Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2563
A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
More high class fun. It’s a bit dull on this slot – you never get anything to moan about …
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Be held back by girlfriend in argument (6) |
| DEBATE – “be” reversed in DATE = girlfriend | |
| 4 | Number put on uniform for one of the services (8) |
| EVENSONG = “one of the services” – EVEN = uniform, SONG = number | |
| 10 | Said to quote prophet as person having interesting views (9) |
| SIGHTSEER – “cite” = quote, SEER = prophet | |
| 11 | Golf club giving Woods, initially, slight advantage (5) |
| WEDGE = golf club – W from Woods, EDGE = slight advantage | |
| 12 | Disastrous run, so he gets put out of seat (7) |
| UNHORSE = “put out of seat” – anag. of “run, so he” | |
| 13 | Boisterously frolic as high-flier (7) |
| SKYLARK – 2 defs – a high flier (bird) and to frolic | |
| 14 | Discard diamonds with irritation (5) |
| DITCH – D = diamonds, ITCH = irritation | |
| 15 | Invincible military leader invading land before day’s end (8) |
| ALMIGHTY = invincible – AL(M)IGHT,(da)Y | |
| 18 | What offers support and love to a girl? (8) |
| PROPOSAL – PROP = support, O = love, SAL = a girl – our first all-in-one | |
| 20 | It’s found amongst Russians as handle (5) |
| SASHA – hidden word – a mysterious name – Sasha is a Russian diminutive for (did you guess?) Alexander – another all-in-one, using handle = name. | |
| 23 | Light that’s seen in the morning sky (7) |
| LUCIFER – 2 defs – an old-fashioned match=light, and Venus as the “morning star” | |
| 25 | Product of mine included by those people in mathematical work (7) |
| THEOREM – ORE = product of (e.g. copper) mine, in THEM = those people | |
| 26 | Player takes a bow for this female Shakespearean role (5) |
| VIOLA – 2 defs – an instrument needing a bow (and a thick skin to put up with all those jokes), and a character in Twelfth Night, like her near anagram Olivia. | |
| 27 | Child really likes receiving good gentle treatment they provide (3,6) |
| KID GLOVES = “gentle treatment they provide” – G = good, in KID LOVES = “child really likes” | |
| 28 | Wrongly take solitary man with king or queen (8) |
| ROYALIST = anag. of “solitary”, with “with” meaning “on the same side as” | |
| 29 | Cage bird (6) |
| PRISON – 2 def’s, one from rhyming slag (birdlime = time) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Put off key publication without notice (8) |
| DISSUADE – D = key, then AD = notice, in ISSUE = edition of magazine or similar = publication | |
| 2 | Enlarged photo for somebody (3,4) |
| BIG SHOT – 2 defs | |
| 3 | Cooked trout with steamer, say – job for instructor (9) |
| TUTORSHIP = job for instructor – anagram of trout, SHIP = “steamer, say” | |
| 5 | It’s delirium – I’ve distorted appearance of reality (14) |
| VERISIMILITUDE = “appearance of reality” – anag. of (it’s delirium I’ve) – a piece of cake IF you know the word ‘verisimilitude’ and what it means | |
| 6 | Monarch eliminated from European kingdom? Certainly not! (2,3) |
| NO WAY = certainly not – R = king/queen removed from Norway | |
| 7 | Lad lost at sea turning to experienced crewman (3,4) |
| OLD SALT = experienced crewman, salt being yet another word for sailor – anag. of “lad lost” – “lost at sea” is a very nice bit of clue-writing | |
| 8 | Europeans who fought the people of Paris (6) |
| GREEKS – who fought the people of Paris – son of Priam, the King of Troy | |
| 9 | Commander attacks all-out efforts by protesters (7,7) |
| GENERAL STRIKES = “all-out efforts by protesters” when “out” = on strike. GENERAL = commander, STRIKES = attacks | |
| 16 | Evangelist’s cry of support for one who’s charming? (9) |
| GOSPELLER = evangelist – “Go, speller!” being the cry of support | |
| 17 | Pears man ruined? Hard cheese! (8) |
| PARMESAN = hard cheese (please grate it fresh rather than using the vile stuff that smells like powdered vomit) – anag. of “pears man” – slightly ironic as pears go really well with both Parmesan and blue cheeses, the latter especially ideally accompanied by Sauternes, Tokay or port. That’s enough dribbling – Ed. | |
| 19 | About to join Conservative and another in place of minister (7) |
| RECTORY = place of minister – RE = about, C = Conservative, TORY = another (Conservative) | |
| 21 | Works hard to retain right in Cornish town (7) |
| STRIVES = works hard – R = right, in St. Ives | |
| 22 | More demanding title role in musical (6) |
| OLIVER – CD based on Oliver Twist asking for more (from about 7:30 in the clip) | |
| 24 | Morally weak female held up by bar (5) |
| FRAIL = morally weak – F = female, RAIL = bar | |
Excellent Website.
Welcome to the blog Joe
I found this a tad easy but nothing to complain about (as usual from Mr Greer).
Think you missed an I out in Verisimilitude Peter (and I do know the word!)
Sorry, I ought to have said thaks to you both – Thanks!.
I thought that 23a was a cracker.
Missing I now restored – Thanks to you …
Man Alive, Peter, those Violist jokes were harsh!.
A Rock Band tour bus crashed and the rhythm guitarist woke up from a big operation with the band at his bedside.
“Good news and bad news, mate!”
“What’s the good news?”
“You have had a full lobotomy”
“What’s the bad news”
“We have bought you a Bass”