Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31055
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This puzzle was published on 11th October 2025
BD Rating –Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
NY Doorknob included a lot of fun in his clues for this Saturday Prize Puzzle
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a British and others bringing in fish for shopping (8)
BETRAYAL – B (British) ET AL (and others) ‘bringing in’ RAY (fish)
5a Inhale smoke from flame-thrower? (6)
DRAGON – DRAG ON (inhale smoke)
9a Girl deceived reportedly by a serpent (8)
ANACONDA – Homophones (reportedly) of ANNA (girl) and CONNED (deceived) followed by A (from the clue)
10a New missile of limited range (6)
NARROW – N (new) ARROW (missile)
12a Old pin-up Jayne in masculine environment (9)
MANSFIELD – MANS (masculine) FIELD (environment)
13a Energy needed in frenzied exercise (5)
WIELD – E (symbol for Energy) inserted (needed) in WILD (frenzied)
14a Articles from both sides of the Channel, local offerings (4)
ALES – A and LES (articles from both sides of the Channel)
16a Copper embraced by tipsy Freddie? (7)
MERCURY – CU (chemical symbol for copper) inserted into (embraced by) MERRY (tipsy)
19a Reserve rearranged date for drink (4,3)
ICED TEA – ICE (reserve) and an anagram (rearranged) of DATE
21a Symbol of rank crack troops held at first (4)
SASH – SAS (crack troops) and the first letter of Held
24a Cassady perhaps retaining power in country (5)
NEPAL – The symbol for Power inserted into NEAL (Cassady perhaps)
25a A sundae ordered in the morning or endlessly (2,7)
AD NAUSEAM – An anagram (ordered) of A SUNDAE inserted into AM (the morning)
27a Fairly easy on the eye … (6)
PRETTY – Double definition
28a/7d … as is femme fatale? (4-4,8)
DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS – a femme fatale isn’t just pretty she’s also the solution!
29a My doubled bet on this (3-3)
GEE-GEE – ‘Double’ GEE – a slang interjection of surprise just like my!
30a FA home match most difficult to see (8)
FAINTEST – FA (from the clue) IN (home) TEST (match)
Down
1d Romantic German: born artist on Navy vessel (6)
BRAHMS – B (born) RA (artist) HMS (Navy vessel)
2d Extra insurance covering schools (6)
TRAINS – Hidden in the first two words of the clue
3d Ace dessert served up cold (5)
ALOOF – A (Ace) and a reversed (served up) FOOL (desert)
4d Deal with notice on deck (7)
ADDRESS – AD (notice) DRESS (deck)
6d Some disruption on the way? (9)
ROADWORKS – A cryptic definition
7d See 28 Across
8d No courses to accommodate a daughter currently (8)
NOWADAYS – NO WAYS (no courses) to ‘accommodate’ A (from the clue) and D (abbreviation for Daughter
11d Topless brothel-keeper punished gardener (4)
ADAM One of those surface readings that conjures up a vision you don’t really want to see! Remove the ‘top’ from mADAM (brothel-keeper)
15d Obstacle in shabby toilet makes one wee on foot (6,3)
LITTLE TOE – LET (obstacle) inserted into an anagram (shabby) of TOILET
17d Churchill keeping quiet, initially garrulous in city (8)
WINNIPEG – WINNIE (Winston Churchill) ‘keeping’ P (musical abbreviation for quiet), the initial letter of Garrulous being added at the end
18d Place rook perhaps in corner? (3,5)
SET PIECE – SET (place) PIECE (rook perhaps)
20d Juliet in sober group with unknown hero (4)
AJAX – J (Juliet in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, although there she has two Ts) in AA (Alcoholics Anonymous, sober group) followed by X (mathematical unknown)
21d Gran is fighting over a drink (7)
SANGRIA – An anagram (fighting) of GRAN IS goes over (in a Down solution) A (from the clue)
22d Leonard entering spot showing moon goddess (6)
SELENE – LEN (Leonard) ‘entering’ SEE (spot)
23d Among maids dancing tango (6)
AMIDST – An anagram (dancing) of MAIDS followed by the letter represented by Tango in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
26d Release Penny trapped in loveless marriage (5)
UNPIN – P (penny) ‘trapped’ in UNIoN (marriage without the O – love less)