Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28851

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 22^nd September 2018

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **

Morning All! This was firmly on the one-star end of the difficulty scale for me but with the usual interesting anagram indicators (if I am right about the setter’s identity).

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Diana given emphasis when much troubled (10)
DISTRESSED – DI for the diminutive of Diana and then STRESSED for ‘given emphasis’.

6a           Method of transmitting data initially with information found inside (2-2)
WI-FI – The Initial letters in the last four words.

8a           Melting a disintegrating fibrous tissue (8)
LIGAMENT – An anagram (disintegrating) of MELTING A.

9a           Flat entrance partly concealed (6)
LATENT – A hidden word is some of (partly)  f LAT ENT rance.

10a         Pay again and move house (8)
RESETTLE – When you pay a bill you SETTLE it so to re-pay would be to RESETTLE.

11a         Part of speech a student’s not written (6)
VERBAL – A VERB for the part of speech followed bu A from the clue and L for Learner (a student).

12a         Insect, queen having drink (4)
BEER – A BEE/insect and R for queen (Regina).

14a         Be wrong about motorway hazard (7)
MISTAKE – The MI s for the M1 Motorway. Add STAKE for hazard/wager.

18a         Car Lily damaged — wax it, perhaps, if feeling enthusiastic? (7)
LYRICAL – An anagram (damaged) of CAR LILY.

20a         Margin found in middle of accounts book (4)
EDGE – Lake the middle letters in a lEDGEr or account book.

23a         Top two in class are taking temperature of wine (6)
CLARET – The top two letters of CL(aret) followed by ARE from the clue and then taking a T for Temperature.

24a         Beastly time in the cheapest accommodation? (8)
STEERAGE – A beastly time might be the AGE of a STEER or STEER AGE.

25a         A fish I caught — or mushroom? (6)
AGARIC – A GAR (A fish) and then I from the clue and C(aught) from the cricketing score notation.

26a         Vegetable giving brother terrible colic (8)
BROCCOLI – A BRO (brother) and then a terrible anagram of COLIC.

27a         Remain second highest (4)
STOP – S for Second and TOP for highest.

28a         Chicken-hearted eccentric’s official warning (6,4)
YELLOW CARD – YELLOW for chicken-hearted/scared and then a CARD or eccentric person/wag.

Down

1d           Lied about drink I swallowed producing wild excitement (8)
DELIRIUM – An anagram (about) of LIED then a RUM drink including an I (the I is swallowed/contained).

2d           Son fixed gates — that’s most wise (6)
SAGEST – S for son and an anagram (fixed) of GATES.

3d           Concerning speck far away (6)
REMOTE – RE: for reference/concerning and then a MOTE or speck of dust, say.

4d           Place one can retire to (6,3)
SINGLE BED – A cryptic definition of the place that only one person can comfortably fit into when retiring at night.

5d           It comes from the postman in a manner of speaking (8)
DELIVERY – Two definitions – a postal DELIVERY and the DELIVERY of a speech, say.

6d           Capsizing, risk a wet runner (5-3)
WATER-SKI – An anagram (capsizing) of RISK A WET.

7d           Enthusiast played it as a free musical composition (8)
FANTASIA – A FAN or enthusiast followed by an anagram (played) of IT AS A.

13d         Choose examination of voters (9)
ELECTORAL – A charade of ELECT/choose and an ORAL examination.

15d         Fashionable retreat provided during aeroplane journey (2-6)
IN-FLIGHT – IN for fashionable and then a FLIGHT or retreat/escape.

16d         Very little evidence that one has been crying (4,4)
TEAR DROP – A cryptic definition of the smallest evidence that one has been crying.

17d         County fortunate not starting to become a state (8)
KENTUCKY – Start with the county of KENT and then add (l)UCKY or fortunate without the starting letter.

19d         Nothing to cap flier’s romantically demonstrative partner (8)
LOVEBIRD – Love for nothing and a BIRD for a flier.

21d         Main milk supplier? (3,3)
SEA COW – A cryptic definition of a manatee/dugong which, being a mammal, does actually provide milk but only for its young. They are referred to as a SEA COW because of their size, pace and vegetative grazing habits.

22d         Silver found in case on a temple (6)
PAGODA – Place AG – the chemical symbol for silver – inside a POD/case and place all of that on the A from the clue.