DT 27121

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27121

A full review by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Another Cephas Saturday puzzle with his usual anagrams in a mix of clues – I do believe that he is gradually upping the trickiness level too.

Across

1a           Journalist‘s robust idea abridged when broadcast (9)
SUBEDITOR –    An anagram (when broadcast) of ROBUST IDE[A] – abridged tells you to ignore the A .

6a           Means to make a bundle from crops (5)
BALER –  A cryptic definition of a machine that bundles hay into a bale.

9a           Malcolm embracing woman who’s being educated about marriage (7)
MARITAL –   Insert RITA (a reference to  Educating Rita (the stage play made into a film about the title character’s experiences at the Open University) into MAL (a diminutive name for  Malcolm).

10a         Could be gentler to spectacles when handled (9)
LORGNETTE –   A type of aid to vision which has a long handle is an anagram (could be) of GENTLER TO.

11a         Delighted being second, then went in front (7)
TICKLED –   Follow a way of expressing a short period of time such as a second or TICK with LED (went in front).

12a         One tee shirt? (7)
SINGLET – or a SINGLE   T.

13a         Won’t wash, as bath without plug (5’1,4,5)
DOESN’T HOLD WATER –   Something that doesn’t seem true or reasonable might also be a description of a bath without a plug.

17a         Lessen a Tory’s hold on another politician (7)
SENATOR –     Hidden in lesSEN A TORy.

19a         Study group remains at loggerheads (7)
SEMINAR –   An anagram (at loggerheads) of SEMINAR

22a         Too quick replacing the savoury — not acceptable (9)
OVERHASTY –   An anagram of  THE SAVO[U]RY once the U has been removed  (not acceptable – U is often used to denote ‘socially acceptable) .

23a         Heather’s clothing remains striking (7)
LASHING-   Insert ASH (remains) into LING (another word for the plant  heather).

24a         Both sides needed to cover fish basket (5)
CREEL –   The outside letters (both sides)of  CoveR plus EEL (fish).  I always thought this was a basket for fish but apparently you can put other things in them too.

25a         Ship stored rye at sea (9)
DESTROYER –   An anagram (at sea) of STORED RYE.

 

Down

1d           Mount     a conference? (6)
SUMMIT –   Double definition.

2d           Wild bear-cub beginning to eat food outdoors (8)
BARBECUE –   An anagram (wild) of BEAR CUB followed by E (the beginning of Eat).

3d           Dock     item (6)
DETAIL –   Split an item or DETAIL – 2, 4 and it would mean to dock or remove  the whole of an animal’s tail

4d          Worked on farm, drew about two pounds (6)
TILLED –  Cultivated the land –   TIED (drew) with LL (two £’s) inserted.

5d           Retribution for pair is set in concrete (8)
REPRISAL –   Insert into REAL (concrete)  PR (pair) and IS (from the clue).

6d           Brendan’s changed direction, but still in packaging (5-3)
BRAND-NEW –    Change the compass direction S (south) at the end of BRENDANS to a W (west) then sort out the  anagram (‘changed’ here doing double duty).

7d           Left hospital department with one-fifty pulse, dry (6)
LENTIL –    L (left) ENT (the hospital’s Ear Nose and Throat Department) I (one) and L (the Roman numeral for 50).

8d           Watch salesman with consumer (8)
REPEATER –   A repeating timepiece – REP (salesman) and EATER (consumer).

13d         Desmond’s flipping work! Habitual response is high-handed (8)
DESPOTIC –   DES(mond) plus a reversal (flipping) of OP (work) and TIC (habitual response).

14d         Hazel’s case has teachers appearing before she will (8)
NUTSHELL –  NUT (National Union of Teachers) plus SHE[‘]LL (she will).

15d         Under pressure, has to collect artist with second edition (8)
HARASSED –   Insert RA (artist) into HAS (from the clue) and follow with S (second) and ED (edition).

16d         Persistence of number taking a large town (8)
TENACITY –   TEN (number) A (from the clue) CITY (large town).

18d         It has only one eye but that’s not the point (6)
NEEDLE –   A cryptic definition of a sewing implement  which can also be a pointer on a compass or other dial.

19d         18 represented in pen by Latin American (6)
STYLUS –   Another type of 18d – STY (pen) L (Latin) US (American).

20d         Cat right on rodent’s tail (6)
MOUSER –   Put R (right) on the end (tail) of a MOUSE (rodent).

21d         Park officer made a dash before German fellow left (6)
RANGER –   RAN (made a dash) and GER (the MAN or fellow in German has ‘left’!)

I’ll be back next week  to explain the Mysteron’s Saturday Prize puzzle.