Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26002 – Review
CD Collection ~ A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
There are some pretty good clues here, and a decent grid. But there are also a few of my pet hates among the clues …
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Behind health centre, place for allotment (10) |
| ALLOCATION – AL = “heALth centre”,LOCATION=place – “allotment” is “dishing out” in the def., not the place where you grow your veg. | |
| 6 | Might complain (4) |
| BEEF – nicely done double def, with one noun and one verb meaning for BEEF | |
| 9 | Fuel for spontaneous chat (7,3) |
| NATURAL GAS – NATURAL=spontaneous,GAS=chat | |
| 10 | Pair always ask earnestly (4) |
| PRAY – PR.=pair,AY=always | |
| 12 | Cause distaste when shy newcomer comes in (4) |
| CLOY – L in COY=shy. First pet hate here – newcomer=L requires a two-step thought process – from L to learner and from learner to newcomer. | |
| 13 | Heel Patty injured during thoughtful communication (9) |
| TELEPATHY – anag. of Heel Patty – not quite a pet hate, but “Patty” is pretty obviously here for her content rather than her meaning. | |
| 15 | Opening left cavity (8) |
| PORTHOLE – PORT=left,HOLE=cavity | |
| 16 | In Senegal it chiefly produces fruit (6) |
| LITCHI – hidden word. Not entirely happy with “In A produces B” for “B can be found inside A” | |
| 18 | Read cut-out article by excellent tabloid (3-3) |
| RED-TOP – RE(a)D,TOP=excellent, A being the indefinite article – nice to see an up-to-date word like red-top | |
| 20 | Fruit to come from egg of songbird! (8) |
| NUTHATCH – NUT=fruit,HATCH=to come from egg – I like this one for the wacky mental image and “to come from egg” | |
| 23 | Health-giving drink may be served in it (9) |
| WINEGLASS – “Health” here being “Your health” in a toast | |
| 24 | Gentle river with no pollution (4) |
| PURE – P,URE=the river in Wensleydale (for once in dale names, Wensley is a village rather than a river). I don’t like P=gentle – same two-step issue as L=newcomer | |
| 26 | Leave divorcee with the very item (4) |
| EXIT – EX=divorcee,IT=the very item | |
| 27 | Abstract style of revolutionary patriot going round California (7,3) |
| OPTICAL ART – CAL. in anag. of “patriot”. I thought it was just called Op art, but “Optical Art” is an obvious longer version with at least some real life use | |
| 28 | Think well of Liberal president! (4) |
| LIKE – L=Liberal,IKE=President (Eisenhower’s nickname) | |
| 29 | Science college has no record by end of day (10) |
| TECHNOLOGY – TECH.=college,NO,LOG=record,(da)Y | |
| Down | |
| 1 | One accepted first neurotic complaint (4) |
| ACNE – N in ACE=one. Regular readers will know what’s coming: For the umpteenth time, “first something” means a whole something, NOT the first part of something. | |
| 2 | Left rubbish out on a smaller scale (7) |
| LITTLER – L in LITTER | |
| 3 | Complete transport from end to end (5,7) |
| CARRY THROUGH – CARRY=transport,THROUGH=from end to end. Smooth surface reading and fair wordplay – a good clue. | |
| 4 | Snitch giving this sign? (8) |
| TELLTALE – 2 def’s, one strictly “type of sign” | |
| 5 | Some pastor, a clerical divine agency (6) |
| ORACLE – hidden word | |
| 7 | Heather almost trapped deserter, wandering (7) |
| ERRATIC – RAT=deserter in ERIC(a) = a heather genus – I say “a” because the classic “heather”, Callunus Vulgaris, is not in the Erica genus. However, “heather” is also defined as any plant of the family Ericeae, which includes both the Erica genus and the single-species genus Calluna. | |
| 8 | Bat without responsibility? (3-2-5) |
| FLY-BY-NIGHT – 2 defs, one cryptic | |
| 11 | Just soft, not grand (but loud?) (7,5) |
| UPRIGHT PIANO – UPRIGHT=just,PIANO=soft. Interesting def – an UPRIGHT PIANO is certainly “not grand”, but whether it’s loud or not seems anyone’s guess. | |
| 14 | Round it’s carried in case of emergency (5,5) |
| SPARE WHEEL – cryptic def – which without (5,5) could also lead to LIFE BELT | |
| 17 | Smug hint about firearm repairer (8) |
| GUNSMITH = anag. of (smug hint) | |
| 19 | Dingy church in France (7) |
| DUNKIRK – DUN=brown=dingy,KIRK=church. “In France” is one of those rather feeble geographical defs. Surely we could have had something interesting like “Dingy church from which Tommy was rescued”. | |
| 21 | Big blow split a party (7) |
| TORNADO – TORN=split,A,DO=party | |
| 22 | Page I’m rewriting about winger (6) |
| MAGPIE – anag of “page I’m”, arguably indicated twice over with “rewritten about”. “Winger” here means “something with wings”. | |
| 25 | Tarry guy (4) |
| STAY – this is guy as in “guy rope”. | |