Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26056
A full analysis by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment **
Tilsit hopes to be back in this slot next week. This was quite an easy puzzle – mainly because the handful of obscure words like corncrib and insheathe were well clued.
Across
1a Plum post at the end of the line (8,7)
VICTORIA STATION – a charade of a type of plum and a post to which a body of soldiers is assigned for duty leads to this London Terminus
8a Little work drawing in abstract style (2,3)
OP ART – another charade, this time OP (abbreviation of opus / work) and ART (drawing) leads without much inspiration to an abstract style of art
9a Stimulate change seeing hesitation within (8)
ENERGISE – a word meaning to stimulate is an anagram (change) of SEEING with ER (hesitation) inside
11a Pressing one bloke once earlier (7)
EXIGENT – back with the charades – I (one) and GENT (bloke) are preceded by EX (once) combine to give a synonym for pressing
12a Expressions of disapproval are heard to increase during drinking bout (5-2)
BOOZE-UP – a word that sounds like (are heard) boos (expressions of disapproval) combines with UP (to increase) to give a drinking bout
13a Right heading (5)
TITLE – a double definition
15a Robot, not one in high degree of mechanisation (9)
AUTOMATON – this robot comes from AUTOMAT(I)ON (high degree of mechanisation) without the I (not one)
17a Emotionally shocking nervous reaction follows wound (9)
TRAUMATIC – a word meaning emotionally shocking is derived by putting TIC (nervous reaction) after TRAUMA (wound)
20a City grounds holding large number (5)
LEEDS – this city is created by putting LEES (grounds / sediment) around D (500 in Roman numerals)
21a Irritate brother or sister inside being ludicrous (7)
RISIBLE – put RILE (irritate) around SIB (sibling / brother or sister) to get a word meaning ludicrous
23a Liberal cardinal flustered, losing direction (7)
RADICAL – this liberal is an anagram (flustered) of CARDI(N)AL without the N (North / direction)
25a A foot’s growth by bed in American building (8)
CORNCRIB – a charade of CORN (a growth on the foot) and CRIB (bed) gives this American building used for storing grain
26a Lightweight cat? (5)
OUNCE – a double definition, the cat being a snow leopard
27a Beastly hair under one’s nose? (6,9)
WALRUS MOUSTACHE – a cryptic definition of this facial hair
Down
1d It can come as a forceful blow (7,5)
VIOLENT STORM – a gentle charade of VIOLENT (forceful) and STORM (blow)
2d Fur on one animal (5)
COATI – this charade comprises COAT (fur) and I (one) and the result is a tropical American carnivorous mammal
3d Going the right way to find gymnast (2,3,4)
ON THE BEAM – a phrase meaning going the right way could be where to find a gymnast
4d Nitre exploded by one with a disposition to remain inactive (7)
INERTIA – an anagram (exploded) of NITRE is followed by I (one) and A to get a word meaning a disposition to remain inactive
5d Mixing her best effervescent drink (7)
SHERBET – an anagram (mixing) of HER BEST results in an effervescent drink
6d Some scallywag grounded as a result of hostile troublemaking (5)
AGGRO – hidden (some) inside scallywag grounded is this hostile troublemaking
7d In haste he went over to put sword in place (9)
INSHEATHE – an anagram (went over) of IN HASTE HE is required to get this word meaning to put a sword in place
10d Envelopes Sue ordered secretly (2,4,6)
UP ONE’S SLEEVE – an anagram (ordered) of ENVELOPES SUE gives a word meaning secretly
14d Hateful person’s implement for fungus (9)
TOADSTOOL – a charade of TOAD’S (hateful person’s) and TOOL (implement) gives this fungus
16d Tactless admiral to quake (9)
MALADROIT – a word of French origin meaning tactless is an anagram (quake) of ADMIRAL TO
18d Her tome revealed proposition (7)
THEOREM – an anagram (revealed) of HER TOME gives a proposition
19d Where in France, West Indian went before reindeer (7)
CARIBOU – put OU (where, French) after CARIB (West Indian) to get a reindeer
22d Prohibit couple heard using African language (5)
BANTU – combine BAN (prohibit) and TU (sounds like / heard two / couple) to get this African language
24d Sneering critic Nancy nicely hides (5)
CYNIC – this sneering critic is hidden inside Nancy nicely hides
Sadly I’m only looking at the clues/answers and not the grid, and the grid can make a big difference in terms of difficulty.
One of the nice things about the Tele crozzer is that setters use a handful of very simple charades and anagrams to give even the least experienced solver an early foothold. There are just a couple here although, unfortunately, there are also a couple of examples of looseness that could cause trouble.
In 12Ac “during” isn’t just padding – it may lead the solver to think of container wordplay that isn’t there.
In 3Dn I can’t see “to find gymnast” meaning ON THE BEAM. It’s “where” to find a gymnast, sure, but the absence of “where” in the clue is far from helpful.
In 7Dn – “went over” as an anagrind? Hmm!
On the other hand I thought 20Ac was beautifully smooth, 2Dn may be a chestnut but it’s always a good ‘un that’s worth repeating, 10Dn is a cracking anagram and I liked the “quake” anagrind in 16Dn – nice bit of grammatical deception.