Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26127
A full analysis by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
A relatively straightforward Prize puzzle which, for once, is not a pangram.
Across
1a One taking steps spotted one pair outside (5)
PACER – The one taking steps is constructed by putting ACE (playing card with one spot) inside PR (the abbreviation for a pair)
4a Spotty cloth Deb designed (8)
BLOTCHED – a word meaning spotty is an anagram (designed) of CLOTH DEB
8a Harvest fruit to be seen again (8)
REAPPEAR – a charade of REAP (harvest) and PEAR (fruit) adds up to a word meaning to be seen again
9a A grossly distorted list of words (8)
GLOSSARY – an anagram (distorted) of A GROSSLY gives a list of words
11a A grain’s polluting wine (7)
SANGRIA – a anagram (polluting) of A GRAIN’S results in a Spanish wine punch with fruit and soda water or lemonade
13a Emperor heard to have broken rib (9)
BONAPARTE – sounds like (heard) BONE APART
15a Trespassers will be charged? (6,2,3,4)
BEWARE OF THE BULL – a cryptic definition
18a Earlier game piece found in treasury (9)
EXCHEQUER – Combine EX (a prefix meaning earlier) and one of the pieces used in draughts to get the treasury that is overseen by the Chancellor of the Exchequer
21a Companion very much behind one who is at sea (7)
MATELOT – MATE (companion) with LOT (very much) combine to give this sailor
22a Extremely fast international winger (5,3)
JUMBO JET – a cryptic definition
24a Get irate damaging plume (8)
AIGRETTE – an anagram (damaging) of GET IRATE gives an ornamental feather plume
25a Toy with distinguishing characteristic indicative of approval (4,4)
KITE MARK – put together a KITE (toy) and MARK (distinguishing characteristic) and you get a kite-shaped mark on goods indicating conformity in quality, size, etc, with the specifications of the British Standards Institution
26a Leading climber has breather on summit (5)
CREST – Start with the first letter (leading) of C(LIMBER) and add a REST (breather) and you get the summit of a hill
Down
1d Variety of herbal pies liable to go off (10)
PERISHABLE – an anagram (variety) of HERBAL PIES gives a word meaning liable to go off
2d Tool was raised after series finished (8)
CHAINSAW – to get this tool WAS is reversed (raised – only works with down clues) after a CHAIN (series)
3d He writes about beer (8)
REPORTER – this writer is a charade of RE (about) and PORTER (beer)
4d Ice in November growing (4)
BERG – this ice is hidden inside November growing
5d Chancy way of raising money (4-2)
TOSS-UP – heads or tails? – a cryptic definition
6d Boastful words over the Atacama? (3,3)
HOT AIR – a double definition that alludes to the fact that the air over the Atacama desert is hot
7d Refuse to obey when fed up before end of day (4)
DEFY – a word meaning to refuse to obey comes from FED reversed (up – another of those down-clue only constructs) before Y (end of daY)
10d Unlikely to appeal to pupils for a considerable time (4-4)
LONG-TERM – this is a part-cryptic double definition
12d Unqualified sailor thus has instrument (8)
ABSOLUTE – this word meaning unqualified, in the sense of unconditional , is built up from AB (sailor) SO (thus) and LUTE (instrument)
14d Sentiment about including lecturer during the enrolling (10)
ENLISTMENT – an anagram (about) of SENTIMENT is placed around (including) L(ecturer) gives an enrolling
16d The sot Erica in part difficult to understand (8)
ESOTERIC – hidden inside (in part) the nonsensical phrase “the sot Erica” is a word meaning difficult to understand
17d Take covers off Sam unduly hot inside (8)
UNCLOTHE – a word meaning to take covers off is generated by putting UNCLE (Sam) around an anagram (unduly) of HOT
19d Many order appropriate sweet (6)
COMFIT – string together C (100 in Roman numerals / many) OM (Order of Merit) and FIT (appropriate) and you get a sugar-coated seed or almond
20d Self-centredness, say, is in order (6)
EGOISM – a word meaning self-centredness is built up from EG (say) and IS inside OM (for the second consecutive clue!)
22d Worthless craft (4)
JUNK – a double definition, the second one being an E Asian flat-bottomed sailing vessel, with high forecastle and poop, and large squarish sails internally supported by battens
23d Consider this container for body of experts (4)
TANK – a slightly-cryptic definition of a Think Tank