DT 27450

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27450

A full review by gnomethang

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

This puzzle was published on  Saturday, 29th March 2014

Morning All!. I really enjoyed this offering from (I suspect) Cephas. It was a bit more tricky than average according to my solving time and all the better for it in my opinion.

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           Crucial moment at Wimbledon affecting two times champion (5,5)
MATCH POINT  – A lovely clue to start!. Make an anagram (affecting) of TT (Two times T for Time) and also CHAMPION.

6a           Flashy character upsetting top people (4)
SPIV – A reversal of VIPS (Upsetting the Very Important PersonS

9a           Old cars popular with learner visiting more than one state (3,7)
TIN LIZZIES – My last one in. Diffucult to parse as you need to take TIZZIES – The plural of TIZZY (a frenetic state of mind) and then include IN (popular) and L for Learner.

10a         Powder used in macrobiotic latte coming from the East (4)
TALC – reversed (from the East) and hidden (used in) macrobiotiC LATte.

12a         Hunter’s habit perhaps put an end to soft wimps (6)
TWEEDS – Put an ending letter of (soft)T before WEEDS (wimps).

13a         Follower of false gods, I procrastinate (8)
IDOLATER – A charade of I DO LATER ( I procrastinate).

15a         Gratifying resolution of nightmare war (5-7)
HEART WARMING – An anagram (resolution of) NIGHTMARE WAR.

18a         Major initiative — single picture left in movie (5,7)
CONES HOTLINE – My least favourite clue as the definition and subject matter is unknown to foreigners and young people. Place ONE (single) SHOT (picture) and L for Left inside CINE – An abbreviation of presumably Cinematograph  for movie.

21a         Florence ruled by fish (8)
FLOUNDER – A charade of FLO (the abb for Florence the girl’s name) and UNDER (ruled by/subordinate to).

22a         Shawl, new, makes one hot (6)
STOLEN – A charade of STOLE (shawl or neck wrap) and N for New. Good definition!.

24a         O! What comes from pen? Animal noise (4)
OINK – A charade of O from the clue and INK that comes from a writing pen (not the pig pen that adds to the pleasure of the clue).

25a         Houseplant rousing a sad spirit (10)
ASPIDISTRA – An anagram (rousing) of A SAD SPIRIT.

26a         Made a portrait of Barrymore? (4)
DREW – The female actress from ET, not the ‘comedian’.

27a         Help Charlie with initially important position (10)
ASSISTANCE – ASS for a Charlie/idiot then the first or initial letter of I(mportant) and finally STANCE for position.

Down

1d           Grumble endlessly about a change (6)
MUTATE – All but the last letter in MUTTE® or grumble around the outside (about) of A from the clue.

2d           Vulnerable bid (6)
TENDER – Two definitions and a good starter clue.

3d           Hard manner and sauce — shock treatment’s needed (12)
HAIRDRESSING – Remember the shock of hair!. H for Hard then AIR (manner) and finally DRESSING (a sauce for salads etc.)

4d           Don’t start to drink slimy stuff (4)
OOZE – Remove the first letter (not starting) of (b)OOZE/drink.

5d           Wastrel we enrolled to be employed (4-2-4)
NEER-DO-WELL – An anagram (to be employed) of WE ENROLLED.

7d           Insect tucked into simple fruit (8)
PLANTAIN – Place your ANT (insect) inside PLAIN  for simple.

8d           A newspaper probes depravity in minister’s place (8)
VICARAGE – A red top newspaper is sometimes called A RAG. Put this inside VICE for depravity.

11d         Musician performing stint with recital (12)
CLARINETTIST – An anagram (performing) of STINT with/and RECITAL.

14d         Women taking orders from printworks around S American city (10)
PRIORESSES – The orders here are HOLY ORDERS. Put PRESSES (printworks) around the handy crossword city RIO.

16d         A very loud reprimand’s given outside place for punishment (8)
SCAFFOLD – SCOLD (reprimand) is positioned/given outside A FF – the musical notation for very loud.

17d         Report girl gaining little weight (8)
ANNOUNCE – Simply ANN for girl getting/gaining OUNCE or little weight.

19d         ‘Mercury’ maybe getting slightly twisted in printing roller (6)
PLATEN – An unfamiliar word for me but perfectly solvable. Mercury is an example (indicated by ‘maybe’) of a PLANET. Twist the last three letters around.

20d         Lag behind in recast team (6)
INMATE – Place an anagram (recast) of TEAM behind IN from the clue.

23d         Antipodean it’s essential we picked up (4)
KIWI – A nice homophone (picked up) of KEY ME (essential we)

I’ll see you all the week after next having had a week off golfing in Spain!.