Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28552

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 7^th 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