DT 28803

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28803

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 28^th July 2018

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Morning All! This was just abut a two star solve for me with a couple of unfamiliar words/meanings although the wordplay was quite clear.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

3a           Old money I study for monk (10)
FRANCISCAN – The old French FRANC then I from the clue and SCAN for study/read.

8a           Ashore, adrift and sounding rough (6)
HOARSE – An anagram , indicated by adrift, of ASHORE.

9a           Fight against it being contained on the other side (8)
OPPOSITE – To OPPOSE or fight against with IT inside (being contained).

10a         Something to stop a blue building (8)
BUNGALOW – A BUNG or something to stop a flask perhaps, then A from the clue and LOW for blue/sad.

11a         Am in east, after start of feast, where there’s a shortage of food (6)
FAMINE – Place AM IN E(ast) after the start letter in F(east).

12a         Tender name designed to be term of affection (10)
ENDEARMENT – An anagram (designed) of TENDER NAME and a very apposite anagram!.

14a         Shallow jar and cups Enid replaced (6-7)
RATTLE-BRAINED – Not a phrase I was aware of!. Start with RATTLE or jar and then add a BRA (having two cups) and finally an anagram (replaced) of ENID.

20a         Cheaper in Irish county fair (10)
DOWNMARKET – An Irish county fair might cryptically be a (County) DOWN MARKET.

22a         Maiden being absorbed in tale that’s wild (6)
STORMY – M for Maiden (from the cricket abb.) inside a  STORY or tale.

23a         Everyone that is outside can upset union (8)
ALLIANCE – ALL/everyone and I.E. (Id Est – that is) outside of an upset anagram of CAN.

24a         Kind William having friendly disposition (8)
GOODWILL – GOOD for kind and WILL for William.

25a         Charlie and Romeo’s plant (6)
CLOVER – Charlie is C in the NATO phonetic alphabet. Add a LOVER or Romeo.

26a         Those present at ball about two hours before midnight? (10)
ATTENDANCE – A ball 2 hours before midnight is a DANCE AT TEN (or an AT TEN DANCE).

Down

1d           Like a newspaper perhaps, having a right to support post? (8)
COLUMNAR – Place A and R(ight) underneath (supporting in a Down clue) a COLUMN or post.

2d           Piece from blokes after horseplay in broadsheet (8)
FRAGMENT – MEN/blokes after RAG/horseplay all inside the FT or the broadsheet newspaper the Financial Times.

3d           What might be used for touching proposal? (6)
FEELER – The first is the straight definition and the second refers to ‘putting out the FEELERS’ when making tentative proposals in business for example.

4d           Admit a Volkswagen has nothing inside (4)
AVOW – A from the clue and then VW (the abb. of Volkswagen) with O for nothing inside.

5d           Refreshing drink — another one is a different matter (3,2,3)
CUP OF TEA – Another CUP OF TEA is a different matter, much like a kettle of fish.

6d           Notice missile entering that plant (6)
SESAME – A SAM (Surface to Air Missile) inside SEE or notice.

7d           Temporary work on stage (6)
ACTING – A temporary headmaster, for instance, is referred to as an ACTING head. Work on stage is ACTING.

13d         It’s in middle of arm, or could be below when broken (5)
ELBOW – An anagram (when broken) of BELOW and a good surface reading.

15d         Hen that’s spotted in the garden? (8)
LADYBIRD – A hen is a LADY (female) BIRD and the straight definition refers to the spotted insect found in a garden.

16d         One telling story of island going up over rocky height (8)
NARRATOR – Reverse ARRAN (an island that is going up in a Down clue) and then add a TOR or rocky outcrop on a mountain.

17d         Doctor and surgeon in terrible need forced medicine down (8)
DRENCHED – Start with DR for doctor then place CH for surgeon (from the archaic French derived Chirurgeon) inside a DIRE anagram of NEED. Like Tilsit on the day I was unaware of tis meaning of the word.

18d         Partly devout, mostly extreme (6)
UTMOST – A hidden word, indicated by ‘partly’, inside devo UT MOST ly.

19d         Game cut short when American leaves (6)
BRIDGE – Simply remove the A fro American from ABRIDGE or cut short.

21d         Spite shown by married lady (6)
MALICE – M for Married (an abb. from a family tree, say) and then ALICE, the name of a lady.

23d         Man turned up during final attack (4)
ALAN – To finish we have a reversed hidden word that is turned up (in a Down clue) IN(side) fi NAL A ttack.

Thanks to the setter – now I WILL be away for two weeks!