Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27558

A full review by crypticsue

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

This puzzle was published on Saturday, 2nd August 2014

This Saturday Puzzle took me longer than usual to solve but I don’t really know why .   My stand out favourite is 9d

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Across

1a           Acknowledging defeat in underwater operation (10)
SUBMISSION –   Split 3, 7 this might be a SUB (marine) MISSION (operation)

6a           Sticks around being sanctimonious (4)
SMUG is a reversal (around) of GUMS (sticks)

10a         Come down stairs, missing the first (5)
LIGHT –   Remove the first letter from a FLIGHT of stairs.

11a         Such a course concerning new student? Yes and no (9)
REFRESHER –   Split 2, 7 this would me RE (about, concerning) a FRESHER (new student) so Yes applies. A REFRESHER course is usually undertaken by someone who has previously studied the subject, so No would apply.

12a         Sent back fish, king rejected shellfish (7)
SCALLOP – A reversal (sent back) of POLLACKS with the K removed (King rejected).

13a         Stocking up with booze, say, precluding a being abed late (5,2)
LYING IN –   LAYING IN meaning to stock up with a supply of something, say booze, but remove the A as instructed by the clue (precluding a)  and you get staying in bed later than usual .

14a         Hunter: I’d do so with organisation (4,2,6)
RIDE TO HOUNDS –   An anagram (with organisation) of HUNTER ID DO SO.

18a         Clue for police to identify criminal makes an impression (12)
FINGERPRINTS – FINGER (a slang term meaning to identify a criminal) and PRINTS (makes an impression).

21a         Constable, perhaps, represented by a penetrating playwright (7)
PAINTER –   A inserted into (penetrating) the playwright Harold PINTER.

23a         A superior person giving encouragement (7)
ABETTER –   A (from the clue) and BETTER (superior).

24a         Still absorbing first fact (9)
STATISTIC –   IST (first) absorbed by STATIC (still).

25a         The woman embraced by an Irish leader once (5)
AHERN –   Insert HER (the woman) into AN (from the cue).

26a         Business leader out of the City (4)
EXEC – Split 2, 2 you get EX (out of) and EC (the area of London where the City is).

27a         Bad-tempered fellow from Scottish shire with penny in bag (10)
CROSSPATCH –   Insert ROSS (a Scottish shire) and P (penny) into CATCH (bag).

Down

1d           Page penned by hack is prominent news item (6)
SPLASH –   P (page) inserted into (penned by) SLASH (hack).

2d           Scrounger‘s urge to be in pub (6)
BEGGAR –   Insert EGG (urge) into BAR (pub).

3d           Eggheads with terribly elitist leaning (14)
INTELLIGENTSIA –   An anagram (terribly) of ELITIST LEANING.

4d           Frittered paper cash getting a lot of rubbish (9)
SCRAPHEAP – An anagram (frittered) of PAPER CASH.

5d           Saxon King left poor-quality meat (5)
OFFAL – OFFA (the King of Mercia in Saxon times) and L (left).

7d           Wood old golfer used in springtime (8)
MAHOGANY –   Insert HOGAN (the old golfer Ben Hogan) into MAY (springtime).

8d           Awful quality of Colosseum performance with singer so squiffy (8)
GORINESS –   An anagram (squiffy) of SINGER SO.

9d           Product of light rubber that can provide what’s wanted (5,2,3,4)
GENIE OF THE LAMP – My favourite clue.   A cryptic definition of the person who  appeared when Aladdin rubbed the magic lamp.

15d         They wrought rich goals (9)
OLIGARCHS –   An anagram (wrought) of RICH GOALS.

16d         Spite could be result of being this far from the beaten track (3-5)
OFF-PISTE –   SPITE could be an anagram (OFF) of PISTE.

17d         Filling in alien visa generally needs picture (8)
ENVISAGE is hidden or filling aliEN VISA GEnerally.

19d         Make declaration in top cricket match (6)
ATTEST – Split 2, 4 you could be AT[ a] TEST match.

20d         Meal for group about right (6)
BRUNCH –   R (right) inserted into BUNCH (group).

22d         Turner that looks the same hung upside-down (5)
ROTOR – the clue nicely describes a palindrome such as ROTOR.