Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27971
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
This puzzle was published on Saturday, 28th November 2015
Gnomethang’s been delayed so here’s quickly bashed out review of last Saturday’s prize puzzle about which I remember little apart from the fact that it didn’t take me long to solve and explaining it in a hurry has been equally straightforward. Now all I’ve got to do is persuade the site to work!
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five best!
Across
3a Labour crushed on the left, as preliminary task (10)
GROUNDWORK – GROUND (crushed) goes on the left of WORK (labour).
8a Make beloved finish feature (6)
ENDEAR – END (finish) EAR (feature)
9a Elusive to describe it in translation on screen (8)
SUBTITLE – SUBTLE (elusive) ‘describes’ or goes round IT (from the clue).
10a Part of shoe damaged — blow! (8)
UPPERCUT – A boxing ‘blow’ UPPER (part of shoe) CUT (damaged).
11a Help animal first (6)
ASSIST – ASS (animal) IST (first).
12a Winning man promises to pay (10)
VICTORIOUS – VICTOR (man) IOUS (promises to pay)
14a Old form of radar in place of wireless? (13)
RADIOLOCATION – Split your solution 5, 8 and you’ll see the “place of wireless”.
20a Believe knave perhaps means to pay (6,4)
CREDIT CARD – CREDIT (believe) CARD (knave perhaps).
22a Hilda cultivated a perennial (6)
DAHLIA – An anagram (cultivated) of HILDA followed by A (from the clue).
23a Decorative carpeting with no name or cost (5,3)
PRICE TAG – An anagram (decorative) of CARPETING once you have removed the N (no name).
24a Dignity of elderly relative and daughter beside French street, going the wrong way (8)
GRANDEUR – GRAN (elderly relative) D (daughter) and a reversal (going the wrong way) of RUE (French street).
25a Instruction to get partially undressed? (6)
LESSON – Another ‘split the solution’ clue – This time you need to look at it as 4, 2.
26a Releases sufficiently large promotional gambit (4,6)
FREE SAMPLE – FREES(releases) AMPLE (sufficiently large).
Down
1d Photograph seaside landmark that could be more stylish (8)
SNAPPIER – SNAP (photograph) PIER (seaside landmark).
2d Declined resistance and took quick exit from plane (8)
REJECTED – R (resistance) and EJECTED (took quick exit from plane).
3d Shopkeeper pronouncedly less refined (6)
GROCER – A homophone (pronouncedly) of GROSSER (less refined).
4d Overthrow involves upset to welcoming American (4)
OUST – ‘upset’ TO (from the clue) and insert (welcoming) US (American).
5d State a banker’s orders (8)
NEBRASKA – An anagram (orders) of BANKERS.
6d Why put about one manuscript? It’s an impulsive notion (6)
WHIMSY – WHY (from the clue) put round I (one) MS (manuscript).
7d What’s essential to flavour Eli’s hotdog? (6)
RELISH – Hidden in (essential to) flavouR ELIS Hotdog.
13d One underweight? Invigorating air needed (5)
OZONE – OZ (ounce weight) ONE
15d Excitedly a romance is being filmed (2,6)
ON CAMERA – An anagram (excitedly) of A ROMANCE.
16d Advance in line (8)
INCREASE – IN (from the clue) CREASE (line)
17d One tells of Scottish island going up over rocky height (8)
NARRATOR – A reversal (going up in a Down clue) of ARRAN (Scottish island) ‘over’ TOR (rocky height).
18d A long way to carry one about — should be lighter (6)
FAIRER – Insert into FAR (a long way) I (one) RE (about).
19d Dive, having breather in physical education (6)
PLUNGE – LUNG (breather) inserted into PE.
21d Frozen dripping (6)
ICICLE – I liked this cryptic definition.
23d Stay for start of party (4)
PROP – PRO (for) P (the ‘start’ of Party).
Gnomey should be back next week with his review of tomorrow’s Prize Puzzle
B1
I don’t remember a lot about this puzzle.
I think I was a bit mystified about 14a – never heard of it but eventually it couldn’t have been much else.
I did like Hilda growing her dahlia! I also liked 25a and 1d.
With thanks to last Saturday’s Mr Ron and to CS.
Now to see if the gremlins are going to be kind enough to let me post this comment – I wonder if a little flower would make them behave better . . .
The flower is obviously the answer!
CS remembered little and Kath didn’t remember a lot about this puzzle – I didn’t remember anything at all so it can’t have made a great impression. Reading through the review I think that my favourite clue is 26a. Thanks to Mr Ron and to CS for going above and beyond the call of duty.