Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28558
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This puzzle was published on 14th October 2017
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
A smidge trickier than some Saturdays (or perhaps it was just the result of fitting it in to a very hectic Saturday). What’s more, it is a “Christmas Pangra”, containing every letter of the alphabet apart from L – thus No el! No contest for favourite clue this week – 26d – because I’ve been to the top of the ‘solution’ and the last word of the clue is quite close to home and work too!
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Across
1a Troops ordered to accept tackle (7)
BRIGADE – BADE (ordered) around RIG (tackle)
9a Droning sound of instant message when holding on (8)
MONOTONE – MO (instant) NOTE (message) the latter ‘holding’ ON (from the clue)
10a Flashy fliers leading swimmers (7)
RAFFISH – RAF (Royal Air Force, fliers) FISH (swimmers)
11a Most memorable experience could be Helvellyn (4,4)
HIGH SPOT – Helvellyn being the third highest point in England
12a Article set out how to become famous rock group? (3,3)
THE WHO – THE (article) and an anagram (set out) of HOW
13a Bill promises to pay after repair, being dishonest (10)
MENDACIOUS – AC (account, bill) IOUS (promises to pay) go after MEND (repair)
15a Pavlova, perhaps, that gets sent back just the same (4)
ANNA – The ballerina or indeed any other girl called ANNA will know that their name is a palindrome
16a Scheme news boss threw out (9)
PROJECTED – PROJECT (scheme) ED (editor, news boss)
21a Wander in said ancient city (4)
ROAM – The fact that the homophone indictor – said – is next to the ancient city tells that you need a homophone of ROME to get the verb meaning to wander
22a Person setting out on a task as mortician (10)
UNDERTAKER – A double definition
24a First to stand by unhappy person that loves being cruel (6)
SADIST – IST (first) stands by SAD (unhappy)
25a Frantic having refined novel, penning the last character (8)
FRENZIED – An anagram (novel) of REFINED ‘penning’ Z, the last character in the alphabet
27a Need to have verse in poetry replaced (7)
POVERTY – V (verse) in POETRY
28a Preserve offered by inns here for spreading (8)
ENSHRINE – An anagram (for spreading) of INNS HERE
29a Someone on boat beginning to sell fish (7)
SKIPPER – S (the beginning of Sell) KIPPER (fish)
Down
2d Getting to feeling pain again (8)
REACHING – RE ACHING (feeling pain again)
3d Present coverage in newspaper after US soldier stole (4,4)
GIFT WRAP – FT (newspaper) goes after GI (US soldier) and then WRAP (stole) goes at the end
4d Record on order — keep being inconvenience! (10)
DISCOMFORT – DISC (record) OM (Order of Merit) FORT (keep)
5d In archipelago, big dry area (4)
GOBI – This desert (dry area) is lurking in archipelaGO BIg
6d Barbarian in charge of architectural style (6)
GOTHIC – GOTH (Barbarian) IC (In Charge)
7d Case on which one takes a stand, so to speak (7)
SOAPBOX – Can you still get soapboxes strong enough for politicians and the like to stand on to address a crowd?
8d One looks down in the mouth when at work (7)
DENTIST – Cryptic definition
11d Take notice of circling scruff limiting parking, getting browbeaten (9)
HENPECKED – HEED (take notice of) ‘circling’ NECK (scruff) ‘limiting’ or having P (parking) inserted
14d Sweet wine — it’ll be felt later on (10)
AFTERSHOCK – Well there had to be at least one ‘old friend’ – AFTERS (sweet, pudding) HOCK (wine)
17d Bring to light boat having stopped short abruptly in the middle (6,2)
DREDGE UP – DREDGEr (boat ‘stopped short’) and UP (the middle two letters of abrUPtly)
18d Revolutionary test case for music-maker (8)
CASSETTE – An anagram (revolutionary) of TEST CASE
19d Having Elvis hairstyle, I will be knocked out by a drunk (7)
QUAFFED – Elvis was QUIFFED – knock out the I and replace it with the A in the clue
20d Unfavourable notice with few lines (7)
ADVERSE – AD (notice) VERSE (few lines)
23d Run on guide to London or South — they’re used for short cuts every morning (6)
RAZORS – R (run) AZ (the London guide – although they do have them for other places too) OR (from the clue) S (South)
26d Italian 11 Across that erupts in Canterbury? (4)
ETNA – This Italian high spot erupts or reverses in cANTEbury
S1