DT Vintage 18

Daily Telegraph Vintage No 18
Hints and Tips by Rossophile

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

A gentle solve today, with many recognisable constructions. Not much feedback on this blog, so let me know if you want me to continue. I suppose a fun crossword needs to be contemporary and topical, with new material to challenge the solver. I suppose it is difficult to be grateful to a long dead setter!

Personally, I like doing the pictorial clues, which can be done in a few seconds. How about a picture only offering, as time is short next week? I cannot see any relevance to the Moon Landing, apart from the date. Farewell to Jim Lovell, who was the backup (and life long friend) of Neil Armstrong.

A link to the blanked pictorial solution. Also, I will try a web offering, with a select and reveal option

https://www.macdonnell.co.uk/DT/V18.pdf

https://www.macdonnell.co.uk/DT/vintage/V18.htm

Across

1a Such was gladiatorial combat (2,3,5)

TO THE DEATH: The result of such a conflict was invariably fatal for one or other opponent, a fight “** *** *****”

9a Ali takes the same degree more than once (4)

BABA: the surname of a well known fairy tale character, and a Bachelor of Arts abbreviation written twice

10a An all-rounder on court (6,4)

TENNIS BALL: The shape of an orb used on the Wimbledon court

11a A youngster went first and scooped the lot (6)

LADLED: A charade of 2 words;  the first, a three letter word for a young man, and the second, past participle of leading. his is what such a kitchen implement did

12a They were responsible for much noise in the billiards saloon (7)

CANNON: A double definition; first, a weapon on an ship firing iron balls, the second the noise made in a tactical clash a balls

15a On which the acrobat’s living may depend (7)

BALANCE: Need to stay on that tightrope, otherwise his living might end

16a Scottish two in one author (5)

TWAIN: Double definition. A famous American author, and Scottish word for two. Never the ***** shall meet

17a Failing to turn green? (4)

ENVY: One of the seven deadly sins causes one to turn that colour

18a The same decoration as fate (4)

DOOM: A charade made-up of the abbreviations of ditto DO, and the decoration Order of Merit making up synonym for fate

19a Chooses the tools (5)

PICKS: a double definition coma; synonym of chooses or those double ended tools used to make holes

21a Nothing to mar the name of a famous one (7)

PERSIAN: Ambiguous parsing. Maybe PERSON (name) with the O (nothing) removed, an (IA) inserted. Or maybe PER , the S then IAN (name). A persian cat is a famous one

22a A gale of anger and defiance? (7)

SNORTER: Double definition. Slang for a gale, or a description of the sound made by somebody who is angry and defiant

24a They are presented to the board, an aged collection (6)

AGENDA: an anagram of “an aged”

27a Effect a turn-round at sea (5,5)

BRING ABOUT: A double definition; to make something happen, or a nautical term (at sea) to describe a change of point of sail, by tacking or a gybe

28a Stronghold not to discard (4)

KEEP: Double definition; to hold onto something, or secure part of a castle.

29a Well-matured fruit used for wine (10)

ELDERBERRY: A charade for a type of wine, made up of a 5 letter word for well-matured, and a 5 letter word for the fruit used to make it

Down

2d But is this flower nothing to the German? (4)

ODER: Charade of nothing (O) and “the” in German. Also a river.

3d Where in London a female teacher is needed? (6)

HENDON: a charade of the three letter word for female (chicken), and three letter word for a (university) teacher

4d A come-down of which one may be proud, however (7)

DESCENT: A double definition: the first is a reduction in altitude, and the second refers to your lineage

5d Original name of a barrage (4)

ADAM: the first man, and (A) from clue and a structure to withhold water in a reservoir

6d His life is full of ups and downs (7)

HILLMAN: a semantic description of what is person will be doing throughout the day

7d What the cricket umpire was doing loudly? (7,3)

CALLING OUT: A decision made by the umpire to indicate opposite of “IN”, and a form of shouting

8d Castle-builder (3-7)

DAY-DREAMER: He typically builds these structures in the sky

12d They hawk round inexpensive aids to motorists (10)

CHEAPJACKS: Another name for hawkers, a what low cost car lifting devices might be

13d A doubly emphatic refusal of once fancied land (5,5)

NEVER NEVER: a place where Peter Pan Michael Jackson would feel at home

14d A rhyme for 16 across, my love! (5)

SWAIN: hey synonym of a lover rhyming with that author

15d Avoids payments of the like in notes (5)

BILKS: Another writing of “baulks”;

19d Well-meaning story (7)

PARABLE: a story with a good tale to tell

20d Laugh? Not half! (7)

SNIGGER: Not a full one

23d The mob from the bar (6)

RABBLE: Can mean the verb for chatter, as expected from those at this venue, as well as the noun to describe them

25d In Tamil denunciatory but not severe (4)

MILD: Lurker as shown

26d Sound content to back up two basic subjects (4)

PURR: The UP from the clue, an the (R) from Reading or wRiting or aRithmetic