Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28360
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on Saturday 25th February
BD Rating – Difficulty *– Enjoyment ***/****
Another improved, if fairly straightforward, Saturday crossword, but given the number of other crossword-related things I had to do on the day, I wasn’t complaining. I would point out the number of times a letter had to be taken off something and also the wrong definition of 20d, which would have led to it only getting ‘average’ enjoyment stars. However, there are some splendid surface readings so I’ve awarded a half star to recognise their part in my solving entertainment
Across
1a Reach route through mountains — result! (4,2,4)
COME TO PASS – COME TO (reach) PASS (route through mountains)
6a Eats fast food item around one third off (4)
GRUB – A reversal (around) of a BURGER (fast food item) without the last third of the letters
9a Lucky shape: clubs logo’s origin on next page (10)
CLOVERLEAF – C (clubs in a card game) L (the ‘origin’ of logo) and OVERLEAF (on next page)
10a Clinton’s draft law (4)
BILL – Mr not Mrs Clinton!
12a Cooked a nice lobster for special occasions (12)
CELEBRATIONS – An anagram (cooked) of A NICE LOBSTER
15a Person playing is taken in by android that won’t start (6)
OBOIST – IS (from the clue) taking in by ROBOT (android) without it’s ‘start’
16a Women I am with get very hot outside in beach clothes (8)
SWIMWEAR – Put IM (I’m) in between W and W (two women) and put the result inside SEAR (get very hot)
18a Depression shown by North American spies in Spanish city (8)
VALENCIA – VALE (depression) N (North) CIA (American spies)
19a Agreement with current line (6)
ACCORD – AC (alternating current) CORD (line)
21a Man sent tweet spinning religious writing (3,9)
NEW TESTAMENT – An anagram (spinning) of MAN SENT TWEET
24a For seamstress it’s the case in perpetuity (4)
ETUI – this extremely old friend of the crossword setter is to be found in perpetuity
25a Another case concerning money running short before end of voyage (10)
RECURRENCE – RE (concerning) CURRENCy (money ‘running short’) before E (the end of voyage)
26a Pretentious rubbish displayed by English gallery (4)
TATE – TAT (pretentious rubbish) E (English)
27a Make bloomer over biscuit (6,4)
BRANDY SNAP – BRAND (make) and a reversal (over) of PANSY (bloomer)
Down
1d Bird found in pile of hay (4)
COCK – A male bird or a small pile of hay
2d Tie up North African (4)
MOOR – A verb meaning to tie up a ship or boat; someone from Morocco or the Barbary Coast
3d Leader of excavation in ancient city, keen to break out spades as just what’s needed (3,4,5)
THE BEES KNEES – The ‘leader’ of Excavation goes into the ancient city of THEBES and is then followed by an anagram (to break out) of KEEN and the abbreviation for Spades
4d China leased equipment used in warehouse (6)
PALLET – PAL (China being Cockney rhyming slang for a friend) LET (leased)
5d Birds make disturbance in yards (8)
SPARROWS – ROW (disturbance) inserted into SPARS (these yards being masts for spreading square sails on a ship)
7d Frightful horn is core to identify this animal (10)
RHINOCEROS – An anagram (frightful) of HORN IS CORE
8d Rail links globe endlessly with American business (10)
BALUSTRADE – BALl (globe ‘endlessly’) US (American) TRADE (business)
11d Sort of power my generation endlessly put out without carbon (6,6)
ATOMIC ENERGY – Remove the N at the end of GENERATIOn and make an anagram (put out) of MY GENERATION and then insert (without) C (carbon)
13d Handy place where nuns stay around eastern Ulster (10)
CONVENIENT – CONVENT (place where nuns stay) around E (eastern) NI (Northern Ireland, which, as so often happens, is here referred to as Ulster when it isn’t!)
14d Do like everyone else and take interest in court case (6,4)
FOLLOW SUIT – FOLLOW (take interest in) SUIT (court case)
17d Special equipment for police in South American city with great rampaging (4,4)
RIOT GEAR- RIO (South American city) plus an anagram (rampaging) of GREAT
20d Criticism made by one politician over international body holding good (6)
IMPUGN – The definition doesn’t work as the solution is a verb meaning to criticise. I (one) MP (politician) and UN (international body) ‘holding’ G (good). As it was a prize puzzle, changing the online clue might have made it unfair to newspaper solvers. The wordplay is very clear so having the wrong definition didn’t affect the ability to solve it.
Monday’s paper contained the following apology: Prize Cryptic 28,360 correction 20 Down should read “Criticise one politician over international body that’s holding good (6)” Apologies
22d Member of clergy losing head in a short time (4)
ANON – Remove the ‘head’ from CANON (member of clergy)
23d Look up and down (4)
PEEP – Up and down indicates that this is a palindrome.
B2
Firstly I love your new layout of the review so much easier to read. Think I enjoyed this but notes have vanished to paper bank. Brandy snap favourite mainly because I have happy memories of making them wrapping them round handle of wooden spoon.
This is the ‘normal’ weekend review layout. An edit was made to yesterday’s ST review permalink and that upset the spacing of the explanations. I’ve sorted it out now so all should be well.