Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28647
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 27th 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
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 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
Thanks, crypticsue, there were a couple answers I wanted to check today where I needed confirmation. I love the new word you’ve invented for 22a – made my day and sent me off into the cold sunny day with a big smile 😄
Welcome to the blog
I’d like to say it was a deliberate error in order to encourage comments on a weekend puzzle blog but sadly it probably has more to do with my tiredness on Sunday and the number of crossword blogs I had to prepare
You must have corrected it, pity, I was looking for a laugh!
Really enjoyed that one , even though I had never heard of a Lighthouse Keeper referred to as a Lighthouseman ?!! ( & judging by the red underline – neither has my PC !! )