Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28348

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on Saturday 11th February

BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***

Saturday Prize Puzzles aren’t quite what they used to be – they certainly take a smidgeon more teasing out, although there’s always room for an ‘old friend’ – this week’s ‘pal’ being 26a.  Brian asked the other day that bloggers explain double definition clues, so I’ve done what he requested, and I hope it helps, particularly as we had several this Saturday.  

Across

1a           Ruin atmosphere getting upset (4)
DOOM – A reversal (upset) of MOOD (atmosphere)

3a           Item found in medicine cupboard — toss sample out (5,5)
EPSOM SALTS – An anagram (out) of TOSS SAMPLE.  I’d be interested to learn if anyone actually has this in their medicine cupboard

8a           Hear what slurring soprano did in Asian city (8)
SHANGHAI –  This city apparently sounds like someone slurring a description of what a soprano did: SANG HIGH

9a           Advertising spot (6)
NOTICE – The first of several double definition clues in this crossword.  I don’t think this one particularly needs explaining but the first definition is a noun and the second a verb.   Will that do, Brian??

10a         Source making old gear fashionable (6)
ORIGIN – O (old) RIG (gear) IN (fashionable)

11a         Creature needing place to sleep over with utility (8)
DORMOUSE – DORM (place to sleep) O (over in cricket scoring) USE (utility)

13a         and 25: Novel theory of retirement after working (4,4,2,8)
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY – An anagram (after working) of THEORY OF RETIREMENT

14a         Garden tool used around yard by northern tomboy (6)
HOYDEN – HOE (garden tool) goes around YD (hard) and then add N (northern) at the end.   Most setters seem to use ‘round’ as an insertion indicator which makes the  Word document spelling and grammar check facility really grumpy, so I’m delighted that this week’s setter used ‘around’ instead.

16a         Strong desire to have time with modern British artist (6)
THIRST – T (time) HIRST (Damian, the modern British artist)

19a         Where to get cleaner putting brush around at hotel (8)
BATHROOM – BROOM (brush) goes around AT (from the clue) and H (hotel)

21a         Sample mince pies cooked — one missing (8)
SPECIMEN – An anagram (cooked) of MINCE PIES once you have removed one of the Is – letters that looks like a number one

22a         Tell high-ranking churchman to dismiss priest initially (6)
RELATE – Remove the P (dismiss priest initially) from a PRELATE (high-ranking churchman)

23a         Again charge football official with evil (6)
REFILL – REF (football official) ILL (evil)

24a         Provoke trouble with vocal quartet in a comedy item (3,3,2)
ASK FOR IT – A homophone (vocal) of FOUR (quartet) in A SKIT

25a         See 13

26a         Antelope’s short dash (4)
ELAN –  ELAND – remove the last letter (short) from an ELAND (antelope)

Down

1d           Sweet daughter is first to perplex (9)
DISCOMFIT – D (daughter) and IS (from the clue) go first  ahead of COMFIT (sweet)

2d           Comfortingly met distressed star of 13, 25 (10,5)
MONTGOMERY CLIFT – An anagram (distressed) of COMFORTINGLY MET

3d           Improve in French given opportunity, missing start (7)
ENHANCE – EN (the French work for ‘in’) and CHANCE (opportunity, missing the letter at the start)

4d           Rod‘s back, entertaining 550 (7)
SPINDLE – SPINE (back) ‘entertaining’ DL (550 in Roman numerals)

5d           Top person working in parade (7)
MONARCH – ON (working) in MARCH (parade)

6d           Internet nuisance trapped by honeypot — an undoing for novelist (7,8)
ANTHONY TROLLOPE – TROLL (internet nuisance) ‘rapped by an anagram (undoing) of HONEYPOT AN

7d           Strain is rising on first lady (5)
SIEVE – A reversal (rising in a Down clue) of IS (from the clue) on EVE (first lady)

12d         Take action to court   girl (3)
SUE – I hope Brian (and the rest of you) spotted that there were three definitions in this clue – to prosecute at law; to woo; and me!

15d         May is here — figure to catch up (6,3)
NUMBER TEN – One of those clues that won’t work when this crossword appears in one of the DT Puzzle Books in years to come –  NUMBER (figure) and a reversal (up in a Down clue) of NET (catch)

17d         Trendy   joint (3)
HIP – An informal word meaning trendy or fashionable; a joint in the body

18d         Glass   component of lock (7)
TUMBLER – A large drinking glass (formerly one that couldn’t stand on its base) or part of the lock that is held in place until it is turned by the key.   This word has some lovely other definitions in the BRB – I particularly liked the (now obsolete) ‘dog that performed antics in catching rabbits’

19d         Asian person and English briefly visiting island (7)
BENGALI – ENG (abbreviation, briefly, of English) visiting BALI (island)

20d         Knight detained by Middle-Eastern country jailer (7)
TURNKEY – N, the abbreviation for knight in chess notation) inserted into (detained by) TURKEY (middle-eastern country)

21d         Swagger in bar (5)
STRUT – A verb meaning to swagger or a bar that resists pressure

S2