DT 28510

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28,510

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on 19 August 2017

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Solved between a day at the beach and a lovely meal with lots of visiting relatives (three different types of lasagne, since you ask). No particular favourites but I’m always fond of a clue where I get to use my favourite reference book.

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

8a    One must enter by means of jetty (4)
PIER – I (one) entering PER (by means of)

9a    The anxious eccentric shows fatigue (10)
EXHAUSTION – An anagram (eccentric) of THE ANXIOUS

10a    Client in hoax reckoning to meet the Queen (8)
CONSUMER – CON (hoax) SUM (reckoning) ER (the regnal cipher of our current Queen)

11a    Prize draw match (3,3)
CUP TIE – CUP (prize) DRAW (tie)

12a    Flower people going by Mini perhaps (9)
CARNATION – NATION (people) going by CAR (Mini perhaps)

13a    This will have some imbibing excessively (5)
BINGE – Lurking in some of imbiBING Excessively

15a    Vicar standing in can triumph (7)
PREVAIL – REV (vicar) ‘standing’ in PAIL (can)

17a    Leaf insect’s colourful display (7)
PAGEANT – PAGE (leaf) ANT (insect)

20a    Second caution causes alarm (5)
SCARE – S (second) CARE (caution)

22a    Winter personified as knave, female or twisted saint (4,5)
JACK FROST – JACK (knave) F (female) RO (OR ‘twisted’ or reversed) ST (saint)

25a    Act One goes wrong immediately (2,4)
AT ONCE – An anagram (goes wrong) of ACT ONE

26a    Unperturbed about commercial music (8)
SERENADE – SERENE (unperturbed) ‘about’ AD (commercial)

27a    Something soothing in mist left by enchantress (5-5)
WITCH-HAZEL – HAZE (mist) L (left) goes by WITCH (enchantress)

28a    Road covering very undulating (4)
WAVY – WAY (road) ‘covering’ V (very)

Down

1d    Creature no longer is around on the prowl (8)
DINOSAUR – AN anagram (on the prowl) of IS AROUND

2d    Bird
cage (6)
PRISON – Double definitions – one being more informal than the other

3d    Meet corgi barking in a regular pattern? (9)
GEOMETRIC – An anagram (barking) of MEET CORGI

4d    Cigar in bed interrupted by brave man (7)
CHEROOT – COT (bed) ‘interrupted by’ HERO (brave man)

5d    Fast
living (5)
QUICK – Another double definition

6d    A carpet I damaged costing quite a bit (2,1,5)
AT A PRICE – An anagram (damaged) of A CARPET I

7d    Not still
causing emotion (6)
MOVING – And another dd

14d    Military punishment that will pass by anon? (4-5)
PACK-DRILL – My favourite reference book Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable tells us about the expression ‘No names, no pack drill’ alluding to military punishment. Offenders may be sent on a forced march in full kit (pack). But if the drill sergeant does not have the names of the miscreants, he is unable to impose this punishment on them, so the ‘anon’ will pass by without having to take part in exercise (drill’ in full uniform carrying a heavy pack.

16d    One woman or another pocketing bent coin (8)
VERONICA – VERA (another woman) ‘pocketing; an anagram (bent) of COIN

18d    Take the plunge suddenly? No, I have to get around Home Counties date initially (8)
NOSEDIVE – NO (from the clue) and IVE (I have) get around SE (Home Counties) and are then followed by D (Date ‘initially’)

19d    Turn over hat dimensions (7)
CAPSIZE – CAP (hat) SIZE (dimensions)

21d    Family pet’s first flower (6)
CATKIN – CAT (pet) goes first or before KIN (family)

23d    East these days puncturing Navy’s reputation (6)
RENOWN – E (east) NOW (these days) ‘puncturing’ RN (Royal Navy)

24d    City food bar’s hot inside (5)
DELHI – DELI (food bar) with H (hot) ‘inside’

S1