DT 29515

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 29515

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 7^th November 2020

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

Morning All!This was quite a quick solve even with a pause to make another pot of tea!

Across

1a           Scholar revised a manic idea about carbon (11)
ACADEMICIAN – revised anagram of A MANIC IDEA around/about C for Carbon.

9a           Trump has vehicle in Indiana abandoned (5)
IVANA – Place a VAN/vehicle inside the outside letters (it has been emptied/abandoned) of I(ndian)A.

10a        Boss to lead with three articles (3,6)
TOP BANANA – To from the clue then PB, the chemical symbol for Lead, followed by three indefinite articles – AN, AN and A,

11a        Sage Derby perhaps feeding mother (7)
MAHATMA – A Derby HAT inside MAMA for mother.

12a        Best players unable to finish meal (5,3)
CREAM TEA – The best are the CREAM. Add TEA(m) or an unfinished sporting side.

14a        Some local cut taxes in city once (8)
CALCUTTA – A hidden word is SOME of lo CAL CUT TA xes.

15a        One obsessed in new way renouncing whiskey (4)
NERD – NE(w) from the clue with whiskey left out/renounced and RD for the abb, of Road or way.

17a        Drink that could make Coppola drunk (7)
ALCOPOP – A drunk anagram od COPPOLA.

19a        Female on farm by river delivers pitcher (4)
EWER – A female sheep on a farm is a EWE. Add R for River.

20a        Negative piece with slogan Reaganites used? (8)
ELECTRON – A slogan by Reaganites night have read ELECT RON!>

21a        Trial by TV in the birthplace of science? (4,4)
TEST TUBE – A TEST or Trial followed by the TUBE – a synonym for a TV Set.

23a        Chap’s name is love (7)
ISADORE – IS form the clue and ADORE for love.

25a        Racing ace, forced out, not best pleased (9)
AUTOCROSS – A for Ace, then an anagram (forced) of OUT followed by CROSS for not best pleased.

26a        Can’t stand, as the drunk (5)
HATES – Another drunk anagram, this time of AS THE.

27a        Bloke in forces set landmine off (8,3)
ENLISTED MAN – The next anagram , indicated by off, is of SET LANDMINE. An apposite surface reading.

Down

2d           Church with old Irish singing group (5)
CHOIR – A charade of CH for Church, O(ld) and IR for Irish,

3d           Expert fish worker (3,4)
DAB HAND – The fish that is the DAB and a HAND or worker.

4d           Musician Mike strangely silent around king (8)
MINSTREL – M(ike) in the NATO phonetic alphabet then an anagram (strangely) of SILENT around R – Rex or king.

5d           Small measure needed to rein in a cleric (4)
IMAM – IMM for 1mm (a small measure) to include/rein in A from the clue.

6d           Shot prior to retirement? (8)
NIGHTCAP – A cryptic definition of the snifter one imbibes before retiring to bed.

7d           No more suckers? That’s intolerable! (4,5)
LAST STRAW – If there are no further tubes to uck up liquid you light be holding the LAST STRAW.

8d           Fellowship of real ale fans entertaining a Democrat on lake (11)
CAMARADERIE – CAMRA – The Campaign for Real Ale including/entertaining A from the clue then add D(emocrat) and lake ERIE.

12d        Something wicked and frivolous that helps dispel gloom (11)
CANDLELIGHT – A candle has a wick (so is wicked). Add LIGHT for frivolous.

13d        Report that might be current? (7)
ACCOUNT – The secondary definition refers to a banking Current ACCOUNT.

16d        Unusually good ground yields element (4,5)
RARE EARTH – RARE for ‘unusually good’ then EARTH for ground.

17d        Cinema fire — temperature hot inside (8)
ARTHOUSE – Start with AROUSE for fire (up) then include (put inside) T(emperature) and H(ot).

18d        Branch in High Street will keep bonnet that’s reduced (8)
OFFSHOOT – OFF/high and ST for Street keeping all but the last letter (reduced) of HOO(d) or bonnet.

19d        Key often used by news boss went in (7)
ENTERED – The ‘ENTER’ key on a keyboard is often used. Add ED for Editor/news boss.

22d        Port Arabs rebuilt (5)
BASRA – A rebuilt anagram of ARABS.

24d        Nobleman almost skinned? (4)
EARL – Remove the outside of (or skin) (n)EARL(y) for almost.