DT Cryptic No 25867

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25867

Hints and tips by Big Dave

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

A slightly tricky puzzle – I was sailing along thinking I must be in tune with the setter, then got a bit bogged down.  No particularly difficult clues, apart from getting the precise wording for 27 across.  My first attempt hampered me from getting 24 down, I should have tackled them the other way around.

Across

1a Desire to be late (5,4)
{DEATH WISH} – a very good cryptic definition, immortalised in film by Charles Bronson

8a Marina crew oft danced with WRAF personnel (13)
(AIRCRAFTWOMEN} – an anagram (danced) of  (MARINA CREW OFT) giving WRAF personnel

11a On the continent you both possess this skirt (4)
{TUTU} – TU (French for you) repeated giving a short skirt – I bet Libellule got this one without any problems!

12a Established the military leader had a sword (5)
{ESTOC} – EST (an abbreviation, loved my crossword setters, of established) then OC (Officer Commanding) giving a little known French sword

13a Argue over the bar (4)
{SPAR} – RAPS (a pretty poor synonym for argue) reversed (over – more of a down clue construct) giving a bar
a double definition – argue over; a bar – I was convinced that there was a reversal in there – thanks for putting me right Gazza

16a Prisoner – cite stranger with complacency (7)
{CONCEIT} – CON (that ubiquitous prisoner) with an anagram (stranger) of CITE giving a word meaning complacency

17a Do seasick pirates prefer to walk? (7)
{TRAIPSE} – an anagram (seasick) of PIRATES giving a long tiring walk

18a Vehicle travelling at the speed of sound to the Sunderland area (7)
{MACHINE} – put MACH I (the speed of sound) with NE (the North East, which is where you will find the Sunderland area and you get a name often applied to a vehicle

20a Greek character opposed to wine (7)
{CHIANTI} – CHI (Greek character – there’s a list of these in The Mine) with ANTI (opposed to) giving a wine from Tuscany

21a Factual note about the game (4)
{TRUE} – TE (note – a drink with jam and bread!) around RU (Rugby Union) giving a synonym for factual

22a Privately, assistant receives the final sacraments (5)
{ASIDE} – AIDE (assistant) around (receives) S (the final letter of sacraments) gives a word meaning on or to one side (privately)

23a Appliance stolen? Goods returned (4)
{TOOL} – the stolen goods are LOOT, which is then reversed (returned) for an appliance

26a Pomposity governed in size (13)
{BIGHEADEDNESS} – a word that describes the attribute of a conceited person

27a Exist to never say ‘No’ (2,1,3,3)
{BE A YES MAN} – a neat but simple cryptic definition

Down

2d Eat in France and Switzerland (4)
{ETCH} – ET (and, French) with CH (the IVR code for Switzerland – once again, it’s in The Mine) giving a word meaning to eat away or corrode

3d Unusual start in passage (7)
{TRANSIT} – an anagram (unusual) of START IN giving a passage

4d Lacking wit, thou weirdo! (7)
{WITHOUT} – another anagram (weirdo) of WIT THOU – not too hard to see this one

5d Refrain from hanging up pans, for example (4)
{STOP} – POTS (and pans) reversed (hanging up – down clues only!)

6d Relative seen from afar (7,6)
{DISTANT COUSIN} – a cryptic definition that you should find easy to spot

7d Entertain all comers (4,4,5)
{KEEP OPEN HOUSE} – another cryptic definition, this time a bit more difficult

9d Mineral for a crazy cat with a flea (9)
{ATACAMITE} – from where do they keep digging up these minerals (pun untended) – A then an anagram (crazy) of CAT followed by A MITE (a flea) giving a mineral which is a basic chloride of copper (but I’m sure you all knew that!)

10d Whilst operating I tore real blood vessel (9)
{ARTERIOLE} – an anagram (operating) of I TORE REAL giving a very small artery (blood vessel)

14d Single strand of DNA? (5)
{HELIX} – a cryptic definition that you can stare at for ages, then the penny drops, or you can get straightaway – DNA is famously shaped like two of these

15d Fundamental computer language (5)
{BASIC) – a rather easy double definition

19d Stimulant started early turn on (7)
{ECSTASY} – a stimulant, known simply as E (started Early), that turns you on – I don’t like this one, can you do better?  [I have sought other interpretations, and another view is that Chambers has ecstasy as a verb, thus allowing turn on. I had seen this, but it is a very unusual usage and the wordplay is still suspect.]

20d Chewed foods, including jelly and batters (7)
{CUDGELS} – CUDS (chewed foods) around (including) GEL (jelly) giving a word that means beats with a heavy staff (batters)

24d Square ridge nailed to a hoof (4)
{SHOE} – S(quare) and HOE (ridge or promontory, as in Plymouth Hoe) give something that is nailed to a hoof

25d Her rise and fall (4)
{ANNA) – a girl with a palindromic name – easy when you have the crossing letters

Your comments are, as ever, welcome.