DT 28623

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28623

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 30^th December 2017

BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***/****

An enjoyable Saturday Prize Puzzle

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Across

1a    Alternating study and employment in place of golf in Kent? (8,6)
SANDWICH COURSE – A way of alternating periods of study with paid employment could also describe a famous Kent golf course

9a    Riddle: what’s at head of stage coach? (8)
STRAINER – S (what’s at [the] head of Stage) TRAINER (coach)

10a    Amusing toy entertains Queen (5)
DROLL – DOLL (toy) ‘entertains’ R (Regina, Queen)

12a    Disappointed expression with railway being wonky (4)
AWRY – AW (disappointed expression) with RY (railway)

13a    Croatia cut out being dictatorial (10)
AUTOCRATIC – An anagram (out) of CROATIA CUT

15a    I speak ill of key resident (8)
ISLANDER – I (from the clue) SLANDER (speak ill of)

16a    Outlaw bishop with vermouth (6)
BANDIT – B (bishop) AND (with) IT (vermouth)

18a    Ridiculous sailors going by superior road (6)
ABSURD – ABS (Able-Bodied Seamen, sailors) U (superior) RD (road)

20a    Frivolous satirical sketch — this upset (8)
SKITTISH – SKIT (satirical sketch) and an anagram (upset) of THIS

23a    Two pieces of furniture I must move, being kind (10)
CHARITABLE – CHAIR and TABLE, the I in the CHAIR moving to the end of that word

24a    Mostly pick up title role in Shakespeare (4)
LEAR – Most of LEARn (pick up)

26a    `Advocate trade importing tropical fish (5)
TETRA – Imported into, or lurking within, advocaTE TRAde

27a    Book helps musicians (8)
BASSISTS – B (book) ASSISTS (helps)

28a    Criminal hated brother’s accepting of honour (5,2,3,4)
ORDER OF THE BATH – An anagram (criminal) of HATED BROTHER ‘accepting’ OF (from the clue)

Down

2d    Note talented performer (7)
NATURAL – a double definition that took a moment to spot

3d    River erosion (4)
WEAR – Another double definition – a river in NE England or a synonym for erosion

4d    Cut off electric power after criminal’s perplexed (8)
CONFUSED – CON (criminal) FUSED (cut off electric power)

5d    Lad following vehicle shows bottle (6)
CARBOY – BOY (lad) following CAR (vehicle)

6d    Briefs international agency soldiers about communist uprising seizing power (10)
UNDERPANTS – UN (international agency) followed by ANTS (soldiers) ‘about’ a reversal of RED (communist) and P (power)

7d and 8: Songbirds caught sight of cobwebs perhaps (7,11)
SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS – SPOTTED (caught sight of) FLY CATCHERS (cobwebs perhaps)

8 See 7

11d    The holy see it appearing both ways in job opportunity (7,4)
VATICAN CITY – IT (from the clue) appearing ‘both ways’ – firstly TI and then IT – in VACANCY

14d    Develop a rendition that’s OTT (10)
INORDINATE – An anagram (develop) of A RENDITION

17d    What you need for job putting first drop of sauce in pan (5,3)
SKILL SET – S (the first ‘drop’ of Sauce) in SKILLET (pan)

19d    Second person at tea party in break (7)
SHATTER – S (second) HATTER (person at tea party)

21d    Sluggishness I retain when working (7)
INERTIA – An anagram (when working) of I RETAIN

22d    60 per cent flummoxed seeing what pandas eat (6)
BAMBOO – The first six letters (60%) of a ten-letter synonym for flummoxed – BAMBOOzled

25d    Axe tree with energy (4)
FIRE – FIR tree with E (energy)

S2