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.
Oh groan I cant ‘ believe we didn’t get 9D. thank you for putting us out of our misery LOL