ST 2488 – Hints

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2488 – Hints

Selected hints by Big Dave

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****

Our Sunday setter shows once more how to compile a good crossword.  An all round enjoyable puzzle, with some excellent surface reading.

For the weekend prize crosswords I will select a few of the better clues and provide hints for them.  A full analysis of this puzzle will be available at 12.00 next Friday, 19th June.

Some hints to get you started:

Across

1a Cancels fights (6)
A double definition with does away with on the one hand and fights untidily on the other

5a Sport and dancing in military camp (8)
A sport in which the so-called World Series comprises only teams from America comes from a dancing event at a military camp – you can just about say that this is a dance being held in the military camp, making it a cryptic definition rather than a charade

9a Offer to join infantry as rookie (10)
This really is a charade – combine a synonym for to offer with another name for the infantry to get a beginner or rookie

13a Make heavy demands on one vehicle (4)

18a Denied needing help with profits (8)
This is a good charade that combines profits with help

19a Get ready for music, a short piece (4)
Look for some money that is well hidden!

21a Like some fish as part of meal, so to speak (6)
This type of fish sounds like a part of a meal

25a City with famous listed building (4)

Down

2d Jump over net (5)
I loved this double definition; to jump over in order to achieve this sort of round in show jumping or net of all charges and deductions

5d Lack of prudish attitudes among travelling folk? (15)
This cryptic definition of a lack of prudish attitudes seems to be about those who travel on second-rate highways, but I’m open to a better explanation

8d Numbers can be found at the end of this book (9)
… of the Bible

14d Biological expert who learns from stiff examination? (9)
When you do a lot of crosswords, stiff examinations make you think first of autopsies

16d A transition between sides for Michael, perhaps (9)
… or maybe Gabriel:

17d Each year, cost of accommodation of older generation (8)
Another excellent charade of the common abbreviation for each year and the cost of cost of accommodation to get a word meaning of older generation

22d Prepare for war again behind military leader (5)
This one doesn’t look like a charade, but it is – a word meaning to prepare for war again comes from combining a synonym for behind with the lead letter of Military

24d King or queen, say, consuming hot vegetable (5)
If it had said that it was Ace or Jack into which you need to insert H(ot) then this vegetable would have been easier to find

As I said yesterday, if you follow the link on the pictures then the url usually gives the game away!