Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26110
A full analysis by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
One of the better Saturday puzzles, but still among the easiest of the week. As has been the case for several previous weeks, this one is pangrammatic – that means it contains all 26 letters of the alphabet.
Across
1a Gaff someone reproduced while playing badly (3,4,4)
OFF ONE’S GAME – an anagram of GAFF SOMEONE gives a phrase meaning playing badly
8a Panelwork done in a court of law? (4,7)
JURY SERVICE – a cryptic definition
11a Many scrums, say, at decisive stage (4)
CRUX – combine C (100 in Roman numerals / many) and RUX, which sounds like RUCKS (scrums) to get a decisive stage
12a Liquor contains nothing that is bitter (4)
ALOE – ALE contains O (nothing) to give the source of a bitter purgative drug,
13a Mitigator not starting more frequently (7)
OFTENER – (S)OFTENER (mitigator) without the S (not starting) gives a word nobody uses meaning more frequently
15a Young reporter removed lice in compartment (7)
CUBICLE – combine CUB (young reporter) and an anagram (removed) of LICE to get a compartment
16a Unusually achy and tense on boat (5)
YACHT – an anagram (unusually) of ACHY is followed by T(ense) to get this boat
17a Temper of doctor in the red (4)
MOOD – a word meaning temper is a charade of MO (Medical Officer / doctor) and OD (OverDrawn / in the red)
18a Girl in sight (4)
IRIS – a double definition – Iris is a girl’s name and iris is a part of the eye
19a Sharp coming from near Azores area (5)
RAZOR – a synonym for sharp, as an adjective, is hidden (coming from) near Azores area
21a Same bet for elderly lady (7)
DOWAGER – one of the most troublesome clues, probably because the use of DO as do / ditto / as above / same is a little unusual – follow it with WAGER (bet) to get this, usually, elderly widow
22a Seek after as legal (7)
SOLICIT – a word meaning to seek after is a charade of SO (as) and LICIT (legal)
23a He left the oil to work (4)
TOIL – if you are seeing this construct for the first time you will probably think it is quite clever – T(HE) without HE (he left the) is followed by OIL to get a word meaning to work
26a Dishonest better half went round Norway (4)
BENT – a word meaning dishonest is derived by putting BET(TER) (better half) around N(orway)
27a Bowlers’ offbreak? (3,8)
TEA INTERVAL – a break taken by the bowlers (and all the rest of the team as well)
28a Replacing neat gun compartment in this room? (11)
ANTECHAMBER – an anagram (replacing) of NEAT is followed by CHAMBER (the compartment of a gun into which the bullets are loaded) to get a type of room
Down
2d Discharge female leading light (4)
FLUX – a word meaning a discharge from a mucous membrane is built up from F(emale) and LUX, the unit of illuminance (which is from the Latin for light)
3d Hero loses us before last day of wandering adventure (7)
ODYSSEY – the hero is ODYSSEUS, so take away US and replace it with Y (last daY) to get a wandering adventure – surely it would have been better to work in “end of day” as “last day” doesn’t work for me
4d Exercise with ease, say, outside with sword (4)
EPEE – PE (Physical Exercise) with EE (ease, say) outside gives a sword
5d What you will no longer be able to do if supplies do! (4,3)
GIVE OUT – a sort of cryptic definition
6d Coming from Michigan half case of mineral (4)
MICA – MI (Michigan) with CA (half Case) makes a mineral
7d Adapt house temporarily (11)
ACCOMMODATE – a double definition
8d Only the second person must be patient with this threat? (4,3,4)
JUST YOU WAIT – a charade of words meaning only, the second person and to be patient gives this threat
9d Potentially shocking slippery customer (8,3)
ELECTRIC EEL – a (cryptic?) definition
10d Compel break-up of nice estates (11)
NECESSITATE – a word meaning to compel that is an anagram (break-up) of NICE ESTATES
14d Detection method that rises as it falls (5)
RADAR – this detection method reads the same top to bottom as it does bottom to top (rises as it falls)
15d Charles received oxygen during utter confusion (5)
CHAOS – put CHAS (Charles) around O(xygen) to get utter confusion
19d Need of some writing paper (7)
REQUIRE – a word meaning to need is a charade of RE (of) and QUIRE (some writing paper)
20d Run out and play guitar on dais (7)
ROSTRUM – RO (Run Out) and STRUM (play guitar) give a dais
24d New field first making list (4)
LEAN – N(ew) is preceded by LEA (field) to get a word meaning to list
25d Cut some of the tablet cheaply (4)
ETCH – a word meaning to cut is hidden inside (some of) tablet cheaply
26d Way to cook clam at party? (4)
BAKE – this is the way a clam is cooked on hot stones, with layers of potatoes, fish, sweetcorn, etc., at a clambake in the USA
While there are a few clue constructs here that I was not particularly fond of, this is a much better puzzle than we were getting a few months back.