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DT 28012

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28012

A full review by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment **

This puzzle was published on Saturday, 16th January 2016

I took a much longer time than usual to get to grips with this particular Prize Puzzle – had the cold weather made my brain freeze? did the dental references put me off ? (I don’t like going to the dentist) or was it that it had been so long since I’d had one of those ‘bars’ in 9a that I’d forgotten all about them?

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Across

1a           Mourns epic broadcast in part of theatre (10)
PROSCENIUM –   An anagram (broadcast) of MOURNS EPIC

6a           Bubbly essential for post-Christmas tipple (4)
ASTI – Essential not least because it forms part of ChristmAS TIpple

9a           Doing stunts on high bar, one caught cracking nuts (10)
AEROBATICS –   AERO (chocolate bar) and I (one) and C (caught) ‘cracking’ or going inside BATS (nuts).

10a         Dishes half smashed? Little reptile! (4)
CROC –   Obtained by removing (smashed) half of CROCKERY (dishes).

12a         One with equal role upset actors (2-4)
CO-STAR –   An anagram (upset) of ACTORS

13a         Stop meeting professional villain (8)
PROROGUE –   PRO (professional) ROGUE (villain)

15a         Opted to work with incisor, as part of dentistry (12)
PERIODONTICS –   An anagram (to work) of OPTED with INCISOR.

18a         Orchestra‘s man arranged main orch. (12)
PHILHARMONIC – PHIL (man) followed by an anagram (arranged) of MAIN ORCH

21a         Extra work performed in the long run (8)
OVERTIME –   Split 4, 4 to see the ‘in the long run’ bit.

22a         Sir Tim recalled eating the French cake (6)
ÉCLAIR –   A reversal (recalled) of RICE (Sir Tim’s surname) into which is inserted the French female word for ‘the’

24a         Look back and observe (4)
KEEP –   A reversal (back) of PEEK (look)

25a         People in a series of races have not commonly achieved goal (10)
ATTAINMENT –   A TT (a series of races) and AINT (have not commonly) the latter having MEN (people) inserted.

26a         Count as Swiss hero (4)
TELL –   A verb or a Swiss folk hero, take your pick.

27a         Shakespeare role American’s doing well (10)
PROSPEROUS –   Prospero (from The Tempest) and US (American)

Down

1d           Fish I displayed in position (6)
PLAICE – I ‘displayed’ in PLACE (position)

2d           Quiet after performing rugger forward surge (6)
ONRUSH –   SH (quiet) goes after ON (performing) RU (rugger – Rugby Union)

3d           Savoy perhaps with unusual end to Madame Butterfly (7-5)
CABBAGE WHITE –   CABBAGE (Savoy being, perhaps, one type of cabbage), an anagram (unusual) of WITH and the end of madamE.

4d           Clear visitor from the heavens appears in holy books (4)
NETT –   ET (Extra Terrestrial, visitor from the heavens) appears in NT (New Testament, holy books)

5d           Neglected racer found wandering (7-3)
UNCARED FOR –   An anagram (wandering) of RACER FOUND

7d           Two types of fuel sent up to house the Queen in women’s quarters (8)
SERAGLIO –   Reverse (sent up in a Down clue) OIL and GAS and insert ER (the regnal cipher of our current Queen).

8d           Appreciate batsman’s position (8)
INCREASE –   Split 2, 6 and then you can start to discuss the finer points of cricket terminology (see Saturday’s comments!!)

11d         Smelly stuff gives fellow utter outrage (12)
FRANKINCENSE   –   F (fellow) RANK (utter) INCENSE

14d         Around start of concert there’s more merit playing sensitive instrument (10)
MICROMETER   –   An anagram (playing) of MORE MERIT put round C (the start of concert).

16d         Tooth present briefly in place where it should be (8)
SPROCKET –   The abbreviation (briefly) for present inserted into a hollow into which something such as a tooth fits

17d         Pack mainly containing revolt, warning things are too hot (4,4)
FIRE BELL –   Insert REBEL (revolt) into FIL (most of FILL = pack)

19d         Manage model party (4,2)
MAKE DO –   MAKE (model) DO (party)

20d         We hear of Alfred and Alexander, perhaps, in scrapes (6)
GRATES –   Alfred and Alexander were both known as GREATS so the solution (we hear) is a homophone of ‘greats’.

23d         Clear  flirtatious move (4)
PASS –   A double definition to finish with, the first one meaning clear or sanction, the second one I leave up to your imagination :wink:

S2

3 comments on “DT 28012

  1. I fell into the trap missing aero, knew the dental one because a friend mentioned it only the day before. First one in 7d just because I love the sound of it. Thanks for your summing up.

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