DT 28695

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28695

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 24^th March 2018

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Not often on a Saturday that it helped to ‘start with the Downs’ but that was my experience with this particular crossword

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Constant problem at ticket machine if one’s this (10)
CHANGELESS – If you have no change then you might have a problem at a ticket machine

6a    Work in soapsuds evenly (4)
OPUS – Found in the even letters of sOaPsUdS

9a    Plunder drink, being antisocial type (10)
SPOILSPORT – SPOILS (plunder being used as a noun) PORT (drink)

10a    Air pressure produces sharp breath (4)
GASP – GAS (air) P (pressure)

12a    Bird allowed around hotel (6)
LINNET – LET (allowed) ‘around’ INN (hotel)

13a    Second one making an impression — this person’s fast (8)
SPRINTER – S (second) PRINTER (one making impression)

15a    Workplaces of lots of people including top bishop (6,6)
OFFICE BLOCKS – OF (from the clue) and FLOCKS (lots of people) ‘including’ ICE (US criminal slang meaning to kill [top] B (bishop)

18a    Not unusually, former prime minister detains pervert looking for trouble (2,3,7)
ON THE WARPATH – An anagram (unusually) of NOT and HEATH (former prime minister) ‘detains’ WARP (pervert)

21a    What can cut off supply of oxygen and copper in store (8)
STOPCOCK – O (chemical symbol for oxygen) and PC (policeman, copper) in STOCK (store)

22a    Church official comments about receiving kiss (6)
SEXTON – A reversal (about) of NOTES (comments) ‘receiving’ X (kiss)

24a    Python at rest (4)
IDLE – One of the members of Monty Python’s Flying Circus or another way of saying ‘at rest’

25a    Potential murder weapon providing clue, very hot (4,6)
LEAD PIPING – LEAD (providing clue) PIPING (very hot)

26a    European country without any cause of disease (4)
GERMANY – Remove (without) the ANY from GERMany

27a    Respect man exploding bluff (10)
ESCARPMENT – An anagram (exploding) of RESPECT MAN

Down

1d    Man left in class in India (6)
CASTLE – “Why did you groan?” asked Mr CS. “Because there’ll be muttering from the ‘It’s a Rook’ corner”. Insert L (left) into CASTE (Indian class)

2d    Soldier collects second acceptable sum (6)
AMOUNT – ANT (soldier) ‘collects’ MO (second) U (acceptable)

3d    Ancient cheat following leader of Greek’s mythical quest (6,6)
GOLDEN FLEECE – OLDEN (ancient) FLEECE (cheat) follow G (leader of Greek)

4d    See exercise take great strides (4)
LOPE – LO (see) PE (exercise)

5d    Refuse to be taken in by these papers’ cash complex (10)
SCRAPHEAPS – An anagram (complex) of PAPERS CASH

7d    Vincent perhaps takes part of play in rehearsal (8)
PRACTICE – PRICE (Vincent, perhaps) ‘takes’ ACT (part of play)

8d    Drink with journalists to keep out of the news? (8)
SUPPRESS – SUP (drink) PRESS (journalists)

11d    While two lips entwined, its flame’s short-lived (4-1-3-4)
WILL-O-THE-WISP – An anagram (entwined) of WHILE TWO LIPS

14d    City men move around in fine cars (10)
FINANCIERS – An anagram (move around) of IN FINE CARS

16d    Speaking proudly of snake bite (8)
BOASTING – BOA (snake) STING (bite)

17d    Person walking slowly along street with posh car following (8)
STROLLER – ST (street) ROLLER (posh car)

19d    Band journey through Home Counties (6)
STRIPE – TRIP (journey) ‘through’ SE (South East, Home Counties)

20d    Consider rising up to capture grand nobleman (6)
KNIGHT – A reversal (rising up in a Down clue) of THINK (consider) into which is inserted (capture) G (grand)

23d    Plan to cut out middleman regularly (4)
IDEA – The regular letters of mIdDlEmAn

 

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