Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25996 – Review
A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe
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A fairly straightforward puzzle except for the obscurity at 10A which took me as long as the rest of the puzzle. I’m not keen on puzzles with one stinker clue like this after 29 easy ones – if, as I did, you already knew about orfes, peccadilloes, Lethean and Salieri.
When you read this I should be pedalling my bike about halfway between Tring and Limehouse, so I’ll respond to any feedback on Friday.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Work to locate resistance (10) |
| OPPOSITON – OP.,POSITION (verb) = locate | |
| 6 | One employing nameless nurse appallingly (4) |
| USER = anag of (n)urse | |
| 9 | Do nothing on behalf of pessimistic investor (7) |
| FORBEAR – FOR=on behalf of,BEAR=pessimistic investor | |
| 10 | Framework round hatchway opening said to be difficult to handle (7) |
| FIDDLEY = “fiddly” – a “Chambers only” word which I found so implausible that I spent ages trying to find something more believable … | |
| 12 | Jenny Turner? (8-5) |
| SPINNING WHEEL – CD punning on Spinning Jenny (Industrial Revolution invention) and a wheel turning | |
| 14 | Finish with as many as there are, the ultimate goal (3-3) |
| END-ALL = END,ALL | |
| 15 | Mason’s unforgettable work (8) |
| MEMORIAL – Cryptic def | |
| 17 | Bank found in forest? (8) |
| CLEARING – naff double def., as clearing may be a type of bank but no-one uses “clearing” alone to refer to one. | |
| 19 | Left you and me with pen first or needle (6) |
| STYLUS = STY=pen,L,US | |
| 22 | Lady’s to begin an action with fellows before time for mutual withdrawal (13) |
| DISENGAGEMENT=DI’s,ENGAGEMENT | |
| 24 | Did not like having the cargo outside (7) |
| LOATHED = THE inside LOAD | |
| 25 | Item used in partial payment I ranted about (5-2) |
| TRADE-IN = anag. of (I ranted) | |
| 26 | Antelope, bull or cow crossing railway (4) |
| ORYX – OX outside RY. | |
| 27 | Clever with cash that’s a wise investment (5,5) |
| SMART MONEY – SMART=clever,MONEY | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Some superior female fish (4) |
| ORFE – hidden word and a type of fish | |
| 2 | Read through according to American newsman (7) |
| PERUSED = PER,U.S.,ED. – remember that read is its own past tense | |
| 3 | Police held in particular esteem at local office (7,6) |
| SPECIAL BRANCH – SPECIAL = “held in particular esteem”,BRANCH = “local office” | |
| 4 | High chair (6) |
| THRONE – cryptic def | |
| 5 | Criminal’s bid to include last part (8) |
| OFFENDER – END in OFFER | |
| 7 | Extraordinary Israeli composer (7) |
| SALIERI = anag. of Israele – Salieri was a contemporary of Mozart, inferior and unimaginative in the Amadeus film version of history | |
| 8 | Kingly fellow with excellent hand (5,5) |
| ROYAL FLUSH = ROYAL,F=fellow,LUSH=excellent | |
| 11 | Fluff found in a rural setting (4,2,3,4) |
| DOWN ON THE FARM – another CD | |
| 13 | Trifling fault having cold plaice served up (10) |
| PECCADILLO – anag. of (cold plaice) | |
| 16 | Elected Brown and Democrat together (2,6) |
| IN TANDEM – IN=elected,TAN=brown,DEM. | |
| 18 | Transport unwieldy cases round Thailand before end of day (7) |
| ECSTASY – T=Thailand (IVR code I guess) in anag of cases, then Y=end of day | |
| 20 | Permit His Excellency, a knight, being oblivious (7) |
| LETHEAN – LET,H.E.,A,N – the river Lethe in Hades was supposed to cause forgetfulness | |
| 21 | Harass blighter about to be brought up (6) |
| PESTER = PEST,rev. or RE=about | |
| 23 | Begrudge losing set seventy played (4) |
| ENVY = anag of (seventy – set) | |