DT 27678

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27678

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty *– Enjoyment ***

This puzzle was published on Saturday, 20th  December 2014

I was in a minority of people who found solving this puzzle a doddle on the day which suited me as I had a lot of other pre-Christmassy stuff to do. It was nice and easy to explain for reviewing purposes too. There are seven anagrams which for me makes it  a Cephas production, so thank you to him.  Apparently it is a Mysteron production, so thank you to them whoever they are.

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           Supporting music in reliable way (10)
SOUNDTRACK –   SOUND (reliable) and TRACK (way)

6a           Eastern movie spectacular (4)
EPIC –   E (eastern) and PIC (movie).

10a         Ancient celebrating fifty years without grand opening (5)
OLDEN – Remove the G (without grand) from a GOLDEN or 50^th anniversary celebration.

11a         Fish ration covering back of leaf (5,4)
DOVER SOLE –   DOLE (ration) covers VERSO (the back of a leaf of manuscript or printed material).

12a         Woman will be at that point when going west (7)
THERESA –   THERE (at that point) followed by a reversal (going west) of AS (when).

13a         Artisan working for empress (7)
TSARINA is an anagram (working) of ARTISAN.

14a         With credit after frauds, succeeded making moonshine (12)
FIDDLESTICKS   – FIDDLES (frauds) TICK (credit) and S (succeeded).

18a         Reverend I will get drunk imbibing spirit — his job’s on the line (6-6)
ENGINE DRIVER –   An anagram (drunk) of REVEREND I into which is inserted GIN (imbibing spirit).

21a         Fictional lawman’s spurning old wrinkles (7)
RUMPLES –   Remove the O (spurning old) from RUMPOLE’S (Rumpole of the Bailey being a fictional lawyer created by John Mortimer).

23a         Horse to move unsteadily round run (7)
TROTTER –   TOTTER (move unsteadily) put round R (run).

24a         State enrolled nurse about to take top off shortly — it’s essential for tanning (9)
SUNSCREEN –   Insert almost all of UNSCREW  (shortly indicating that you don’t need all of a word meaning take the top off) into the abbreviation for a State Enrolled Nurse.

25a         Get annoyed about fellow’s weapon (5)
RIFLE –   F (fellow) inserted into RILE (get annoyed).

26a         Scoff about dishonest chap (4)
LIAR is a reversal (about) of RAIL (scoff).

27a         Grassed area gardeners prepared round wicket (10)
GREENSWARD –   An anagram (prepared) of GARDENERS put around W (wicket).

Down

1d           Glove puppet in which third of fingers is stuck up (6)
SNOOTY –   The third letter of fiNgers inserted into SOOTY.

2d           Unmentionable things such as a zombie does apparently (6)
UNDIES –   Split 2, 4, your ‘unmentionables’ would dsecribe what happens to a zombie returning  from the dead.

3d           Childish timepiece? Blow me! It’s somehow conned local kid (9,5)
DANDELION CLOCK –   An anagram (somehow) of CONNED LOCAL KID.

4d           Worker caught by lefty Miliband in the act (3-6)
RED-HANDED – RED (left wing, lefty) HAND (worker) and ED (Miliband).

5d           Long for bloke over time (5)
COVET – COVE (old slang for a man, bloke) goes before (over) T (time).

7d           Cable to follow for part of the country (8)
PROVINCE –   PRO (for) and VINCE (Cable, the current Business Secretary).

8d           Hazard to mountaineers or cavers wandering over South-East (8)
CREVASSE –   An anagram (wandering) of CAVERS followed by (over) SE (South East).

9d           Hot bearded star performing act on stage (5,3,6)
TREAD THE BOARDS – An anagram (performing) of HOT BEARDED STAR.

15d         Exit scene unfortunately could put paid to it! (9)
EXISTENCE –   Do you get a bonus mark for three (anagrams) in a row? ‘Unfortunately’ indicates the rearrangement of EXIT SCENE.

16d         Pawn and knight taken up in genuine act of revenge (8)
REPRISAL –   Insert into REAL (genuine) P (pawn) and a reversal (taken up in a down clue) of SIR (knight).

17d         Being full of oneself like inhabitant of Middle East area (8)
EGOMANIA – EG (like, an example of) OMANI (inhabitant of Middle East) and A (area).

19d         Workforce on a Hebridean island (6)
STAFFA – STAFF (workforce) followed by A (from the clue).

20d         Quaker offers resistance when beset by devil (6)
FRIEND – R (resistance) inserted into (beset by) FIEND (devil).

22d         Neat  guide (5)
STEER –   And a double definition to finish – neat here referring to cattle and a steer being a young ox.   STEER is also a verb meaning to guide or control the course of.