Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28024
A full review by gnomethang
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
This puzzle was published on Saturday, 30th January 2016
Morning All!THere were a couple of tricky clues here that led me into *** territory but I quite enjoyed the puzzle on the whole.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five best!
Across
1a Father on edge taken aback to be hugged by authentic flapper (3,7)
RED ADMIRAL – Reverse RIM (edge) and place DAD (Father) next to it and place both inside REAL for authentic.
6a Fruit crackers (4)
NUTS – A (chest)nutty cryptic definition.
9a Long leases to get rent in American city (3,7)
LOS ANGELES – Make an anagram (to get rent) of LONG LEASES.
10a Spots top flier round north (4)
ACNE – A flying ACE (a)round N for North.
12a Hairdo for every male (4)
PERM – PER meaning ‘for every’ followed by M for Male.
13a Did bear run right off by river? (9)
UNDERWENT – Remove the R(ight) from (r)UN and then add the river DERWENT.
15a Rewrite meatiest quotation (8)
ESTIMATE – An anagram (the instruction is to rewrite) MEATIEST.
16a Nasty smell in London area — get cleaner (6)
SPONGE – A PONG or nasty smell inside the SE – South East or area of the country containing that London.
18a Firm bankrupt after men backsliding (6)
ROBUST – Place BUST (bankrupt) after the reversal (backsliding) of Other Ranks or men (in the army).
20a Boss, active type, acquiring colliery (8)
DOMINEER – A DOER or active type to include (acquiring) a MINE or colliery.
23a Mover in high circles runs into cool chap, rich and powerful type (9)
PLUTOCRAT – Start with PLUTO – A planet like object that moves in high (distant) circles around the Sun and then follow that with R for Run inside a CAT or cool person (in a jazz stylee!).
24a Retrospectively obtained a garment in Rome (4)
TOGA – Nice and easy!. Reverse (retrospectively) GOT/obtained and then add A from the clue.
26a Throw earth round part of ear (4)
LOBE – LOB for throw and E for Earth (from Electrical circuit notation).
27a Consider being put back into captivity, apparently (10)
DELIBERATE – If you free someone from captivity you LIBERATE them. To return them to captivity might be to DE-LIBERATE them!.
28a Active agent captures Russia’s leader (4)
SPRY – A SPY or agent containing (capturing) R – the leading letter of Russia.
29a Sanction admitting terrible mess in amount of tax due (10)
ASSESSMENT – Place an anagram (terrible) of MESS inside ASSENT or sanction.
Down
1d See following river bank (4)
RELY – Deceptive until you remember the Usual Suspect of ELY = SEE (a diocese). Add that to (following) R for River.
2d Leave around second course after main (7)
DESSERT – Place DESERT (leave/quit) around S for Second.
3d Russian team perform way of working boat in which lots must capsize (6,6)
DYNAMO MOSCOW – Right! – Place DO, MO (Modus Operandum – way of working) and a SCOW (boat) around the reversal (must capsize) of MANY or lots.
4d It’s not fair what you have to be to act professionally (8)
INEQUITY – If you are to act professionally you must be IN (a member of) the EQUITY union.
5d Turkish commander about to finish items for discussion (6)
AGENDA – Place an AGA (Turkish commander) around the outside of (about) END or finish.
7d Dirty old man’s brother, a Nationalist (7)
UNCLEAN – An old man’s (father’s) brother is an UNCLE. Add A and N for Nationalist.
8d Stormy weather set steady (10)
SWEETHEART – An anagram (stormy) of WEATHER SET.
11d Sportier reps at work miss running? (12)
PROPRIETRESS – An anagram (at work) of SPORTIER REPS. A nice definition – a woman (miss) who is running a company.
14d Big city transport system from somewhere in East Europe not complete (10)
METROPOLIS – A METRO (transport system) and then POLIS(h) – from somewhere in E Europe that has not finished (is not complete).
17d Prisoner worn out feeling sorry for offence (8)
CONTRITE – A charade of CON (prisoner) and TRITE (worn out/hackneyed).
19d Fat crybaby (7)
BLUBBER – Two definitions and none too hard.
21d Eat out, artistically, being intermittently sober (7)
ENGRAVE – the intermittent letters of b E I N g and then GRAVE for sober.
22d Lawyers showing underwear (6)
BRIEFS – Two defintions – Lawyers and underwear.
25d Criminal tendency (4)
BENT – Another Double Definition to close – an adjective for criminal and a tendency or leaning.
I’ll see you all the week after next.
You are missing the answer for 25d. Thanks for the review.
Ooops! Thanks
Ooh – I can comment on the full review of a prize puzzle. This slipped by the wayside at the weekend and I only got round to it yesterday so it’s fresh in my mind.
Considerably trickier than usual for a Saturday, I thought. I’d never heard of 3d and though the second word was easy to work out, untangling of the rest was not trivial. That aside, there was much to like, and I thought it on the whole much meatier and more interesting than many of the back-pagers, so the few chestnuts can certainly be allowed.
Thanks to the setter and to Gnomey for the review. Always appreciated.
P.S. an extra E has slipped its way into the hint for 2d (and “after” should be “around”).
Thanks Kitty! Less haste more speed!