Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28108
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ***
This puzzle was published on Saturday, 7th May 2016
For once the backpage crossword actually appeared on the back of the paper last Saturday. I found it an interesting mix of the old friend, the ‘I wonder what our overseas solvers will make of this one?’ and a grid in which even I, a long-standing non-noticer of grids, couldn’t fail to spot the double unches. It was one particular example of these which caused me to take slightly longer than usual and I concluded in the end that I had enjoyed myself a smidgeon more than usual too.
Across
1a Wood panels found in carts and bed (8)
WAINSCOT – WAINS (carts especially for hay) COT (bed)
9a Her pilot crashes in flying base (8)
HELIPORT – An anagram (crashes) of HER PILOT
10a Return blows to practise boxing (4)
SPAR – A reversal (return) of RAPS (blows)
11a Bather uncovered New York pickpocket after swindle (6-6)
SKINNY-DIPPER – NY (New York) and DIPPER (pickpocket) go after SKIN (swindle)
13a Baltic capital left behind crazy song (8)
MADRIGAL – RIGA (the capital of the Baltic state of Latvia) and L (left) go behind MAD (crazy)
15a Wear down a sharp point with energy (6)
ABRADE – A (from the clue) BRAD (sharp pointed tool) E (energy)
16a Rump cooked rare (4)
REAR – An anagram (cooked) of RARE
17a Black Country is dull (5)
BLAND – B (black) LAND (country)
18a Mild expletive from martial arts expert about right (4)
DARN – DAN (martial arts expert) goes ‘about’ R (right).
20a Gorge last of curry brought in by member of the clergy (6)
CANYON – The last letter of currY brought into a CANON (member of the clergy)
21a Bond — that man’s in a downward career trajectory (8)
ADHESIVE – HES (that man’s) in A DIVE (a downward career trajectory)
23a Refined male, expert in avant-garde (12)
EXPERIMENTAL – An anagram (refined) of MALE EXPERT IN
26a Pass over old American university (4)
OMIT – O (old) MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
27a Means to help about spring (8)
RESOURCE – My last one in and the double unch didn’t help one bit. RE (about) SOURCE (spring)
28a Long-term plan to get lost sheep caught (8)
STRATEGY – TEG (a sheep in its second year) caught inside STRAY (get lost)
Down
2d Like Hook and his sound beginning (8)
ASPIRATE – H at the start of Hook is an example of this sound – split the solution 2, 6 and the first part of the clue becomes clear.
3d Jackanory versery perhaps? (7,5)
NURSERY RHYME – There is an old nursery rhyme “I’ll tell you a story about Jack-a-Nory” (which is how the much-loved television programme got its name) – Perhaps? Is our setter’s way of telling us that we need a RHYME for VERSERY.
4d Dealing with building work (6)
COPING – A double definition, the first one fairly obvious, the second one relating to using stone to cover the top of a wall.
5d Spare money to keep hospital (4)
THIN – TIN (money) to keep H (hospital)
6d Welcome good pair of workers in stables (4-4)
GLAD-HAND – G (good) LAD and HAND (pair of stable workers)
7d Chicken seen in this grocery store? (4)
COOP – Split 2-2, this chicken cage remind us of the informal way of referring to the Cooperative Store where our mums did their grocery shopping.
8d Good person to encourage top person in a party (8)
STURGEON – The second clue in a row where it helps if you live in the UK, particularly as the leader in question is featured heavily in this particular Saturday’s paper. ST (good person) URGE ON (encourage).
12d Reworked pastor’s ideal religious text (8,4)
PARADISE LOST – John Milton’s epic poem is obtained from an anagram (reworked) of PASTORS IDEAL
14d One carries burden Oriental priest mentioned (5)
LLAMA – In Crosswordland, you often get a clue where a homophone is needed, either of the Tibetan Buddhist priest to get the pack animal, or vice-versa, as in this clue.
16d End of Star Trek coy about its technology (8)
ROCKETRY – An anagram (about) of the ‘end’ of staR and TREK COY
17d Group I bring to court for gang crimes (8)
BANDITRY – BAND (group) I (from the clue) TRY (bring to court)
19d Fascinating old fighter meeting one in boxing venue (8)
RIVETING – VET (old veteran, fighter) I (one) meet together inside a RING (boxing venue)
22d Rabbit not caught leading Wonderland character (6)
HATTER – Remove the ‘leading’ C (caught) from CHATTER (rabbit)
24d Pole position (4)
POST – Double definition
25d Charms eroded initially for old lovers (4)
EXES – Erode or remove the initial letter from HEXES (charms).
S2
Thanks Sue, I have never heard of ‘money’ being referred to as ‘tin’ but it seems to appear quite regularly in the wordplay.
Thanks Sue, according to my notes I loved skinny dipper but was most impressed with myself when I got exes (OK I cheated and used the supertoy). Coping is also that trim that they put round rooms to hide any nasty cracks between wall and ceiling – I know that because the OH had to do it in one room here.
I’ve always called that coVing??
CS. It is called coving, usually made of plaster, wood or dense polystyrene. A coping is a large stone used to finish the top of a wall.
That’s what I referred to in my review. My question about coving was directed at Hilary.