DT Vintage 15

Daily Telegraph Vintage No 15
Hints and Tips by Rossophile

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BD Rating – Difficulty ***  Enjoyment ***

A return to a more familiar puzzle for contemporary solvers. A tribute to this groundbreaking setter, who started a trend for modern crosswords. As a stand-in hinter working on a DOCX file, my illustrations do not get incorporated into WordPress, without some extra technical work. Here is a sample link to an illustrated solution.

Click to access V15.pdf

Across

1a Maybe the French siren’s song for the trader (8)

MERCHANT: The sirens of the sea (French MER) (Scylla and Charybdis) and a plainsong, or incantation

5a A fat lot of good, one who is always raising objections (6)

BUTTER: A double definition; the milk derivative, full of good saturates, and someone who b***s in

9a Bird song to summon school back (4-4)

CALL-TONE: A synonym of synonym, and that famous school spelt backwards

10a Climbs on the piano possibly (6)

SCALES: A synonym of climbs, and those annoying practice octave exercises, major and minor, on the piano

11a War doctor gets a decoration and it will doubtless suit him (8)

WARDROBE: The WAR from the clue, an abbreviation of doctor, and an item of clothing r***

12a Morning employed in being entertained it would seem (6)

AMUSED: A Lego type constructed word; abbreviation of morning, and a synonym of employed

14a To which candidates choose to speak at length (10)

ELECTORATE: To choose a candidate, and to speak at length to those who do the choosing

18a Meeting one of the requirements of polite society (10)

CONVENTION: A double definition, a synonym of meeting, and a particular way of doing things

22a The General Assembly is in session? Let’s hope the members will be able to act in it (6)

UNISON: A general assembly (UN), IS from the clue, and in session (ON)

23a Fish, as many do in deep water (8)

FLOUNDER: A type of fish found at the bottom of the sea, and what you may do if you find yourself there

24a A prohibition including the District Attorney in Iran (6)

ABADAN: A city in Iran; a word constructed by A, synonym of prohibition (ba*), the abbreviation for DA inserted

25a Retiring debutante gets dates mixed up, perhaps she should sleep on it (8)

BEDSTEAD: an abbreviation of debutante, spelt back backwards and then an anagram of dates

26a Time they should start to play at the Oval? (6)

ELEVEN: The number of players in a cricket team and a sensible time to start playing

27a Graduate returns to supply the means, not being stubborn (8)

AMENABLE: The abbreviated qualifications of a doctorate, reversed, and a verb to supply the means

Down

1d Up river was a confusion of parrots (6)

PARROTS: The three letter river in Cambridge, reversed, and an anagram (confusion) of “was a”

2d Liners carrying them are usually escorted (6)

RULERS: Not the ships, but a flat object for drawing lines. The same word refers to leaders who are usually accompanied by minders.

3d European country sustains a loss, needing food (6)

HUNGRY: The European country with the “a” removed resulting in a state of wanting food

4d A well-known person maybe, but presumably lacking in skill (10)

NOTABILITY: A semantic construction; one of the well-known people, and those people who don’t (NOT) have a synonym of skill

6d A French colonel with a British decoration on is quite unusual (8)

UNCOMMON: The two letter French word for “a”, a four letter British Empire honour abbreviation, and “ON” from the clue

7d The most charming of Sir Walter Scott’s novels? (8)

TALISMAN: This author wrote 26 novels and became a knight of the realm. If somebody has said to ********-IC, they are believed to have magical (CHARM) powers

8d Revised, reissued remainders (8)

RESIDUES: an anagram (revised) re-issued

13d Its end always entails some breaking up (6,4)

SCHOOL TERM: What an educational establishment for children does (break up), at the end of one of the three parts of their year

15d A note to the lowly parson should be all correct (8)

ACCURATE: A church position supporting a vicar, proceeded by ‘A” and a musical note “C”

16d Imagine it’s in the French face! (8)

ENVISAGE: The French for in (EN) followed by the English or French for face

17d The little editor turns up so much after time, and quite forlorn (8)

DESOLATE: A two letter abbreviation for editor spelt backwards, followed bytwo words “I’m sorry, I”m ** ****”

19d A British explorer on the run through New York state (6)

HUDSON: A double definition; a British explorer Henry ****** (1560-1611) and a river that “runs” through NY state, scene of a dramatic airplane landing by Captain “Sulley” Sullenberger

20d It modifies part of speech and could be braved (6)

ADVERB: An anagram (modifies) of “braved”

21d A way across for the game (6)

BRIDGE: a double definition; a construction to cross some obstruction, such as a river, and a cerebral card game