DT 27426

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27426

A full review by gnomethang

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

This puzzle was published on on Saturday, 1st March 2014

Morning All! This was a puzzle that looked tricky from a first glance for me but soon resolved itself successfully. A couple of unfamiliar words didn’t help me but that is my fault and not the fault of the setter!.

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           Opportunity to speak about rising tide causing great sadness (5-7)
HEART-RENDING – HEARING (An opportunity to speak at a trial for example) outside (about) TREND or rising tide of e.g. opinion.

9a           Earned plenty but prepared to strike forcefully? (4,1,4)
MADE A BOMB – The cryptic definition refers to creating a BOMB to strike forcefully at the enemy.

10a         A myth? Awful nonsense (2,3)
MY HAT – An anagram (awful) of A MYTH.

11a         Turn of skill, seizing lout in horse-drawn carriage (6)
TROIKA – Reverse (return) ART (skill) including (seizing) OIK or lout.

12a         Commanding batting attack (2,6)
IN CHARGE – A charade of IN (batting in cricket) and CHARGE (attack).

13a         Comment about stain (6)
REMARK – Another charade, this time of RE (the abbreviation for reference/about) and MARK for stain.

15a         Whilst abroad, touring island, this contains what I want (4,4)
WISH LIST – An anagram (abroad) of WHILST going around (literally touring) IS, the abbreviation for Island.

18a         Leader of revolt we tartly banged up (3,5)
WAT TYLER – An anagram (banged up) of WE TARTLY.

19a         In favour of side dropping amateur, for the time being (3,3)
PRO TEM – PRO for ‘in favour of’ and then TE(a)M or side having dropped the abbreviation A for amateur.

21a         Longs to nurse poorly Greek hero (8)
ACHILLES – Place ILL (poorly) inside ACHES (longs/pines).

23a         Cool about wearing tartan (6)
PLACID – C for Circa (about) inside (it is wearing) PLAID for tartan.

26a         Fish in mouth of Tigris (river abroad) (5)
TROUT – A charade of T (the mouth/first letter) of T(igris) then R for River and finally OUT (abroad/away)

27a         Fish goes to the bottom to cross lake (9)
FLOUNDERS –FOUNDERS (goes to the bottom) around (crossing) L for Lake.

28a         A tennis umpire should be well-informed? (4,3,5)
KNOW THE SCORE –The first (cryptic definition) could refer to any scorer in a sport.

Down

1d           Rodent seen in raging stream behind hotel (7)
HAMSTER –Make an anagram (raging) of STREAM after (behind) H in the NATO phonetic Alphabet (Hotel).

2d           Sound coming from car, old (5)
AUDIO – Take an AUDI motor car and add O for Old.

3d           Indian-born novelist seen in cutter in Scottish river (9)
THACKERAY – A HACKER (cutter) inside the river TAY

4d           Public school board fired head (4)
ETON – Start with GET ON (board a plane for example) then remove (fire) the head letter.

5d           Stylish young socialite attending very happily (8)
DEBONAIR – DEB is the abbreviation of Debutante (young socialite). Then add ON AIR for very happily.

6d           Beautiful young woman from New York on speed (5)
NYMPH –The abbreviation for the Big Apple, NY, followed by MPH – the abbreviation of Miles Per Hour or speed.

7d           Check on painter, a member of a working-class movement (8)
CHARTIST – CH is an abbreviation of check (from chess notation). Add an ARTIST/painter.

8d           Bowled in an international under the most favourable conditions (2,4)
AT BEST –Place B for Bowled (more cricket notation) inside A TEST (a cricket International match).

14d         Its contents must be made from light wood (8)
MATCHBOX – A cryptic definition with light leading us to lighting a fire.

16d         Bad luck involved bands (4,5)
HARD LINES – A charade of HARD (involved/complicated) and LINES (bands/rings).

17d         Plant in front of florist’s always thin on the ground (8)
FEVERFEW –An unknown plant for me but a straightforward charade of F(the front letter of Florist) then EVER (always) and then FEW (thin on the ground).

18d         Ghost — one appearing in cape in Scotland (6)
WRAITH – Place I for one inside Cape WRATH.

20d         Fashionable dressmaker may bring out the poet in me (7)
MODISTE – Another unfamiliar word but straightforward enough to allow me to look up the answer. Place an ODIST (poet) inside ME from the clue.

22d         Disclose awareness of large 4 (3,2)
LET ON – Start with ETON, the answer to 4 down and then add L for Large in front

24d         Set of beliefs, note, held by Conservative party (5)
CREDO –The note RE in the tonic Sol-Fa scale included in C for Conservative and a DO for a party – C RE DO.

25d         The pair in limbo there (4)
BOTH – Its hidden in the last two words!

Thanks to the setter. I’ll see you all the week after next.