Daily Telegraph Cryptic 515 Monday September 3Rd 2018

[stainl88]

2 left...

25a Poet in bare study (6)
_R_D_N Last bit must be DEN and only poet coming to mind is DRYDEN. That would mean DRY is "bare". Does that make sense and if so, how?

7d Odds still short (5)
E_E_S I think it could be EVENS as that is a type of betting odds but cryptically, unsure if that works unless "still short" means take 1 off an odd number to get an even number. Does not seem to make sense to me.

[dannyk13]

Dryden
Evens

[fiction-factory]

even + s ?

[Mamyalynne]

Yes

Dry - Bare

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-thesaurus/dry


Even s(o)

[elliemay1]

25 yes, bare is a synonym of dry

[dannyk13]

7d, Even(still) + s(hort)

[Mamyalynne]

I saw it as - still - 'even so' short - even s(o)

[fiction-factory]

I agree with your parsing, Mamyalynne

[dannyk13]

Stain, have you done 24a .If not, beware, there alternative spellings but only one will be accepted.Second letter requires a 'y'

[dannyk13]

Lynne's parse is so much better.

[Dickiedot]

Hi Danny please tell me your last cryptic comment in this string regards the GK prize crossword, because I can't find an element of choice with a second letter 'y'

[Mamyalynne]

Presume it's this Dickie

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Quizzes-and-Puzzles/Crosswords/Question1622141.html

[dannyk13]

Hi Dickie it is Sylvaner which has an alternative spelling Silvaner. Only the first is acceptable.

[Dickiedot]

Thanks Lynne, I'd worked that out, just pulling Danny's leg

[dannyk13]

Yes it is the GK,

[Mamyalynne]

Ah, sorry - whoosh moment - naughty x

[stainl88]

Danny is referring to the GK 515 which I have also done and I have fallen foul of the 24a spelling issue.

German grape, used in making white wine.

I entered SILVANER and it appears that SYLVANER was expected. Seems unfair that this is classed as wrong as both spellings are valid but what can you do?

[dannyk13]

Staine I rang my contact at the Telegraph about this and he passed my comments to the setter.I take it you got 96% which is one error,

[stainl88]

Yep. 96%