Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27259
A full review by gnomethang
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Morning All!. We had a reasonably tricky puzzle this week but it was one that I enjoyed with some well disguised definitions.
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 Miss flying west in Romania, crashing (8)
AIRWOMAN – Place W for West in an anagram (flying) of ROMANIA.
9a One giving financial support to London arts centre gets decoration (8)
ANGELICA – A perennial crossword answer – A garden plant whose leaf stalks and other sections are used as cake decoration. An ANGEL is a financial donor. Add ICA, the abbreviation of the Institute of Contemporary Arts.
10a Top performer sings with backing (4)
STAR – Reverse RATS (sings like a canary with backing/reversal)
11a Boiler getting detached makes a mess (6,2,4)
KETTLE OF FISH – A KETTLE (boiler) followed by OFFISH (detached or rude).
13a Royal person included in newspapers (8)
PRINCESS – INC – the abbreviation for Included, inside the PRESS or newspapers.
15a Better ventilated zone by the sound of it (6)
AIRIER – A homophone (by the sound of it) or AREA/zone.
16a Group of countries in Arab locality (4)
BLOC – Hidden IN the last two words.
17a The Queen entering American university gets high mark (5)
MERIT – One lower than a distinction if I remember rightly. Place ER, the abbreviation for Elizabeth Regina, inside MIT – the abbreviation for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a well known US University.
18a Record and intercept communication (electronic) (4)
TAPE – To make a tape of. TAP (intercept communication) followed by E for Electronic.
20a Make a priest confused in road (6)
ORDAIN – A confused anagram of IN ROAD.
21a Wizard journalist made erratic progress (8)
POTTERED – The wizard Harry POTTER followed by ED for ED(itor)/journalist.
23a Hides what sports fan does before match (4,2,6)
GOES TO GROUND – The first definition is the first word. The remainder is the cryptic one.
26a Russian — one near front (4)
IVAN – I for one near (next to) the abbreviation of VAN(guard) for leading forces (at the front).
27a A warrior going round is flipping rough (8)
ABRASIVE – A BRAVE (a warrior) going around the reversal (flipping) of IS.
28a Take up a case set down by one departure point (8)
LITIGATE – A charade of LIT (set down after flying), I for one and GATE, a departure point at an airport.
Down
2d Complete transformation of triangle (8)
INTEGRAL – AN anagram (a transformation of) TRIANGLE.
3d Apply oneself at school acquiring good C or D (7-5)
WORKING CLASS – A tricky definition to spot. Take WORK IN CLASS (apply oneself at school) and insert G for Good.
4d Courage of London police let out (6)
METTLE – The MET is the abbreviation for the Metropolitan Police Force. Add an anagram (indicated by out) of LET.
5d New trouble to fix (4)
NAIL – Nice and straightforward this one. N for New followed by AIL for trouble.
6d I allow small number inside without knowledge (8)
IGNORANT – I from the clue and GRANT (allow) with NO, the abbreviation (small) of Number.
7d One peccadillo’s overturned condition of divorce (4)
NISI – A reversal (overturned) of I for one and SIN (peccadillo). This is a Latin word meaning ‘unless’ that is used in court proceedings to refer to an act/judgement taking effect after some other condition has been fulfilled.
8d In variety show, rare song often performed (8)
WARHORSE – An anagram (in variety) of SHOW RARE. An old standard regularly played, usually a crowd-pleaser.
12d I sign draft re revised parliamentary procedure (5,7)
Another anagram (revised) of I SIGN DRAFT RE
14d Upstart harbours display of petulance (5)
STROP – A reversal (upstart?) of PORTS. Perfectly solvable but an unusual reversal indicator.
16d Horse-drawn coach makes bishop rather unwell by morning (8)
BROUGHAM – A charade of B(ishop) then ROUGH and finally A.M. – the abbreviation for morning.
17d Chap handin’ out instrument (8)
MANDOLIN – MAN (chap) then DOLIN’, that is handing out without the G.
19d Delightful lake in rustic surrounding (8)
PLEASANT – PEASANT is an adjective synonymous with rustic. Add in L for Lake.
22d Make false turn at bunker (6)
TRUANT – A nice misleading definition. Make an anagram (make false) TURN AT. One who bunks off school.
24d Aristocrat and paragon, beheaded (4)
EARL – Remove the head letter from (P)EARL/paragon.
25d Lecherously eye up for a dance (4)
REEL – To LEER (lecherously eye) reversed (up).
Thanks to the setter for a fair challenge – I’ll see you all the week after next.