DT 28288

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28288

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on Saturday 3rd December

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

 

Morning All! This went in quite quickly apart from a couple of clues and on the whole I enjoyed it.

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

1a           Boycott? Ought to put in cooler! (4-8)
COLD-SHOULDER – Place SHOULD for ‘ought’ inside COLDER or #cooler’. Kerfuffle on the day but it is all clear.

9a           Manage love poetry before ‘East is East’ (7)
OVERSEE – O for Old then a VERSE of poetry  and then place E for E(ast) in front of (before) the final E (ast) in verse (that is before the E is another E(ast). So O VERS (E) E. Terribly confusing indication there.

10a         Boat the French folk rock, Fifties-style (7)
SKIFFLE – A lovely clue. A SKIFF or boat with LE or ‘the’ in French. Reminds us all of Radio Caroline…

11a         Bank admits blunder getting part-timer in Services (7)
TERRIER – Place ERR (blunder) inside a TIER or Bank. Not to non UKians – The Territorial Army (reserves or part-timers in the Army service) are also known as ‘Terriers’. Now you do!.

12a         People admired those at the bottom of the table (7)
LEGENDS – The second cryptic definition is the ENDs of the LEGs on a table. A Chestnut.

13a         By the side of a pine (5)
ALONG – A from the clue and then LONG or ‘pine/ache’.

14a         Old partner criticises one about getting fatter (9)
EXPANSION –  – A clean charade on EX (old partner) PANS (criticises) I for one and then ON for about (regarding).

16a         She cussed degenerate aristocrats (9)
DUCHESSES – A Degenerate anagram of SHE CUSSED and probably what happened in court. Nice clue and surface reading.

19a         What to perform in humdrum ballroom (5)
RUMBA – A hidden word IN humdRUM BAllroom. A good clue and a semi-all-in-one (q.v.)

21a         Beat material (7)
WORSTED – Two definitions and a chestnut for me. When you are beaten you have been bested by me and you are also WORSTED or beaten.

23a         Where to grow fruit or vegetable (7)
ORCHARD – Split as (2,5) to get OR (from the clue) and a CHARD which is a lovely vegetable.

24a         Showing feelings I have after upsetting book (7)
EMOTIVE – Place I’VE (I have) after a reversal (upsetting) of a TOME or book.

25a         A number, unspecified, work round hospital, bustling place (3-4)
ANT-HILL – A from the clue then N – an unspecified number in mathematics – then TILL or work around H for Hospital.

26a         Command to infiltrate alien terrains in the realm of Star Trek (12)
INTERSTELLAR – Place TELL (command) inside (to infiltrate) an anagram (alien) of TERRAINS.

Down

1d           European visiting revolutionary South American city for so long (7)
CHEERIO – Place E for European inside CHE (Guevara – a revolutionary) and the South American city of RIO.

2d           Novelist giving thanks for opening book being ignored (7)
LESSING –  BLESSING (giving thanks for) in which the opening B for Book has been removed/ignored.

3d           Stark quality of Kentish Town (9)
SHEERNESS – Two definitions, the latter being down the road from me.

4d           Bird left to go south of river (5)
OUSEL – Place L for left under (due South in a down clue) the river OUSE.

5d           Arriving by jet leaving France, being lazy (5,2)
LYING IN – F for France Lleaving FLING IN (being lazy).

6d           Turkish official fed fine cooking (7)
EFFENDI – An anagram (cooking) of FED FINE.

7d           Bear with Barker — Corbett had a hand in this popular duo (5,3,5)
SOOTY AND SWEEP – Sooty BEAR and the dog (Barker) SWEEP. The two hand puppets that father and son Corbett operated (or had a hand in!).

8d           Hold chap directed over a national leader (6,7)
NELSON MANDELA – The full or half NELSON is a wrestling hold. Add MAN (chap) then DEL, a reversal (over) of LED/directed, and finally add the A from the clue.

15d         Clergy generally assembled at seaport (9)
PASTORATE – Make an anagram (assembled0 of AT SEAPORT.

17d         Empty box, apparently? One may find it funny (7)
CARTOON – A bit subtle this!.  An empty box may be shown as a CARTON with O for nothing in it – hence CART (O) ON

18d         Lace drink? You’ll need hospital department first (7)
ENTWINE – The drink is a WINE. Place the ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat department) in front/first.

19d         Musical performance playing clarinet, not new (7)
RECITAL – Remove the N (Not N(ew)) from CLARI(n)ET and then make an anagram (playing).

20d         More substantial area covered by what one’s good at (7)
MEATIER – What one is good at is one’s METIER. It covers/goes around A for Area.

22d         Speech must be given with no notice, in costume (5)
DRESS – Remove the AD(vertisement)/notice from an ADDRESS or speech.