DT 30839 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30839

A Full Review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 1^st February 2025

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

Poor NYDK – people complain about his ‘multi-word’ solutions and then when he does  a straightforward set of clues, then they complain it is too hard!  I found this was a slightly trickier than usual Saturday Prize Puzzle where it probably helped if you started ‘with the Downs’.

Please let us know what you thought

Across

6a           Spy boss diverted up sideroad on way to work (5,8)
MODUS OPERANDI – M (spy boss) and an anagram (diverted) of UP SIDEROAD ON

8a           Thermal garment to take to the cleaners (6)
FLEECE – A thermal garment or a verb meaning to take all of someone’s money (take to the cleaners)

9a           A number want sandwiches trimmed (8)
NEATENED – NEED (want) ‘sandwiches’ A (from the clue) TEN (number)

10a         For starters see physio attending health resort (3)
SPA – The letters that start See Physio Attending

11a         Dawn and Victor trapped in a hollow (6)
ADVENT – V (the letter represented by Victor in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet) ‘trapped’ in A DENT (a hollow)a

12a         Abstinence? Charlie hurried to embrace it! (8)
CHASTITY – C (the letter represented by Charlie in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet) and HASTY (hurried) ‘embracing’ IT (from the clue)

14a         Agree examination for Darwin’s survivors? (7)
FITTEST – FIT (agree) TEST (examination)

16a         Anguished expression from serious expert (7)
GRIMACE – GRIM (serious) ACE (expert)

20a         Endlessly detestable beer for Hamlet character (8)
VILLAGER – The H for Hamlet was there to deceive – hands up who else looked up the names of characters in the Shakespeare play?   VILe (‘endlessly’ detestable) LAGER (beer)

23a         Italian monk in Le Mans sloshed (6)
ANSELM – Anselm of Canterbury was apparently a monk born in Italy.  An anagram (sloshed) of LE MANS

24a         Cut record for underworld figure (3)
DIS – Cut a DISc (record) – Dis or Pluto was the god of the underworld

25a         Loads backing call for industrial action (8)
STOPPAGE – A reversal (backing) of POTS (informal for loads) PAGE (call)

26a         Stretch in lake twists to the west (6)
SPRAWL – A reversal (to the west in an Across solution) of L (lake) and WARPS (twists)

27a         Couples with RNIB worked on pickle-fork (8,5)
RUNCIBLE SPOON – An anagram (worked) of COUPLES with RNIB followed by ON (from the clue)  A nonsense word made up by Edward Lear – his Owl and Pussycat used one to dine on mince and slices of quince – which is now applied to a pickle-fork  with broad prongs and one sharp, curved prong

Down

1d           Follower died here throttled by soldier? (8)
ADHERENT – D (died) and HERE (from the clue) ‘throttled’ by ANT (soldier)

2d           Dangerous substance: put a distress call around first (8)
ASBESTOS – A (from the clue) SOS (distress call) ‘around’ BEST (first)

3d           Roll a constant husband leaves to be eaten (7)
SPINACH – SPIN (roll) A (from the clue) C (abbreviation for Constant) H (husband)

4d           Spanish force a Frenchman to enter Rada (6)
ARMADA – A (From the clue) and M (Monsieur, Frenchman) entering RADA

5d           Peacekeepers take break, causing disquiet (6)
UNREST – UN (United Nations, peacekeepers) REST (break)

6d           Old woman and son, cleric, manage badly (13)
MALADMINISTER – MA (old woman, mother) LAD (son) MINISTER (cleric)

7d           Double success after Latin edict redrafted (9,4)
IDENTICAL TWIN – WIN (success) goes after an anagram (redrafted) of LATIN EDICT

13d         Long blade hidden by this killer (3)
SKI – Hidden in thiS KIller

15d         She reigned over us a very long time (3)
ERA – The regnal cipher of our late Queen (she reigned over us) and A (from the clue)

17d         Think again about high seas engulfing ship (8)
REASSESS – RE (about) and an anagram (high) of SEAS ‘engulfing’ SS (ship)

18d         Snowball in face – fell over! (8)
MUSHROOM – MUSH (slang for face) and a reversal (over) of MOOR (fell)

19d         Hospital worker certainly not disorganised (7)
ORDERLY – A hospital worker or a description of something organised

21d         Raised in family like some wild animal (6)
LUPINE – UP (raised) in LINE (family)

22d         Revolutionary Indian instrument good for nothing (6)
GRATIS – A reversal (revolutionary) of SITAR (instrument) G (good)