DT 29198

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29198

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 2^nd November 2019

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Even allowing for the ‘deliberate error’ in 13d, I thought this an enjoyable Saturday Prize Puzzle (which made a very nice change)  

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Aware huge set-to sorted out once spies were here (9,5)
WATERGATE HOUSE – An anagram (sorted out) of AWARE HUGE SET TO gives us the first home of GCHQ (once spies were here)

9a    Former partner put on performance, accompanying in woolly (7)
INEXACT – EX (former partner) ACT (put on performance) accompanying or going after IN (from the clue)

10a    Someone to fleece on a farm? (7)
SHEARER – Cryptic definition

11a    Heard couple will get something to eat (4)
PEAR – A homophone (heard) of PAIR (couple)

12a    Shares possibly trendy clothing for priest (10)
INVESTMENT – IN (trendy) VESTMENT (clothing for priest)

14a    Feel cross about lease covering empty stable (6)
RESENT – RENT (lease) ‘covering’ the outside letters (empty) of StablE

15a    Early end to travel in island (8)
ALDERNEY – An anagram (to travel) of EARLY END

17a    Move there — all’s somewhat heavenly! (8)
ETHEREAL – An anagram (move) of THERE ALL thanks to Dawn for pointing out that I missed the hidden word in movE THERE ALl

18a    Fifty per cent chance of drunk returning drink (4-2)
TOSS-UP – A reversal (returning) of SOT (drunk) followed by SUP (drink)

21a    One starts giant riots all over the place (10)
INSTIGATOR – An anagram (all over the place) of GIANT RIOTS

22a    Shake cast-iron shields (4)
STIR – Lurking in (shields) caST IRon

24a    Typical adult too old to go topless (7)
AVERAGE – A (adult) oVERAGE (too old without its ‘top’)

25a    Indifferent nature affected student (7)
NEUTRAL – An anagram (affected) of NATURE followed by L (learner, student)

26a    Auntie with toys, lots broken, like one that’s 6? (14)
OSTENTATIOUSLY – An anagram (broken) of AUNTIE TOYS LOTS gives a synonym for the solution to 6d

Down

1d    Fancy a cry (7)
WHIMPER – WHIM (fancy) PER (a, each)

2d    This week’s charts played something excellent (3,4,8)
THE CATS WHISKERS – An anagram (played) of THIS WEEKS CHARTS

3d    Shout in row after run (4)
ROAR – OAR (row) goes after R (run)

4d    Temporarily in charge on stage? (6)
ACTING – Double definition

5d    In good time, taking short walk in bitter wind (8)
EASTERLY – EARLY (in good time) ‘taking in’ STEp (a ‘short’ walk)

6d    Where soldiers go in battle is too much (4,3,3)
OVER THE TOP – The first part of the clue being a cryptic definition

7d    Cloth worker posed with members and officials (9-2-4)
SERGEANTS-AT-ARMS – SERGE (cloth) ANT (worker) SAT (posed) ARMS (members in the sense of limbs)

8d    Quite mean about king (6)
PRETTY – PETTY (mean) goes about R (Rex, king)

13d    Over the top and defiant when sub gets dropped (10)
INORDINATE – Drop the SUB from INsubORDINATE – Very strange that the solution to 6d appears in full in this clue!

16d    Section housing a mostly enthusiastic flier (8)
PARAKEET – PART (section) ‘housing’ A (from the clue) and most of KEEn (enthusiastic)

17d    Priest set up pilgrimage for Muslims to find prophet (6)
ELIJAH – ELI (Old Testament priest) and a reversal (set up in a Down clue) of HAJ (pilgrimage for Muslims)

19d    Talk to limit sulphur in plant (7)
PARSLEY – PARLEY (talk) to ‘limit’ S (chemical symbol for sulphur)

20d    Boy on web will get lines (6)
SONNET – SON (boy) on NET (web)

23d    No limits in blue party game (4)
LUDO – Remove the ‘limits’ from bLUe and add DO (party)