Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27839
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
This puzzle was published on 27th June 2015
The perfect crossword for a very busy day – I don’t think I noticed when I was solving but it becomes apparent when preparing the review that nine of the clues require the insertion of something into another word.
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Across
1a Exchange bit of grass for flick-knife (11)
SWITCHBLADE – SWITCH (exchange) BLADE (of grass).
7a Also enthralling doctor, the French kind of lottery (7)
TOMBOLA – Insert (enthralling) MB (Bachelor of Medicine, doctor) into TOO (also) and follow with LA (the French feminine definite article).
8a Shorts with English tonic (7)
GINSENG – GINS (short can mean an alcoholic drink such as gin, when undiluted with water) and ENG (English).
10a Individual tucked into my bread (5)
MONEY – ONE (individual) ‘tucked into’ MY (from the clue) – bread being a slang term for money.
11a One who reprimands hunter grabbing its back (9)
CHASTISER – CHASER (hunter) grabbing a reversal (back) of ITS.
12a Friendly drink (7)
CORDIAL – Double definition, the second being a soft drink with a fruit base.
14a Agent taking in band that’s bouncy (7)
SPRINGY – Another insertion – this time a SPY (agent) takes in a RING (band).
15a Cockney’s feet getting to grips with one system of exercises (7)
PILATES – In Cockney rhyming slang, feet are PLATES of meat, so knowing this, it was easy to insert (getting to grips with) I (one).
18a Bachelor girl in Spanish-speaking country (7)
BOLIVIA – B (bachelor) OLIVIA (girl).
20a A nice turn in variety? Not sure (9)
UNCERTAIN – An anagram (in variety) of A NICE TURN.
21a Not very bright Italian, retiring, shy (5)
TIMID – A reversal (retiring) of DIM (not very bright) IT (Italian).
22a Piles showered on Greek character (7)
EPSILON – An anagram (showered) of PILES followed by ON (from the clue).
23a Character left wearing support (7)
FLAVOUR – FAVOUR (support) is wearing (or goes on the outside of) L (left).
24a Pay for a guy in order to relax (5,2,4)
STAND AT EASE – STAND (pay for) A (from the clue) TEASE (guy meaning to make fun of).
Down
1d Group studying ruined remains (7)
SEMINAR – An anagram (ruined) of REMAINS.
2d Cream trailer containing gold (5)
IVORY – OR (the heraldic term for gold) inserted into IVY (trailing plant).
3d Unexpected over large part of church (7)
CHANCEL – CHANCE (unexpected) goes ‘over’ or before L (large).
4d Brownie stands to embrace soldier back inside (3,4)
BIG EARS – I always thought Noddy’s friend was a gnome or an elf but apparently he’s a friendly brownie. BEARS (stands) embraces a reversal (back inside) of GI (American soldier).
5d Without dressing, served up as a rule, tuna (2,7)
AU NATUREL – An anagram (served up as) of A RULE TUNA.
6d American poet and essayist’s first sermon in new compilation (7)
EMERSON – E (the first letter of essayist) followed by an anagram (in new compilation) of SERMON.
7d Site map clue must be solved to show buried receptacle? (4,7)
TIME CAPSULE – Another anagram (must be solved) this time of SITE MAP CLUE.
9d Railway staff in Germany supported by article there to rig vote (11)
GERRYMANDER – GER (Germany) RY (railway) MAN (staff) DER (German definite article).
13d Printer a liability? To some extent, among other things (5,4)
INTER ALIA – Hidden in (to some extent) prINTER A LIAbility.
16d Insects found in place across street (7)
LOCUSTS – LOCUS (place) with (yes another insertion) ST (street) inserted.
17d Examined son, drunk (7)
SCANNED – S (son) CANNED (a slang term for being drunk).
18d Jonson, perhaps — electronic image good (7)
BENEFIT – BEN (Jonson perhaps) E FIT (electronic image).
19d Leave Virginia with American beast (7)
VAMOOSE – VA (the abbreviation for the State of Virginia) and MOOSE (American beast).
21d What a pope may wear in a short ceremony round area to the north (5)
TIARA – The Pope’s triple crown. ‘To the north’ indicates the need to reverse (in a down clue) A (from the clue)A (area) RITe (short ceremony).
S1
There were quite a few things I found out when doing this puzzle – exactly what sort of creature Big Ears is (we’ll find out one day what sort of animal Goofy is meant to be), that the Pope wears a tiara, that gerrymander is the correct spelling rather than jerrymander and that the ‘Gerry’ bit comes from the name of a governor of Massachusetts. But all were clued in such a straightforward way that they presented no problems.
I’d actually like a ‘prize’ crossword to be a bit more of a challenge but the Telegraph’s not going to change its policy after all these years so there’s no point in complaining.
Thanks to Mr Ron for the puzzle and CS for the write-up. My favourite clue was 24a.
Thank you for the review, CS, this must be the easiest Prize Puzzle I’ve done in the short time I’ve been solving. I didn’t know what Big Ears was, either….