DT 25993

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25993

Hints and tips by Big Dave

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

This is turning out to be  “New Solvers Week” as we are presented with another relatively easy puzzle.  It’s on days like this that you get the full benefits of retirement – torrential rain and no need to go outside!

Two years ago this month I was returning home on a Friday evening and only got as far as Moreton-in-the-Marsh, where the High Street had turned into a river.  I spent the night in a pub (things could have been a lot worse!) and finally managed to reach Hanley Swan on Saturday evening.

Across

1a Failure knocking back beer at college (4-2)
{SLIP-UP} – this failure is derived by reversing (knocking back) PILS (beer) and then adding UP (at college)

5a Take the place of mostly loose six footer (8)
{SUPPLANT} – to take the place of is SUPPL(E) (mostly loose) and ANT (six footer)

9a Very fashionable silver? Sound on the outside (3,3,4)
{ALL THE RAGE} – a phrase meaning very fashionable comes from AG (silver) with ALL THERE (sound) on the outside

10a Silent figure among commuters (4)
{MUTE} – this silent figure is hidden (among) comMUTErs

11a Temporary home with frilly lace? Good feeling comes from it (8)
{TENTACLE} – combine TENT (temporary home) with an anagram (frilly) of LACE and you get something from which good feeling comes

12a One in Paris boarding fast revolutionary part of Metro? (6)
{TUNNEL} – put UN (one in French / in Paris) inside (boarding) LENT (fast) reversed (revolutionary) and you get part of the Metro (the Paris Underground)

13a Small measure in a round? Explosive stuff (4)
{AMMO} – take MM (millimetre / small measure) and put it inside A O (a round) to get some explosive stuff

15a Chivalrous sort reportedly getting drink for bird (8)
{NIGHTJAR} – a charade of NIGHT (sounds like knight / chivalrous sort reportedly) and JAR (drink) gives this bird

18a Minor engagement risks him getting twitchy (8)
{SKIRMISH} – this minor engagement is an anagram (twitchy) of RISKS HIM

19a Bank official retaining energy (4)
{REEF} – a type of bank that is derived by putting REF (referee / official) around (retaining) E(nergy)

21a Very large figure departs for port (6)
{OSTEND} – a charade of OS (OutSize / very large) TEN (figure) and D(eparts) gives this Belgian port

23a Organization rejecting liberal South African politicians and European direction (8)
{GUIDANCE} – a tricky charade of GUI(L)D (organization) without the L (rejecting Liberal) with ANC (African National Congress / South African politicians) and E(uropean) gives a synonym for direction

25a Show disapproval in this style (4)
{HISS} – to show disapproval is hidden in tHIS Style

26a A stirring factor in retirement? (5,5)
{ALARM CLOCK} – a cryptic definition of a device which wakes you up in the morning

27a Incentive to revamp slum site lacking sign of expenditure around university (8)
{STIMULUS} – this incentive comes from placing an anagram (revamp) of SLUM SIT(E) without the E (lacking sign of Expenditure) around U(niversity)

28a German wearing cosmetic to remain behind (6)
{LINGER} – put G(erman) inside (wearing) eye LINER (cosmetic) to get a synonym for to remain behind

Down

2d City badly kept by the French (5)
{LILLE} – this French city comes from ILL (badly) inside LE (the, French)

3d Love to tuck into exotic fruit after favourite fancy biscuit (5,4)
{PETIT FOUR} – put O (love) inside (to tuck into) an anagram (exotic) of FRUIT and after PET (favourite) to get a fancy biscuit

4d Pleasing thing about rector – what he regularly does? (6)
{PREACH} – here PEACH is a pleasing thing (a bit vague?) and it goes around R(ector) to get what the rector regularly does

5d Keen hints broadcast about a drug? A lurking menace (5,2,3,5)
{SNAKE IN THE GRASS} – an anagram (broadcast) of KEEN HINTS goes around (about) A and is followed by GRASS (drug) to get a lurking menace

6d Greedy chap restricting others beginning to enjoy status (8)
{PRESTIGE} – put PIG (greedy chap) around (restricting) REST (others) and followed by E (beginning to Enjoy) to get a word meaning status

7d Drink one missed before start of week? A disappointment (5)
{LEMON} – here you need (A)LE (drink) without the A (one missed) before MON(day) (start of week) to get a disappointment

8d Famous church that’s remote and in need of renovation (5,4)
{NOTRE DAME} – famous church is a bit of an understatement for this French cathedral which can be derived from an anagram (in need of renovation) of REMOTE AND

14d This fame developing about King is temporary (9)
{MAKESHIFT} – an anagram (developing) of THIS FAME around (about) K(ing) gives something that is temporary

16d Jack with girl endlessly requiring protection from rain (9)
{TARPAULIN} – TAR (jack / sailor) and PAULIN(E) (girl endlessly) give something that provides protection from the rain

17d Profit not expected from novel find in side of building (8)
{WINDFALL} – a synonym for unexpected profit is an anagram (novel) of FIND inside WALL (side of building)

20d Depressing ring about feminist getting promoted (6)
{DISMAL} – a word meaning depressing is derived by putting DIAL (ring) around (about) MS (Ms / feminist) reversed (getting promoted – one of those down-clue only constructs)

22d Course creep’s omitted? Not altogether (5)
{EPSOM} – the Derby is run at this racecourse which is hidden (not altogether) inside creEP’S OMitted

24d Store timeless stamp (5)
{CACHET} – a store that comes from CACHE(T) (stamp) without the T (Time less)

One or two convoluted clues, where you need to guess the answer and then try to work out the wordplay.  Overall a pleasant and not that difficult puzzle which is probably from the hand of one of my favourite setters!

Don’t forget that the answers can be revealed by selecting the space between the curly brackets.  You can give your assessment of this puzzle by selecting from 1 to 5 stars below.