DT 27606

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27606

A full review by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Difficulty **– Enjoyment ***

This puzzle was published on Saturday, 27th September 2014

Congratulations to the Saturday Mysteron who, if my reading of the Nina – complete a century – revealed in the outside ‘down’ rows is correct, has completed a century of crosswords for the Daily Telegraph. A not-too-difficult Saturday puzzle, especially if you are a fan of anagrams, of which I counted seven.

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           Group of stars is able to set down beside church with Queen (6)
CANCER –   CAN (is able to) CE (Church of England) and R (Regina, Queen).

5a           Musical note held by fine old mum (8)
OKLAHOMA –   OK (fine) LAH (musical note) O (old) and MA (mum).

9a           Depend on touring round motorway without clear views (4-6)
OPEN-MINDED –   An anagram (touring) of DEPEND ON with MI (the M1 motorway) inserted.

10a         Tender loving care covering first of abrasions — with this? (4)
TALC –   Insert the first letter of Abrasions into TLC (tender loving care).

11a         Decorative ware from major look back by Institute of Contemporary Arts (8)
MAJOLICA –   Reverse (back)  both  the abbreviation for major – MAJ –  and  LO  and follow with the abbreviation for the Institute of Contemporary Arts.

12a         Live party is nearby (6)
BESIDE –   BE (live) and SIDE (party).

13a         Pastry recipe initially gets support (4)
PIER – PIE (pastry) plus R (recipe).

15a         Beast’s tender arm — send for treatment by hospital (8)
HERDSMAN –   My last one in as it took a moment to see that the first two words of the clue were the definition.   H for hospital followed by an anagram (for treatment) of ARM SEND

18a         Noble pile free to go round (4,4)
LIFE PEER is an anagram (to go round) of PILE FREE.

19a         Attend Police tour (4)
BEAT –   A round undertaken by a policeman on foot (those were the days!) if split 2, 3 would mean attend – BE AT.

21a         Vain type with energy one’s cast in SF film (6)
EGOIST –   ET ( science fiction film) with GO (energy) and IS (I’s – one’s) inserted.

23a         US city to endlessly acclaim (in their style) Scottish singer (8)
HONOLULU –   The American spelling of HONOR (acclaim) missing its last letter (endlessly) followed by LULU, the Scottish singer.

25a         Shadow when area’s illuminated round about (4)
TAIL –   Put LIT (illuminated) round A (area) and reverse (about) the result.

26a         Old maid perhaps about to sneak a look turning over Lady Chatterley’s Lover, say? (10)
GAMEKEEPER –   Old Maid is a card GAME and should be followed by a reversal (turning over) of RE (the preposition meaning about) and PEEK (sneak a look).

27a         Advocates exercises following artful pose (8)
ESPOUSES –   An anagram (artful) of POSE followed by USES (exercises).

28a         Husband aboard shabby boat (6)
DINGHY – H for husband inserted into (aboard)  DINGY (shabby).

Down

2d           Most powerful among historical Pharaohs (5)
ALPHA is hidden among historicAL PHAraohs.

3d           Sergeant perhaps engaged in programme in open space at Waterloo? (9)
CONCOURSE –   A sergeant is a Non-Commissioned Officer, the abbreviation for which should be inserted into COURSE (programme).

4d           Growin’ fruit (6)
RAISIN –   Copy the clue and leave off the G from RAISING (growing)

5d           Trained most half-hearted runner in the capital (3,6,6)
OLD FATHER THAMES is a trained anagram of MOST HALF HEARTED.

6d           Beetle badly injured one on road (8)
LADYBIRD –   An anagram (injured) of BADLY followed by I (one) and RD (abbreviation for road).

7d           Can’t stand heartless characters, oddly (5)
HATES is found in the odd characters of HeArTlEsS.

8d           Role madam played — in this? (9)
MELODRAMA – An anagram (played) of ROLE MADAM.

14d         I serenade girl — it will make things clear (9)
ISINGLASS – I (from the clue) SING (serenade) and LASS (girl).

16d         Unstabler sort of officer (9)
SUBALTERN is an anagram (sort of) UNSTABLER.

17d         Traces Farage endlessly wearing running clothes (8)
VESTIGES –   Insert into VESTS (running clothes) the middle three letters (endlessly) of NIGEL Farage’s Christian name.

20d         Meandered South, defenceless (6)
SNAKED –   S (south) and NAKED (defenceless).

22d         Soldier set up toilet for primitive dwelling (5)
IGLOO –   Reverse a GI (American soldier) and follow with LOO (an informal term for a toilet).

24d         Hanger-on gets shelter by church (5)
LEECH – LEE (shelter) and CH (church).

 

Thanks to the Mysteron – perhaps some time in the next 100 puzzle, you might turn up and say hello.

My week off next week but I’ll be back with a Sunday review in due course.