DT 30239 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30239

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on 4^th March 2023

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

It took me a while to get going but the very helpful Down clues helped me finish in about my usual time for a Saturday Prize Puzzle

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought

Across

1a    One looking after passengers on stairs? (6,9)
FLIGHT ATTENDANT – Someone who looks after plane passengers sound like they could do the same thing on a flight of stairs

9a    Area where those normally going up are grounded (2-3,4)
NO-FLY ZONE – An area where planes (those normally going up) can’t fly

10a    Prohibit Joanna getting instrument (5)
BANJO – BAN (prohibit) JO (Joanna)

11a    Serious notice in front of shelter (7)
EARNEST – EAR (notice, attention) goes in front of NEST (shelter)

12a    American settler‘s anguish, we hear (6)
DOLLAR – A homophone (we hear) of DOLOUR (a poetical word for anguish)

15a    Some outline area starting in south-west Asia (4,4)
NEAR EAST – Hidden in some outliNE AREA ST

16a    Fleece that might be pulled over one’s eyes (4)
WOOL – The second part of the clue referring to the expression ‘pull the wool over one’s eyes’ or deceive

19a    Bit of a looker? (4)
IRIS – Part of an eye (looker?)

20a    One case or another outside burrow (8)
CASSETTE – Another CASE goes outside SETT (the burrow of a badger)

23a    Specially made unit of furniture? Just the first (3-3)
ONE-OFF – ONE (unit) OF (from the clue) F (the first letter of furniture)

24a    Temptress the French found in New Delhi (7)
DELILAH – LA (French feminine definite article) inserted into an anagram (new) of DELHI

26a    As far as new unit by lake (5)
UNTIL – An anagram (new) of UNIT by L (lake)

28a    Uncomfortable, unwell but relaxing (3,2,4)
ILL AT EASE – ILL (unwell) AT EAST (relaxing)

29a    Leave fellows having time with stock for large shop (10,5)
DEPARTMENT STORE – DEPART (leave) MEN (fellows) T (time) STORE (stock)

Down

1d    Touch small metal spike, one of a few we have to hand (10)
FINGERNAIL – FINGER (touch) NAIL (small metal spike)

2d    News being made (11)
INFORMATION – IN FORMATION (being made)

3d    Bit of a laugh before unknown excitement causes irritation (3,5)
HAY FEVER – HA (bit of a laugh) Y (mathematical unknown) FEVER (excitement)

4d    A job so variable leads to abandonment of principles (8)
APOSTASY – A (from the clue) POST (job) AS (so) Y (mathematical variable) the repetition radar didn’t bleep when I was solving the crossword, but it certainly did when I typed the second of these two explanations!

5d    Attempt to include last part at the forefront of fashion (6)
TRENDY – TRY (attempt) to ‘include’ END (last part)

6d    Extra with which cricket cannot be played (2-4)
NO-BALL – Without the hyphen you’d see something with which cricket cannot be played

7d    Somewhat scrawny beard (3)
AWN – The beard of an ear of barley is found in scrAWNy

8d    Captured also with king (4)
TOOK – TOO (also) K (the chess abbreviation for King

13d    Drink that could make lad emotional, losing head (11)
AMONTILLADO – An anagram (could make) of LAD eMOTIONAL (losing head telling you to omit the E)

14d    Dismal revolutionary beginning to explore London area for dolcelatte? (4,6)
BLUE CHEESE – BLUE (dismal) CHE (revolutionary) E (the beginning to Explore) and SE (London area)

17d    Fellow mostly handing out something stringy? (8)
MANDOLIN – MAN (fellow) and most of DOLINg (handing out)

18d    Sets apart site also disintegrating (8)
ISOLATES – An anagram (disintegrating) of SITE ALSO

21d    Wave, one can make other waves (6)
ROLLER – This type of wave can also mean an item used to make waves in hair

22d    State half of worthless people will come up in the morning (6)
AFFIRM – Half of RIFF-raff (worthless people) reversed and inserted into AM (morning)

25d    Behead mollusc for pound (4)
QUID – Remove the first letter (behead) of sQUID (mollusc)

27d    Regularly thump ram (3)
TUP – The regular letters of ThUmP