Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26026
A full analysis by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment: **
Tilsit has been unable to do this review, but will be in this slot next week.
Just a few weaker clues in this prize puzzle, but it wouldn’t be Saturday without a boy or a girl – this week it’s a girl!
Across
1a New penny found above old one in pool (4)
POND – Take P (new penny) ON (found above) and D (old penny) to get another word for a pool
9a Hot under the collar? On the contrary (2,1,4,5)
IN A COLD SWEAT – “on the contrary” tells you to reverse the instruction given by the clue, but this is not really the opposite of “hot under the collar”
10a If it’s good there isn’t any (4)
NEWS – the phrase being used here is “no news is good news”, and I discussed the validity of this clue last Saturday
11a Amazed how biker looks (6-4)
GOGGLE-EYED – meant to be a double definition – does it work for you?
15a Continue to have an affair (5,2)
CARRY ON – a part-cryptic double definition
16a Made a mistake with reorder, strangely no alternative (5)
ERRED – a word meaning made a mistake comes from an anagram (strangely) of RE(OR)DER without OR (no alternative)
18a Pen put into envelope (9)
ENCLOSURE – a double definition where the second part is something you would put into an envelope – doesn’t quite work for me
19a Celeb to begin but not finish (4)
STAR – a celeb(rity) comes from STAR(T) (to begin) without the last letter (but not finish)
20a She may be fortunate to lose £1,000 (4)
LUCY – she is LUC(K)Y without K (£1,000, as used in, for example, salaries)
21a Last to be first in this test (9)
ENDURANCE – a cryptic definition of a competition where the competitor who lasts the longest is the winner
23a Deer has one tongue (5)
HINDI – combine HIND (deer) and I (one) give an Indo-European language (tongue)
24a Dorothy had short attempt with the Spanish bird (7)
DOTTREL – a charade of DOT (Dorothy) TR(Y) (short attempt) and EL (the Spanish) gives a a kind of plover, named from its apparent stupidity in allowing itself to be approached and caught
26a Coordinate shattered ornament (10)
DECORATION – an anagram (shattered) of COORDINATE gives an ornament
29a Lover was painful on the way back (4)
EROS – the Greek love-god is SORE (painful) reversed (on the way back)
30a Coming from stadium, boxer who is able to use both hands alike (12)
AMBIDEXTROUS – I don’t think that “coming from” is a very good anagram indicator, but rearrange STADIUM BOXER to get a word meaning able to use both hands alike
31a In Odessa, kirsch is a drink served hot or cold (4)
SAKI – hidden inside OdesSA, KIrsch is a drink served hot or cold
Down
2d Out for 24 hours (3,3,6)
ONE DAY STRIKE – a cryptic definition of being out on strike for 24 hours
3d Dodderer is confused, thrown into state of disarray (10)
DISORDERED – an anagram (confused) of DODDERER IS gives a word meaning thrown into state of disarray
4d Dance beat to disappear (5)
TANGO – this dance is a charade of TAN (beat) and GO (to disappear)
5d Junior garçon started melodious utterance (4)
SONG – put together SON (junior) and G (Garçon started) for this melodious utterance – garçon is still given as garon on ScrewedUp
6d Sturgeon roe Tess removed (7)
OSSETER – this obscure name for a type of sturgeon is an anagram (removed) of ROE TESS – the best part of this clue is that roe is, rather appropriately, part of the anagram fodder
7d Unduly light (4)
VERY – a double definition, the second part of which refers to a type of signalling flare
8d Button takes up no end of room! (4)
STUD – a button that is STUD(Y) (room) without the last letter
12d Lout hangs around during attack (9)
ONSLAUGHT – an anagram (around) of LOUT HANGS
13d Notes for a glider? (9)
GLISSANDO – a musical term for the effect produced by sliding the finger along keyboard or strings
14d Drill manual (8,4)
EXERCISE BOOK – an all-in-one clue that starts as a charade of EXERCISE (drill) and BOOK (manual) and finishes as a cryptic definition of a drill manual – I can’t make my mind up as to whether or not this works, but it’s a nice clue
17d Engineers fast on the French ship not relaxing severity (10)
RELENTLESS – a charade of RE (Royal Engineers) LENT (period of fasting) LE (the French) and SS (Steam Ship) give a word meaning not relaxing severity
22d Late excursion said to arrive at compound (7)
NITRIDE – a homophone for night ride (late excursion) gives a compound
25d Leading leg-spinner (2,3)
ON TOP – a phrase meaning leading gthat is a charade of ON (leg side in cricket) and TOP (spinner)
26d Vehicle used by medic at all times (4)
DRAY – a brewery vehicle that is built from DR (medic) and AY (always / ever / at all times)
27d It’s in dicey shape (4)
CUBE – cryptic definition
28d Ten cheers for Greek character (4)
IOTA – IO (looks like ten) and TA (cheers) gives this Greek character that is popular with crossword setters