Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27474
A full review by gnomethang
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
This puzzle was published on Saturday, 26th April 2014
Morning All. I found this nicely tricky in places but personally the difficulty was reduced by a number of chestnutty treatments of common crossword lights. There were some other clues I found highly entertaining when the penny dropped
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Across
1a Blood pressure’s about to kill off muscle (6)
BICEPS – The abbreviation (hereafter abb.) of Blood Pressure with the apostrophe ‘S around (about) ICE for kill off or assassinate in the American gang parlance.
4a I speak ill of West Indian perhaps (8)
ISLANDER – Reasonable chestnutty but I missed it again! A charade of I SLANDER (I speak ill of).
10a Caught odd bit of musician’s set (5,4)
SNARE DRUM – Lovely clue!. Mixed as (6,4) it is a charade of SNARED (caught) and RUM (odd).
11a Reminder about university having good feeling (5)
PROUD – A PROD or reminder around (about) the abb. U for University.
12a Tie up ship just right around bar (7)
TAPROOM – A reversal (around) of MOOR (tie up ship) and PAT (just so/right). Nicely misleading .
13a Part of garden where rowdy biker’s unknown (7)
ROCKERY – I spent a while trying to make an anagram of (bikers) with Y for Unknown variable following. In fact we need a ROCKER (as opposed to a Mod) for the rowdy biker. Then add the Y unknown mathematical variable.
14a Weird English lake (5)
EERIE – More chestnut for me. E for English then Lake ERIE.
15a Respite for person swimming round about (8)
BREATHER – Place a BATHER (person swimming) around the outside of RE for about (RE: Reference).
18a In correspondence with friend about artist joining the French Left (8)
PARALLEL – Place a PAL (friend) around (about) RA – the abb. of Royal Academician (artist) and then add LE (the in French) and finally L for Left. PA(RA)L LE L
20a Welsh town has tidy hospital (5)
NEATH – A simple charade of MEAT (tidy) and H for Hospital.
23a One held without women in Plymouth landmark (7)
HOSTAGE – I liked this clue as well. Place STAG (something held without women involved) inside the Plymouth HOE landmark.
25a Play vid strangely without enthusiasm (7)
VAPIDLY – An anagram (strangely) of PLAY VID.
26a Gritty Murray is behind second (5)
SANDY – Place ANDY (Murray the current tennis player) after S for Second. Personally I don’t like this sort of reference to someone currently popular but unlikely to stand the test of time. Cue clue for BORG…
27a One saint catching fish, going by place associated with Angel (9)
ISLINGTON – Place LING (fish) inside I for one and ST (abb. of Saint). Then add ON (going by). I S(LING)T ON
28a Sprains something to do with hip in simple transport (8)
RICKSHAW – Another very tricky clue for a Saturday!. RICKS one’s back for example then HAW – a synonym for the hawthorn or rose tree – associated with the HIP which is the fruit of the same.
29a Card game — pontoon perhaps (6)
BRIDGE – A simple double definition – The card game and the floating bridge made by sappers in the war. Nicely misleading with two card games in there!.
Down
1d Get seen missing Penny, madly in love (8)
BESOTTED – BE S(p)OTTED or get seen having removed P for Penny.
2d Show appreciation for each part of bell (7)
CLAPPER – A charade of CLAP (show appreciation) and PER (for each/every).
3d Events experienced in catastrophe no men anticipated (9)
PHENOMENA – Hidden inside (experienced in) catastro phe no men a nticipated
5d Group left in certain parties frequently inundated area (8,6)
SOMERSET LEVELS – SET (a collection) then L for left inside REVELS or parties. Start with SOME meaning certain (as in to a certain /partial extent). I don’t actually like this last synonym.
6d Meat jelly with a reduced flavour (5)
ASPIC – A form the clue then a reduction (all but the last letter) in SPIC€ or flavour.
7d See code is broken by European (7)
DIOCESE – One of BD’s “Usual Suspects”. An anagram (broken) of CODE IS followed by E for European.
8d Flaw in photo — apply colour again to cover origin of error (3-3)
RED-EYE – RE-DYE (apply colour to hair again) around (coverig) the original letter in E(rror).
9d Ample librarian becoming star of Romeo and Juliet perhaps (5,9)
PRIMA BALLERINA – Becoming id the anagram indicator or AMPLE LIBRARIAN. A shuddering thought!
16d Can batsman put together a helping hand for Cook? (3-6)
TIN-OPENER – TIN for can and then OPENER (a batsman who starts the innings of which Alistair Cook is currently an example).
17d Native American evokes retiring Princess (8)
CHEYENNE – A none too convincing homophone (indicated by evokes) of SHY ANNE – the Princess Royal.
19d It’s deadly performing in races (7)
ARSENIC – An anagram (performing) of IN RACES. Plenty of other deadly things on the menu though.
21d Checked over Heath’s foreign car (7)
AUDITED – Place the AUDI (foreign car) over (on top of in a down clue) TED Heath, the former Conservative Prime Minister.
22d One drink after another — Red Rum perhaps (6)
CHASER – A nice definition plus cryptic definition. The second drink (e.g. whisky after a pint of heavy) and the type of racehorse.
24d Fool swallowed by chasm (5)
ABYSS – Place an ASS (fool) inside BY from the clue.
I have a week off now so I will see you in a couple of Thursday’s time. Thanks to the setter.