Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2491 – Review
A full analysis by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Not quite as good as last week’s, but still streets ahead of how they used to be.
Across
1a Piece of cleaning equipment Charlie returned to a hospital (6)
LOOFAH – this cleaning item that is usually found in the bathroom is derived from FOOL (Charlie / as in a proper Charlie) reversed (returned) tha A H (a Hospital)
5a Drink that lately is going to one’s head (8)
NIGHTCAP – a double definition that’s obvious when you see it (especialy when it’s not the first time – A last drink for the head on retirement? [DT 25889 and DT 25913] )
9a Person in party bringing back some star comedians (8)
DEMOCRAT – this party member is hidden (some) but reversed (bringing back) in sTAR COMEDians
10a Seat is arranged for the rest of the day (6)
SIESTA – an anagram (arranged) of SEAT IS gives the time of day for resting
11a Crucial encounter, later sorted out in court (8)
WATERLOO – this famous battle (crucial encounter) is an anagram (sorted out) of LATER inside WOO (to court)
12a Boy with fishing gear, more than a dozen lines (6)
SONNET – a charade of SON (boy) with NET (fishing gear) gives a poem of more than a dozen lines (fourteen, to be precise)
13a Tin containers for flowers in artwork (8)
CANVASES – another charade, this time CAN (tin) and VASES (containers for flowers), leads to some artwork
15a Heartlessly tricky clue? That’s right (4)
TRUE – remove the middle (heartlessly) of TR(icky cl)UE to get a word meaning “That’s right”
17a One imprisoned in US as murderer (4)
CAIN – I (one) inside CAN (US slang for prison) defines the first murderer – I was not entirely happy with this clue, which seems to use imprisoned as both indicator and definition
19a Book author pronounced more intelligent (8)
BRIGHTER – B(ook) and a word that sounds like (pronounced) writer (author) gives a word meaning more intelligent
20a Thing possibly taken by king (6)
KNIGHT – this attempt at an all-in-one clue doesn’t quite come off – an anagram (possibly) of THING next to K(ing) gives a chess piece that could possibly be taken by the King
21a Popular dog – next to Newfoundland, that is (8)
LABRADOR – a double definition of a dog and a region of Canada
22a Assassin executed American poet (3,3)
HIT MAN – an assassin that comes from Walt (W)HITMAN (American poet) without his first letter (executed)
23a Snobs inserting it in computer catalogues? (8)
ELITISTS – these snobs come from putting IT into E-LISTS (computer catalogues)
24a Editor brought in to criticise essay for dogmatism (8)
PEDANTRY – ED(itor) inside (brought in) PAN (to criticise) and TRY (essay) lead to a kind of dogmatism – and to my clue-of-the-day
25a Wanting fare suspended by railway (6)
HUNGRY – a synonym for wanting food is a charade of HUNG (suspended) and RY (railway)
Down
2d Dramatic work, high point for one working in theatre (8)
OPERATOR – a charade of OPERA (dramatic work) and TOR (high point) for one working in theatre, presumably performing operations
3d Where David is barely visible for girl (8)
FLORENCE – the site of Michelangelo’s famous statue
4d Follower of rigid course from stern on ship (9)
HARDLINER – this follower of a rigid course is a charade of HARD (stern) and LINER (ship)
5d Place for public hangings in London square (8,7)
NATIONAL GALLERY – an excellent cryptic definition of where paintings are hung in public on the North side of Trafalgar Square
6d Damage in house, extremely bad (7)
HEINOUS – an anagram (damage) of IN HOUSE gives a synonym for extremely bad
7d Caught like a star, one having many adventures (8)
CASANOVA – another good charade, this one is C(aught) AS (like) A NOVA (star) giving someone who had very many adventures
8d Insect hidden in ordinary kind of banana (8)
PLANTAIN – ANT (insect) is hidden in PLAIN (ordinary) for a kind of banana
14d Found his stable ruined (9)
ESTABLISH – this word meaning to found is an anagram (ruined) of HIS STABLE
15d Friar’s dance – pupils scoff at it (4,4)
TUCK SHOP – a fun charade – Friar TUCK’S HOP (dance) gives a school shop selling the kind of food that Jamie Oliver would not recommend
16d It’s not allowed in the Book of Numbers (8)
UNLISTED – such a number is not allowed in the book of telephone numbers
17d Less than a week’s work, originally, fixing a Citroen (8)
CREATION – as performed by GOD in six days – an anagram (fixing) of A CITROEN
18d He misrepresents another tax on gold (8)
IMPOSTOR – our final charade combines IMPOST (tax) and OR (gold in heraldry) to get someone who misrepresents
19d Intelligence about a hot spot in the Middle East (7)
BAHRAIN – BRAIN (intelligence) around AH (A Hot) gives a spot in the Middle East