Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30899
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 12th April 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
NYDK returned with another of his multi-light crosswords which was both fairly friendly and very enjoyable
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Very good compass and ruler (8)
SPANKING – SPAN (compass, range) and KING (ruler)
5a Limousines perhaps for Hollywood event? (6)
OSCARS – Limousines are OS (outsize) CARS
9a Begins again painting son after break (8)
RESTARTS – REST (break) ART (painting) S (son)
10a Do we hear one moaning? Ahab maybe? (6)
WHALER – Herman Melville’s Captain Ahab in Moby Dick sounds like a WAILER (one moaning)
12a/13a Vie with Oberon: title in dispute surprisingly (7,2,2,3)
BELIEVE IT OR NOT – An anagram (in dispute) of VIE with OBERON TITLE
13a See 12 Across
14a Responsibility and where so often it seems to lie? (4)
ONUS – A bit of an old friend – responsibility seems to lie ON US
16a/24a/25a Mistaken when sloshed, throw ginger beer at punk (7,2,3,5,4)
BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE – An anagram (when sloshed) of THROW GINGER BEER AT PUNK
19a Official right blocking drug question (7)
EQUERRY – R (right) ‘blocking’ E (ecstasy, drug) QUERY (question)
21a Money carried in Saracen trader (4)
CENT – Hidden (carried) in the last two words of the clue
24a See 16 Across
25a See 16 Across
27a Peninsula in Russian province not small (6)
IBERIA – The Russian province without the abbreviation for Small
28a Kay in south-east revealed bone structure (8)
SKELETON – K (kay) inserted in South East followed by LET ON (revealed)
29a Feel bitter about unopened gift (6)
RESENT – pRESENT (gift) without its opening letter
30a Homeric hero you almost sussed out (8)
ODYSSEY – An anagram (out) of YOu and SUSSED
Down
1d Good person with item that covers flasher? (6)
STROBE – ST (saint, good person) with ROBE (item that covers)
2d Monk from Salem moving around north (6)
ANSELM – An anagram (moving) of SALEM goes around N (north)
3d King inexperienced banishing island rogue (5)
KNAVE – K (the chess abbreviation for King) and NAiVE (inexperienced) without (banishing) the abbreviation for Island
4d Second stone cask hoisted in trees (7)
NUTMEGS – A reversal (hoisted) of S (second) GEM (stone) TUN (cask)
6d Train travel: that should bring kids to book (6,3)
SCHOOL RUN – SCHOOL (train) RUN (travel)
7d Fantastic land oddly not one found in map collection (8)
ATLANTIS – The odd letters of NoT and the Roman numeral for one inserted in ATLAS (map collection)
8d Plan great changes in animal enclosure (8)
STRATEGY – An anagram (changes) of GREAT inserted into STY (animal enclosure)
11d Go crazy about … (4)
STAB – A reversal (about) of BATS (crazy)
15d … Scandinavian wearing no pants? (9)
NORWEGIAN – An anagram (pants) of WEARING NO
17d Distinctive rum (8)
PECULIAR – Double definition
18d Barbarian lock one chasing game (8)
HUNTRESS – HUN (Barbarian) TRESS (lock of hair)
20d New style sent up something dull (4)
YAWN – A reversal (sent up) of N (new) WAY (style)
21d Sick Aussie news boss warped (7)
CROOKED – CROOK (how an Aussie would say there were sick) and ED (editor, news boss)
22d Summons male: move sinuously (6)
WRITHE -WRIT (summons) HE (male)
23d Slip catch turned game (6)
TENNIS – A reversal (turned) of SIN (slip) NET (catch)
26d Fools seaside scavengers (5)
GULLS – Double definition