Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28324

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on Saturday 14th January

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **

Oh dear – normally I write the introduction at the same time as I draft the review on a Saturday afternoon, but for some reason I didn’t do so, and now it is Thursday evening and I can’t remember what I thought about the crossword. I haven’t marked any favourites on the solved crossword and the ratings would seem to indicate that I found it fairly average for a Saturday Prize Puzzle.

Across

1a Supporting one of the Beatles in Melbourne’s excellent (7,3)
BEARING OUT – RINGO (the Beatle who appears less often that the other three in crosswords) inserted into BEAUT (an Australian [as used in Melbourne!] interjection meaning excellent or fine)

6a Southern racecourse excluding a northerner (4)
SCOT – Simply ‘exclude’ the A from ASCOT racecourse

9a Knot that requires cold attachment — snag! (5,5)
CLOVE HITCH – Do Girl Guides still learn all these knots like we used to back in the ‘olden days’? C (cold) LOVE (attachment) HITCH (snag)

10a Tot sees doctor before noon (4)
DRAM – DR (doctor) and AM (morning, before noon)

12a Mix porridge (4)
STIR – Double definition – a verb meaning to mix or a slang term for prison, as is porridge.

13a Replacement of trouser damaged round top of groin area (9)
SURROGATE – An anagram (damaged) of TROUSER goes round the top of Groin and the abbreviation for Area

15a Relating to a subject — one that’s generally taught seeing ma’s not around (8)
THEMATIC – MAS is ‘not around’ MATHEMATICS – a subject generally taught in schools

16a Blooming female learner seen before test (6)
FLORAL – F (female) L (learner) ORAL (test)

18a Cut tax (6)
EXCISE – Another fairly obvious double definition

20a New York guy’s after kicks in Morecambe, say (8)
FUNNYMAN – NY (New York) MAN (guy) goes after FUN (kicks) – it depends which dictionary you consult as to whether this should be enumerated 5,3 or 8

23a Clumsy admiral to set out (9)
MALADROIT – An anagram (set out) of ADMIRAL TO

24a A jumper’s shrunk — will it go over one’s head? (4)
AFRO – A (from the clue) and FROg (a jumper that’s shrunk

26a Bird nesting in hibiscus (4)
IBIS – Found ‘nesting’ in hibiscus

27a Striking assorted elements of plum mingle (10) PUMMELLING – An anagram (assorted) of PLUM MINGLE

28a Peer ahead endlessly (4)
EARL – EARLy (ahead) ‘endlessly’ or without its final letter

29a Cockney who’s decorated a line in old capital (6,4)
PEARLY KING – A (from the clue) and RLY (railway line) in PEKING (old name for the capital of China)

Down

1d Promote footballer (4)
BACK – Another simple and obvious double definition

2d Preacher has a job on the outskirts of Liege (7)
APOSTLE – A POST (a job) goes on top of LE (the ‘outskirts’ of LiegE)

3d Drink from America co-eds brewed (3-5,4)
ICE-CREAM SODA – An anagram (brewed) of AMERICA CO EDS. The best one I ever had was made by my Dad in a holiday flat in Littlehampton during the very hot summer of 1961

4d Receives help that’s denied (8)
GAINSAID – GAINS (receives) AID (help)

5d A French port — open a bottle (6)
UNCORK – UN (the French) indefinite article CORK (Irish port)

7d Rough wind reported threatening ship (7)
CORSAIR – a homophone (reported) of COARSE (rough) and AIR (wind) – a corsair is a pirate ship so that would definitely be seen as threatening if it came near

8d Nottingham finally with place in Europe in draw showing Forest’s limitations (6,4)
TIMBER LINE – M (NottinghaM ‘finally’) and BERLIN (place in Europe) inserted into TIE (draw)

11d Dish in kitchen where they’re all hoping for a strike (7,5)
BOWLING ALLEY – BOWL (dish) IN GALLEY (in kitchen)

14d Make smooth run in heritage railway? (10)
STREAMLINE – R (run) inserted into STEAM LINE (heritage railway)

17d Tradition supported by the Queen as patron (8)
CUSTOMER – CUSTOM (tradition) ‘supported’ or held up in a Down clue, by ER (the cipher of our current Queen)

19d Dog, right one to work in pit (7)
COLLIER – COLLIE (dog) R (right)

21d One’s shaken, not stirred, seeing skill in car (7)
MARTINI – ART (skill) in MINI (car)

22d Book space (6)
VOLUME – Another double definition

25d The sound of a horse that’s eaten nothing, waiting impatiently (4)
AGOG – A (from the clue) GG (sound like the word a child might use for a horse) that’s eaten O (nothing)

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