Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28647

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 27^th January 2018

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

One of those crosswords where you wonder if you’d have taken less time solving it if you hadn’t been on a train with loads of Brazilian schoolchildren all talking as loudly as they could. No particular favourites but I’ve given special mention to the clues that were the subject of much discussion at the Birthday Bash

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Across

1a    Time limits second fatal quality (10)
DEADLINESS – Add an S (second) to DEADLINES (time limits)

6a    Rugby player‘s item used in play (4)
PROP – Double definition

9a    Worry about American soldier returning hot goods (7)
FREIGHT – FRET (worry) goes about a reversal (returning) of GI (American soldier) and H (hot)

10a    Football club magazine (7)
ARSENAL – And another double definition clue

12a    Decline to check current address (13)
DETERIORATION – DETER (check) I (electrical current) ORATION (address)

14a    Ceremony accompanying one decoration or another (6)
POMPOM – POMP (ceremony) accompanying OM (Order of Merit, decoration)

15a    Sapper, favourite after loading a Queen’s gun (8)
REPEATER – RE (Royal Engineer, sapper) PET (favourite) with A (from the clue) inserted (after loading A) and ER (the regnal cipher of our current Queen

17a    I am after gold fake (8)
IMPOSTOR – IM (I am) POST (after) OR (gold)

19a    Shining silver light almost encircling earth (6)
AGLEAM – AG (chemical symbol for silver) LAMp (almost all of a light) ‘encircling’ E (earth)

22a    Solderer worked with metal forced through (13)
STEAMROLLERED – An anagram (worked) of SOLDERER with METAL

24a    A canoe I manoeuvred round group of Pacific islands (7)
OCEANIA – An anagram (manoeuvred) of A CANOE I

25a    Uncivilised church leader out of work accepts boring routine (7)
BRUTISH – Remove (out) the OP (work) from a BISHOP (church leader) and insert (accepts) RUT (boring routine)

26a    Pilot‘s ordeal (4)
TEST – This double definition, the first one being a verb rather than a person, was the clue that caused the most muttering at Bridge House on the day

27a    Financial district cash-holder must accept rest being disturbed (4,6)
WALL STREET – WALLET (cash holder) must accept an anagram (being disturbed) of REST

Down

1d    Stupid duke gets back (4)
DAFT – D (duke) AFT (back)

2d    A fool turned up around final item for discussion (7)
AGENDUM – A (from the clue) and a reversal (turned up in a Down clue) of MUG (fool) goes around END (final)

3d    He helps keep sailors safe although mines exploded (13)
LIGHTHOUSEMAN – An anagram (exploded) of ALTHOUGH MINES

4d    Unspoilt countryside turning brown over river (6)
NATURE – A reversal (turning) of TAN (brown) goes over the River URE

5d    Given spice — caraway perhaps — a boy is tucking in (8)
SEASONED – A SON is tucked into SEED (caraway perhaps)

7d    Go wild seeing smallest item of litter dropped round Brazilian city (3,4)
RUN RIOT – RUNT (smallest item of litter) ‘dropped round’ RIO (Brazilian city)

8d    Friend at airstrip needed radar for instance (10)
PALINDROME – PAL (friend) IN DROME (at airstrip)

11d    Childish game about Emma Peel, say, in crash (9,4)
SCAVENGER HUNT – C (circa, about) and AVENGER (Emma Peel, say) in SHUNT (crash). Cue discussion amongst Birthday Bash attendees about whether this was a game for children or grown ups

13d    Booty left for antisocial type (10)
SPOILSPORT – SPOILS (booty) PORT (left)

16d    Hook may set out to reach a Japanese port (8)
YOKOHAMA – An anagram (set out) of HOOK MAY followed by A (from the clue)

18d    Looks to hoard the French old coppers (7)
PEELERS – PEERS (looks) to ‘hoard’ LE (French definite article)

20d    One in Sweden confused, back to front (7)
ENDWISE – I (one) in an anagram (confused) of SWEDEN

21d    International target investing pounds, billions, separately (6)
GLOBAL – GOAL (target) ‘investing) L (pounds) and B (billions) in separate places

23d    Talk of clubs with bowler? (4)
CHAT – C (clubs) HAT (bowler)

S2