DT 27492

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27492

A full review by gnomethang

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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **

This puzzle was published on Saturday, 17th May 2014

Morning All!. This was a pretty quick solve even for a Saturday prize puzzle. Not much to complain about for me but nothing really stood out either.

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

8a           What Lisa might do when at sea (4)
SAIL – The whole clue provides the definition and the instruction iss to make an anagram (when at sea) of LISA.

9a           Jack’s novel concerning the old people down under (10)
ABORIGINAL – A charade of AB (an Able Bodied seaman or Jack) and ORIGINAL for novel.

10a         Raider‘s destroyed cake with tart being thrown around (8)
ATTACKER – An anagram (destroyed) of CAKE combined with an anagram (being thrown around) of TART.

11a         Old man needing shelter — that’s obvious (6)
PATENT – PA for father/old man and then TENT for shelter.

12a         Increase in noise as soccer gets played round goal (9)
CRESCENDO – Make an anagram (played around) of SOCCER around the outside of END or goal/target.

13a         Grim film you and I should leave (5)
STERN – Start with a WESTERN film and then remove the WE (i.e. you and I should leave).

15a         Puzzler continued unnoticed to give an example (7)
ANAGRAM – The cryptic puzzle device can turn UNNOTICED into CONTINUED.

17a         States the woman may identify herself with I… (7)
AMERICA – If a particular woman affirmed her identity she would say (I) AM ERICA.

20a         Foam from really old tumble-drier, hot to start with (5)
FROTH – The starting letters (to start with) in From Really Old Tumble-drier, Hot.

22a         Prompt soldier’s going west, getting aboard in Washington, say (9)
INSTIGATE – Reverse GI (an Americal soldier going west) inside IN from the clue and STATE (of which Washington is an example.

25a         Exact place ahead (4-2)
SPOT-ON – A charade of SPOT (place) and ON (ahead/further on).

26a         Vision certainly is required in Boat Race crew (8)
EYESIGHT – Place YES (certainly/an affirmative) inside the EIGHT of a rowing crew.

27a         Stalemate, perhaps, with game’s castle defence (10)
DRAWBRIDGE – A charade of DRAW (stalemate) and BRIDGE (a card game). Solid chess based surface reading.

28a         Very popular ordinary drink (4)
VINO – V for Very then IN (popular) and then O for Ordinary (from the O level)

Down

1d           Very strong players joining club (4-4)
CAST-IRON – The CAST or players in theatre followed by a golf IRON club.

2d           Say law needs changing continually (6)
ALWAYS (An anagram (needs changing) of SAY LAW.

3d           Support upcoming boy with record set out on opposite course (4-5)
BACK PEDAL – BACK for support followed by a reversal or upcoming of a LAD (boy) and EP (Extended Player record).

4d           Eat away at metal bar in centre (7)
CORRODE – A ROD/metal bar in(side) the CORE or centre.

5d           Biting fast (5)
NIPPY – A straightforward double definition.

6d           Richard taking root, say, as all-powerful ruler (8)
DICTATOR – A homophone (indicated by ‘say’) of DICK ‘TATER (Richard and the slang for potato/root vegetable).

7d           Biblical food reportedly in fashion (6)
MANNER – Another homophone (reportedly) of manna from heaven.

14d         Her modest fancy will get stifled (9)
SMOTHERED – A fancy anagram of HER MODEST.

16d         Visit High Street and let rip (2,2,4)
GO TO TOWN – The first a simple cryptic definition and the second is the phrasal synonym for letting rip or pulling out all the stops.

18d         Understanding it’s infectious (8)
CATCHING – Another fairly straightforward double definition.

19d         In fun, read Yeats, find yourself badly prepared (7)
UNREADY – A hidden word (simply IN) inside fUN READ Yeats.

21d         Story about right to intercept drug (6)
REPORT – RE for about (Reference abbreviation) and R for Right going into/intercepting POT for drug.

23d         One will stand between king and first lady to mourn (6)
GRIEVE – Place I for one inside GR (George Rex/King George) and EVE (the biblical first lady)/

24d         Poetic creature’s ‘Boat Poles’ taking first place (5)
SNARK – Place S(OUTH) and N(orth) in front of (in the first place) ARK for boat.

Thanks to the setter. I will see you all next Friday for more of the same.