Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27953
A full review by gnomethang
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
This puzzle was published on Saturday, 7th November 2015
Morning All! I found this a two star puzzle for difficulty. A couple of old chestnuts made it easier for the newcomers and a couple of trickier clues ept my interest up.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five best!
Across
1a Settles business promptly and honestly, a pain to administer (4,2,3,4)
PAYS ON THE NAIL – An anagram (indicated by ‘to administer’) of HONESTLY A PAIN. The correct response to a request for ‘cash on the nail’.
9a I have to follow dreadful court order (9)
DIRECTIVE – I’VE (I have) followes DIRE (dreadful) and CT – the abb. for court.
10a Happened upon old carving (5)
CAMEO – A charade of CAME (happened – came to pass) upon O for Old. Word Up!.
11a Publication for children (5)
ISSUE – A well known cryptic double definition – The issue or publication of a journal and the issue from one’s loins – children.
12a Insect bite’s upset (4)
GNAT – Reverse (upset) a TANG or bite/taste.
13a Flag from European country cut down (4)
IRIS – I have seen this answer in a couple of puzzles recently. Remove the last letter (cut down) from IRIS(h) or being from the European country of Ireland.
15a Good youngsters sparkle (7)
GLITTER – G for Good and then the LITTER of pups/kittens or other youngsters.
17a American explorer brought back to company … this! (7)
TOBACCO – Sebastian (or his father Giovanni) CABOT was an Italian explorer in the 15th/16th Century. Reverse him (brought back) and add CO, the abb. for Company.
18a Individual entertains male party before audience (2-5)
ON-STAGE – ONE for individual/singular includes (or entertains) a STAG or male party.
20a Cutter was returning after mist at sea (7)
FRETSAW – Interesting on the FRET being a mist at sea according to Chambers. I recalled it and then looked it up because I seem to remember a ‘sweat’ being a FRET as well i.e. a sheen of moisture. In any case reverse WAS from the clue after the FRET.
21a Small ship in bay (4)
BARK – Two definitions – the BARK is a small ship (also barque) and the other synonym is a BARK/bay of the hounds.
22a Feel the loss of girl (4)
MISS – Another double definition. This one should need no explanation.
23a Taken in school’s report (5)
EATEN – A homophone (the report or sound) of Eton – a famous public school in the UK.
26a Change in Germany meeting approval (5)
AMEND – D is the IVR (International Vehicle Registration) for Deutschland/Germany. Place it next to (meeting) AMEN for approval (assent/let it be is the Hebrew meaning)
27a Old Lib-Dem leader tucks into lean bit of steak and sauces etc (9)
TRIMMINGS – That mill be Menzies ‘MING’ Campbell inside TRIM (or lean) and a bit (or first letter) of S(teak). – I spent too long looking for the condiments!
28a Arrange other matter in Arnie’s vehicle (3,10)
THE TERMINATOR – Vehicle here means the means of conveyance for Arnie (Schwarzenegger) i.e one of his films. Make an anagram of (arrange) OTHER MATTER IN. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks!
Down
1d Visitor from Peru abandoned trip having got lost round centre of Chingford (10,4)
PADDINGTON BEAR – An anagram (having got lost) of ABANDONED TRIP around G (the centre letter of ChinGford).
2d Stories for instance set up to entertain the Navy (5)
YARNS – Reverse (set UP in a down clue) SAY/for instance and include (to entertain or bring in) the RN or Royal Navy.
3d Like some music Clare Short arranged (10)
ORCHESTRAL – A simple anagram of CLARE SHORT – I know who she is…
4d Set off with Pooh’s friend round river (7)
TRIGGER – The wonderful thing about this clue is that it involves TIGGER – the character who is Winnie the Pooh’s friend in the A.A.Milne books (I used to share digs with his grandson!). Insert R for River inside TIGGER.
5d Fancy a gentle rambling (0,7)
ELEGANT – A rambling anagram of A GENTLE.
6d Main section of bridge (4)
ARCH – The first is the cryptic definition – ARCH enemy being synonymous with a main enemy. The second is a straight def.
7d Strains bearing fruit in verses (9)
LIMERICKS – RICKS the back (strains) under (bearing or carrying in a down clue) LIME for fruit.
8d Royal family habit to be protected by foot soldiers following Tornados (5,2,7)
HOUSE OF WINDSOR – OK! USE (habit/custom) included/protected by a HOOF (foot) then place OR (Other Ranks – foot soldiers) after WINDS (tornados) – HO (USE) OF WINDS OR. Not my favourite but I threw it in from the checking letters and definition!
14d Member of crew with muscle, skinny, casing joint (4,6)
ABLE SEAMAN – The AB(dominal) muscle) then LEAN (skinny) containing (casing means going around the outside of) a SEAM or joint.
16d Rebel is pressing to capture north (9)
INSURGENT – IS URGENT (is pressing) to include (capture) N for North.
19d Religious instruction Eastern sanctimonious saint let out (7)
EPISTLE – E(astern) and PI (sanctimonious/religious) then S for Saint followed by an anagram (out) of LET.
20d Authoritarian rule of football administrators split when Hearts leaves (7)
FASCISM – the F.A., or Football Association then SC(h)ISM or a split when the H for heart has been removed (leaves).
24d Opinion that can be reversed (5)
TENET – A standard palindromic definition in crosswords.
25d Python at rest (4)
IDLE – OK for me but maybe not for fans – Eric IDLE being one of the members of Monty Python’s Flying Circussssss.
I’ll Be Back!
Dear Gnomey thank you once again for your helpful guidance to explain why I did what I did. Knew fret as a mist because it is East Anglian and remember fretsaw from when I helped my Dad millions of years ago.
Thanks for the review gnomethang.
Was in the club ” pays on the nose” at first even though in French we say “pays rubies on the nail”. Wonder where that came from.
Thanks for review Gnomey.
I was in the “Pays on the nose” club – I blame MP as it was the first time I haven’t written out all the letters for ages.
Unfortunately an unknown American explorer brought back Tabasco which didn’t help 7d much.
I knew the sea mist from days on the Pembrokeshire coast when a mile inland the sun was blazing.
I’ve only ever seen the 21a small ship spelt with a ‘Q’.
28a was a bit of a mystery.
My favourite was 4d. My Dad’s cousin, my godfather, was a medical student in Cambridge and was a great fan of the Pooh books, as were several of his friends. They wrote to A. A. Milne to ask him to call in for “a little something” on a particular date. They had a hand written reply from him saying that he was busy that day but he would love to join them for a “honey tea” the following week which he did.
With thanks to Mr Ron and to Gnomey.
Loved this one, could manage the answers without actually understanding r relevance to clues. Something to do with A.D. maybe.!!!
Welcome to the blog Barbara
Thanks for the comments, all!
Kath – You either love Arnie or hate him or don’t know him!
Regarding the nose/nail debate I always used nose but knew ‘pay cash on the nail’.
Am I missing something , but I seem to remember this puzzle was in last Saturday’s paper?
Hi. Please have a look at the title and all of that
Yep I missed that! Oops!