DT 27959

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27959

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on Saturday, 14th November 2015

When I’d finished solving the crossword, I decided  this would be an ideal puzzle for anyone new to cryptic crosswords (or a newspaper hoping to increase the number of people entering the prize competition), but judging from a few of the comments on the day, perhaps I was wrong.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.  You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five best!

Across

7a           Charge independent politician separately (7)
IMPEACH –   I (independent) MP (politician) EACH (separately)

9a           Tree    maintenance (7)
SERVICE –   Double definition.

10a         Conservative inclined towards socialism is divided (5)
CLEFT –   C (Conservative) LEFT (inclined towards socialism)

11a         Complain and put down joiner (9)
CARPENTER –   CARP (complain) ENTER (put down).

12a         Confined below, lay, knocked out (5,4,3,3)
UNDER LOCK AND KEY –   UNDER (below) followed by an anagram (out) of LAY KNOCKED.

13a         Followed across river, being towed (7)
TRAILED –   TAILED (followed) goes across (or has inserted) R (river).

16a         Income steady in Parisian’s street (7)
REVENUE –   EVEN (steady) inserted into a French (Parisian’s) street or RUE.

19a         The Express newspaper’s report? (8,7)
DEFINITE ARTICLE – DEFINITE (express, specific) ARTICLE (newspaper report).

23a         Dessert with my new vegetable (9)
SWEETCORN –   SWEET (dessert, pudding) COR (my!) N (new).

24a         Shows the way in speech in English city (5)
LEEDS –   A homophone (in speech) of LEADS (shows the way).

25a         Right about returned item — proof of purchase required (7)
RECEIPT – RT (right) put ‘about’ a reversal (returned) of PIECE (item).

26a         Mechanic, in part, is answerable (7)
ARTISAN –   Hidden in pART IS ANswerable

Down

1d           Volume is to include nobleman (8)
VISCOUNT – V (volume) IS (from the clue) COUNT (include).

2d           Former exam relating to the countryside (8)
PASTORAL –   PAST (former) ORAL (exam)

3d           Decisively beat Oscar? Jolly good! (6)
WHACKO   – WHACK (decisively beat) O (Oscar in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet).

4d           Encourage operator to release latest of numbers (4,2)
URGE ON –   ‘Release’ or remove the latest letter of numberS from a SURGEON (operator).

5d           Male elected to keep investment, in error (8)
MISTAKEN –   Insert (to keep) STAKE (investment) between M (male) and IN (elected).

6d           Back with fish to sell down the river (6)
BETRAY –   BET (back) RAY (fish).

8d           Appeal of polytechnic’s first principal (5)
PLEAD – P (the ‘first’ of Polytechnic) LEAD (principal).

9d           Attacker in match (7)
STRIKER –   Another double definition.

14d         Caught wearing muddy loafers outside (8)
ALFRESCO –   C (caught) put inside (wearing) an anagram (muddy) of LOAFERS.

15d         Tried to set off for US city (7)
DETROIT –   An anagram (set off) of TRIED TO.

17d         Go against country importing it (8)
VITALITY –   V (versus, against) and ITALY (country) the latter ‘importing’ IT from the clue.

18d         Regular air service (8)
EVENSONG –   EVEN (regular) SONG (air)

19d         Abandon in wilderness (6)
DESERT –   And another double definition

20d         Can appearing upside down humour blockhead? (6)
NITWIT –   A reversal (appearing upside down) of TIN (can) followed by WIT (humour).

21d         Declare invalid must be taken round area once a year (6)
ANNUAL –   ANNUL (declare invalid) ‘taken round’ A (area).

22d         Musical   game (5)
CHESS –   And to finish, a final double definition

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