Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27947
A full review by gnomethang
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **
This puzzle was published on Saturday, 31st October 2015
Morning All! This was a firm one star difficulty and this meant that I found it a bit flat – a few too many chestnuts in it personally.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five best!
Across
1a Trick by internet pest to meet that female cockney financial supervisor (10)
CONTROLLER – A charade of CON (trick) and then an internet TROLL (pest) followed by (h)ER – That cockney woman. Not sure what the whole thing means!.
6a People usually do not want to be seen in this spa (4)
BATH- Well, nobody really wants to be seen in the BATH.
8a Dismiss when scores are level (3,5)
SET ASIDE – The first is the definition and the latter might mean that a tennis match is level with one set per side.
9a Season well (6)
SPRING – A double definition – The time of year and a watering hole.
10a Psychotic called to visit 27 (8)
DERANGED – Place RANG (called) inside (is visiting) DE( )ED or the answer to 27a.
11a Where entry takes us — no entry for a saint? (6)
WITHIN – Remove the S (starting or entry) letter from St (S)WITHIN.
12a Note one of us should accompany Maureen (4)
MEMO – ME is one of us (as opposed to you) and this should go next to MO, a diminutive of Maureen.
14a Front occluded by stormy rain — bliss! (7)
NIRVANA – a VAN or military front line is enclosed (occluded by) a stormy anagram of RAIN.
18a Stuck in road here — dangerous (7)
ADHERED – A hidden word IN roAD HERE Dangerous.
20a Apparently we can’t avoid this responsibility (4)
ONUS – If we can’t avoid something then it is ON US.
23a How to stand, relaxing a rib (2,4)
AT EASE – Split as (1,5) to get A TEASE(or rib/wag/joker).
24a Rude child, to lie deviously (8)
IMPOLITE – The usual (naughty) child or IMP followed by an anagram (deviously) of TO LIE.
25a Money received in advance? (6)
INCOME – IN from the clue and COME for advance forward.
26a Confessed getting taken in (8)
ADMITTED – A double definition – owned up and allowed to enter.
27a Two-way action (4)
DEED – A Palindromic (two way) word for an action.
28a Stated aim by ‘Bony’, in formation of three lines (10)
TRIANGULAR – Good Clue – TRI, a homophone (stated) of TRY (aim), and then ANGULAR or ‘bony’ (Not Bonaparte!)
Down
1d Cowhands replaced money on the spot (4,4)
CASH DOWN – A replaced anagram of COWHANDS.
2d Temper shown by Nationalist meeting English banker (6)
NATURE – NAT (an abb. of Nationalist) and the River URE (an English banker – a river has banks).
3d Feel indignation at being made to go again (6)
RESENT – The second bit is the cryptic definition – to be RE SENT or ordered to go once more.
4d Mislead an eccentric would-be seducer (6,3)
LADIES MAN – An eccentric anagram of MISLEAD AN.
5d Timber grew over court and died (8)
ROSEWOOD – Place ROSE (grew up) above WOO for court and then add D for Died (from genealogical nomenclature).
6d Singer in pub, individual possessing sex appeal (8)
BARITONE – A BAR for a pub then place IT (sex appeal) inside ONE for individual.
7d Concrete Belgian mixed, with tons over (8)
TANGIBLE – An anagram (mixed) of BELGIAN with T for Tons over the top (above in a DOWN clue).
13d Service loosely aimed for popular channels (4,5)
MASS MEDIA – A service in church is a MASS – add an anagram (loosely ) of AIMED.
15d Case not out of position (8)
INSTANCE – Case meaning example here. IN means ‘not out’ in cricket or the Hokey Cokey. Add STANCE or position.
16d Wanderer a handful notice touring country (8)
VAGABOND – V for 5 in Roman Numerals (a handful of fingers?) followed by AD(vertisement) or notice going around (touring) the GABON.
17d Nobody let out it’s a damp squib (3-5)
NON-EVENT – Appropriate for the rain on November 5th as I type, dear reader!. NONE (nobody) and then VENT (let out).
19d Sportsman put off going round goal (8)
DEFENDER – DEFER (put off (a decision) around END or goal/aim.
21d Going down having wrong entry in ship’s record (6)
LOSING – SIN (a wrong is an entry in (inside) a ship’s LOG.
22d Shakespearean firearm (6)
PISTOL – A cryptic definition – Shakespeare’s habitual bumbler is the name of a gun.
Thanks to the setter – I will see you next week.
I thought that this was as bland as sliced white bread when what we need (or at least, what I’d like for a Prize Puzzle) is a crusty sourdough. Thanks to Mr Ron and Gnomey.
Glad someone else was underwhelmed thanks Gnomey and setter.