DT 26001

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26001

Hints and tips by Libellule

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

An interesting puzzle today, but thankfully it is nowhere near as difficult as yesterdays. A number of accessible clues that allows access to the rest of the crossword by providing some of the relevant checking letters. There is the usual nice mix of well defined clues, and at least two or three that raise a smile. All in all a nice pleasant ramble after yesterday’s workout. 10a is a new word for me today.

Across

7. Fuel Norm needs to get a couple of females home (8)
{PARAFFIN} – Norm (PAR), followed by (needs) A, FF (couple of females) and then IN (home) for a type of oil.

9. Bottle supplied by garage apprentice? (6)
{CARBOY} –Simple but elegant cryptic definition, of a large glass or plastic bottle used for dangerous chemicals.

10. That man joining salvationists must follow a religious doctrine (6)
{AHIMSA} – Never seen this word before, the definition is religious doctrine and refers to the duty of sparing animal life and non-violence. The doctrine is put together by taking HIM (that man) followed by the abbreviation for Salvation Army (salvationists), and preceded by A (must follow a).

11. Club unhappy about admitting BBC boss? (8)
{BLUDGEON} – Unhappy is BLUE, and ON is about, into which you place (admitting) the boss of the BBC, Director General (DG) for another word for a short heavy club.

12. One has unusual feel for this old book (4,2,3,5)
{LORD OF THE FLIES} – An anagram of FEEL FOR THIS OLD (unusual) produces a famous William Golding novel. I love the surface reading of this clue.

15. Tramp left in seedy home (4)
{PLOD} – Seedy home is POD, now place L(eft) into it and you have a word used to describe walking heavily and laboriously.

17. Delight in the French pet? (3,2)
{LAP UP} – Smile time, LA (feminine the in French) and PUP (small dog and pet), for a phrase used to describe something or someone who might receive eagerly or greedily praise for example.

19. Deception in house, a sign of something wrong (4)
{HOAX} – HO (house) and A, plus a sign of something wrong, X (the opposite of a tick) is a deceptive trick.

20. Come, having got a word and its anagram, to show (4,2,4,4)
{TURN UP ONES NOSE} – To come is to TURN UP, then we need a word and its anagram ONES, and NOSE, now we have a phrase used to regard something with disdain or scorn….. Hmm I know it’s not just me (Gazza agrees too), does anybody else think that a word like distaste is missing from the end of the clue? (ScrewedUp problem- see comments below)

23. Angry local, one of two being horizontal at Anfield? (8)
{CROSSBAR} – A cryptic definition of what you might see on the football pitch at Liverpool F.C (Anfield) and a CROSS (angry) BAR (local).

25. Notice trade going to pot around five (6)
{ADVERT} – An anagram of TRADE (going to pot) placed around the roman numeral for five, V is a public promotion of some product or service.

27. Struggle making descent (6)
{STRAIN} – Although finding the right word here is relatively easy, I had to think a bit harder to justify the word play. This is a double definition, where struggle is obvious, but descent is less so. Think about lineage and pedigree for example.

28. In trousers torn apart reportedly (8)
{BREECHED} – Another sounds like clue (reportedly), where a word used to describe being in breeches, also sounds like what happens if a gap is opened in a fortifications defences.

Down

1. Wood topped with black slate (4)
{BASH} – Another word for slate, in this case to criticise harshly is made up of B (black) placed above (topped) ASH (wood).

2. Obstructed and unable to escape from the pit, we hear? (6)
{DAMMED} – A homophone (we hear). The definition is obstructed and it sounds like a word used to describe what has happened to you if you are sent to hell (the pit).

3. Catch coming from writer after start of story (4)
{SNIB} – Not a word you would see outside of a crossword puzzle, but this is a word that is a small bolt, or a catch for a window sash. Put NIB (writer) after the first letter S (start of) story.

4. Untidy person with a bit of a neck (6)
{SCRUFF} – A double definition, an untidy person could also be another word for the nape (a bit of) the neck.

5. Proper greedy, eating last bit of supper (8)
{PRIGGISH} – A word for greedy (like a pig) might be PIGGISH into which we need to place an R, the last letter (bit of) supper. Once done we have a word for being somewhat straightlaced or exaggeratedly proper.

6. I con lass so wickedly in a holy letter (10)
{COLOSSIANS} – An anagram of I CON LASS SO (wickedly) is a New Testament book containing an epistle from Saint Paul to the Colossians in ancient Phrygia.

8. Loud diatribe can be frightening (7)
{FEARFUL} – The musical notation for loud F(orte) is followed by EARFUL (diatribe) for an adjective that describes causing or capable of causing fear.

13. Get rid of well-read old boy to start with (10)
{OBLITERATE} – Place O(ld) B(oy) in front (start with) of LITERATE (well read) and we have another word that can be used to mean to remove completely.

14. Cool river for animal who’ll like it? (5)
{HIPPO} – One of the clues that raised a smile, cool is HIP and the river is PO (a river in northern Italy), put the two together and you have a semi aquatic animal.

16. US actress, one overtaken by our Diana over time? (5,3)
{DORIS DAY} – Our Diana is a reference to Diana DORS (a famous English actress), into which we then need to place (overtaken) I (one) and then add (over) DAY (time) and we now have a very famous US actress and singer.

18. Introduce walk, having grabbed man on field (7)
{PREFACE} – Another word for an introduction is put together by PACE (walk) and placing inside (grabbed) a man seen on a football or rugby field for example (REF).

21. Refined stuff that could have poisoned Abraham? (6)
{URBANE} – A cryptic definition, put together as follows, according to Genesis Abraham’s original home was UR, to this we need to add a deadly poison – BANE, now you have something that is polite, refined, and often elegant in manner.

22. New monk in number overcoming wickedness (6)
{NOVICE} – Take NO (number) and place it over (overcoming) VICE (wickedness) and you have a new monk, or a person who has entered a religious order but has not yet taken their final vows (a novitiate is another word for this).

24. Girl no good in what is predominantly male sport (4)
{RUBY} – Take RUGBY (a predominantly male sport) and remove G (no good) for a red gem or a girl’s name.

26. Revolutionary losing heart gets to falter (4)
{REEL} – The revolutionary is a REBEL, now remove the B from the centre (losing heart) and you have a word that can be used to describe what happens if you are thrown off balance or fall back.