DT 26606

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26606

A full review by gnomethang

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Morning All! This was a pretty archetypal Cephas puzzle which ticked all the right boxes for me and, reading the blog on the day, for all you guys as well. Whilst not difficult it did contain some very well worked clues.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.  You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

1a           Rubbish bin initially dumped in vehicle shelter (7)
GARBAGE – An insertion of B (Bin initially) inside a GARAGE is an American word for rubbish.

9a           Introduction given by prior to walker, taking away rights (8)
PREAMBLE – ‘Prior to Walker’ would be PRE-AMBLER. Remove the final R (Right) for an introductory speech.

10a         Understand how door is locked (5,2)
CATCH ON – As BD stated on the day there is another potential answer with LATCH ON although perhaps the actual answer is more precise. In any case this is a gentle definition and cryptic definition meaning ‘understand’ and also the way one might lock a door (put the catch on).

11a         Old coin, one’s limited edition converted into cash (8)
REALISED – To turn goods into cash. A charade of REAL (an old Spanish coin), IS (one’s in a limited or shortened form) and ED for ED(ition).

12a         Not even disagreeing? (2,4)
AT ODDS – A cryptic definition for being in a disagreement. If you weren’t at the evens you would be at the odds.

13a         Alternating current (5,5)
TIDAL RIVER – A cryptic definition of a stretch of water(current) that moves backwards and forwards (alternates).

15a         Left party after United game (4)
LUDO – A charade of L(eft) U and then (after) DO for ‘party’. All very common abbreviations but I liked this clue.

16a         Clear sound of bird producing simple melody (9)
PLAINSONG – Another charade of PLAIN (clear) and SONG (sound of bird). Plainsong is defined in Chambers as ‘a simple melody’ and ‘one to which a descant can be added.

21a         Hoe where Sir Francis shows no hint of dismay (4)
DRAKE – The garden implement is formed from DRAKE (the famous Sir Francis) with no hint (start) of D(ismay).

22a         Two workers ringing in together (4,2,4)
HAND IN HAND – One synonym for a worker is a HAND. Place two of them around (ringing) IN to get a phrase meaning ‘together’.

24a         Daughter and date together during auction, in back seat (6)
SADDLE – Two abbreviations of D, Daughter and Date, inside SALE (auction). I believe the definition is ‘back seat’ but I would invite any alterations!.

25a         Settler Mark is taking time (8)
COLONIST – A charade of COLON, a punctuation mark, Is and T(ime) gives a Settler in a country or land.

27a         Provide money for one having engagement about November 1st (7)
FINANCE – A FIANCE (someone who is engaged to be married) around the 1^st (letter) of November. The definition is a word meaning ‘provide money for’

28a         An erotic sort of response (8)
REACTION – A cheeky little clue for a type of response to a stimulus. An anagram (sort, shuffle) of AN EROTIC.

29a         Try half of that with egg on (7)
ATTEMPT – The try or essay is created by taking half of thAT and adding TEMPT for ‘egg on’

Down

2d           Plant in a container like this (8)
ACANTHUS – A prickly leaved plant and a charade of A, CAN (container) and THUS (like this).

3d           Sponsor with very small amount seen in stage scene (8)
BACKDROP – BACK (sponsor) and DROP (a very small amount of liquid for example) leads to a piece of stage scenery.

4d           Suitable stock for railway vehicle (5,5)
GOODS TRAIN – Suitable is GOOD and a stock is a STRAIN. Split them as (5,5) for a cargo carrying railway vehicle.

5d           Not at any price (4)
FREE – Anything that had a price would not be free!

6d           Lisa exchanged gold for one going overseas? (6)
SAILOR – A Jolly Jack Tar is found by making an anagram (exchanged) if LISA followed by OR, the heraldic term for gold.

7d           Insulting a coach before quarter past four (7)
ABUSIVE – Insulting or bullying. Take A, BUS (coach) and then place E (East a quarter) after (past the Roman Numerals IV (four).

8d           Greenery ever changing round many an old city (7)
VERDURE – Verdure is greenery, pasture or green vegetation. Place an anagram (changing) of EVER around D (Roman Numeral for 500, many) and UR – the usual Crosswordland Old City.

11d         Left-winger, a continental worker after first day not required (9)
REDUNDANT – RED (a political left winger), UN (A in French, continental) and ANT (another worker) following D (first letter of Day).

14d         Dolly’s disposed to lean over shipping newsletter (6,4)
LLOYDS LIST – The register of named investors in the Lloyds shipping company and bank. A disposed anagram of DOLLYS and LIST (lean over). A nice clue maintaining the shipping theme.

17d         Mark with degrees — e.g. BA (8)
GRADUATE – A very good double definition with excellent wordplay. A measuring device(e.g. a thermometer) with degrees marked down the side is said to be graduated. A Bachelor of Arts or BA (for example) is also a GRADUATE.

18d         Plant hat on head first (8)
SKULLCAP – The plant (the definition) was not immediately apparent to me, being a non flora sort of person. Place SKULL (head) above (on first) CAP (Hat).

19d         Salad leaves fashionable Conservative with no starter (7)
CHICORY – A disgusting salad leaf!. Start with CHIC and add ORY which is Tory (A conservative) without its head (leading letter)

20d         Dirty lace nun removed (7)
UNCLEAN – An anagram (removed) of LACE NUN is an adjective meaning dirty.

23d         Hotel took food in — that’s only natural (6)
INNATE – A charade of INN, a hotel or hostelry, and ATE, took in food. Innate means natural or instinctive.

26d         Shortly ducks are seen in opposite directions (4)
SOON – Opposite directions are N(orth) and S(outh). Add two instances of O (zero or a Duck in cricket – remember that two of them can also be a ‘pair’, ‘spectacles’ or ‘pair of spectacles’) to get a word meaning shortly or anon.

Thanks to Cephas for the day’s puzzle. I am back next week with the mystery setter.