Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26369
Hints and tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
This is a pleasant puzzle for a sunny morning and I’m assuming that it’s a Shamus production. It’s certainly a pangram and for once I found this useful, in filling in my last answer (11d). Comments, as always, are welcome.
To reveal an answer drag your cursor through the blank space between the brackets under the relevant clue.
Across Clues
1a Backing for singer during quiet drink? That’s OK (8)
{PASSABLE} – a description of something that’s ok but nothing special is formed by reversing (backing) a male singer inside (during) the initial standing for quiet (piano) in musical notation and an alcoholic drink.
5a Substitute man making decisions about story (6)
{RELIEF} – the definition is substitute, a group of people replacing others who have been on duty, for example. Put the man with the whistle making decisions around an untrue story.
9a Award given by name in assembly following orders? (8)
{OBEDIENT} – this is an adjective meaning following orders. Start with an award and follow this with a legislative assembly with N(ame) inside it.
10a Choppy sea for one in landing-place making one nauseous (6)
{QUEASY} – start with a landing-place where ships tie up and then replace (for) the A (one) with an anagram (choppy) of SEA to make an adjective meaning inducing a feeling of nausea.
12a A tank is renovated in keeping of good Asian (9)
{PAKISTANI} – this Asian is an abbreviation of a word meaning good or devout around an anagram (renovated) of A TANK IS.
13a Part of gear that’s very new and latest in streetwise athletic stock (1-4)
{V-NECK} – a garment (part of gear) is formed by the abbreviations for V(ery) and N(ew) followed by the last letters (latest) of the final three words.
14a Trailer in outskirts of jungle — and old horse (4)
{JADE} – put what a trailer is (in the cinema, say) inside the outer letters (outskirts) of JunglE to make a worn-out horse.
16a Northern Church worker after start of Easter showing delight (7)
{ENCHANT} – put N(orthern), an abbreviation for church and a working insect after the first letter (start) of E(aster) to construct a verb meaning to delight.
19a Line mentioned by academic authority in girls’ school (7)
{ROEDEAN} – a hom*ophone (mentioned) of line (in a spreadsheet, say) is followed by a senior academic to make a girls’ public school near Brighton. Well, it makes a change from Eton.
21a Some wax left in car part (4)
{AXLE} – this car part is hiding (some) in the clue.
24a Leader of evangelicals enthralled by model OT figure (5)
{MOSES} – put the first letter (leader) of E(vangelicals) inside the surname of a famous fashion model to make an Old Testament figure.
25a European in backward part of ship, say, individual looking dismal (9)
{WOEBEGONE} – this is nicely confusing. Backward part of ship is not the back end of a ship but the front end of a ship reversed (backward). Put E(uropean) inside it and then follow this with the abbreviation for say (i.e. for example) and ONE (individual) to make an adjective meaning miserable-looking or dismal.
27a Inventor, head of department, is seen in time (6)
{EDISON} – to find the inventor of the light bulb, amongst other things, put D(epartment) and IS inside a major division of geological time.
28a Patient figure hears fantastic opportunity for work? (8)
{JOBSHARE} – start with the Old Testament figure whose name has become a byword for patience and follow this with an anagram (fantastic) of HEARS to make an opportunity for two people to split a pay packet. According to Chambers the verb is hyphenated but the noun is either a single word (as here) or two separate words.
29a Part of rally and run held in Potteries town (6)
{STROKE} – put R(un) inside a Potteries town to make part of a rally on court.
30a By the sound of it, man with thin fabric (8)
{TERYLENE} – a sound-alike of a male forename (think of a one-time Beirut hostage) is followed by another sound-alike, this time of a synonym for thin. The whole thing is the trade name of a synthetic fabric.
Down Clues
1d Ready assistance on boards? (6)
{PROMPT} – double definition, boards being where actors strut their stuff.
2d Ken, say, being devious and cunning (6)
{SNEAKY} – an anagram (being devious) of KEN SAY.
3d A single girl out of order (5)
{AMISS} – the title of an unmarried girl follows A to make an adjective meaning not quite right (out of order).
4d Learner with printing requirement to get on connection (7)
{LINKAGE} – the definition is connection and it’s a charade of the letter associated with a learner, something needed for printing and a verb meaning to get on in years.
6d Questionable peer entertaining four with promoted company (9)
{EQUIVOCAL} – an adjective meaning ambiguous or questionable is constructed from a person of the same status (peer) around (entertaining) the Roman numeral for four and the abbreviation for company which is reversed (promoted, in a down clue).
7d Woman facing wasted years? It’s quite possible (1,4,3)
{I DARE SAY} – a phrase meaning it’s quite possible is a woman’s name (think of the film actress who starred opposite Humphrey Bogart in High Sierra) followed by (facing) an anagram (wasted) of YEARS.
8d Indulge in aerial activity and test public opinion? (3,1,4)
{FLY A KITE} – double definition, the second a phrase meaning to test public opinion by circulating rumours, etc.
11d Measure gluey material (4)
{SIZE} – double definition, the second being a gluey material used, for example, to prepare walls for plastering or wallpapering.
15d Car keys lost around river, old site down under (5,4)
{AYERS ROCK} – this site down under is a sandstone rock formation which is surrounded by a number of myths and traditions. Its name is an anagram (lost) of CAR KEYS around R(iver) and O(ld).
17d Name in leading ship showing formality (8)
{PRIMNESS} – the definition is formality or prudish correctness. Put N(ame) inside an adjective meaning leading or chief and finish with the usual abbreviation for steamship.
18d Derisive remark about newfangled kits for aquatic sportsman (3-5)
{JET-SKIER} – this aquatic sportsman is made from a derisive remark round an anagram (newfangled) of KITS.
20d Amphibian beginning to wriggle in trap (4)
{NEWT} – this amphibian was a favourite of the previous London mayor. Put the initial letter (beginning) of W(riggle) inside a trap.
21d Do a stretch of rowing, we hear? Great (7)
{AWESOME} – this is (or at least is meant to be) a hom*ophone (we hear) of a verb meaning to row (in the boating sense) followed by an adverb meaning for a time (a stretch). The whole thing is an adjective meaning amazing or great. The hom*ophone doesn’t work at all for me – what do you think?
22d Fodder, one in fashion (6)
{FORAGE} – put A (one) inside a verb meaning to fashion or shape to make another word for fodder.
23d Withdraw City journalist in the Home Counties (6)
{SECEDE} – a verb meaning to withdraw formally from a party, union or alliance is made by putting the postal district of London which houses the City (financial district) and the usual abbreviation for a top journalist inside the geographical part of the country where the Home Counties are found.
26d Try written composition (5)
{ESSAY} – double definition.
The clues I liked included 10a, 25a, 28a and 6d, but my favourite today is 24a. Let us know what you think in a comment.
