DT 27875

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27875

A full review by crypticsue

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

This puzzle was published on 8th August 2015

I returned from a super day at the beach, having solved this crossword there in a tiny bit more than my normal ‘straightforward puzzle’ time, whilst having a conversation with one of my nieces as to why she should add Sicily to her list of places to visit one day, and was very surprised to find that the majority of commenters found this particular Saturday puzzle difficult.

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

6a           Awfully wet, raw now — hide for time when the elements are more favourable (7,6)
WEATHER WINDOW – An anagram (awfully) of WET RAW NOW HIDE

8a           A way ham is carved leading to complaint (6)
ASTHMA – A (from the clue) ST (street, way) and an anagram (is carved) of HAM.

9a           Press and TV ignoring a gallery’s muse (8)
MEDITATE –   MEDIa (press and TV collectively ignoring the A at the end) and TATE (gallery)

10a         In favour of short concert being curtailed (3)
PRO –   A short (being curtailed) PROmenade concert.

11a         Go very pale, have to leave northern port (6)
WHITEN – Remove HAVE from the port of WHITEHAVEN.

12a         Bird‘s come down by train (8)
LANDRAIL –   LAND (come down) RAIL (train).

14a         Gem of an isle? (7)
EMERALD – A cryptic definition of the way in which people sometimes refer to Ireland.

16a         Am in control to bring about vessel (7)
STEAMER –   AM (from the clue) inserted into STEER (control).

20a         Grow in line (8)
INCREASE – IN (from the clue) and CREASE (line).

23a         Recompense for fighting whilst overdrawn? (6)
REWARD – WAR (fighting) inserted into RED (overdrawn)

24a         Part of Okefenokee Swamp (3)
FEN –   Hidden in part of OkeFENokee.

25a         Phaetons, unsteady transport (8)
STANHOPE –   An anagram (unsteady)of PHAETONS.

26a         Forceful yet feeble boxing companion (6)
PUNCHY –   PUNY (feeble) ‘boxes’ or goes round CH (Companion of Honour)

27a         Right pickle to follow small first bite (4,9)
DOGS BREAKFAST   –   DOG (follow) S (small) BREAKFAST (the first bite of the day [unless of course you have a biscuit with your tea in bed!])

Down

1d           Trace the damaged tube (8)
CATHETER –   An anagram (damaged) of TRACE THE

2d           Fallout from bombshell ruined her plans (8)
SHRAPNEL –   An anagram (ruined) of HER PLANS.

3d           Effect of quavers on the score (7)
TREMOLO – A tremulous (possibly quavery)  effect in a musical score.

4d           Concealed layer swallows did for building (6)
HIDDEN –   HEN (layer) ‘swallows’ an anagram (for building) of DID.

5d           One runs daily or perhaps weekly (6)
EDITOR –   A cryptic definition of the person in charge of a newspaper.

6d           The new stadium designed for the team (4,3,6)
WEST HAM UNITED –   A very  appropriate anagram (designed) of THE NEW STADIUM as West Ham move into the newly altered Olympic Stadium soon.

7d           It’s audible although surprisingly I won’t hear this (6,7)
WITHIN EARSHOT –   An anagram (surprisingly) of I WONT HEAR THIS.

13d         Most of musical act expected to arrive (3)
DUE –   Most of a musical DUEt.

15d         Drink, light, with no head (3)
ALE –   PALE (light) with no ‘head’.

17d         Go and fish in way that costs money (8)
TURNPIKE – TURN (go) PIKE (fish).

18d         A bird with mother somewhere in Egypt (5,3)
ASWAN DAM – A (from the clue) SWAN (bird) DAM (mother).

19d         Allude to note duplicated for judge (7)
REFEREE –   REFER (allude) to E E (the musical note ‘duplicated’).

21d         Renounce Frenchman, say, that’s put inside (6)
RENEGE –   EG (say, for example) inside RENE (Frenchman)

22d         I love Latin — with English graduate, it’s an elementary thing (6)
AMOEBA – AMO (the Latin for I love) E (English) BA (graduate, Bachelor of Arts).

I think Gnomey is back from his hols next week and so will do his own review of his  second Saturday puzzle  – if not, I’ll see you here again next Friday.

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