DT 28192

Daily Telegraph No 28192

A full review by crypticsue

This puzzle was published on 13th August 2016

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BD Rating – Difficulty ***- Enjoyment ***

Saturday puzzles do seem to be getting a little bit trickier these days – well I found this one put up more than a fight than some.

Across

1a           That chap, youngster, accompanying a legendary queen (6)
HECUBA – The second wife of King Priam, and mother of Hector, this legendary queen is obtained by putting together HE (that chap) CUB (youngster) and A (from the clue)

4a           Did turn in vehicle traversing ice (8)
SWINDLED –  WIND (turn) goes in SLED (vehicle traversing ice)

9a           Grave argument in pub (6)
BARROW – Split this ancient earth-built grave-mound 3,3 and you’ll see the argument in the pub

10a         Sustaining motion in meeting I later disrupted (8)
INERTIAL –  IN (from the clue) ‘meeting’ an anagram (disrupted) of I LATER

11a         Author’s income from connections in high places (9)
ROYALTIES – Another ‘split the solution’ to see the second part of the clue.

13a         Snake found in summer apparently (5)
ADDER – I wonder how many times this particular snake has been linked in a crossword clue with someone who does their sums??

14a         Saving meatier cooking — or rejecting it (13)
VEGETARIANISM – An anagram (cooking) of SAVING MEATIER

17a         Soldier with ‘chute heading for Hungary in airplane adjusted equipment (13)
PARAPHERNALIA – A word I’m never quite sure how to spell so the anagram fodder was very helpful.   PARA (soldier with ‘chute) followed by H (the ’heading’ for Hungary) inserted into an anagram (adjusted) of AIRPLANE

21a         Potato, say King Edward, put on ship (5)
TUBER – ER (Edward Rex) goes on or after TUB (ship)

23a         Being disturbed, enter into custody (9)
RETENTION – An anagram (being disturbed) of ENTER INTO

24a         Kudos attached to Devon town (8)
CREDITON – CREDIT (kudos) ON (attached to)

25a         Tests a learner wearing swimming aids (6)
FINALS – A L (a learner) going inside (wearing) FINS (swimming aids)

26a         Bolt maybe second office machine needed (8)
SPRINTER – the lovely Usain is a very fast runner – S (second) PRINTER (office machine)

27a         Carbon fibre that’s used for colouring (6)
CRAYON – C (carbon) RAYON (fibre)

Down

1d           Australian city requires sound of laughter cut by half on part of The Simpsons (6)
HOBART – HO (half of ho ho, the sound of laughter) on BART (part of the Simpson family)

2d           Accountant’s balance is variable in vehicle, former make (5-4)
CARRY-OVER – Insert Y (mathematical variable) into CAR (vehicle) ROVER (former make of car)

3d           Merseyside town good for pirate (7)
BOOTLEG –  BOOTLE (the Merseyside town) plus G (good)

5d           The appropriate way to fasten 11? (7,4)
WINDSOR KNOT – Definitely taking the gold medal spot on the crossword  podium, this clue describes a way of tying a 11a once you’ve split that solution 5, 4.

6d           Vehicle in rain crashed — fine state (7)
NIRVANA –  VAN (vehicle) in an anagram (crashed) of RAIN

7d           One’s beset by fat landowner (5)
LAIRD – I (one) is beset by LARD (fat)

8d           Dilapidated old rum shop stocks poor spirits (8)
DOLDRUMS – ‘stocks’ indicates the presence of a lurker – dilapateD OLD RUM Shop

12d         See TV heroine go wild with it (2,3,6)
IN THE GROOVE –  as far as I can tell, the word ‘see’ is only there  to add sense to the surface reading.   An anagram (wild) of TV HEROINE GO

15d         Fancied one girl drinking a short (9)
IMAGINARY – I (one) MARY (girl) drinking A GIN (a drink usually consumed in a ‘short’ measure)

16d         Good times, good marks? Get away! (2,6)
UP STICKS – UPS (good times, as opposed to downs!) TICKS (good marks)

18d         Helping Shakespearean heroine cut down working (7)
PORTION – PORTIa (Shakespearean heroine ‘cut down’) ON (working)

19d         Ran like winds, having longer legs? (7)
LANKIER – An anagram (winds) of RAN LIKE

20d         Son in marriage agreement (6)
UNISON – S (son) inserted into UNION (marriage)

22d         Watery lake in Paddington perhaps (5)
BLEAR – An adjective meaning, amongst other things, watery of the eyes – L (lake) inserted into BEAR (Paddington being an example of a fictional bear)

Apart from the review of this particular puzzle, Gnomey timed his holiday in the sun perfectly, as it is his blogging ‘week off’ next week, so I’ll be back with the next two weekend reviews and a couple of other reviews in between.

 

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