Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29299
A full review by gnomethang
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This puzzle was published on 29th February 2020
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Morning All! – Anyone else notice the serendipidity of puzzle number 29299 on the 29th? There was a clue that I hated on the day (4d – my fault!) which was more than made up for by three terrific clues in my opinion.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Appropriate European base (7)
GERMANE – A GERMAN European and The natural logarithm base of e.
5a Mad Lear runs amok in distress (7)
ALARMED – An anagram (runs amok) of MAD LEAR
9a First class drinks party (9)
RECEPTION – The name for a new class of children in a school and also a formal drinks party.
10a Mayonnaise sent back contains bug (5)
ANNOY – A reversed hidden clue is contained back in esi ANNOY am.
11a Adult female holding on so soon (7)
ALREADY – A from the clue and a LADY (female) holding RE for on/reference.
12a General‘s son the one she loves? (7)
SHERMAN – A charade of S for Sone, and HER MAN i.e. the one she loves.
13a Left by train, heading for York specifically (9)
EXPRESSLY – An EXPRESS train with L(eft) and the heading letter in Y(ork).
16a Wise for instance feeding one to sea eagle (5)
ERNIE – Place I for one inside an ERNE or sea eagle..
17a Love makes an entrance audibly (5)
ADORE – A homophone of A DOOR (an entrance, reportedly).
18a Escaped over water breaking pottery (9)
DELFTWARE – A reversal (over) of FLED for left and then an anagram (breaking) of WATER.
21a Sub-machine gun loaded by little honey (7)
SWEETEN – A STEN gun includes (is loaded by) WEE for little.
22a King George takes in walk — that’s better (7)
GAMBLER – Place AMBLE/walk inside GR for George Rex or King George
25a Money one might charge incautious tourist (5)
RHINO – The definition is an slang word for money and if you were incautious enough to scare a RHINO in Africa you might get charged.
26a From remote areas: patriotic slogan? (2-7)
UP-COUNTRY – The definition for rural might be cryptically be a patriotic slogan for UP (the) COUNTRY.
27a Strict tea-user seen sloshed (7)
AUSTERE – Make an anagram (seen sloshed) of TEA USER.
28a Disappointed — at being dropped? (3,4)
LET DOWN – A simple double definition.
Down
1d Rubbish sack taken into French station (7)
GARBAGE – Place a BAG/sack inside La GARE for a train station in France.
2d F1 driver perhaps fantastic in two runs (5)
RACER – ACE for fantastic inside two instances of R for Run (from the cricketing abb.).
3d Brightest star‘s expression of surprise about record (5)
ALPHA – AHA! for surprise around/about an LP or Long Playing record (one for the kids!!).
4d Furies in Ireland? Certainly! (7)
ERINYES – ERIN for Ireland (poetically) and YES for Certainly. Had to get the Greek book out!.
5d Many set free? (7)
AMNESTY – Clue of the Month for me and an All-in-One to boot. An anagram (free) of MANY SET where the whole clue is the definition when accompanied by a Question Mark.
6d Humiliation in a crypt? (9)
ABASEMENT – A from the clue and then BASEMENT for a crypt – an underground room.
7d Arab stopping Mona’s obsessive single-mindedness (9)
MONOMANIA – An OMANI/Arab inside (stops) MONA from the clue.
8d Senior woman rough on needy (7)
DOYENNE – A rough anagram of ON NEEDY.
14d Working on pitches in this discipline? (9)
PHONETICS – Another top clue – an anagram (working) of ON PITCHES.
15d Conductor to choose route, we hear (9)
ELECTRODE – ELECT for to choose and then RODE – a homophone (we hear) of ROAD.
17d Oddly able to leave one country for another (7)
AUSTRIA – Remove the odd letters of A b L e from the country of AUSTRalIA.
18d Set out at night? (7)
DENTURE – A nice cryptic definition of the set of teeth that ends up in a glass at night.
19d Coherent US soldier going into pub (7)
LOGICAL – A GI or US Soldier inside yer LOCAL pub.
20d Nobleman with those near the start (5,2)
EARLY ON – A charade of EARL (nobleman) and YON (those)
23d Carry out horse? (5)
MOUNT – To MOUNT an attack and a horse is a MOUNT (which you can MOUNT!)
24d Header missed in tight draw (5)
LOTTO – Remove the first letter (header missed) in (b)LOTTO or tight/drunk.
I knew the Furies but do agree with your thoughts on 5d
Immensely pleased to receive a letter and the famous Telegraph pen from Chris Lancaster this morning.
Loved this crossword, thanks to the setter, and to Gnomethang for confirming my parsing. It probably doesn’t matter now but there is a typo in your answer for 8d.
Thanks molly – I have corrected it!