Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28797
A full review by gnomethang
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This puzzle was published on 21st July 2018
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Morning All! I quite enjoyed this puzzle and some of the wrdplay needed unravelling from the surface readings which is always a plus.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Venomous creature with nemesis for Cleopatra? (4)
WASP – W, the abb. of with and an ASP that did for Cleopatra.
3a During race, say, fences left unfinished (10)
INCOMPLETE – IN for during and COMPETE for race, say surround or fence L for left.
9a Celebrity needs unlimited cover for teeth (4)
NAME – Remove the outside of (it is unlimited or the limits removed) of e NAME l (cover for teeth).
10a A celebrant converted in place of worship (10)
TABERNACLE – An anagram, indicated by converted, of A CELEBRANT (and an apposite surface reading).
11a Demonstrations from the French led by trooper (7)
PARADES – DES is French for ‘from the’ and a PARA(trooper) is in front/in the lead.
13a Hide in corner of a Greek island (7)
SECRETE – A corner of a Greek Island might be S(outh) E(ast) CRETE.
14a Harbour staff reported tug in case that’s needed on voyage? (11)
PORTMANTEAU – A member of the harbour staff might be cryptically describe as a PORT MAN. Add TEAU – a homophone (reported) of TOW.
18a Side’s leader laments wins becoming draws (11)
SWEEPSTAKES – S, the leading letter in S(ides) then WEEPS (laments and finally TAKES for wins (i.e. a piece in a chess game).
21a Wearing pants, not quite sticking to the vital parts (2,5)
IN BRIEF – If you were wearing pants you might be IN BRIEFS. Not quite tells you to remove the final letter.
22a ‘Insect from Outer Space’ said to be crazy (7)
LUNATIC – A charade of two homophones (said) – LUNA (for LUNAR/from outer space) and TIC for TICK (an insect).
23a Constables perhaps assembled here, needing nerve to occupy big vessel (3,7)
ART GALLERY – Place GALL or nerve/front inside an ARTERY or big (blood) vessel.
24a From an Asian land that lacks a border with India (4)
THAI – Remove the last outside letter (it lacks a border) from THA(t) and then add I for India.
25a Confused East Rye with Rye in the past (10)
YESTERYEAR – A confused anagram of EAST RYE and also the second RYE.
26a Creative works from Puerto de Santiago (4)
ODES – A hidden word FROM Puert O DE S antiago.
Down
1d Turn to go down to Tube — one should take in the air (8)
WINDPIPE – To WIND or turn going down (in a down clue) above TUBE or pipe.
2d Hat must be raised or placed at foot of grave (8)
SOMBRERO – A reversal (raised) of OR from the clue underneath/at the foot of SOMBRE /grave.
4d Almost comes to, hearing organ in different directions (5)
NEARS – Place an EAR (a sense organ of the body) between N(orth) and S(outh).
5d Broadcast Poe’s gripping verse — about fifty fail to be stirred? (9)
OVERSLEEP – Place an anagram (broadcast) of POE around VERSE from the clue and L for Fifty (Roman Numeral) – O (VERSE + L) EP
6d One may be depressed when in distress (5,6)
PANIC BUTTON – A cryptic definition for the alarm that is pushed or depressed when in distress.
7d Overtake roughly in British river, lapping over another going north (6)
EXCEED – Place C for roughly, circa, inside the River EXE and the reversal of the DEE with the last/first letters overlapping i.e EX(E)ED with a C inside.
8d Regular supporting the Spanish team (6)
ELEVEN – EVEN or regular underneath/supporting EL – Spanish for ‘the’.
12d Tame party with this person in charge — had a bite across street (11)
DOMESTICATE – A DO (party) , ME (this person), IC (in charge, an abb.) and ATE (had a bite) all surrounding or across ST for street.
15d Of necessity, fuelled convertible in US city (9)
NEEDFULLY – An anagram (convertible) of FUELLED inside NY – New York City.
16d What painter might have done the decks at sea? (8)
SKETCHED – An anagram (indicated by at sea) of THE DECKS.
17d Oddly posey son, following fashionable prophets (8)
PSYCHICS – The odd letters of P o S e Y with S for Son following and finally CHIC for fashionable.
19d Major forces Right to go in union with extra trouble and strife? (6)
BIGAMY – BIG (major) and A(r)MY (forces) with e R for right removed (to go). Great definition!.
20d Going up in Dorset, a balloonist has a fall (6)
ABATES – A hidden reversal (going up in) inside Dor SET A B A llonist.
22d Grub is hot stuff — run to tuck in (5)
LARVA – place R for Run (from cricket notation) inside LAVA or hot stuff.