DT 30971 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30971

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 5^th July 2025

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

An enjoyable Saturday Prize Puzzle from NY Doorknob.  The NE corner took a while to complete, pushing me into my 3* back pager time

Please let us know what you thought

Across

1a, 10a, 14a        Deceived Telegraph hadn’t bothered to keep its boss well-informed (3,2,3,6,4)
LED UP THE GARDEN PATH – An anagram (bothered) of TELEGRAPH HADNT ‘keeps’ ED (the Telegraph’s boss) and UP (well-informed)

5a           Moment to bring in goods from abroad (6)
IMPORT – Importance or consequence (moment) or to bring in goods from abroad

9a           Fill glass again? Her Grace the worse for wear (8)
RECHARGE – An anagram (the worse for wear) of HER GRACE

10a         See 1 Across

12a         One checking books and article on current theatres (9)
AUDITORIA – One checking books of accounts and an indefinite article, the latter going after  I (the symbol for electrical current

13a         Squat like a rubbish tip? (5)
DUMPY –  A description that could be applied to a rubbish tip

14a         See 1 Across

16a         Phoned with musical pair touring Mexican city (7)
DURANGO –  DUO (musical pair) ‘touring’ RANG (phoned)

19a/21d  GB led astray with something that’s bizarre! (3,4,7)
THE MIND BOGGLES – An anagram (astray) of GB LED SOMETHING

21a         Daughter poking son’s torso (4)
BODY – D (daughter) ‘poking’ BOY (son)

24a         Best bit of fine literature (5)
ELITE – Hidden in a bit of finE LITErature

25a         Minus tail, small cat chasing a mythical sculptor (9)
PYGMALION – PYGMy (small minus its ‘tail’) and LION (cat), the latter ‘chasing’ or going after A (from the clue) – according to Greek legend, he was a sculptor who fell in love with his own ivory of his own ideal women.  At his earnest prayer, the goddess Aphrodite gave life to the statue and he married it!

27a         Simple abode in block in country (6)
BHUTAN – HUT (simple abode) inserted into BAN (block)

28a         Mobster independently accepting bung (2,6)
AL CAPONE – ALONE (independently) ‘accepting’ CAP (bung in the sense of stopper)

29a         What Cockney repairman does? Makes alterations! (6)
EMENDS – ‘E MENDS – what a Cockney repairman does! 

30a         Respect sappers guarding position, so to speak (2,2,4)
AS IT WERE – AWE (respect) and RE (Royal Engineers, Sappers) ‘guarding’ SIT (position as a verb)

Down

1d           Operatic melody lieutenant pens – something catchy? (6)
LARIAT – ARIA (operatic melody’ inserted into (pens) LT (lieutenant)

2d           Debauched, shunning religious works for ten years (6)
DECADE – DECADEnt ‘shunning’ NT (New Testament, religious works)

3d           Undercover agent put in ground (5)
PLANT – A spy (undercover agent) or a verb meaning to put in the ground

4d           Animal painting hard for satirical artist (7)
HOGARTH – HOG (animal) ART (painting) H (hard)

6d           Wound in malicious act involving Romeo (9)
MEANDERED – As I said in the Hints, the meaning of wound isn’t the one suggested by the surface reading of the clue.  MEAN (malicious) DEED (act), the latter ‘involving’ R (Romeo in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet

7d           Blonde man dyes locks whenever required (2,6)
ON DEMAND – ‘Locked’ into blONDE MAN Dyes

8d           Iron Mike absorbing Lennon regularly – some poet! (8)
TENNYSON – TYSON (the boxer known as Iron Mike) ‘absorbing’ the regular letters of lEnNoN

11d         Wet earth around area for 8 Down heroine (4)
MAUD – MUD (wet earth) goes around A (area) to give the heroine of one of his poems

15d         Pests in a group that grips one’s tresses? (5,4)
ALICE BAND – LICE (pests) inserted between A (from the clue) and BAND (group)

17d         Adult with large drink entertains male shaking (8)
ATREMBLE – A (adult) with TREBLE (large drink) ‘entertains’ M (male)

18d         Price due to change for beauty treatment (8)
PEDICURE – An anagram (to change) of PRICE DUE

20d         Games cheat first to abuse steroids for example? (4)
DOPE – DO (cheat) goes first before PE (games)

21d         See 19 Across

22d         Aerial your compiler had erected on post (6)
DIPOLE – A reversal (erected) of ID (your compiler had) on POLE (post)

23d         Explosion somewhere under the bridge? (6)
SNEEZE – An explosion from somewhere under the bridge of your nose

26d         At sea stop son boarding a vessel (5
AVAST – S (son) ‘boarding’ A (from the clue) VAT (vessel)