DT 27390

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27390

A full review by crypticsue

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

A fairly typical Saturday prize puzzle from the Mysteron, but with a few too many ‘old friends’ for my liking.  Perhaps I have been doing these crosswords too long!!

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Across

3a           Greet workers led by wag (5,5)
SHAKE HANDS –   ‘led by’ is what  tells you to put SHAKE (wag) before HANDS (workers).

8a           Leave suddenly, half of Deal affected (6)
DECAMP –   DE (the first half of Deal) and CAMP (affected).

9a           To provoke second son is unnecessary (8)
NEEDLESS –   NEEDLE (provoke) S (second) and S (son) – the first of several chestnuts in this crossword.

10a         Dictates changes in what may prove conclusive (4,4)
ACID TEST –   An anagram (changes) of DICTATES.

11a         One famous singer, not old — he died escaping Crete (6)
ICARUS –  I (one) and CARUSO (the famous Italian tenor)with the O at the end removed (not old).

12a         At times fashionable, with that being so (3,3,4)
NOW AND THEN –  NOW (fashionable, up to date)  AND (with) THEN (being so).

14a         Gain an advantage over rotten marshal at once (5,1,5,2)
STEAL A MARCH ON –    An anagram (rotten) of MARSHAL AT ONCE.

20a         Look about in box in carriage (3,7)
AIR FREIGHT –   AIR (look, manner) followed by FIGHT (box) with RE (about) inserted.

22a         Telephone everyone in competition (4,2)
CALL UP  –  Insert ALL (everyone) into CUP (competition).

23a         Sat, agitated, with phone going off in carriage (8)
STANHOPE –   Another ‘old friend’   – An anagram (agitated) of SAT followed by another (going off) of PHONE.

24a         Couple in conversation decline sweet (4,4)
PEAR DROP –  A homophone (in conversation) of pair  (couple): PEAR  is followed by DROP (decline) to get the most horrible sweet there is .

25a         Ambassador taken in by right-wing supposition (6)
THEORY –   Insert HE (His Excellency the Ambassador) into TORY(right wing )

26a         See actress in great cocktail dress before start of Oscars (5,5)
GRETA GARBO –   An anagram (cocktail) of GREAT followed by GARB (dress) and O (the ‘start’ of Oscars).

Down

1d           Humanitarian outfit embarrassed and annoyed (3,5)
RED CROSS –   RED (embarrassed)and CROSS (annoyed).

2d           Character willing to bring old maid, perhaps (4,4)
CARD GAME –   CARD (character) and GAME (willing or up for) –   Old Maid being an example of a fine children’s card game.

3d           Odds studied in advance (6)
SPREAD –   SP (starting price, betting odds) and READ (studied).

4d           Relative in Africa, untraceable (4)
AUNT –   Hidden in AfricA UNTraceable.

5d           Look on ship for a kind of cosmetic (8)
EYELINER –   And another ‘friend’   EYE (look) followed by (on) LINER (ship).

6d           A launch, aimlessly drifting (6)
AFLOAT –   A (from the clue) and FLOAT (launch, eg a scheme).

7d           Record American sports event (6)
DISCUS –   DISC (record)and US (American).

13d         Poet in centre of Corfu (5)
HOMER –   HOME (in) and R (the centre of CoRfu).

15d         A golf rep playing a game (8)
LEAPFROG –   An anagram (playing) of A GOLF REP.

16d         Figure blocking female in lift (8)
HEIGHTEN –   The figure EIGHT is blocking or inserted into HEN (female).

17d         Involved person admitting Home Office failures (2-6)
NO-HOPERS –   Insert the abbreviation for Home Office into an anagram (involved)of PERSON.

18d         Gallop in pursuit (6)
CAREER –   To gallop  or one’s profession or occupation (pursuit).

19d         Cambridge college student’s last Bordeaux (6)
CLARET –   The Cambridge college – CLARE – and the last letter of studenT.

21d         Stupidly trail round district of Venice (6)
RIALTO –   An anagram (stupidly) of TRIAL followed by an O (round).

23d         Knocks over box (4)
SPAR –   And a final ‘old friend’ to finish …   A reversal (over) of RAPS (knocks).

Gnomey’s turn to take over Saturdays again so he’ll be in this spot next week.