Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2479 – Review
A full analysis by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
As I wrote last Sunday, I found it a little easier this week – on a par with the average daily puzzle. My feedback, private and public, is mixed but generally in favour of the change in style.
Across
1a A pen’s powers, none the less, might be seen in these publications (10)
NEWSPAPERS – here “might be seen” signals an anagram of A PEN’S P(O)WERS, but excluding “O” (none the less), to give publications
6a Cat turned up a couple of seconds later (4)
PUSS – sometimes the simple ones are the best – this cat is UP reversed (turned) and S S (seconds)
9a Guardian spirits, in general (Roman ones) (5)
GENII – GEN(eral) and I I (Roman ones) give these guardian spirits – strictly speaking Gen. as an abbreviation should be of General (with a capital), but it reads well
10a One is opened – see inside (9)
UNDIVIDED – this cryptic definition of one of the qualities of the number one has a word meaning opened, with vide (see) inside – quite often vide is abbreviated to “v”, but here we have the full Latin word
12a Eccentric lodgers? They’re required to take off (8-5)
BOARDING-CARDS – a double cryptic definition
14a Cautious about damage, having had too much conflict (3-5)
WAR-WEARY – WARY (cautious) around WEAR (damage) gives a word meaning having had too much conflict
15a Knave, for example, to be found among thieves? (6)
HONOUR – in a pack of cards, the knave is an HONOUR card, and in the saying there is HONOUR among thieves
17a What you need to do (6)
ANSWER – just a bit too cryptic for my liking – what you need to do to solve any clue
19a As belief gets changed, it’s not ruled out (8)
FEASIBLE – this anagram of AS BELIEF is signalled by gets changed and gives a word meaning it’s not ruled out
21a Brief film about execution for dishonest behaviour (5-8)
SHORT-CHANGING – my favourite clue today – a charade made up of a SHORT (brief film), C (circa, about) and HANGING (a means of execution) finishes up as dishonest behaviour
24a Be subject to promises to repay, without interest (9)
INCURIOUS – INCUR (be subject to) and IOUS (promises to repay) give a word meaning without interest – as soon as you see words like promises to repay then the chances are the answer has IOUS somewhere, usually at the end
25a Top flier going directly north (5)
CROWN – this synonym for top has CROW (flier) and N(orth) and directly gives a flavour of “as the crow flies”
26a Character fault concealed by crafty politician (4)
TYPO – this typing error (character fault) is hidden (concealed by) crafTY POlitician
27a For which opponents must go to court (it’s not hard) (4,6)
LAWN TENNIS – this barely cryptic definition shouldn’t cause any difficulty
Down
1d Almost dark, but not quite (4)
NIGH – almost all of NIGH(T)
2d Special brew in a drinking establishment (4,3)
WINE BAR – an appropriate anagram (special) of BREW IN A to give a drinking establishment
3d Soldier with escort, perhaps – it’s none of the government’s business (7,6)
PRIVATE SECTOR – PRIVATE (soldier) and an anagram (perhaps) of ESCORT – the anagram was cleverly concealed by the surface reading
4d Steals from place where secret is filed? (8)
PLUNDERS – this is a nice one – PL(ace) is followed by UNDER S – where you would file Secret, and anything else starting with the same letter!
5d Sculptor depicting river god (5)
RODIN – R(iver) and ODIN (the North Germanic God of wisdom, war, battle, and death) give one of the few sculptors that you find in crosswords
7d Experience release, securing some work (7)
UNDERGO – a word meaning to experience comes from UNDO (release) around ERG (a unit of work)
8d Minor thoroughfare that is surrounded by strange trees (10)
SIDESTREET – this minor thoroughfare comes from ID EST (the full Latin phrase for i.e. / that is) inside an anagram (strange) of TREES – the second clue today that involves the full Latin rather than the more usual abbreviation
11d Cruel group of people that perpetuates a problem (7,6)
VICIOUS CIRCLE – this perpetuated problem is built from VICIOUS (cruel) and CIRCLE (group)
13d Soldier runs in this, perhaps – an athlete’s garment (10)
SWEATSHIRT – a slang word for a soldier is followed by R(uns) inside an anagram (perhaps) of THIS to give a garment worn by athletes, and others
16d English poet composed sonnet about US city (8)
TENNYSON – this well-known English poet is an anagram (composed) of SONNET around NY (New York / US city)
18d Peak after fall in shares now capitalised (7)
SNOWCAP – this peak following a fall of snow is quite well hidden inside shareS NOW CAPitalised
20d Sheep delivered around middle of night (7)
BIGHORN – this large-horned mountain-dwelling sheep of N America and Siberia comes from BORN (delivered) around IGH (the middle of the word nIGHt) – in crosswordese “G” is usually the middle of night, but here it is the middle three letters
22d House briefly reflected on a disturbance (3-2)
HOO-HA – HO(use briefly) and then OH (HO reflected) on A give a disturbance
23d Burden of daily round lifted (4)
ONUS – this burden comes from SUN (daily newspaper) and O (round) all reversed (lifted – another of those down-only constructs)
There is no doubt that these Sunday puzzles have changed – are they better or worse than before? Let me know what you think.