DT 29700

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29700

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 12^th June 2021

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

Straightforward to solve and easy to explain – that’ll do nicely on a hot Saturday when it was far too nice to be indoors typing a crossword blog!

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Across

1a    Something carried responsibly by exercise nut (5)
PECAN – CAN (something carried by the person responsible for an action) goes by or after PE (exercise)

4a    Best spinner, neither winner nor loser? (3-6)
TOP-DRAWER – TOP (spinner) DRAWER (neither winner nor loser?)

9a    Leader wasting euros, PM (7)
SUPREMO – An anagram (wasting) of EUROS PM

11a    A matter to be discussed (2,5)
AT ISSUE – A (from the clue) TISSUE (matter)

12a    Bowler possibly ending in ambulance can’t stand (4)
HATE – HAT (bowler possibly) and the ending in ambulancE

13a    Southern tour for band (5)
STRIP – S (Southern) TRIP (tour)

14a    So immersed in river yesterday (4)
VERY – Immersed in riVER Yesterday

17a    Tool smearing oil on grinders (9,4)
SOLDERING IRON – An anagram (smearing) of OIL ON GRINDERS  Following the discussion on Saturday, if anyone is still wondering, the Americans pronounce the first word without the L, although as far as I can ascertain, they still spell it with an L!

19a    Simultaneously, however (2,3,4,4)
AT THE SAME TIME – Double definition

21a    Sensitive god, looking back (4)
SORE – A reversal (looking back) of EROS (god of love)

22a    Glass wind instrument (5)
FLUTE – Double definition

23a    Vehicle — burden put on one (4)
TAXI – TAX (burden) I (one)

26a    Charming pub in annexe (7)
WINNING – INN (pub) in WING (annexe)

27a    Dropping place (7)
SETTING – Double definition

28a    What cow does ruins meat, unfortunately (9)
RUMINATES – An anagram (unfortunately) of RUINS MEAT

29a    Like a drip, small and dry — that’s not right (5)
WEEDY – WEE (small) and DrY without (not) the abbreviation for Right

Down

1d    Those taps turned quickly (9)
POSTHASTE – An anagram (turned) of THOSE TAPS

2d    Money to invest in a hole in California (7)
CAPITAL – A PIT (a hole) in CAL (California)

3d    Christmas book lacking heart (4)
NOEL – NOvEL (book) lacking its ‘heart’

5d    Surprisingly, my ant aspiring to be large insect (7,6)
PRAYING MANTIS – An anagram (surprisingly) of MY ANT ASPIRING

6d    Bar where person telling stories turned up (4)
RAIL – A reversal (turned up) of LIAR (person telling stories)

7d    Peripheral characters in weepie, serious film (7)
WESTERN – The peripheral characters in WeepiE and STERN (serious)

8d    Thin and weak, wanting lots of food but no starter (5)
REEDY – Remove the ‘starter’ from gREEDY (wanting lots of food)

10d    Asleep immediately, switched off? (3,4,1,5)
OUT LIKE A LIGHT – switched off

15d    Australian city, bold and hard (5)
PERTH – PERT (bold) H (hard)

16d    Immature environmentalist (5)
GREEN – Double definition

18d    Mutant gene slimy on the surface (9)
SEEMINGLY – An anagram (mutant) of GENE SLIMY

19d    Initial word a friend mentioned firstly (7)
ACRONYM – A (from the clue) CRONY (friend) M (the first letter of mentioned)

20d    Picture old song (7)
IMAGINE – Double definition

21d    Drain small jug (5)
SEWER – S (small) EWER (jug)

24d    Some stuff in Norway, northern European (4)
FINN – Hidden in some stufF IN Norway

25d    Keep smiling, though ostensibly weary initially (4)
STOW – The initial letters of Smiling Though Ostensibly Weary