DT 28815 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
No comments

DT 28815

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28815

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on 11th August 2018

BD Rating – Difficulty *Enjoyment ***

A Saturday puzzle that didn’t take long to solve or explain

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Bed of troupers unmade (4-6)
FOUR-POSTER – An anagram (unmade) of OF TROUPERS

6a    Bench gives criminal record (4)
FORM A type of seat or a slang term for a criminal record

9a    Reduce security for safety measures? (10)
FIREGUARDS – Split your solution 4,6 and you’d definitely reduce your security

10a    Laws found in part of the New Testament (4)
ACTS – Another double definition

12a    Excellent penalty (4)
FINE – And a third, very helpful to the solver, double definition clue

13a    Bishop leaves companion in impasse (9)
STALEMATE – B, the abbreviation for Bishop leaves a STABLEMATE (companion)

15a    Look on as muscle gets brought into condition (8)
SPECTATE – PEC (muscle) brought into STATE (condition)

16a    Common sense displayed by Norman? (6)
WISDOM – Norman the comedian who often played characters without much common sense

18a    A small clique’s property (6)
ASSETS – A (from the clue) S (small) SETS (clique’s)

20a    Using air-conditioning I draw off form of pollution (4,4)
ACID RAIN – AC (Air Conditioning) I (from the clue) DRAIN (draw off)

23a    Reason to limit supply of beer (9)
RATIONALE – RATION (limit supply of) ALE (beer)

24a    Con flier (4)
ROOK – Double definition no 4 – a person who cons or deceives someone or a type of bird (flier)

26a    Laze about having endless money (4)
LOLL – Endless indicates the requirement to remove the final letter from LOLLy (money)

27a    Huge amount thrown around — pounds — draws soldiers in (10)
MONUMENTAL – An anagram (thrown) of AMOUNT followed by L (Pounds Sterling) into which is inserted (draws … in) MEN (soldiers)

28a    Head off donkey in a whirl (4)
EDDY – Remove the ‘head’ or first letter of NEDDY the donkey

29a    Old female relative carried in ambulance, stressed (10)
ANCESTRESS – Lurking (carried) in ambulANCE STRESSed

Down

1d    Musical instrument somewhere in Scotland (4)
FIFE – Double definition number 5

2d    Exalt with high-class acclaim (7)
UPRAISE – U (high – upper – class) PRAISE (acclaim)

3d    Mate pointing out blemish? (12)
PIGMENTATION – An anagram (out) of MATE POINTING

4d    Rare quality such as Bath’s spoken of (8)
SPARSITY – A homophone (spoken) of SPA CITY (Bath being an example of one such city)

5d    Last organ to attract affection (6)
ENDEAR – END (last) EAR (organ)

7d    Garden producing fruit or edible leaves (7)
ORCHARD – OR (from the clue) CHARD (edible leaves)

8d    Smart denim worn for quiz (10)
MASTERMIND – An anagram (worn) of SMART DENIM

11d    Confusion of less sophisticated people in punt (12)
BEWILDERMENT – WILDER (less sophisticated) MEN (people) inserted in BET (punt)

14d    Initially arduous exercise in gym following directions — light footwear needed (10)
ESPADRILLE – E S (compass directions) followed by A (the initial letter of arduous) and DRIL (exercise) inserted into PE (gym)

17d    Avoid turning up following school timetable (8)
SCHEDULE – A reversal (turning up in a Down clue) of ELUDE (avoid) following SCH (school)

19d    Brock’s home was first to be established (7)
SETTLED – SETT (home to Brock the badger) LED (was first)

21d    Peter perhaps bitter about job (7)
APOSTLE – ALE (bitter) goes about POST (job)

22d    Islander succeeded with a complaint (6)
SAMOAN – S (succeeded) A (from the clue) MOAN (complaint)

25d    Range of top-class albums (4)
ALPS – A (top class) LPS (albums)