DT 27731

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27731

A full review by gnomethang

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

This puzzle was published on Saturday, 21st February 2015

Morning All!. I found this puzzle contained some annoying clues until I realised that I had solved them without understanding them and as such the fault was mine. Hats off to the setter for that!

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Across

1a           Nudist should cover the feminine French back one’s studying in the wild (10)
NATURALIST – A NATURIST/nudist (one who like =s the altogether) covering or surrounding the reversal of LA (the feminine definite article in French – NATUR (AL) IST.

6a           Thus the Italian’s entered tower (4)
SILO – Place IL (the in Italian) inside (it has entered) SO or thus.

8a           Verify detail arranged by Virginia (8)
VALIDATE – An anagram (arranged) of DETAIL placed after (by) VA – the abb. of the US State of Virginia.

9a           Irritation of fine to be passed on (3,3)
RUB OFF – A charade of RUB (irritation/problem – “There’s the rub”) followed by OF from the clue then F – the abb. of F(rom).

10a         Jam rugby man’s put on grill (8)
GRIDLOCK – A LOCK or rugby forward placed after (on in an across clue) GRID for grill.

11a         Penny has a part in limited release (6)
PAROLE – P for Penny followed by A ROLE (a part in a stage production for example).

12a         Note it’s old currency (4)
MARK – A chestnutty double definition – to note down or spot and then the old German currency.

14a         Welcome teams off and on going to British sporting event (7)
EMBRACE – Take the even letters (on and off) of tEaMs and then ad BR for British and finally add RACE for sporting event.

18a         Get to know about the thing seen on the moors (7)
HEATHER – to HEAR (get to know ) about or around THE from the clue – HEA (THE) R

20a         Boat in Rio Grande overturned (4)
ARGO – The famous mythological ship is reversed (overturned) inside (in) riO GRAnde.

23a         Rat appearing in river for a number of years (6)
DECADE – Place a CAD (rat/roué/rake) inside the river DEE which is not in Italy.

24a         Back in the Commons? (8)
RETURNED – A definition/cryptic definition which I didn’t like initially then thought was very good. If you are back from e.g. work then you have returned and you also RETURN a majority in an election to get back to the House of Commons.

25a         Sensation that’s revealed in backbiting letters (6)
TINGLE – A forward hidden word (it is revealed in) the last two words of the clue.

26a         After lunchtime, two learners will join Sid as he goes round slope (8)
HILLSIDE – Start with I for One (o’clock – lunchtime) then add two LL for Learner drivers and also SID from the clue. Place HE going round the outside – H (I) (LL) (SID) E. I was remembering the British Gas sell-off in the 80’s for a moment!

27a         A shade gloomy (4)
BLUE – A simple double definition.

28a         Change of heart — coach’s to drop one near factory (10)
TRANSPLANT – Remove the I from TRA(i)NS or coaches and then add a PLANT/factory. Nice definition.

Down

1d           Find way to raise the terrible match attendance (8)
NAVIGATE – Reverse IVAN (the Terrible) and then add a GATE or match attendance. I suspect eat the Terrible should have been capitalised!.

2d           Negotiate over one extra’s opening in film (6)
TALKIE – to TALK is to negotiate. Place that above (over in a down clue) I for One and the opening letter in E(xtra). We have had ‘talkies’ for quite some time!.

3d           Puzzle that is full of holes (6)
RIDDLE – Two definitions – the second is a sieve for coarse sand.

4d           It’s unfortunately clear to me one’s a poor timekeeper (9)
LATECOMER – An anagram (unfortunately) of CLEAR TO ME.

5d           Go and fish where one pays one’s way (8)
TURNPIKE –A clue that is better than the ease of solution for me!. A TURN (go) followed by a PIKE (fish).

6d           Take away warship on land (8)
SUBTRACT – We now know that a SUB(marine) is a valid synonym for a warship. Add a TRACT of land.

7d           Large independent cat offers vital bond (8)
LIFELINE – A charade of L(arge), I for Independent and a FELINE (cat).

13d         He ordains eccentric old African (9)
RHODESIAN – An anagram (eccentric) of HE ORDAINS – q.v. Sir Cecil Rhodes.

15d         Mother and I will have nearly everything that’s relevant (8)
MATERIAL – MATER for the Latin of mother then A from the clue followed by all but the last letter in AL(l) (nearly everything).

16d         Spruced up gala with reed that grows underwater (3,5)
RED ALGAE – I wasn’t sure of the colour but I picked out ALGAE from the obvious anagram (spruced up) of GALA and (with) REED and that left me with RED!

17d         With carbon on top, black must be scrubbed from lower-storey window (8)
CASEMENT – Remove the B(lack) from b(ASEMENT) – the lower storey – and then add C for Carbon at the start (on top in a down clue).

19d         Way paper presents moving trial (4,4)
ROAD TEST – A ROAD (way) followed by a TEST paper.

21d         Stop going uphill as well (4,2)
PULL UP – It took me a while to spot that the palindrome was indicated by “going uphill as well”. Like it!

22d         Articles about drink causing heart disease (6)
ANGINA – Two English articles – AN and A placed around (about) GIN
Thanks to, I suspect, Cephas, for the puzzle. I’ll see you all next week.