DT 28635

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28635

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 13^th January 2018

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Morning All! A pretty standard Saturday puzzle that I solved in about two star time. There were some divertingly constructed clues that were quite enjoyable to fathom even if the answer pretty much presented itself from the checking letters (although that might not reflect everybody’s solving experience!).

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

1a           I overacted terribly with embellishments (10)
DECORATIVE – An anagram (terribly) of I OVERACTED.

6a           Society driver? (4)
CLUB – Both an e.g. Gentleman’s Club and a golf club.

9a           Green rat? (5)
GRASS – Two definitions – the GRASS on a putting green for example and also to inform upon.

10a         A nice mild rum having restorative effect (9)
MEDICINAL – An anagram, indicated by rum, of A NICE MILD.

12a         New era at EU after number ring honoured scientist? (5,8)
NOBEL LAUREATE – Place an anagram (new) of ERA AT EU after NO. for number and BELL or ring. The question mark at the end denotes the definition by example in that there are other Nobel Laureates that just scientists.

14a         Charming computer pioneer losing head after everything (8)
ALLURING – Remove the head letter from Alan (T)URING the computer pioneer and place after ALL/everything.

15a         Wimp keeping theologian in union (6)
WEDDED – A DD or Divinitas Doctor/theologian placed inside a WEED or wimp.

17a         Bets on first races (6)
RELAYS –LAYS for bets with RE for on/about coming first.

19a         Puddings one gets anxious about (8)
DESSERTS – A reversal (about) of STRESSED for anxious.

21a         Bland heir to the throne’s gripping performance — monarch (13)
CHARACTERLESS – The heir to the throne is Prince CHARLES. Add the apostrophe ‘S from the clue and insert into that (it is gripping) ACT for performance and ER, Elizabeth Regina for monarch – CHAR (ACT ER ) LES’S

24a         One’s work is boring (9)
TUNNELLER – A pretty straightforward cryptic definition where tunnels are bored out.

25a         Get smart advertising demon (5)
PRIMP – Advertising can be PR (Public Relations). Add an IMP or demon.

26a         Bird no longer around pair of gulls (4)
DODO – To gull someone is to con or ‘DO’ them. A pair of gulls is thus DO DO

27a         Go and allow to swallow new sweet (10)
PEPPERMINT – PEP for go/oomph and PERMIT/allow which has swallowed an N for New.

Down

1d           Likes lodgings (4)
DIGS – To appreciate/like in the vernacular is to DIG and the second definition is lodgings or temporary rented accomodations.

2d           Luxury brand covering northern TV station (7)
CHANNEL – Place CHANEL (a luxury fashion brand) around (it is covering) N for Northern

3d           Fruit producer gets show of disapproval — switch (9,4)
RASPBERRY CANE – To disapprove by blowing a RASPBERRY followed by a CANE for a switch/length of light wood.

4d           Abdominal jewellery on view in acrobatics (8)
The last word in the clue was incorrectly shown as scrobatics in the newspaper version and for a while in the online version
TUMBLING – Some jewellery in the midriff might cryptically be described as TUM BLING.

5d           Dave almost OK drunk — with this? (5)
VODKA – An anagram both of DAV(e) (almost? and OK .

7d           Rope some coated in grease (7)
LANYARD – ANY for some is enclosed by/coated in LARD for grease.

8d           Hurry to settle beneath less hairy bunk (10)
BALDERDASH – to DASH or hurry underneath (beneath in a down clue) BALDER for less hairy.

11d         One complaining must accept maybe dog’s little cleaner (6-7)
CARPET SWEEPER – One complaining is a CARPER. It must include/accept both PET’S for dog’s and WEE for little.

13d         Created debt Africa is suffering (10)
FABRICATED  – An anagram (suffering) of DEBT AFRICA.

16d         Father eating bit of cereal with doctor — that’s sweet (4,4)
PEAR DROP – POP for father including/eating an EAR (of corn, say) and DR for doctor.

18d         Scholarly study taken up following work of Shakespeare (7)
LEARNED – Reverse (take up) a DEN or study and place after (King) LEAR – a Shakespearean work.

20d         Composer of opera in which French king admits terrible sins (7)
ROSSINI – An anagram (terrible) of SINS inside le ROI or French for king.

22d         Fine material gives Jethro ecstasy (5)
TULLE – Jethro TULL with E for Ecstasy.

23d         Raise suggestions for means to roast meat (4)
SPIT – Reverse (raise) TIPS for suggestions.

Thanks to the setter – it felt like a Peter Chamberlain (?). I’ll be back next week.