DT 27725

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27725

A full review by crypticsue

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

This puzzle was published on Saturday, 14th February 2015

Big Dave and I were apparently the only people in the ‘same time as usual corner’ last Saturday. Interestingly the people who found it trickier also seemed to enjoy themselves more than other Saturdays.

I wonder whether these are the same people who complain about too many anagrams in a crossword. They certainly didn’t seem to notice that a third of this puzzle –  nine clues (seven of which appear in the Acrosses) – require you to insert something inside or between something else.   The question is, would I have noticed, had I not had to provide this review?

Across

4a           Steer round trouble on minor road that’s delayed traffic (8)
TAILBACK –   TACK (to steer a sailing ship) put round AIL (trouble) and B (a minor road is known as a B road).

8a           Run West perhaps astride horse (6)
MANAGE –   MAE (West) put round NAG (horse).

9a           Cast net — fish to get caught up (8)
ENTANGLE –   An anagram (cast) of NET followed by ANGLE (to fish)

10a         Made a score  with aplomb (8)
COMPOSED –   Wrote music or behaved in a self-possessed way.

11a         Posh sort, the French aristocracy (6)
NOBLES –   An informal term for a posh person – NOB – followed by LES (the plural form of the French definite article).

12a         Bring over Whistler’s new art that’s revolutionary (8)
TRANSFER –   That’ revolutionary tells you to reverse REF[‘]S (referee’s, whistle-blower’s) N (new) and ART (from the clue).

13a         Break articles possessed by British Queen (8)
BREATHER –   BR (British) and ER (the regnal cipher of our current Queen) into which is inserted (well in makes a change from ‘put round’] A and THE (indefinite and definite articles).

16a         Reptiles pushed back group of animals, 500 cut off in very hot day (8)
SCORCHER –   A reversal (put back) of CROCS (reptiles) followed by a HERD of animals, from which the D (the Roman numeral for 500) has been ‘cut off’.

19a         Hamlet character needs endless noxious drink? (8)
VILLAGER –   Someone who lives in a hamlet, rather than in a Shakespearean play –   Remove the end letter from VILE (‘endless’ noxious) and follow with LAGER, a drink which our village landlord would definitely  describe as noxious!

21a         Suitable item for stage production — American medical drama (6)
PROPER –   PROP (item for a stage play) and ER (American medical drama).

23a         What footballer may damage in match — put dressing around it (8)
LIGAMENT –   Put a GAME (match) inside some LINT (dressing).

24a         What’s sung around America in revelry (8)
CAROUSAL –   US (America) put inside CAROL (something that’s sung).

25a         Immature farmyard animal eats everything (6)
CALLOW –   COW (farm animal) eats ALL.

26a         Superior newspapers covering South American city (8)
PRIORESS –   A superior in a nunnery is produced by ‘insertion clue no 7’ –   RIO (South American city) is covered by PRESS (newspapers).

Down

1d           Arson’s caused damage in my brickwork (7)
MASONRY –   An anagram (caused damage) of ARSON inserted into MY (from the clue).

2d           Come in after fish and chips (9)
CARPENTER –   Time for an ‘old friend’ –   ENTER (come in) is put after CARP (fish).

3d           and 4: Heroine — lover left her, subsisted wretchedly (4,2)
TESS OF   –   The solution to 3 and 4 down is an anagram (wretchedly) of LOVER LEFT HER SUBSISTED.

4d           See 3 (3,1’11)
THE D’URBERVILLES

5d           One that’s made contract, one no-trump, defeated (8)
INTENDED – Someone that’s made a contract –   I (one) NT (No Trump) and ENDED (defeated).

6d           Low council tax shown in pension? (1,3,1)
B AND B – Pension here meaning a continental boarding house –   BAND B (low council tax band) split 1, 3, 1.

7d           Where one learns playing cello, e.g. (7)
COLLEGE –   An anagram (playing) of CELLO EG.

14d         Time to study English philosopher — tedious work (9)
TREADMILL –   Another ‘old friend’ – T (time) READ (study) and MILL (the English philosopher, John Stuart Mill).

15d         Giving false praise he is a hypocritical type (8)
PHARISEE –   An anagram (giving false) of PRAISE HE.

17d         Ribald song heard from pirate ship (7)
CORSAIR is a homophone (heard) of COARSE (ribald) AIR (song).

18d         Lancashire Uni once holding event for ex-students (7)
RENUNION   is found in LancashiRE UNI ONce.

20d         What’s left, say, with delicate trimming (6)
LEGACY –   EG  (say)  trimmed by LACY (delicate).

22d         Post Office stocks exciting picture (5)
PHOTO –   PO ‘stocks’ HOT (exciting).

S2