DT 31043 (Full Review)

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31043

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 27^th September 2025

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

A splendid Saturday Prize Puzzle

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Across

1a           Perhaps killing time with Frank, add flavouring (4,6)
OPEN SEASON – OPEN (frank) SEASON (add flavouring)

6a           Surrounded by papers backing PM? Au contraire (4)
AMID – ID (papers) going after (backing) AM,  the opposite (au contraire) of PM

10a         Trunk and tangled roots (5)
TORSO – An anagram (tangled) of ROOTS

11a         Mycenaean king soon to host contest, leader of men (9)
AGAMEMNON – ANON (soon) hosts GAME (contest) and the ‘leader’ of Men

12a         Mum caught by Hebrew character in drama (7)
MACBETH – MA (mum) C (cricket abbreviation for Caught) BETH (second letter of the Greek alphabet

13a         Annoying smoker reformed on island (7)
IRKSOME – An anagram (reformed) of SMOKER going on or after I (Island)

14a         One among two left dizzy in mad intellectual duel (6,2,4)
BATTLE OF WITS – I (one) inserted into an anagram (dizzy) of TWO LEFT, the result inserted in BATS (mad)

18a         Trade hardly busy? It could have us seeing red! (7,5)
TRAFFIC LIGHT – TRAFFIC (trade) LIGHT (hardly busy)

21a         Intense old lover leaves home, maiden installed (7)
EXTREME – EX (old lover) TREE (the brilliantly clued leaves ‘home’) into which is inserted (installed) the cricket abbreviation for Maiden

23a         Writer having fish on line (7)
ROWLING – LING (fish) goes on or after ROW (line)

24a         Riotous celebration? Haggis laced with TNT! (4,5)
STAG NIGHT – An anagram (laced) of HAGGIS with TNT

25a         Abnormally fat alumnus feasted regularly (5)
OBESE – OB (Old Boy, alumnus) and the regular letters of fEaStEd

26a         Pathetic sort died: requiescat in pace (4)
DRIP – D (died) RIP (Requiescat In Pace)

27a         She who holds up the train? (10)
BRIDESMAID – At a wedding!

Down

1d           Working spell without delay (2,4)
ON TIME – ON (working (TIME (spell)

2d           Improve cover of Elton by Little Richard (6)
ENRICH – EN (the ‘cover’ of EltoN) and RICH (diminutive – little – form of Richard)

3d           Game in southern resort: change from before? (5-9)
SHOVE-HALFPENNY – or as most of us would say ‘Shove-Ha’penny)  S (Southern) HOVE (resort) HALFPENNY (old (from before) change)

4d           American with miserable cold? (9)
APATHETIC – A (American) PATHETIC (miserable)

5d           Aleppo man in houses of certain Arabs (5)
OMANI – Hidden in aleppO MAN In

7d           Land in gaol drunk after not very long? (8)
MONGOLIA – An anagram (drunk) of IN GAOL goes after MO (short period of time, not very long)

8d           Artiste could be Sudanese (8)
DANSEUSE – An anagram (could be) of SUDANESE

9d           Make out sylvan region (4,2,3,5)
NECK OF THE WOODS – NECK (make out, kiss amorously) and OF THE WOODS (sylvan)

15d         Russian fighter in East, respected, left country (9)
EMIGRATED – MIG (Russian fighter jet) inserted between E (East) and RATED (respected)

16d         Under pressure, puddings rising (8)
STRESSED – A reversal (rising) of DESSERTS (puddings)

17d         Having finished pack, I smoked joint (8)
PASTRAMMI – PAST (having finished) RAM (pack) I (from the clue)

19d         At first Michael Caine transformed motion pictures (6)
CINEMA – An anagram (transformed) of the first letter of Michael and CAINE

20d         Adherent’s initial sin admitted (6)
AGREED – A (the initial letter of Adherent and GREED (sin)

22d         Composer left in temper when sent up (5)
ELGAR – L (left) inserted into a reversal (when sent up) of RAGE (temper)