DT 31067 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31067

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 25^th October 2025

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

Another great Saturday Prize Puzzle from the NY Doorknob

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Across

1a           Steamy thing old boy recalled: hard water in leaky tap? (6-6)
BODICE RIPPER – A reversal (recalled) of OB (Old Boy) followed by some ICE (hard water) inserted into DRIPPER (leaky tap?)   My mother used to call this type of book a Historical Hysterical!

9a           Tooth decay having no initial sign (5)
ARIES – cARIES (tooth decay) without the initial letter

10a         Box containing small part for pot (9)
CASSEROLE – CASE (box) ‘containing’ S (small) and ROLE (part)

11a         Pegasus and what he does for his parasites? (10)
HORSEFLIES – Brilliant clue!   Pegasus is a HORSE who FLIES

12a         See 17 Across

13a         Runs out of clothing? (7)
STREAKS – Cryptic definition

15a         Hole in wounded insect’s wing? (7)
SECTION – O (the hole-shaped letter) inserted into an anagram (wounded) of INSECT

17a/12a    Sad mourners hit the gin (7,4)
MOTHERS RUIN – An anagram (sad) of MOURNERS HIT

19a         Small, unspecified number on call regularly crossing M1? (7)
NOMINAL – NO (unspecified number) and the regular letters of oN cAlL ‘crossing’ M1

21a         Devil of a shaving mishap? (4)
NICK – Another name for the devil or a mishap when shaving

22a         People given a choice read unfinished Colette novel (10)
ELECTORATE  – An anagram (novel) of REAd (unfinished telling you to omit the D) COLETTE

25a         Seek advice from Spain about a diplomatic residence (9)
CONSULATE – CONSULT (seek advice from) and E (IVR Code for Spain) go about A (from the clue)

26a         State backing obtained where satellite orbits (5)
IDAHO –  A reversal (backing) of HAD (obtained) orbited by Io (satellite of Jupiter)

27a         Writer cast two ogres carefully (6,6)
GEORGE ORWELL – An anagram (cast) of OGRE OGRE (two ogres) followed by  WELL (carefully)

Down

1d           Pipe runs current in lounge (5)
BRIAR – The cricket abbreviation for Runs and the symbol for electrical current inserted into BAR (lounge)

2d           Wretched squadron’s leader in repeated scrambling (9)
DESPERATE – The ‘leader’ of Squadron inserted into an anagram (scrambling) of REPEATED

3d           Seafood vacant cook stuffed in cabbages (7)
COCKLES – The outside (vacant) letters of CooK ‘stuffed’ into COLES (cabbages)

4d           Bacon strips poor as her sausage sandwiches (7)
RASHERS – Hidden in pooR AS HER Sausage

5d           Motley Crue ultimately in decline – it’s over (4)
PIED – The ultimate letter of cruE inserted into a reversed (it’s over) of DIP (decline)

6d           Gradual change – rebellion fails to start (9)
EVOLUTION – rEVOLUTION (rebellion) without the ‘start’

7d           Vampires perhaps circling house in ludicrous descent (6)
BATHOS – BATS (vampires perhaps) ‘circling’ HO (house)  A ludicrous descent from the elevated to the ordinary in writing or speech

8d           Imagine composer pens new hymn at last in Spanish city (6)
LENNON – LEON (Spanish city) ‘pens’ N (new) and the last letter of hymN

14d         Reserve break in Crete with church (9)
RETICENCE – An anagram (break) of IN CRETE with CE (Church of England)

16d         Having distinct parts, write song about it (9)
COMPOSITE – COMPOSE (write song) goes ‘about’ IT (from the clue)

17d         Revolutionary prison in Low Country (6)
MONACO – A reversed (revolutionary) CAN (prison) inserted into MOO (low)

18d         Rescue student trapped in wild (7)
SALVAGE – L (student) ‘trapped’ in SAVAGE (wild)

19d         An ulcer burst with devastating energy? (7)
NUCLEAR – An anagram (burst) of AN ULCER

20d         What to do when going to ground? (3,3)
LIE LOW – Literally what to do when going to ground

23d         Use of a mask for those listening? (5)
AVAIL – A homophone (for those listening) of A VEIL (a mask)

24d         Manage personnel out of northern industrial region (4)
RUHR – RUn (without the N – out of Northern) and HR (personnel)