DT Vintage 20

Daily Telegraph Vintage No 20
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh

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

Good afternoon from South Hampshire, where it’s somewhat cooler than yesterday.  Many thanks to Rossophile for blazing the trail for the volunteer vintage puzzle bloggers, and to Gazza for allowing me to try my hand at this one.

I found this to be a baptism of fire!  I didn’t manage to solve the first clue straightaway, and soon came unstuck.  As the DT preamble states, you really have to solve 1a first, but once you’ve done that, things should start to fall into place.

Across

1a How to answer all the other clues in a roundabout way: depend on versed entry (10)

REVERSEDLY: Insert ‘versed’ from the clue into a synonym for ‘depend’ to give a word that describes how all the other answers should be entered into the grid.

6a Chop bones (4)

DICE: A double definition. ‘Bones’ refers to objects that were once made from bone and were used to play a game with the same name.

10a In a month, the seventh note will need one more player (5)

OCTET: Insert the word for the seventh note of the major musical scale into a three-character abbreviation for one of the months of the year, giving a group of eight musicians.

11a Mid-East stuff has a bad star with Persian governor (9)

ASTRAKHAN: ‘A’ from the clue, followed by an anagram (bad) of STAR and an Asian ruler.  The answer is a city in Russia, and also a hat or coat made from sheep bred in the area.

12a Down among the dead men, puss needs a spruce-up (8)

CATACOMB: A feline, followed by ‘A’ from the clue, and what your hair might need to spruce it up.

13a Money needs female support – two shillings (5)

BRASS: A supportive item of underwear followed by SS.

15a Lean, like troops on inspection holding peak of cap (7)

INCLINE: Two words that describe how troops are arranged for inspection (** ****) are placed around the first letter of ‘cap’.

17a Russian emperor loses his head, and unconsciousness causes tumour (7)

SARCOMA: the old term for a Russian ruler with the initial letter removed, followed by an involuntary or induced state of unconsciousness.

19a Spassky often does act less outrageously (7)

CASTLES: An anagram (outrageously) of ‘act less’.  The chess Grandmaster Boris Spassky died earlier this year.

21a Detest ‘flu attack, it’s odious (7)

HATEFUL: A synonym for ‘detest’ followed by an anagram (attack) of ‘flu’.

22a I’ll leave marine training to supply weapons (5)

ENARM: An anagram (training) of ‘marine’ minus the ‘i’.

24a Drinks – strictly for the birds (8)

SWALLOWS: A synonym for ‘drinks’, and a family of birds that are summer visitors to the UK.

27a Attractive gal loses heart feeling lovey-dovey (9)

GLAMOROUS: ‘Gal’ minus its middle letter followed by a synonym for ‘lovey-dovey’.

28a When he inspects Rolls-Royce starters, this may be heard … (5)

WHIRR: The initial letters (starters) of the first five words of the clue.

29a … get motor quiet, else complain (4)

CARP: A vehicle popularly referred to as a ‘motor’, followed by the letter that means ‘quiet(ly)’ in music.

30a Displaying grit is care of old (10)

GERIATRICS: An anagram (displaying) of ‘grit is care’.

Down

1d Get up, begin to move, excite trouble – common prison (4)

STIR: A quadruple definition.

2d Repetitive idea: roll movie title endlessly (9)

LEITMOTIV: An anagram (roll) of ‘movie title’ minus the last letter (endlessly) leads to a recurring theme in a novel or piece of music.

3d They may chant in the East End: “Play Rioch” (5)

CHOIR: A cryptic definition.  An anagram (play) of ‘Rioch’ will give you a group of singers found at the front (east end) of a church.

4d How cigarettes often come from the East – concentrated (7)

INTENSE: A two-word description of the quantity in which cigarettes are sometimes sold (** ****) followed by E (East).

5d A beginner has hot water in coldish drink? (7)

ALCOHOL: ‘A’ from the clue, plus the letter that usually indicates a beginner or learner, followed by the symbol on a hot water tap inserted into a synonym of ‘coldish’.  I felt somewhat in need of the answer after I’d finished this puzzle!

7d One twitch is grotesque (5)

ANTIC: A two-character indefinite article followed by a synonym of ‘twitch’.

8d Church note – Sunday School directors don’t take the king here (10)

CHESSBOARD: The abbreviation for ‘church’, followed by a letter representing one of the seven musical notes, the initial letters of ‘Sunday School’, and the collective name for a group of company directors.

9d See 25

14d Scots Sunday newspaper expert is a man of letters (10)

POSTMASTER: A cryptic definition.  The second word of a Scottish newspaper (the Sunday ****) is followed by a synonym of ‘expert’.

16d Front put Poles in charge of courts (8)

FORENSIC: A synonym of ‘front’ is followed by letters representing the earth’s two poles and the abbreviation for ‘in charge’.

18d Artist in element – a puddle? (9)

RAINWATER: The crossword compiler’s shorthand for ‘artist’, followed by ‘in’ from the clue, and one of the four classical elements.

20d Derby‘s third stream of first-formers? (7)

CLASSIC: One of five British horse races of which the Derby is an example.  The ‘C’ stream of pupils in their first year at school might be in this form.

21d Silver penny once put in tube makes child’s plaything (3-4)

RAG DOLL:  The symbol for ‘silver’ in the Periodic Table and the symbol for the pre-decimal penny are inserted into a synonym for ‘tube’.

23d One should go to the Academy or the market place (5)

AGORA: ‘A’ (one) is followed by ‘go’ from the clue and the two letters representing the Royal Academy.  The answer is a forum or meeting place in ancient Greece.

25d and 9 Down 26’s light is the reason for this exercise (5,5,3)

APRIL FOOL’S DAY: The setter’s reason for compiling this quirky puzzle.

26d Go to work or quit: April fool! (4)

GOWK: ‘Go’ from the clue, followed by ‘work’ without ‘or’ (or quit).  The answer is a Scots word for ‘April fool’.  I’d not come across it before.

What did you think of this puzzle?  I found it quite tricky in places, but ultimately I enjoyed the challenge.  Please leave a comment below.