Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28390

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on Saturday 1st April

BD Rating – Difficulty *– Enjoyment **

I solved this crossword while having a cup of tea after the weekly shop, then went and helped Mr CS with some (ongoing and seemingly endless) tree surgery, had lunch, solved three more puzzles, more tree surgery, drafted the NTSPP review and then turned back to this puzzle.   I found when I did my usual ‘type it into Telegraph Puzzles to make sure its right’  [and yes I do wait for the clock to tick round to my actual solving time before pressing ‘submit’] that I didn’t remember any of the crossword at all.  Drafting this review proved that it was both simple to solve and explain, just sadly didn’t make that much impression on me compared with the other puzzles I solved on Saturday.

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Across

7a           PTO to see it (8)
OVERLEAF – Because that’s what you’d see if you obeyed the instructions Please Turn Over

9a           In the morning exam, not bothered if it’s right or wrong (6)
AMORAL – AM (morning) ORAL (exam)

10a         A hat the French female brought back in fleecy wool (6)
ALPACA – A reversal (brought back) of A CAP (hat)  LA (French female)

11a         Love writer — reserve one that’s easy to read (4,4)
OPEN BOOK – O (love) PEN (writer) BOOK (reserve)

12a         In every rota going round, insert colonel as coffee-maker (10)
PERCOLATOR –  COL (colonel) inserted in between PER (in every) and a reversal (going round) of ROTA

14a         Liberal, fifty, being hugged by each woman (4)
ELLA – L (Liberal) L (Roman numeral for 50) ‘hugged by’ EA (each)

15a         Enforce order with redistribution of wealth — took a nap first (3,4,3,3)
LAY DOWN THE LAW – An anagram (redistribution) of WEALTH goes after LAY DOWN (took a nap)

17a         National racecourse — leader’s abandoned (4)
SCOT – ‘Abandon’ the ‘leader’ of ASCOT racecourse

18a         Warn of collapse, no longer frozen? (4,6)
GIVE NOTICE – GIVE (collapse) NOT ICE (no longer frozen)

20a         Head’s put by cash for cake (8)
DOUGHNUT – NUT (head) put by DOUGH (cash)

21a         Showy display page penned by hack (6)
SPLASH – P (page) ‘penned by’ SLASH (hack)         

23a         Welcome break from porridge? (6)
ESCAPE – porridge being a slang term for prison

24a         Gatecrasher called and stormed (8)
RAMPAGED – RAM (something used to crash a gate) PAGED (rang)

Down

1d           Spin without beginning to unravel (6)
EVOLVE –  REVOLVE (spin) without its ‘beginning’

2d           Millions getting lost in woman’s song (4)
ARIA – Lose the M for Millions from MARIA

3d           Two kinds of fuel sent up to cover the Queen’s women’s quarters (8)
SERAGLIO – OIL and GAS (two kinds of fuel) reversed (sent up in a Down clue) ‘cover’ ER (the regnal cipher of our current Queen)

4d           Speed of progress through life (6)
CAREER – Double definition time – a verb meaning to speed or one’s progress through life

5d           Note this accommodation could be for two families (6,4)
DOUBLE FLAT a musical note sounds like it could be a home large enough for two families

6d           Religious orders (5,3)
CANON LAW – a cryptic definition

8d           Elector all at sea? (8,5)
FLOATING VOTER – Someone not attached to any political party sounds like they might be at sea

13d         ‘Bout of weeping got pram fixed’ — could be a coded message? (10)
CRYPTOGRAM – CRY (weeping) and an anagram (fixed) of GOT PRAM

15d         Cromarty’s partner wearing flimsy fabric, being game (8)
LACROSSE – ROSS and Cromarty is an area in the Scottish Highlands.   To get the game, ROSS needs to be ‘wearing’ LACE (flimsy fabric)

16d         Attractive employee takes part (8)
HANDSOME – HAND (employee) SOME (part)

18d         Some characters here began netting bird (6)
EGRET – The bird was lurking in some of the characters of n beGAN NETting

19d         Money you and I raised for something to eat — that’s nutty (6)
CASHEW – CASH (money) followed by a reversal (raised) of WE (you and I)

22d         Man‘s post redirected (4)
LIAM – A reversal (redirected) of MAIL (post)

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