Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28940

A full review by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Another fairly average Saturday crossword

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Across

1a    Clear backing to enter Brazilian city to reach America is absurd (10)
RIDICULOUS – A reversal (backing) of LUCID (clear) inserted into RIO (Brazilian city) which then ‘reaches’ US (America)

6a    A service returned from great distance (4)
AFAR – A (from the clue) and a reversal (returned) of RAF (Royal Air Force, service)

9a    Mostly seek advice from transport office in Rome (10)
CONSULSHIP – Almost all of CONSULt (seek) SHIP (transport)

10a    Tall pine (4)
LONG – Double definition

12a    TV presenter in cast for folk song (6)
SHANTY – ANT (TV presenter) inserted into SHY (cast)

13a    Injecting drug, turn to crime fast (8)
METEORIC – Insert (injecting) E (Ecstasy, drug) into an anagram (turn) of TO CRIME

15a    Having mind set on something second-hand apparently (12)
PREPOSSED – PRE POSSESSED (formerly used, second-hand apparently)

18a    Murder mystery a mother set up ingeniously (3,9)
THE MOUSETRAP – An anagram (ingeniously) of A MOTHER SET UP

21a    Party needs servile type to get power (8)
DOMINION – DO (party) MINION (servile type)

22a    Moving faster, attack from the air (6)
STRAFE – An anagram (moving) of FASTER

24a    Goatherd shows such promise (4)
OATH – Showing in gOATHerd

25a    Fought against mineral racket once (10)
BATTLEDORE – BATTLED (fought against) ORE (mineral)

26a    One bound to work swears regularly and loudly (4)
SERF – The regular letters of SwEaRs and F (musical instruction to play loudly)

27a    A letter granting authorisation (10)
PERMISSIVE – PER (a, each) MISSIVE

Down

1d    Playground on a street reconstructed (6)
RECAST – REC (recreation ground, playground) on A (from the clue) ST (street)

2d    Rejection of agreement about Northern Ireland (6)
DENIAL – DEAL (agreement) ‘about’ NI (Northern Ireland)

3d    Combination of melodies from nocturne I opt to change (12)
COUNTERPOINT – An anagram (to change) of NOCTURNE I OPT

4d    Drunkard, opulent, spending penny (4)
LUSH – Spend or remove the P for Penny from PLUSH (opulent)

5d    Seat of learning developing virtues in youth primarily (10)
UNIVERSITY – An anagram (developing) of VIRTUES IN Y (youth ‘primarily’)

7d    Rather like meal to be a success (8)
FLOURISH – FLOUR ISH (rather like meal in the sense of grain)

8d    Detectives replacing male in regime, doing away with top man (8)
REGICIDE – Replace the M (male) in REGImE with CID (detectives)

11d    Generous woman makes complaint about new player (12)
BENEFACTRESS – BEEF (complaint) goes ‘about’ N (new) and the result is followed by ACTRESS (player)

14d    Spot a piece that’s unusual in office (10)
EPISCOPATE – An anagram (that’s unusual) of SPOT A PIECE

16d    Designation of family film acquired by movie-makers working hard (8)
STUDIOUS – U (designation of a film suitable for all the family) ‘acquired by’ STUDIOS (movie-makers)

17d    Truck driver — one trying to go round America (8)
TEAMSTER – TESTER (one trying) going round AM (America)

19d    Plain building around old Italian city (6)
NAPOLI – An anagram (building) of PLAIN around O (old)

20d    Scrub allowed to be engulfed by river (6)
DELETE – LET (allowed) ‘engulfed’ by the river DEE

23d    Stop race (4)
STEM – A verb meaning to stop or the main line of a family (race)