DT 27612

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27612

A full review by gnomethang

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

This puzzle was published on Saturday, 4th October 2014

Morning All!. A puzzle that I really enjoyed. There were a few clues that caused a bit of trouble but the penny drop moments were well worth the effort.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.  You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

1a           Male hanging around to enjoy carnival (5,4)
MARDI GRAS- I always want to put an S on MARDI(s)!. Start with M for Male then place the ARRAS tapestry hanging around DIG for enjoy, baby!

6a           Redecorate reception at university (2,2)
DO UP – A charade of DO (reception/party and UP (at university – UP at Oxford, say).

10a         Awkward drunk (5)
TIGHT – Two definitions, the first being more mechanical.

11a         Whose epic, remade, is the best example of its type (9)
SHOWPIECE – An anagram (remade) of WHOSE EPIC.

12a         Group of players, actors with her, performing (9)
ORCHESTRA – I think that our setters are currently looking at novel ways of clueing this without making an anagram of CARTHORSE. This one is an anagram of ACTORS and HER (indicated by ‘performing’)

14a         Learning about island in French river (5)
LOIRE – The arcane learning that is LORE around (or about) the outside of I for Island (abb.)

15a         Press tycoon employing any number, English without exception (3,4)
BAR NONE – A Press BARON including N for any number (think mathematics) and then add the final E for English.

16a         Terribly angered? Indeed! (7)
ENRAGED – Another chestnutty anagram ANGERED (terribly) = ENRAGED (and also grenade but lets

18a         Plumper game, mostly (7)
ROUNDER – All but the last letter (mostly) of the soft ball game ROUNDER(s).

20a         Bread is crumbled for gannet, say (7)
SEABIRD – Nice surface reading and an anagram (crumbled) of BREAD IS.

21a         Former deed, correct in every detail (5)
EXACT – Split as (2,3) it is an EX (former) ACT (deed).

23a         Make a song and dance about points, being old-fashioned (9)
FUSTINESS – A FUSS around (about) the TINES or points of a fork.

25a         Contrasting, random pairs in age (9)
A random anagram of PAIRS in a DATE or age (as a verb).

26a         Long period of time before end of season (5)
YEARN – Simply a YEAR before the final letter (end of) seasoN.

28a         Arguments in queues (4)
ROWS – A simple double definition.

29a         US city architect meeting trouble in heart of Provence (9)
NASHVILLE – The English architect NASH followed by (meeting) ILL/trouble and then the middle letter in Provence.

Down

1d           Cracker’s content, having married German chap (5)
MOTTO –The abb. M for Married (from a family tree) followed by the German chap’s name OTTO.

2d           Tabloid in Prague? (3)
RAG – Hidden IN Prague

3d           Up for a big band song (2,3,4)
IN THE MOOD – Two definitions – the first meaning looking forward two and the second the Glenn Miller standard.

4d           Favour girl, teetotaller, with energy (7)
ROSETTE – A charade of ROSE (a girl) then TT the abb. of Teetotaller and finally E for Energy.

5d           Charge for warehousing gold, in part (and silver in reserve?) (7)
STORAGE – A very clever clue. ‘Charge for warehouse is the definition then there follows two cryptics. 1) OR for gold in STAGE (part). 2) AG (silver) in STORE (reserve).

7d           Unfolding US magazine when boozer kicks off? (7,4)
OPENING TIME – The boozer is the local pub or the toper therein. A charade of OPENING (unfolding) and then TIME magazine from America.

8d           Affected rep treated and nursed (9)
PRETENDED – An anagram (treated) of REP then TENDED for nursed.

9d           Work on a large gem (4)
OPAL – OP (from OPUS, a musical work) on top of (ON in a down clue) A and L for Large.

13d         Flier saying something that’s sharp (8,3)
CIRCULAR SAW – A CIRCULAR letter (or flier) followed by a SAW (saying or adage).

15d         Save young local worker (9)
BARTENDER – BAR for save and then another outing for TENDER – this time meaning young as in a tender age.

17d         Broadcast of extremely theatrical variety? (7,1,1)
REALITY T V – An excellent all in one or &Lit clue. If one makes an anagram (Broadcast of) the extreme letters in T(heatrica)L and VARIETY one makes an answer to which the whole clue is the definition. Equally the whole clue is the instruction for the anagram. Good Work!.

19d         Give up French article during check (7)
REFRAIN – FR for French and A (the indefinite article) inside REIN or check

20d         I stress out nuns (7)
SISTERS – An anagram (out) of I STRESS. Sisters of Mercy.

22d         Young child handling adult perfectly! (2,1,1)
TO A T – Place A for adult inside (being handled by) a TOT or young child.

24d         One-way ticket left out for char (5)
SINGLE – A one way ticket is a SINGLE. Leave the L for Left out.

27d         What could be boring? Everything, it’s said (3)
AWL – A homophone (it is said) of ALL/Everything.
Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle (and blog). I’ll be back next Friday for another Saturday review.