Daily Telegraph No 28132
A full review by Crypticsue
This puzzle was published on 4 June 2016
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Another Saturday Prize Puzzle that didn’t take long to solve, although there were a couple of clues where I thought ‘I wonder what Brian will think of that’ and some interesting insertion indicators.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Set Heath back like a member of the House of Lords (10)
DETERMINED – A reversal (back) of TED (Heath) plus ERMINED (like a member of the House of Lords)
6a Restrain youngster crossing road initially (4)
CURB – CUB (youngster) ‘crossing’ R (road initially)
9a A politician like Gladstone, one being in another place (5)
ALIBI – A LIB (a politician like Mr Gladstone) I (one)
10a Second villain taking small wood decoration (9)
SCRIMSHAW – S (second) CRIM (villain) SHAW (small wood)
12a A carefulness I cultivated for security (4,9)
LIFE ASSURANCE – An anagram (cultivated) of A CAREFULNESS I
14a Sailor’s piece of literature a form of art (8)
ABSTRACT – ABS (Able Seaman’s) TRACT (piece of literature)
15a Work with the grain (6)
THRESH – A cryptic definition of what a farmer does to grain.
17a Changed one’s position with pronounced diplomacy (6)
TACKED – A homophone (pronounced) of TACT (diplomacy)
19a Point out clearly what you shouldn’t need to do in paperless office (8)
SIGNPOST – Split 4,4 and the second part of the clue makes sense.
21a Controlling influence deployed in emergencies (8,5)
EMINENCE GRISE – An anagram (deployed) of IN EMERGENCIES
24a Outwit dealer, perhaps using public spirit and pressure (9)
OVERTRUMP – OVERT (public) RUM (spirit) P (pressure)
25a Small figure offered by popular group (5)
INSET – IN (popular) SET (group)
26a Fork part of river to be sounded (4)
TINE – A homophone (to be sounded) of the River TYNE.
27a It’s normal to hold gun mostly for what sentry does (5,5)
STAND GUARD – STANDARD (normal) ‘holds’ GUn (Gun ‘mostly’)
Down
1d Chapter head for a penetrating study (4)
DEAN – Lots of ways to indicate an insertion in this crossword – this time ‘penetrating’ tells you that the A from the clue goes in DEN (study)
2d Weapon carried in street over minor matters (7)
TRIFLES – Here ‘carried’ tells you that RIFLE (weapon) goes into a reversal (over) of the abbreviation for street – ST.
3d Check with regard to concrete support (13)
REINFORCEMENT – REIN (check) FOR (with regard to) CEMENT (concrete)
4d Example that could be provided by ancients (8)
INSTANCE – An anagram (could be provided by) of ANCIENTS.
5d Wound up holding top-class currency (5)
EUROS – A reversal (up in a Down clue) of SORE (wound) holding U (upper-, top-class)
7d International body’s pivotal point to make slightly mad (7)
UNHINGE – UN (United Nations, international body) HINGE (pivotal point)
8d Cricketer has to secure tons in derbies (6,4)
BOWLER HATS – BOWLER (cricketer) HAS (from the clue) ‘securing’ T (tons). Derbies are what the Americans call bowler hats.
11d Advertising material reaching minds in original way (13)
MERCHANDISING – An anagram (in original way) of REACHING MINDS.
13d Endure holiday centre when nothing else is available (4,6)
LAST RESORT – LAST (endure) RESORT (holiday centre)
16d Gets vessel holding starter of guacamole for jumbo spread perhaps (8)
WINGSPAN – WINS (gets) and PAN (vessel) holding the ‘starter’ of Guacamole. The ‘jumbo’ confused me for a while (too much watching Disney’s Dumbo when the boys were small, perhaps) but it is of course a jumbo jet.
18d Take offence over an old war (7)
CRIMEAN – CRIME (offence) goes over AN (from the clue)
20d Golf tournament spot, reportedly somewhere far out in the main (4,3)
OPEN SEA – OPEN (golf tournament) and a homophone (reportedly) of SEE (spot).
22d Tell nobleman (5)
COUNT – Double definition
23d Breeding establishment boss (4)
STUD – And another double definition.
S2
Thanks Sue, I have lost my notes but looking at your review I remember that there was much I enjoyed including 1a, 21a and 3d. Back to The Don.