DT 30935 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30935

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 24^th May 2025

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

A gentle Saturday Prize Puzzle

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Across

1a           Work together with barrel-maker, brewing tea (2-7)
CO-OPERATE – COOPER (barrel-maker) and an anagram (brewing) of TEA

8a           Conflict on the football field or at a singing contest? (7,6)
PITCHED BATTLE – A conflict on a football pitch or at a contest to sing notes at the correct pitch

11a         Woodland deity arranged stay by river (5)
SATYR – An anagram (arranged) of STAY followed by R (river)

12a         Peer having no belief, oddly (5)
NOBLE – NO (from the clue) and the odd letters of BeLiEf

13a         Role I will play in college (5)
ORIEL – An anagram (will play) of ROLE I

16a         Very unusual verse two at the end (4,2)
EVER SO – An anagram (unusual) of VERSE followed by the letter at the end of twO

17a         Former journalist goes round in high spirits (6)
ELATED – ED (journalist) goes round LATE (former)

18a         Beastly type of crossing? (5)
ZEBRA – Cryptic definition

19a         Rubbish match – Scots might consume this! (6)
TATTIE – TAT (rubbish) TIE (match)

20a         Rescuer is initially lacking taste (6)
SAVOUR – SAViOUR (rescuer without the initial letter of IS

21a         Pot from New Orleans, perhaps (5)
DIXIE – A military cooking pot or jazz from New Orleans

24a         Some memorabilia curiously connected with Troy (5)
ILIAC – Hidden in some memorabILIA Curiously

26a         Slashed one’s skin (5)
CUTIS – CUT (slashed) IS (one’s)

27a         Bend a rule and lengthen rally on court? (7,1,5)
STRETCH A POINT – Bend a rule or strengthen a rally on a tennis court

28a         One at baptism got to welcome padre possibly before noon (9)
GODPARENT – GOT (from the clue) welcomes an anagram (possibly) of PADRE and the abbreviation for Noon

Down

2d           Award old vehicle claiming second (5)
OSCAR – O (old) CAR (vehicle) ‘claiming’ S (second)

3d           Quietly mention favour (6)
PREFER – P (musical abbreviation for quietly) REFER (mention)

4d           Barney maybe with bishops breaking law (6)
RUBBLE – B B (chess abbreviation for Bishop) ‘breaking’ RULE (law)

5d           Bird, an enormous creature (5)
TITAN – TIT (bird) AN (from the clue)

6d           Time before tea for a score at Wimbledon? (7-6)
FIFTEEN-THIRTY – Half past three (time before tea) or a score at Wimbledon

7d           Travelling a lot and running after the ball (13)
GLOBETROTTING – TROTTING (running) goes after GLOBE (ball)

9d           Find out when sure (9)
ASCERTAIN – AS (when) CERTAIN (sure)

10d         Give another speech and study before shift (9)
READDRESS – READ (study) DRESS (shift)

13d         British having departed, drink finally flowed and flowed (5)
OOZED – B (British) having departed from bOOZE followed by the final letter of floweD

14d         Popular seating area – messages found here? (2-3)
IN-BOX – IN (popular) BOX (seating area in a theatre)

15d         Document one might take from a letter (5)
LEASE – A document given to you by someone letting something to you

22d         In charge, step up to reach polar feature (6)
ICECAP – IC (In Charge) and a reversal (up) of PACE (step)

23d         Damage resulting from mischievous character leading broadcast (6)
IMPAIR – IMP (mischievous character) AIR (broadcast)

25d         Socialist bound by firm beliefs (5)
CREDO – RED (Socialist) ‘bound’ by CO (company, firm)

26d         Hit on the head with old coin (5)
CROWN – Hit on the head or an old coin