DT 28707

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28707

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 7th April 2018

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Morning All! I quite enjoyed this one and found it just below a normal difficulty.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Excited at a cheap bill with a certain order (12)
ALPHABETICAL – An anagram (excited) of AT A CHEAP BILL.

8a           One having many members in work after month (7)
OCTOPUS – The month is OCT (an abb. of October) and the work is a musical OPUS (from the Latin).

9a           British trains losing time in seaside places (7)
BEACHES – B for British and then (t)EACHES for trains with the T for Time removed.

11a         Two men, both short and small, used as fall guys (7)
VICTIMS – The two short names of the men are VIC(tor) and TIM(othy). Follow them with S for Small.

12a         Top Ten record maybe covered by One Direction, extremely colourless (7)
WHITEST – A HIT or Top Ten record surrounded by (covered by) WEST (One Direction on the Polar Coordinates). Personally my favourite clue today despite the fact that I have no time for this Hit Parade nonsense and even less for 1D. The 1D reference also starts one thinking about words like I(nsipi)D which made it an even better clue!

13a         Pines for Eden dug up with spades (5)
NEEDS – A dug up anagram of EDEN with S for the card suit of Spades

14a         A peculiar raw sense in knowing what’s going on (9)
AWARENESS – A from the clue plus an anagram (peculiar) of RAW SENSE.

16a         Examined bug placed by journalist receiving pressure (9)
INSPECTED – An INSECT (bug) and an ED(itor)/journalist with P for Pressure included (received).

19a         Player that makes more (5)
EXTRA – Two definitions I suppose: An EXTRA actor/player, usually silent, and then the synonym for more.

21a         Core group of students to welcome around the French university (7)
NUCLEUS – The core group of students are the NUS (National Union of Students). Include/welcome into them C(irca)/around/about, LE (the in French) and finally U for University. NU ( C LE U) S

23a         Energy goes before a nap that’s cut short — most convenient! (7)
EASIEST – E for Energy in front of A SIEST(a) or a Spanish nap/sleep that has been truncated.

24a         Left back that is certain to get time off (7)
LEISURE – L for Left then a reversal (back) of I.E. (that is) followed by SURE for certain.

25a         Southern climate — husband’s taken off warm clothing (7)
SWEATER – S for Southern and then WEAT(h)ER or climate with H for Husband removed/taken off.

26a         Standing alone in deep end moving a bit, pleasant but I must get out (12)
INDEPENDENCE – Move one of the first Es from IN DEEP END to the last (moving only a bit!) and then add N(i)CE or pleasant with the I getting removed/out.

Down

1d           It could be the thing (7)
ARTICLE – THE is an example (could be) of a definite ARTICLE and an ARTICLE is also a ’thing’.

2d           Parking up with pastries for little nippers? (7)
PUPPIES – P for Parking and UP from the clue followed by PIES/pastries.

3d           Creatures great and small grabbing first aid offered by this person? (9)
ASSISTANT – The great creature is an ASS and the small is an ANT. They include/grab IST for first.

4d           Shove the Spanish child’s dog, half-cut (5)
ELBOW – EL is ‘the’ in Spanish. Then add half of a BOW(-wow) or a dog half-cut.

5d           Picture of island men following star once viewed regularly (7)
IMAGINE – I for Island and then the MAGI (men following a star) and finally NE – the even/regular letters in oNcE.

6d           Make of liquid I’ve taken in pain (7)
ACHIEVE – An anagram (liquid) of I’VE inside an ACHE or pain.

7d           Sisters’ place with a lino designed to be boring? (12)
CONVENTIONAL – A place for nuns or sisters is a CONVENT. Add a designed anagram of LINO afterwards.

10d         This person entering exams works OK (12)
SATISFACTORY – I or this person (me) inside SATS or exams and then a FACTORY or ‘works’.

15d         Put delivery label on dead fashionable netting skirt (9)
ADDRESSED – An anagram (fashionable) of DEAD around/netting a DRESS or skirt.

17d         Cult number one upwardly-mobile area (7)
SECTION – A SECT or cult with a reversal (upwardy mobile) of NO.I for number one.

18d         Carry off pretty trailing flower in Devon (7)
EXECUTE – CUTE or pretty following/trailing the River EXE (a flower/that which flows) in Devon.

19d         Someone dining given seconds by new Chinese, perhaps (7)
EASTERN – An EATER or someone dining including/given S for seconds followed by N(ew).

20d         Part of hospital where tragedies may be played out (7)
THEATRE – An operating THEATRE and a THEATRE where tragedies or other plays are acted out.

22d         Rude to axe old boy that’s part of act (5)
SCENE – Remove/axe the OB (Old Boy) from (ob)SCENE or rude.

Thanks to the setter, I’ll see you all next week.