DT 26924

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26924

A full review by gnomethang

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****

Morning All!. I eventually solved this on Tuesday night having had a very busy weekend – thank goodness I am on holiday after tonight!. All in all I found this a fair test (although I have been rather tired!) and when reviewing I spotted a couple of &Lit clues that I thought worked rather well.

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           Beauty getting a little behind covering — hurry up! (4,6)
LOOK SNAPPY – A charade of LOOKS (beauty) and also NAPPY (an excellent definition of ‘a little behind covering!’ leads to an exhortation to hurry up.

6a           Man taking beer cold (4)
ALEC – The proverbially smart man is ALE (beer) and C for Cold (on a tap)

9a           One seeking information about brand new singer ? — hardly (10)
RESEARCHER – A split decision on the day but I believe that I have it right. Someone who is looking for information and facts. Start with RE (About, Reference) and then add SEAR for brand (a cow hide for example). The final four letters (CHER) are defined as ‘New singer? – Hardly!. CHER being the American chantoosie whose first hit single was in 1965 – so clearly not a new singer.

10a         Eastern potentate investing rupees initially — here? (4)
AGRA – The AGA (eastern ruler) with R for Rupees installed gives the former capital of Hindustan which would have had an AGA as a potentate.

12a         Second try to come between two old prime ministers is cruel (5-7)
STONY-HEARTED – The definition is cruel or callous. Start with S for S(econd) and then add TONY (Blair) and TED (Heath) around HEAR (to try in a court of law).

15a         Actor following peacekeepers having avoided injury (6)
UNHURT – John HURT (The actor from Alien and the Elephant Man amongst many others) after the abbreviation of the United Nations (peacekeepers). The definition is ‘having avoided injury’.

16a         Press network first for American Football (8)
GRIDIRON – The colloquial term for American Football. Take IRON for ‘press’ and first add GRID for ‘network’.

18a         Can spare transplanted organ (8)
PANCREAS – An anagram (translated) of SPARE CAN gives a small but essential organ of the body.

19a         Thank Arabs abandoning outskirts in Middle-Eastern city (6)
ANKARA – Another Middle-Eastern city. Remove the outside letters (two of each) from thANK ARAbs

21a         Never designs original formal attire (7,5)
EVENING DRESS – An anagram (indicated by Original) of NEVER DESIGNS gives the formal attire for night time dinners.

24a         Fishing equipment missing first fishes (4)
EELS – The slippery fish are comprised of REELS (fishing equipment) with the first letter removed

25a         Bishop has row about instruction that’s dubious (10)
BORDERLINE – Dubious or touch and go. B for Bishop with LINE (row) around (about) ORDER for instruction.

26a         Wrong time to go after mount (4)
TORT – T for Time after TOR (a mountain or peak) for a legal wrong that is the subject of a court case.

27a         Great excitement — it’s loud always where sport is played (5,5)
FEVER PITCH – W00T! The Olympics are upon us and we are all in a state of great excitement!. A charade of F (loud, Forte), EVER (always) and the PITCH where sports are played.

Down

1d           Master offering choice of old money (4)
LORD – The master of the manor for example. The old money is L, S, & D (pounds, schillings and pence or Librum, Solidus and Denarius in the Latin which gove the abbreviations). The wordplay is a choice of two of the three – L OR D.

2d           Oven topping off what it does (4)
OAST – An oven can make a (R)OAST. Remove the first letter for a kiln or oven that dries hops.

3d           Daft person to feed chickens perhaps with bit of barley not good (12)
SCATTERBRAIN – A daft or forgetful person. Start with SCATTER GRAIN (feed chicken perhaps) then add the first bit of Barley and remove (not good) the G.

4d           A nose for advancement (6)
ASCENT – A simple definition and cryptic. Split as A SCENT it means a nose or aroma but altogether it is the upwards movement of advancement.

5d           Bid to restrain Norse god’s excess (8)
PLETHORA – THOR (the Norse god) inside PLEA (bid, entreaty) gives a glut or excess.

7d           Dock worker’s less serious fellow (10)
LIGHTERMAN – A charade of LIGHTER (less serious) and MAN (fellow). The definition is a dockworker who transported goods between ships and quays.

8d           Cautious about Italian lady — one may be drunk (10)
CHARDONNAY – An oldish word for cautious (CHARY) around DONNA (an Italian lady) leads to a (white) wine that may be drunk.

11d         Place at end of flight and take off (7,5)
LANDING STRIP – A very good &Lit or all-in-one clue. The whole phrase is the definition and also an instruction to take he LANDING (end of a flight of stairs) and add STRIP (take off clothes).

13d         Extra part of diet male gymnasts perhaps take primarily (10)
SUPPLEMENT – This is an additional vitamin or other nutriment taken. Male gymnasts might be described as SUPPLE MEN (by definition indicated by ‘perhaps’). Then add the T for the primary letter of Take.

14d         Fortuitous throw of dice sent back minister (10)
CHANCELLOR – A Governmental minister s the definition. Start with CHANCE (fortuitous) and then reverse ROLL (a throw of a dice that has been sent back).

17d         Island clump of trees could be this (8)
MANGROVE – The Island is the Isle of MAN. Adding a GROVE (clump of trees) leads to a MANGROVE (swamp) that is typically on a small ait or island in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics

20d         Dental work good in woman getting married (6)
BRIDGE – Simple enough. G(ood) in BRIDE for the ubiquitous Crosswordland card game.

22d         Clothing worn around Loch? (4)
KILT – Another good &Lit. Clothing can be KIT. If placed (worn) around the abbreviation for Loch you get the Scottish clothing which s defined by the whole clue. Top stuff!.

23d         Get entangled in crime shamelessly (4)
MESH – A nice easy one to finish with. A verb meaning to get entangled is hidden in the last two words.

At the time that this is posted I am hoping to be on site already at Hammersmith and I hope to be able to battle my way back through StPancras to get home and start my holls!.
Thanks to the setter!