DT 27307

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27307

A full review by gnomethang

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Morning All!. This had the feel of a Cephas puzzle – please forgive me if I am wrong!. It was a pretty good Saturday puzzle – not too easy with some well observed clues as far as I am concerned.

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Across

1a           Penny’s relationship with Bob near to end of engagement produces drama (7,5)
TWELFTH NIGHT – In numismatic terms the Penny is one TWELFTH of a Bob. Add NIGH (near to) and the end ;letter in engagemenT.

9a           Great church parson I removed (7)
MINSTER – Remove the second I from MIN(i)STER or parson.

10a         Travel document not completed by one corrupt returning traveller (7)
VISITOR – Start with all but the last letter (not completed) of VIS(a). Then add I for one and a reversal (returning) of ROT or corrupt.

11a         Bremner holding decline back in crime (7)
ROBBERY – We need RORY Bremner not Billy!. Include a reversal (holding ….back) of EBB or decline. RO (BBE) RY.

12a         In trouble, Popeye’s opening his can — of this? (7)
SPINACH – Make an anagram (in trouble) of the first letter of P(opeye) and HIS CAN.

13a         Fish gave off a whiff (5)
SMELT – Two definitions that I am sure most of us have seen before.

14a         Where we may find used paintbrush broke (9)
INSOLVENT – The first cryptic definition is IN SOLVENT, i.e. where one might place a glossy paintbrush to clean it. The straight def is broke or skint.

16a         I am priggish type, not unwise (9)
IMPRUDENT – The abbreviation of I AM followed by PRUDE (a priggish type) and then ‘NT – abbreviation of not that is often used colloquially to negate a verb

19a         Some colossal volley (5)
SALVO – An &Lit or all in one clue. The answer is hidden (SOME of) between the last two words and the whole clue provides a definition. Good Work!

21a         Famous aristocrat retaining part-time soldiers (7)
NOTABLE – A NOBLE (aristocrat) is holding (retaining) the abbreviation for the Territorial Army – TA. Them being the part-time soldiers.

23a         Artist visiting Cockney area displaying full range of colours (7)
RAINBOW – An artist in the East End of London might be an RA IN BOW. RA is the abbreviation for a Royal Academician of Arts.

24a         Oriental princess has last month in hospital with touch of anaemia (7)
SULTANA – A couple of things to trip us up here. Firstly the abbreviation ULT is for Ultimate and is often applied to the final month. Place this in a SAN or Sanatorium (hospital) and finally add the first letter in (a touch of) A(mnesia). Nice clue.

25a         Make threat to London College with no short answer (7)
IMPERIL – Remove the A from the IMPERI(a)L College, London.

26a         What parachutist should have done with a change of side for rich countryfolk (6,6)
LANDED GENTRY – A decent parachutist should have LANDED GENTLY. Change the side from L(eft) to R(ight)

Down

1d           Lay down cards taking in bridge opponents capable of defence (7)
TENABLE – E(ast) and N(orth), opponents in the card game of Bridge, inserted into TABLE or lay down cards in a (e.g. bridge) game. T E N ABLE.

2d           Beg favour after people losing head (7)
ENTREAT – TREAT (favour) after (m)EN or people.

3d           Middle-aged and single (5-4)
FORTY-FIVE – Two definitions, the first of our middle years and the second of a pop record (single) that was played at 45 rpm.

4d           They’re full of stingers giving nettle-rash (5)
HIVES – HIVES are full of bees (stingers). The straight definition is the colloquial medical term

5d           Teacher’s developed here, to teach (7)
INSTILL – Split as (2,5) you might find the place where Teacher’s whisky is developed. Not quite correct as Teacher’s is a blended whisky so it may come from a number of stills. To teach is the straight definition.

6d           The toad’s transformed for lovers’ tryst (3,4)
HOT DATE – An anagram (transformed) of THE TOAD.

7d           One churning out some prints is artist (13)
IMPRESSIONIST – I for one then an anagram (churning out) SOME PRINTS IS.

8d           One’s subtitle alternatively expression of surprise on seeing its author (2,4,3,4)
OR WHAT YOU WILL – The subtitle of One (across). A charade of OR (alternatively) WHAT YOU, WILL? – this is an expression of surprise on seeing the author WILL Shakespeare.

15d         Function featuring a performance that’s gloomy (9)
SATURNINE – A SINE (a mathematical function) is including (featuring) A TURN (a performance).

17d         Spanish food contains bit of turkey bone (7)
PATELLA – Place T (a bit of the word T(urkey)) inside PAELLA , the famous Spanish food dish. One’s kneecap.

18d         Mounted second-rate attack giving abuse (7)
UPBRAID – A charade of UP (mounted on horseback), B for second rate and RAID for attack. Abuse here is a verb not a noun.

19d         Get very little writing as pen tip’s broken (7)
SNIPPET – A broken anagram of PEN TIP’S.

20d         New York statue terribly damaged — that’s not right (7)
LIBERTY – You can find the Statue of LIBERTY from removing the R(ight) (not right) from a damaged anagram of TE(R)RIBLY.

22d         Antelope dash over Germany (5)
ELAND – ELAN for dash or pizzazz above (over in a down clue) D for Deutschland or Germany.

 

Thanks to (I think) Cephas for an enjoyable puzzle. I have a week off next week but hope to see some of you either at the Town of Ramsgate in Wapping or else the celebrations for John Henderson’s 50^th in Sheffield.