DT 27791

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27791

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BD Rating – Difficulty *– Enjoyment ***

This puzzle was published on Saturday, 2nd May 2015

I am confident that I can name the setter of this crossword as Cephas himself assured me when we met in Cambridge that this week would be his turn in the Saturday spot.   Didn’t take long to solve but an enjoyable time was had.

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Across

1a           Waif in magazine going backwards in funfair roundabout (10)
RAGAMUFFIN – A reversal (going backwards) of MAG (magazine) inserted into an anagram (roundabout) of FUNFAIR.

6a           A reduced ticket price for long distance (4)
AFAR – A (from the clue) and FARe (ticket price ‘reduced’ or with its last letter missing).

9a           Best way to go?  A1 (5-5)
FIRST-CLASS –   The best way to travel or A1 or excellent.

10a         Bachelor’s second fish (4)
BASS –   BAS (BA’s) and S (second).

12a         Resist being corrupted by family member (6)
SISTER –   An anagram (being corrupted) of RESIST.

13a         Industrial heater for citrus fruit needing link to cook (8)
LIMEKILN – LIME (citrus fruit) plus an anagram (to cook) of LINK.

15a         It’s not still being fired at (6,6)
MOVING TARGET –   Cryptic definition.

18a         Feeling depressed without whisky or rum (3,2,7)
OUT OF SPIRITS – This expression meaning to be depressed might sound like you had run out of spirits to drink.

21a         Cushy job at home having safe environment (8)
SINECURE –   IN (at home) put inside SECURE (safe)

22a         State chiefly employs IT whizz (6)
TECHIE –   Hidden in staTE CHIEfly.

24a         Drink given by doctor early in the day (4)
DRAM – DR (doctor) AM (morning is ‘early in the day’).

25a         Diana, the Parisian teetotaller, not in favour of those who dabble (10)
DILETTANTI –   DI (Diana) LE (French word for the) TT (teetotaller) ANTI (not in favour of).

26a         Regretted impolite sound (4)
RUED –   A homophone (sound) of RUDE (impolite).

27a         Bury’s runner, one entering uninvited (10)
INTERLOPER – BURY (inter) and LOPER (runner).

Down

1d           Fellow coming in to recycle rubbish (6)
REFUSE –   F (fellow) put in REUSE (recycle).

2d           Excessively bright embellishment, not new (6)
GARISH –   Remove the N for new from GARNISH (embellishment).

3d           Prosaic  in reality (6-2-4)
MATTER-OF-FACT –   Commonplace or adhering to actual fact.

4d           Experienced  hat-maker (4)
FELT –   Part of a verb meaning experienced or a material used to make hats.

5d           Balls delivered by popular footballer acquired by Saints (10)
INSWINGERS –   IN (popular) and WINGER put inside (acquired by) S and S (Saints).

7d           Pretty bird making ‘Ring of Fire’? (8)
FLAMINGO –   Split 7,1 you’d get a FLAMING O or ring of fire.

8d           Varying tones are to resound (8)
RESONATE –   An anagram (varying) of TONES ARE.

11d         Concerned with company’s divisions, go mad (12)
DEPARTMENTAL –   DEPART (go) MENTAL (mad).

14d         Distributing of novel so inspired (10)
DISPERSION –   An anagram (novel) of SO INSPIRED.

16d         Deliberate swindle, meeting partisan? (8)
CONSIDER –   CON (swindle) SIDER (partisan, someone who takes a side).

17d         Hard time for one entering theatre (5,3)
STONE AGE – ONE (from the clue) entering STAGE (theatre).

19d         Keep optimistic feature on expert (4,2)
CHIN UP – CHIN (facial feature) and UP (expert, well-informed).

20d         Elder Spanish gentleman touring Italy (6)
SENIOR –   SENOR (Spanish gentleman) touring I (IVR code for Italy).

23d         Garden party with lot to be announced (4)
FETE –   A homophone (to be announced) of FATE (lot).

S1