Dailay Telegraph Cryptic No 28078
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
This puzzle was published on Saturday, 2nd April 2016
A fairly typical Saturday puzzle to encourage both newcomers to the world of cryptic crosswords and those trying to win a Daily Telegraph pen.
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Across
1a Negligent hit-and-run (8)
SLAPDASH – SLAP (hit) DASH (run)
6a Work in that formal wear (3,3)
TOP HAT – OP (work) in THAT (from the clue)
9a Food fieldfare split? (6)
PICNIC – Fare eaten in a field, perhaps.
10a US soldier with witticism about maiden — tacky (8)
GIMCRACK – M (maiden) inserted between GI (US soldier) and CRACK (witticism).
11a Frank chasing job that’s exempt from tax (4-4)
DUTY-FREE – FREE (frank) chasing or going after DUTY (job)
12a Death of half followed by a quarter? (6)
DEMISE – DEMI (half) followed by SE (a compass quarter)
13a Reorganised parental duty and bunked off (6,6)
PLAYED TRUANT – An anagram (reorganised) of PARENTAL DUTY
16a One’s held in castle after managing or attempting to escape (7,3,2)
RUNNING FOR IT – I (one) inserted into FORT (castle) goes after RUNNING (managing)
19a Wimp takes care of hospital room (6)
COWARD – CO (care of) WARD (hospital room)
21a A continental argument’s set back your outdated inferior (8)
UNWORTHY- UN (the French – continental – word for A ) a reversal (set back) of ROW (argument) and THY (outdated way of saying your).
23a Hurry to use weighing machine? (4,2,2)
STEP ON IT – Telling someone to hurry up or how you’d use a weighing machine.
24a Arctic triumph, first attempt (6)
WINTRY – WIN (triumph first) TRY (attempt)
25a Rush job (6)
CAREER – A chestnutty double definition clue that should cause no problems whatsoever.
26a Solitary revolutionary monarchist (8)
ROYALIST – An anagram (revolutionary) of SOLITARY
Down
2d Not well stored for future use (4,2)
LAID UP – Ill in bed or kept for use in the future
3d Violet turns up unknown photo (5)
PANSY – A reversal (upturned in a Down clue) of Y (mathematical unknown) and SNAP (photo)
4d So sure to find out (9)
ASCERTAIN – AS (so) CERTAIN (sure)
5d Greeting girl’s reported — this should keep things clean? (7)
HYGIENE – A homophone (reported) of HI JEAN.
6d I had to follow date, mostly being shy (5)
TIMID – ID (I’d, I had) follows most of TIMe (date)
7d It is of the utmost importance soldier reaches hill (9)
PARAMOUNT – PARA (soldier) MOUNT (hill)
8d Pointing one’s finger at a cricket club — exhausting (8)
ACCUSING – A (from the clue) CC (cricket club) USING (exhausting)
13d Long drink containing very soft fruit (9)
PINEAPPLE – PINE (long) and ALE (drink) containing PP (very soft)
14d Disposable shed found on a street? (9)
THROWAWAY – THROW (shed) A (from the clue) WAY (street)
15d Face up to fermented hot drink (3,2,3)
CUP OF TEA – An anagram (fermented) of FACE UP TO
17d Bet or beat fast (7)
FLUTTER – Two more fairly obvious definitions.
18d Refrain needs 100 hours for new arrangement (6)
CHORUS – C (Roman numeral for 100) followed by an anagram (new arrangement of ) of HOURS.
20d One eats some food in error (5)
DINER – Lurking in some fooD IN ERror
22d Learn dances relating to a type of organ (5)
RENAL – An anagram (dances) of LEARN.
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