DT 28252

Daily Telegraph No 28246

A full review by crypticsue

This puzzle was published on 22nd October 2016

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BD Rating – Difficulty */** –  Enjoyment ***

Solved on the High Speed Train to London, while trying not to eavesdrop on the interesting conversation of three young American ladies over here on a year abroad as part of their degree studies.  This is probably the main reason why the puzzle took a smidgeon longer than my usual time to solve.

I can confidently thank a/the Saturday Mysteron for the crossword, as a chat with Cephas (Peter Chamberlain, who was in the First Preliminary of the Finals with me) confirmed that not only had he set the previous Saturday’s Prize Puzzle, but that we will have one of his puzzles to solve in the morning.

Across

1a           Law passed by House after a complaint put in motion (3,2,10)
ACT OF PARLIAMENT – An anagram (put in motion) of AFTER A COMPLAINT.

9a           It illuminates difficulty following strike (9)
LAMPLIGHT – PLIGHT (difficulty) following LAM (strike)

10a         Information presented systematically in small computer incomplete (5)
TABLE – An incomplete TABLEt or small computer

11a         Set a date, initially in South American city (5)
RADIO –  A (from the clue) and D (Date ‘initially’) in RIO (South American city)

12a         One certain knack that’s reduced kind of exercise (9)
ISOMETRIC – I (one) SOME (certain) TRICk (knack that’s ‘reduced’)

13a         A toddy drunk certainly makes you regular (3-2-3)
DAY-TO-DAY – An anagram (drunk) of A TODAY followed by AY (yes, certainly)

14a         Shaw comes across old and hollow? (6)
GROOVE –  GROVE ‘comes across’ O (old) (shaw and grove being examples of a small wood – and all those people who said they’d never heard of it, some of you hadn’t heard of it the last time it appeared either !)

16a         River creature found by water rat (6)
ROTTER – R (river) OTTER (creature found by water)

18a         Fat duke excellent in old-fashioned way (8)
D (duke) RIPPING (an old-fashioned way of saying excellent)

22a         Was I not AB at sea? Yes I was (9)
BOATSWAIN – An anagram (at sea) of WAS I NOT AB

23a         Trendy arrested by FBI agent and given punishment (5)
FINED – IN (trendy) ‘arrested by’ or inserted into FED (agent of the FEDeral Bureau of Investigation)

24a         What one may throw and see snaring beast of burden (5)
LASSO – LO (see) ‘snaring’ ASS (beast of burden)

25a         Once more live in check clothes (9)
REINHABIT – REIN (check) HABIT (clothes)

26a         Having many weapons thereto met death in action (5,2,3,5)
ARMED TO THE TEETH – An anagram (in action) of THERETO MET DEATH

Down

1d           Drawn from every part of university left (7)
ALLURED – ALL (every part of) U (university) RED (left)

2d           As if Chicken and Rice perhaps should be put on in a lazy way (7)
TIMIDLY – TIM (Rice, the man responsible for many a musical entertainment) IDLY (in a lazy way)

3d           Defence Secretary’s promise holding individuals to resign (4,2,4,5)
FALL ON ONE’S SWORD – Not particularly fair on our overseas friends, or indeed apprehensive crossword competition entrants on trains) but I did remember  that the Defence Secretary is Michael FALLON which helped me to insert ONES (holding individuals) into FALLONS WORD (Defence Secretary’s promise)

4d           Church person, a product of Lancing (8)
ANGLICAN – A (from the clue) and an anagram (product) of LANCING

5d           Cream shut up, cat being around (6)
LOTION – LION ‘being around) a reversal (up) of TO (my Granny always used to ask us to put the door ‘to’) 

6d           That poor fathead beaten up without provocation (2,3,4,2,1,3)
AT THE DROP OF A HAT – An anagram (beaten up) of THAT POOR FATHEAD

7d           Ban thus restricts business expert (7)
EMBARGO – ERGO (thus) ‘restricts’ MBA (Master of Business Administration, so presumably somewhat of a business expert)

8d           Over-sentimentality of Electra complex (7)
TREACLE – An anagram (complex) of ELECTRA

15d         Flourish taking healthy food recipe (8)
BRANDISH – a BRAN DISH would definitely be a healthy food recipe

16d         Spots beautiful Italian female following Rugby (7)
RUBELLA – German measles – BELLA (beautiful Italian female) following RU (rugby)

17d         After time, ‘Swallows and Amazons’ author almost makes one beam (7)
TRANSOM – RANSOMe (almost all of Arthur Ransome) goes after T (time)

19d         Legion assembled around British base (7)
IGNOBLE – An anagram (assembled) of LEGION around B (British)

20d         Pet overturned animal ‘ouse — share the cost (2,5)
GO DUTCH – A reversal (overturned) of a pet DOG followed by ‘UTCH – somewhere a Cockney (who drops his aitches) might keep his rabbit.

21d         What one gets to change the locks (6)
HAIRDO –  I didn’t smile quite as much as the Saturday  hint giver did at this particular cryptic definition.

S2