Daily Mail Cryptic Crossword #17080

Daily Mail Cryptic · 32 clues with answers and explanations · 2023-04-20

Solve this puzzle on Daily Mail →

Across

1 Some patch for decomposition, including skin of potato? (7,4)

Answer

COMPOSTHEAP
9 American in a short hearing in EU country (7)

Answer

AUSTRIA
10 More sentimental Greek character enthralled by fancy prose (7)

Answer

SOPPIER
11 Unproductive habit in team sport with time (3)

Answer

RUT
12 Ride with longing on return to find small area of trees (7)

Answer

SPINNEY
13 Disparage record (3,4)

Answer

PUTDOWN
14 Decline in commodity from the East (3)

Answer

SAG
15 Opponent starts to reappear in very advanced leagues (5)

Def

Opponent

Type

Charade

Expl

R (first_letter="reappear") + I (first_letter="in") + V (abbreviation="very") + A (abbreviation="advanced") + L (first_letter="leagues") = RIVAL; definition: "Opponent"

Answer

RIVAL
17 Give up an agricultural product? (5)

Answer

YIELD
18 Obsession among youth in gangs (5)

Answer

THING
20 A period mostly following liberal afterwards (5)

Answer

LATER
22 Aberdonian, perhaps, avoiding small bed (3)

Answer

COT
24 Priest with energy and unusual need to be well groomed (7)

Answer

PREENED
25 Reportedly, feel sorry about fat in dish with a filling (7)

Answer

ROULADE
26 Railway close to fine seaside town (3)

Answer

RYE
27 One Goth when mobilised is very active (2,3,2)

Def

very active

Type

Anagram

Expl

anagram of ONE + GOTH = ONTHEGO; definition: "very active"

Answer

ONTHEGO
28 Dog getting excited in leaps (7)

Def

Dog

Type

Anagram

Expl

anagram of IN + LEAPS = SPANIEL; definition: "Dog"

Answer

SPANIEL
29 Better lager is spilt? That's unfortunate (11)

Def

unfortunate

Type

Anagram

Expl

anagram of BETTER + LAGER = REGRETTABLE; definition: "unfortunate"

Answer

REGRETTABLE

Down

1 One choosing who goes on boards? (7,8)

Answer

CASTINGDIRECTOR
2 Frenchman in rear at sea is sailor (7)

Answer

MARINER
3 Nothing to change a female body part (5)

Answer

OVARY
4 Top title's devised for an experimental aviator (4,5)

Type

Anagram

Expl

anagram of TOP + TITLE'S = TESTPILOT

Answer

TESTPILOT
5 English politician at sides of hostelry showing ability to understand others (7)

Answer

EMPATHY
6 I occasioned help after mobilising to get dubious benefit (8,7)

Type

Anagram

Expl

anagram of I + OCCASIONED + HELP = POISONEDCHALICE

Answer

POISONEDCHALICE
7 With cold gone, a snack's chomped in U.S. state (6)

Answer

KANSAS
8 Pressure on series by journalist that's trimmed (6)

Def

trimmed

Type

Charade

Expl

P (abbreviation="Pressure") + RUN (synonym="series") + ED (abbreviation="journalist") = PRUNED; definition: "trimmed"

Answer

PRUNED
16 Cycling track loved more when renovated (9)

Type

Anagram

Expl

anagram of LOVED + MORE = VELODROME

Answer

VELODROME
18 Bring up revered figure with trophy, a dominant type (3,3)

Answer

TOPDOG
19 Plant root supplying English drinks first (7)

Answer

GINSENG
21 Fruit suitable for tarts? That's nonsense (7)

Answer

RHUBARB
23 Singer in ring for darts (6)

Answer

TREBLE
25 One amid remainder has to take exam again (5)

Answer

RESIT