DT 26264

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26264

Hints and tips by Gazza

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

I took longer than I should have to do this puzzle by Giovanni (partly explained by my putting in the wrong answer for 5a) because in retrospect I don’t think that it’s one of his more difficult ones. What’s your opinion? Leave us a comment and please remember to vote by clicking on one of the stars at the bottom.
As always, the answers are hidden between the brackets under the clues. Just highlight the space between the brackets to reveal them.

Across Clues

1a  A party left-winger is loved (6)
{ADORED} – we start with a simple three-part charade to get a synonym for loved.

5a  Gas exhibition in TV programme (4,4)
{CHAT SHOW} – I confidently wrote in “talk show” here, which gave me problems later on. The first word in this charade is indeed a verb meaning to make conversation (gas) but it’s not “talk”.

9a  Bird soared and guns fired (4,6)
{SAND GROUSE} – an anagram (fired, presumably in the sense of stimulated) of SOARED and GUNS produces a ground-dwelling bird.

10a  What could be bread bowl (4)
{ROLL} – double definition, the second being a verb meaning to trundle along. I’m not sure why the clue isn’t just “bread bowl” – probably to signify that some of these are made of, or contain, other foodstuffs.

11a  Essential in this place — set of holy books (8)
{INHERENT} – an adjective meaning permanent or essential is a charade of IN, where “this place” is and the abbreviation for the books in the second half of the Bible.

12a  Friend getting married turning back? Flap! (6)
{DEWLAP} – an amusing picture of the panic brought on by a change of mind. The definition is a flap of loose skin hanging from the neck or throat, and to get it string together a synonym for friend and another word for married and then reverse the lot (turning back).

13a  Drug to make one calm with place briefly drifting away (4)
{ACID} – start with an adjective meaning calm or serene and remove (drifting away) the PL (place briefly) from its beginning.

15a  Guarded about money, holding it back (8)
{RETICENT} – an adjective meaning guarded or reluctant to say too much is constructed from a short word meaning about and a coin (money) with IT reversed (back) inside.

18a  Compiler in extremis: Paper boss, I want my money! (8)
{CREDITOR} – this sounds like a cri de coeur from Giovanni. I wonder if the Telegraph is a bit slow to settle up? Start with the outer letters (in extremis) of CompileR and add the boss of the paper to get someone to whom money is owed.

19a  Tolerable journey back for two seamen (2-2)
{SO-SO} – two ordinary seamen are reversed (journey back) to get an adjective meaning tolerable.

21a  Plant support fixed to side of post (6)
{TEASEL} – the support that an artist may use comes after (fixed to) one of the side letters of posT to get a tall prickly plant.

23a  Most cordial friends in gym training? (8)
{PALLIEST} – the definition is most cordial. Put a synonym for friends or supporters inside the abbreviation for physical training.

25a  Some idiots ignore meaningful gesture (4)
{SIGN} – hidden (some) in the clue is a meaningful gesture (or an honest admission!).

26a  Not immune from attack making a journey by sea in the black (10)
{ASSAILABLE} – an adjective meaning capable of being attacked is made from A and then a sea journey (by yacht rather than steamer) inside a heraldic term for black.

27a  Cheese has me spinning round — ridiculous! (8)
{EMMENTAL} – a holey Swiss cheese starts with a reversal (spinning round) of ME which is followed by a slang term meaning crazy or ridiculous.

28a  Going around far side of Norwich arrive at closed community (6)
{GHETTO} – put a phrasal verb meaning to arrive at around the end (far side) of NorwicH to get a part of a city which is occupied exclusively by one racial group (closed community).

Down Clues

2d  Tense, like e.g. a goalless match (5)
{DRAWN} – double definition – an adjective meaning strained or tense is also a description of a match which finishes 0-0 (or 1-1).

3d  Like a scarlet woman, maybe, but not blonde (3-6)
{RED-HEADED} – I’m not convinced that this one works terribly well. A description of a woman who is not blonde (or brunette) can also mean angrily excited or flushed (scarlet) with anger.

4d  Man submerged under Devon river moved quickly (6)
{DARTED} – an abbreviated man’s name (as used by 40% of the candidates in the Labour Party leadership election) comes after (submerged under, in a down clue) a very picturesque Devon river to get a verb meaning moved quickly.

5d  One corporal puts out alternative suggestion (7-8)
{COUNTER-PROPOSAL} – an anagram (out) of ONE CORPORAL PUTS produces an alternative suggestion.

6d  A short letter about church upset with dean’s original story (8)
{ANECDOTE} – the definition is story. Put A and a short letter around the abbreviation for Church of England which is reversed (upset) and the initial letter (original) of Dean.

7d  Payment for prison warder (5)
{SCREW} – double definition of a word with two (at least) slang usages. It means what you earn for working (payment) and also a prison officer.

ARVE Error: need id and provider

8d  Ring — it’s transformed with plain colours (3,6)
{OIL PAINTS} – start with O (ring) and follow with an anagram (transformed) of  IT’S and PLAIN to get colours.

14d  Deem Capri fantastic and enjoy the moment (5,4)
{CARPE DIEM} – an anagram (fantastic) of DEEM CAPRI is a latin phrase which literally means “seize the day”.

16d  Criticise pitch with which you get one wicket? (9)
{CASTIGATE} – forget cricket – start with a verb meaning to pitch or throw and add I and a small opening (often inset in a bigger one for pedestrian access) to make a verb meaning to criticise.

17d  Reliable sort, breaker of law in the beginning (8)
{STALWART} – put an anagram (breaker) of LAW inside a synonym for beginning.

20d  Brief affair — little yen to get involved (6)
{FLYING} – an informal word for a temporary relationship (affair) has Y(en) (little yen) put inside (involved) to make an adjective meaning brief (like a Prime Ministerial visit to Afghanistan).

22d  Performer not right — no evidence of great fire (5)
{SINGE} – remove the final R (not right) from a performer to get a slight scorch mark, much less than you’d get from a great fire.

24d  Wreck in European port (5)
{SPLIT} – double definition, the second being a Croatian port and resort on the Adriatic.

The clues I liked today included 12a, 15a, 5d and 20d, but my favourite is 18a. Let us know your views in a comment!