel about 18d

5a           See 1 Across

9a           Old woman left with fat duck (7)
MALLARD – MA (mother, old woman) L (left) LARD (fat)

10a         Trained with Rosa, Leo can type (7)
AEROSOL – An anagram (trained) of ROSA with LEO

11a         Popular book set aside (2,7)
IN RESERVE – IN (popular, fashionable) RESERVE (book)

12a         American extended period in employment (5)
USAGE – US (American) AGE (extended period of time)

13a         Odds? Yes and no! (5)
EVENS – Betting odds yes, odd numbers no!

15a         Horrifying experience in Black Horse? (9)
NIGHTMARE – NIGHT (black) MARE (horse)

17a         Stellar group with city lawyer (9)
ANDROMEDA – AND (with) ROME (city) DA (abbreviated American lawyer)

19a         Go in chippy where there’s no fish? (5)
ENTER – carpENTER (chippy) without the fish

22a         Top-class puzzle? Wow! (5)
AMAZE – A (top class) MAZE (puzzle)

23a         Change the last word daughter intended in speech (9)
AMENDMENT – AMEN (the last word) D (daughter) and a homophone (in speech) of MEANT (intended)

25a         Feed on sour fish when starters are gone? (7)
NOURISH – Remove the starts from oN sOUR fISH

26a         Hot film director’s arrogance (7)
HAUTEUR – H (hot) AUTEUR (film director)

27a         Grooms devoured in North and South (7)
NEATENS – EATEN (devoured) inserted in N (North) and S (South)

28a         Kirk there regularly excited his fan? (7)
TREKKIE – An anagram (excited) of KIRK and the regular letters of ThErE

Down

1d           Is it 18 in burning heap we hear after 5am? (7)
VAMPIRE – A homophone (we hear) of PYRE (burning heap) goes after V (Roman numeral for five) and AM (from the clue)

2d           Feline not caught by mammoth roaming free (2,5)
AT LARGE – cAT (feline) without (not) the cricket abbreviation for Caught) and LARGE (mammoth)

3d           Small role reversed for mouse-catchers? (5)
TRAPS – A reversal (reversed!) of S (small) PART (role)

4d           Lasting purpose united leaderless country (9)
ENDURANCE – END (purpose) U (united) fRANCE (‘leaderless’ country)

5d           Absurd how Endgame ends? (5)
INANE – Endgame ends IN AN E

6d           Revolutionary dance move? (9)
PIROUETTE – A cryptic definition of a particular dance move

7d           Callas stimulated by a prestigious opera house (2,5)
LA SCALA – An anagram (stimulated) of CALLAS followed by A (from the clue)

8d           Despair’s ending – two biblical characters give solace (7)
RELIEVE – The R that ends despaiR and ELI and EVE (two biblical characters)

14d         Twenty on the job? Result! (9)
SCORELINE – SCORE (twenty) LINE (job or career)

16d         Hop’s wild with Great Balls of Fire? (9)
GRAPESHOT – An anagram (wild) of HOPS and GREAT

17d/20d  Problem for which 18 potentially responsible? (1,4,2,3,4)
A PAIN IN THE NECK – This problem might have been caused by 18d

18d         Doctor with a copper onto the French monster? (7)
DRACULA – DR (doctor) A (from the clue) CU (chemical symbol for copper) LA (French definite article)

20d         See 17 Down

21d         One no longer working on Hebridean island (7)
RETIREE – RE (on the subject of) TIREE (Hebridean island)

23d         What’s become of person, late, fired? (5)
ASHES – A cryptic definition of what remains after a cremation

24d         You should take snuff! (5)
DOUSE – DO USE (you should take)