Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27241
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Another typical Cephas Saturday puzzle – there are eight anagrams but all with his usual excellently original indicators.
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Across
1a Furry creature, one engaged in permanent frisking (4,6)
PINE MARTEN – Insert I (one) into an anagram (frisking) of PERMANENT.
6a Toboggan you need to pull with energy (4)
LUGE – LUG (pull) plus E (energy).
8a Closet is turned out for date in June, perhaps (8)
SOLSTICE – An anagram (turned out) of CLOSET IS.
9a Woman in touring car gets the bird (6)
GANNET – Insert ANNE (woman) into GT (Gran Tourismo, a motor car designed for touring in luxury and at high speed).
10a Ruined rugby side’s first point (8)
BANKRUPT – The clue tells you to put BANK (side, edge) first before RU (Rugby Union) and PT (the abbreviation for point).
11a One can’t play it at school (6)
TRUANT – A nice cryptic definition.
12a Free, after some string-pulling (4)
UNDO – Loosen from a knotted string , for example.
14a Rapper‘s critic (7)
KNOCKER – A double definition –the first something used to rap on a door; the second someone who criticizes.
18a Hold spellbound during tenth rally (7)
ENTHRAL is hidden in tENTH RALly.
20a Spread trade, getting millions for diamonds? (4)
MEAL – Another word for a spread or feast is obtained by swapping the D (diamonds) at the start of a DEAL or trade with M (millions).
23a Like to travel over water and attack (6)
ASSAIL – AS (like) and SAIL (travel over water).
24a Spin doctor’s new plan for cities — extremely dear (8)
PRICIEST – PR (what a spin doctor does) and an anagram of (new plan for) CITIES
25a Holiday that’s a signal for disaster (6)
MAYDAY – The first May Bank Holiday or the international radiotelephonic distress signal for ships and aircraft.
26a One in favour of trees being replanted? (8)
FORESTER – FOR (in favour of) followed by an anagram (being replanted) of TREES.
27a Make the drink go round (4)
STIR – The circular movement of a spoon , for example, to mix the constituents of a drink.
28a Not like Iris, dismal when drunk (10)
DISSIMILAR – An anagram (when drunk) of IRIS DISMAL.
Down
1d Trading record made by secretary’s second reserve (8)
PASSBOOK – A book which passes between trader and customer – PAS (personal assistant’s) S (second) and BOOK (reserve).
2d Clothing Lynn so crazily (6)
NYLONS – An anagram (crazily) of LYNN SO.
3d Old horse detaining you in France (6)
MATURE – Insert TU (the French familiar form of the second personal pronoun) into a MARE (horse).
4d City area in ecstasy, showing recovery (9)
RECAPTURE – Insert EC (the area of London home to the ‘city’) into RAPTURE (ecstasy).
5d People, say, to be kept in denial (8)
NEGATION – Insert EG (say) into NATION (people).
6d Number suffering become depressed (8)
LANGUISH – L (the Roman numeral for 50) and ANGUISH (suffering).
7d Frenchman opts out of agreement formulated for drink (5,3)
GREEN TEA – Remove M (Monsieur the Frenchman opts out) from AGREEMENT and make an anagram (reformulated) of the remaining letters.
13d Light-headed composer consuming South American port (9)
DELIRIOUS – Insert RIO (the South American port) into the English composer, DELIUS.
15d Four points pitched in television bulletin (8)
NEWSCAST – The four compass points – NEWS – and CAST (pitched in).
16d It will strain commander to alight with Queen (8)
COLANDER – CO (commanding officer) LAND (alight) ER (the cipher of the Queen).
17d Used to be in a job (8)
EMPLOYED – Used as a means or agent; having employment.
19d One talks of overthrow of ruler, etc (8)
LECTURER – An anagram (overthrow) of RULER ETC.
21d Sun’s best part? That’s a laugh (6)
SCREAM – Laugh shrilly and uncontrollably – S (sun) and CREAM (best part).
22d In experiment, A levels may be worked out in the mind (6)
MENTAL – Hidden in experiMENT A Levels.