DT 26028

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26028

Hints and tips by Gazza

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

This one is pretty straightforward and would make an ideal introduction for new solvers. For those who found that it did not really stretch them, if you have never attempted the Toughie then why not give it a go?
As always the answers are hidden inside the curly brackets; to reveal an answer just highlight the white space inside.
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Across Clues

1a  One’s likely to pick things up and set off in large ship (8 )
{LISTENER} – an anagram (off) of SET inside LINER (large ship) produces someone who may hear (pick up) things.

5a  Exercised with no time to get showered (6)
{RAINED} – exercised is TRAINED – take off the T (no time) and you get a verb meaning fell in a shower.

10a  They should flog politicians? (15)
{REPRESENTATIVES} – double definition – people who travel around as agents of a company trying to sell (flog) things, and politicians who are elected to speak on behalf of their constituents.

11a  Determined adult holding boy? On the contrary (7)
{EARNEST} – the definition is determined, and “on the contrary” means that instead of an adult holding boy, we want a boy holding adult. So put A (adult) inside ERNEST.

12a  Al’s been forging permits (7)
{ENABLES} – an anagram (forging) of AL’S BEEN produces a synonym for permits.

13a  Sewed top of sweater that ultimately irritated the skin (8 )
{STITCHED} – string together S (top, first letter, of Sweater), T (ultimately, last letter of thaT) and ITCHED (irritated the skin) to get a verb meaning sewed.

15a  Lie about British food (5)
{TABLE} – put TALE (lie) around B(ritish) to get a metaphor for food.

18a  Party in command is Conservative (5)
{DISCO} – this is quite a tricky clue because party is quite often “do”, but in this case party is the definition and DO is command, with IS C (is Conservative) inside it. party is hidden in commanD IS COnservative (thanks Lee and Jezza).

20a  Duly ends broadcast without warning (8 )
{SUDDENLY} – an anagram (broadcast) of DULY ENDS produces an adverb meaning without warning.

23a  Old man developed nice tan (7)
{ANCIENT} – an anagram (developed) of NICE TAN produces an old man.

25a  Leave criminal nice cell that’s unfinished (7)
{LICENCE} – an anagram (criminal) of NICE CEL(L), with cell losing its last letter (unfinished), generates a noun meaning leave or permission.

26a  Letters I almost stick inside properties (15)
{CHARACTERISTICS} – letters are CHARACTERS – inside this put I STICk (almost indicating that the last letter is to be dropped) to get a word meaning traits or properties.

27a  Messy for a change? Grabbing servant finally to get order (6)
{SYSTEM} – put T (last letter of servanT) inside an anagram (for a change) of MESSY and you get an organised method (order).

28a  Reports from wise man in trouble (8 )
{MESSAGES} – if you are in a MESS you’re in trouble – put SAGE (wise man) inside and you have a synonym for reports.

Down Clues

1d  Where food may be left by prison guard after wife leaves (6)
{LARDER} – start with L(eft) and add wARDER (prison guard without W(ife)) to get a place for storing food.

2d  Removes items of dress that go together (9)
{SEPARATES} – double definition – a verb meaning removes or divides, and individual items of clothing suitable for wearing in different combinations.

3d  Small amount of water, perhaps (7)
{ELEMENT} – double definition – a small amount as in “there’s an ………. of truth in what you say”, and one of the four substances (earth, water, air and fire) regarded as the fundamental constituents of the world in medieval philosophy.

4d  Horse-riding competition still on time (5)
{EVENT} – put together EVEN (still) and T(ime) to get a horse-riding competition that may last up to three days.

6d  Tempt volunteers to turn up with political pamphlet (7)
{ATTRACT} – volunteers are TA (Territorial Army) – reverse this (turn up) and add TRACT (political pamphlet) to form a verb meaning tempt.

7d  Marine vehicle goes round a loch (5)
{NAVAL} – an adjective meaning marine is made by reversing VAN (vehicle goes round) and adding A L(och).

8d  Calamity when revolutionary tried to capture crack British troops (8 )
{DISASTER} – an anagram (revolutionary) of TRIED is put around (to capture) SAS (Special Air Service, crack British troops) to get a synonym for calamity.

9d  Was present at start of Aida before two tenors finished (8 )
{ATTENDED} – the definition is was present at – put together A (start of Aida), TT (two tenors) and ENDED (finished).
ARVE Error: need id and provider

14d  Hang back the ties with one that’s crooked (8 )
{HESITATE} – an anagram (that’s crooked) of THE TIES and A (one) produces a verb meaning hang back.

16d  Live with craving for relationship (9)
{BELONGING} – put together BE (live) and LONGING (craving).

17d  Promotes loans (8 )
{ADVANCES} – double definition – promotes or puts forward, and lends money.

19d  Perform musical drama before empty theatre (7)
{OPERATE} – musical drama is OPERA – follow this with the outer letters (empty) of TheatrE to get a verb meaning perform.

21d  Explanations given by former partner causes one to leave (7)
{EXCUSES} – former partner is EX – follow this with CaUSES (with the A dropped, one to leave) to produce explanations.

22d  Picks up some grouse’s nests on the way back (6)
{SENSES} – hidden (some) and reversed (on the way back) in grouSE’S NESts is a verb meaning picks up.

24d  Catholic girl shows style (5)
{CLASS} – put together C(atholic) and LASS (girl) to get a synonym for style.

25d  Plump and handsome (5)
{LARGE} – double definition – having a full rounded shape (plump) and significant as in “a handsome tip”.

None of the clues stood out for me today, but the ones I liked included 10a, 8d and 19d. What do you think? – leave us a comment, and please do not forget to vote for the enjoyment factor by clicking on one of the five stars below.