Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28749
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 26th May 2018
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Standing in at the last minute for Gnomethang, I can’t remember an awful lot about solving this crossword but I do remember the earworm produced by 18a
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Across
1a Big news story — sad end of space flight (10)
SPLASHDOWN – SPLASH (big news story) DOWN (sad)
6a Get rid of outbuilding (4)
SHED – a fairly classic double definition
10a Snake with space on tree (5)
ASPEN – ASP (snake) EN (printer’s space)
11a Bits of squid etc the French caught in net cast indiscriminately (9)
TENTACLES – ETC (from the clue) and LE (French definite article) caught in an anagram (indiscriminately) of NET CAST
12a May see fool seek support (7)
CANVASS – CAN (may) V (Vide, see) ASS (fool)
13a Consult expert about name in quizzical way (7)
ASKANCE – ASK (consult) ACE ‘about’ N (name)
14a Shopkeepers‘ basic cost not recovered (12)
TOBACCONISTS – An anagram (recovered) of BASIC COST NOT
18a Dance from the 1960s made a hotspot delirious (6,6)
MASHED POTATO – An anagram (delirious) of MADE A HOT SPOT
21a Colonist taking dog round lake (7)
SETTLER – SETTER (dog) round L (lake)
23a Slippery type rejected protection, not being exposed (7)
LEEWARD – A reversal (rejected) of EEL (slippery type) WARD (protection)
24a Threatened one legislator with abolition (9)
IMPENDING – I (one) MP (Member of Parliament, legislator) with ENDING (abolition)
25a Bird of prey heading off hunting dog (5)
EAGLE – I wonder how many times crossword solvers have taken the head off a BEAGLE or hunting dog to get a bird of prey?
26a Cut fuel for heating hospital (4)
GASH – GAS (fuel for heating) H (hospital)
27a Maybe shares how cleric is dressed for service (10)
INVESTMENT – If a cleric was dressed for service he’d probably be IN [his or her] VESTMENT
Down
1d Rare blemish on church (6)
SCARCE – SCAR (blemish) on CE (Church of England)
2d Like a wild animal at university, interrupting row (6)
LUPINE – UP (at university) interrupting LINE (row)
3d Learning gossip when drunk — with this? (9,5)
SINGAPORE SLING – An anagram (when drunk) of LEARNING GOSSIP
4d Go out with actor Terence — one might make an impression (4-5)
DATE-STAMP – DATE (go out with) STAMP (Terence the actor)
5d Stick a fish in film? (5)
WANDA – WAND (stick) A (from the clue)
7d Pope’s quality of verse read in High School initially (8)
HOLINESS – O (of) LINE (verse) in H S (High School initially)
8d Is penny invested in stupid deal (8)
DISPENSE – IS (from the clue) P (penny) ‘invested in’ DENSE (stupid)
9d PC operating system rarely seen nowadays (7,3,4)
WALKING THE BEAT – A cryptic definition that fooled quite a few for quite a while!
15d List unusual clue to Aga (9)
CATALOGUE – An anagram (unusual) of CLUE TO AGA
16d Wonderful son flirting once (8)
SMASHING – S (son) MASHING (archaic slang meaning flirting)
17d I call for help carrying most important electronic and nuclear materials (8)
ISOTOPES – I (from the clue) SOS (call for help) into which is inserted (carrying) TOP (most important) E (electronic)
19d Use craft to obtain foremost of white fish (6)
WANGLE – W (foremost letter of white) ANGLE (fish)
20d Notice archdeacon on time for run-up to Christmas (6)
ADVENT – AD (notice) VEN (venerable archdeacon) T (time)
22d What may stop cricket broadcast as a rule (5)
REIGN – A homophone (broadcast) of RAIN (which may well stop a cricket match)