DT Cryptic No 25858 – Hints

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25858

Selected hints

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

We published a full review, by Libellule, of this puzzle yesterday when it was accidentally released online.  As our policy here is to provide hints only for the weekend prize crosswords that review has been removed, and will be reposted at 12.00 next Thursday,  February 26th.   Instead I have selected a few hints from that review.  This will mean that Peter Biddlecombe will have a week off and be back on Thursday, 5th March with a review of next Saturday’s puzzle.

Across

1a Ill-disposed collie had some ringed spots of colour (6)
An anagram (ill-disposed) giving a word that describes a marking that resembles an eye, as can be found on the wings of some butterflies, or the tail feathers of a male peacock

14a  Drier that makes things disappear? (10)
A double definition of a machine that draws moisture from something, and also a person or object who makes things vanish

Down

7d Porcelain flower (5,5)
A genus of flowering plants whose first name is a synonym for porcelain

13d Criminal action, sheep rustling (3-7)
A pun on sheep rustling to describe a variation on burglary where a vehicle is driven through the windows or doors of a closed shop

20d Claptrap from Greek character getting up from bed on board first (6)
The 12th letter of the Greek alphabet (the Greek alphabet is now in The Mine) reversed (getting up) preceded by (first) a name for a bed on board a ship, giving a word meaning claptrap