Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28552
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 7th October 2017
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Morning All! Due to unforseen work commitments I am unable to get the review out until later this evening. Apologies and please feel free to talk among yourselves.
Even more work commitments mean that the following has been prepared in a great hurry by crypticsue.
Lots of reversing going on in this particular crossword which I don’t think I noticed until I had to type this out. I’d also note that it is interesting that you would appear to get more comments when a review doesn’t appear then when it does!
Across
1a Like amateur in church, primarily (4)
LAIC – The first letters (primarily) of Like Amateur In Church
3a Bar bowler for match between close rivals (5,5)
LOCAL DERBY – LOCAL (bar, pub) DERBY (what our friends over The Pond call a bowler hat
8a Someone going mad put butter on signalling device (8)
RAMPAGER – RAM (a ‘butter’) on PAGER (signalling device)
9a Friend‘s stable occupation (6)
MUCKER – An informal term for a best mate or an occupation in a stable full of horses
10a Fight against doctor in Ulster, perhaps (6)
COMBAT – MB (doctor) in COAT (Ulster being a type of long loose overcoat)
11a Jump over insects in tight trousers (3,5)
SKI PANTS – SKIP (jump over) ANTS (insects)
13a Place for hard work where someone having a row’s unknown (8)
SCULLERY – SCULLER (someone having a row) Y (mathematical unknown)
14a Expression of disgust that man’s picked up as Poet Laureate once (6)
HUGHES – UGH (expression of disgust) picked up by HES (that man’s)
16a Not moving?
It’s shocking (6)
STATIC – Double definition
19a Fashion designers (not one English) supplying outfit (8)
DRESSING – An anagram (fashion) of DESIGNERS without one of the Es (not one English)
21a Draws little man as going after fling, being retired (8)
TOMBOLAS – TOM (‘little’ abbreviated man), and then AS (from the clue) going after a reversal (being retired) of LOB (fling)
22a One who is hard up‘s written article about uranium (6)
PAUPER – PAPER (written article) ‘about’ U (chemical symbol for Uranium)
23a Lark about entertaining old soldiers (6)
TROOPS – A reversal (about) of SPORT (lark about) ‘entertaining’ O (old)
24a Scales, perhaps, everything back after cut (8)
PRUNELLA – A reversal (back) of ALL (everything) goes after PRUNE (cut)
25a Observed in animated dances (10)
MAINTAINED – An anagram (dances) of IN ANIMATED
26a Book dedication of egotist (4)
TOME – TO ME (dedication of egotist)
Down
1d Songwriters call up securing one in charts (9)
LYRICISTS – A reversal (up) of CRY (call) ‘securing’ I (one) inserted into LISTS (charts)
2d International sportsman with skill getting bronze — he enhanced many grounds (10,5)
CAPABILITY BROWN – CAP (international sportsman) ABILITY (skill) BROWN (bronze)
3d Someone who’s left something Eastern accepted by ambassador (7)
LEGATEE – E (Eastern) ‘accepted’ by LEGATE (ambassador)
4d Brief agreement raised as gesture of respect (7)
CURTSEY – CURT (brief) and a reversal (raised) of YES (agreement)
5d Stolid politician, one accosted by drunk (7)
LUMPISH – MP (politician) I (one) ‘accosted by’ LUSH (drunk)
6d One being taught abroad scanned huge text for translation (8,7)
EXCHANGE STUDENT – An anagram (for translation) of SCANNED HUGE TEXT
7d Police HQ‘s measures (5)
YARDS – double definition
12d Fix match (3)
TIE – Swiftly followed by another one
15d Angus turned up with mysterious source of sweetness (5,4)
SUGAR CANE – A reversal (turned up) of GUS (Angus) with ARCANE (mysterious)
17d Anything from Yorkshire upset a couple (3)
OWT – A reversal (upset) of the Yorkshire way of saying anything
18d Ascending selection from Pat’s electric keyboard instrument (7)
CELESTA – Lurking in reverse (ascending) in a selection from pATS ELECtric
19d Comical stand-up, collector of dirty material (7)
DUSTPAN – An anagram (comical) of STAND UP
20d Talk at length about old stamp (7)
EXPOUND – EX (old) POUND (stamp)
21d Carry on miles — something regarded with awe (5)
TOTEM – TOTE on M (miles)
B2
After years away from cyrptics, I’ve been trying them for the last few weeks and today’s is the first I’ve completed since 2008. Hurrah! Thanks, BD!
Welcome to the blog, Alex. Well done! Stick with us and that will become an everyday occurrence.
Love your new month Gnomethang! Can we all make up one for ourselves? I’m going for Decebruary.
From memory, both Dad and I thought this was a tough cookie to break, we got there in the end but the difficulty level was up more than a notch
As Dad has been doing the crossword longer than I’ve been alive (I am into my fifth decade), I listen to him 😀
I loved the new month name too!
I’m going to bash out a review as the Gnome is working (again) but I’ve got one of those Saturdays a bit like a tour of Europe – if its 5 to 11 it must be letting bellringers into our tower – but I will be back as soon as I can