DT 27217

  Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27217

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****

A very nice Prize Puzzle from Cephas – the right level of difficulty to leave plenty of time for other Saturday activities, and a nice mix of clues, including some lovely  anagram indicators.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.  You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

1a           Morning-after-the-night-before feeling‘s beginning for George in German city (8)
HANGOVER –   Insert the ‘beginning’ of George into the German city of HANOVER.

5a           Preach a sermon to show up tot after beer, perhaps (6)
CHASER –   Not something I’d fancy but an alcoholic drink  is hidden in preaCH A SERmon.

8a           Go about two (6)
REPAIR –   RE (about) and PAIR (two)  – repair here being a verb meaning to take oneself, to go.

9a           Stu tried to remove debris (8)
DETRITUS –   An anagram (remove) of STU TRIED.

10a         Eavesdrop with one good man being framed by Soviet leader (6,2)
LISTEN IN –  Insert I (one) and ST (saint, good man) into LENIN (Soviet leader).

11a         Don’t forget to phone again (6)
RECALL – a verb meaning to remember (don’t forget) sounds like you might phone someone again.

12a         Shrink from agreement (8)
CONTRACT –   A fairly obvious double definition.

13a         Admission granted of course (6)
ENTRÉE –  Another double definition – freedom of access or a dish served between the chief courses of a meal.

15a         River bird makes one feel sorry (6)
REGRET –   R (river) and EGRET (bird)

18a         In France, slow mover set out carrying load (8)
ESCARGOT –   The French word for that slow mover, the snail.   Insert CARGO (load) into an anagram (out) of SET.

20a         One who stands above the froth? (6)
SURFER –   A cryptic definition.

21a         Could be impolitic, nothing less inferred (8)
IMPLICIT –  The solution could be an anagram of IMPOLITIC once you have removed the 0 (nothing less).

23a         Kinsman‘s account (8)
RELATION –   Another double definition.

24a         Revolutionary gadget fitted with electronic device (6)
TAGGED –   An anagram (revolutionary) of GADGET.

25a         We mostly head off one’s intertwining yarn (6)
WEAVER –  WE (from the clue) and AVER (most of AVERT, head off, prevent).  I did spend a Gnoment trying to find a word  from which I was supposed to remove the first letter – in my defence,  that’s what usually happens when you see ‘head off’ in a clue!

26a         Perform part of articulated turn by parking place (4-4)
ROLE-PLAY –  A homophone (articulated) of ROLL (turn) followed by P (parking) and LAY (place, put down).

Down

1d           Type of music that doesn’t start every 60 minutes (5)
HORAL – I didn’t know this adjective meaning hourly, but the wordplay is very clear.   Simply remove the first letter (doesn’t start) from CHORAL music.

2d           Staring at twinkling heavenly body (5,4)
GIANT STAR –  Isn’t twinkling a lovely anagram indicator?   Rearrange STARING AT.

3d           About to go up inside museum gallery? (7)
VERANDA –  A reversal  (to go up) of  RE (about) inserted  into the museum so useful for crossword setters,  the V AND A (Victoria and Albert).

4d           Coming home first with a mobile charger? (6,3,6)
RIDING THE WINNER – A cryptic definition of being first past the post on a racehorse (mobile charger).

5d           Group‘s small cottage on lake (7)
COTERIE –   COT (small cottage) and ERIE (one of the Great Lakes).

6d           Arrange trade show, expected to be fine (3,4)
SET FAIR –  SET (arrange) FAIR (Trade Show) –  when you see SET FAIR on a barometer  you should expect fine weather.

7d           Hardy‘s moving line during rites at sea (9)
RESILIENT –   An anagram (moving) of LINE inserted into an anagram (at sea) of RITES.   Nice surface reading.

12d         Irish port’s party for ship in bottle device (9)
CORKSCREW –   Follow a way of saying belonging to the Irish port of Cork  – CORK[‘]S with CREW (party here referring to a ship’s company).

14d         Appearing to be making revolution in a heightened state (7,2)
TURNING UP –   TURNING (to be making [a] revolution) UP  (in a heightened state of excitement).

16d         Advance stream supported by a primate (7)
GORILLA –  GO (advance forwards) RILL (small stream) followed, or supported by,  A  from the clue.

17d         Row about stray dog (7)
TERRIER  –  Insert ERR (stray)into a TIER or row.

19d         It may add interest in Cardiff, say (7)
CAPITAL  –  Money invested to which interest may be added;  or the chief city of a country, as Cardiff is of Wales.

22d         Sweet hot drink for rum type avoiding exercise outside (5)
TODDY –  Insert ODD (rum) into TY (TYPE without the PE [avoiding exercise])