Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27935
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty **– Enjoyment **
This puzzle was published on Saturday, 17th October 2015
A slightly longer solving time for me this week, probably because I was on a train where a small boy whose mum was reading the Three Pigs to him, insisted on doing loud ‘wolf’ impressions throughout the tale. As Kitty and I agreed on Saturday afternoon in the pub, all we needed was a ball of string and we could have had a lovely game of conkers with all the chestnuts in this Mysteron offering.
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Across
3a Number touring notice pub, shabby in appearance (10)
THREADBARE – AD (notice) and BAR (pub) inserted into the number THREE.
8a Nurse, not hot in shady garden alcove (6)
ARBOUR – Remove the H for Hot from HARBOUR (nurse).
9a Before end of truce, tries again to go over (8)
REHEARSE – RE HEARS (tries again) goes before the ‘end’ of trucE.
10a Charm one’s way in (8)
ENTRANCE – Double definition.
11a Football League initially probing Premier League club complaint? (3,3)
MAN FLU – My favourite clue. FL (Football League ‘initially’) inserted into MAN U (Premier League club).
12a Exactly what’s required, fair article by commission (4,3,3)
JUST THE JOB – JUST (fair) THE (definite article) JOB (commission).
14a South American, extremely sensitive, explains barking dog (6,7)
SUSSEX SPANIEL – S (South) US (American) the ‘extreme’ letters of SensitivE, and an anagram (barking) of EXPLAINS.
20a Awful baloney about one beheaded knight and queen (4,6)
ANNE BOLEYN – An anagram (awful) of BALONEY goes about [o]NE (one ‘beheaded’ or with its first letter removed) and N (knight in chess notation).
22a Expert came across, over for the time being (3,3)
PRO TEM – PRO (expert) followed by a reversal (over) of MET (came across).
23a Face endless people giving a torrent of abuse (8)
DIATRIBE – Endless tells you to remove the last letters of DIAL (face) and then add TRIBE (people).
24a Prepared drainage for shrub (8)
GARDENIA – An anagram (prepared) of DRAINAGE.
25a Prelude to show at university (4-2)
LEAD UP – LEAD (to show) UP (at university).
26a Poor speed by back (6-4)
SECOND-RATE – I suppose the clue is telling you that RATE (speed) goes at the side of SECOND (back), but I remain unconvinced as to how I am supposed to know that the ‘back’ goes before the ‘speed’.
Down
1d He and I, for example, in favour of sisters keeping nothing (8)
PRONOUNS – PRO (in favour of) and NUNS (sisters) ‘keeping’ O (nothing).
2d Likewise, Conservative admires Greek philosopher (8)
SOCRATES – SO (likewise) C (Conservative) RATES (admires).
3d Freshwater fish crossing river channel (6)
TRENCH – The TENCH (freshwater fish) crosses or goes over R (river).
4d King with deformed ear, seldom seen (4)
RARE – R (Rex, King) and an anagram (deformed) of EAR.
5d Husband brought in a meek person to meet artist in palace (8)
ALHAMBRA – H (husband) brought in or inserted into A LAMB (meek person), the result then ‘meeting’ RA (artist).
6d Smart, supporter at home — and away, ultimately (6)
BRAINY – BRA (supporter) IN (at home) and the ‘ultimate’ letter of awaY.
7d Outcome in Ypres, ultimately (6)
RESULT – Hidden in YpRES ULTimately
13d Boy appearing after James (5)
JASON – JAS (abbreviation for the Letter of James in the Bible) ON (appearing).
15d Inspected fabric cut up (8)
EXAMINED – An reversal (up in a down clue) of AXE (cut) and DENIM (fabric).
16d I will remedy abuse (3-5)
ILL-TREAT – ILL (I’ll, I will) TREAT (remedy).
17d Idler having answer in amateur contest (8)
LAYABOUT – A (answer) inserted in between LAY (amateur) and BOUT (contest).
18d Sophisticated former pope, last to pontificate (6)
URBANE – URBAN (one of several former popes with this name) and the last letter of pontificatE
19d Diligent American leaving for workshop (6)
STUDIO – US (American) leaves STUDIOUS (diligent).
21d Bird of prey following black dog (6)
BEAGLE – B (black) followed by EAGLE (bird of prey).
23d Information — a little sent over (4)
DATA – A reversal (sent over) of A TAD (a little).
S1