Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2567
A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
Christmas is always special in crossword land, but your Sunday setter has excelled himself here. The central 15-letter answer is “A Christmas Carol”, and there’s other material about 3 different Christmas Carols – Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Good King Wenceslas, and the Dickens book of the same name. And there’s heaps of other Christmas material too – 12 answers by my reckoning. Two things to wonder about: If a puzzle referring to a carol with the words “on the feast of Stephen” was printed on the 19th of December, what’s on the 26th? And if next week’s puzzle is Christmas-related, will he have anything left for next year?
A very Merry Christmas to all readers, bloggers and setters from me – as well as from everyone else here.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 7 | Newspaper in LA translated for singers in 15 (3,6,6) |
| THE HERALD ANGELS – HERALD = newspaper, notably this one, in THE ANGELS = English translation of “Los Angeles” | |
| 10 | Person preparing presents in loose outer garment (7) |
| WRAPPER – two definitions – 1st other seasonal reference | |
| 11 | We hope to find peace therein, not far across river (3,4) |
| NEW YEAR – WYE in NEAR, 2nd O.S.R. | |
| 12 | They apply religious rule, others act differently (9) |
| THEOCRATS = anag. of “others act” | |
| 14 | Flier commonly seen in Christmas mail (5) |
| ROBIN – 2 defs and OSR 3 | |
| 15 | Inspirational book – frantically cram with it as scholar (1,9,5) |
| A CHRISTMAS CAROL – anag. of (cram, it as scholar) | |
| 18 | Administer punishment, with roles reversed (5) |
| STRAP – reverse of parts = roles | |
| 19 | Ruler given one-page report on Boxing Day (9) |
| WENCESLAS – CD using King=ruler, and his Page | |
| 21 | Retaining youth indefinitely in unopened enclosure? Not so (7) |
| AGELESS = (c)AGE,LESS = not so (e.g. in “not so good”) | |
| 23 | I’d moved away from mishaps, possibly grave and acute (7) |
| ACCENTS = “possibly grave and acute” – ACC(I’d)ENTS | |
| 26 | Geezer, once sober, transformed (8,7) |
| EBENEZER SCROOGE – anag. of “geezer, once sober” | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Pack in point-to-point (4) |
| STOW = “S to W” (point = compass point) | |
| 2 | English kind of beer taken up to feast (6) |
| REGALE = to feast – reverse of (E = English, LAGER) | |
| 3 | Pressure at bottom of river, a long way down (4) |
| DEEP = a long way down – Dee, P = pressure | |
| 4 | Fuss over rising crime and striking youth (6) |
| ADONIS = striking youth – ADO = fuss, rev. of SIN = crime | |
| 5 | Small present – for 19 across, it was 3 and 13 and 22 (4) |
| SNOW – which was DEEP and CRISP and EVEN for King WENCESLAS in our second carol – S = small, NOW = present – I’m awarding OSR 4 for the surface reading | |
| 6 | Make judgment about cold – and be right at this time of year (8) |
| DECEMBER = at this time of year – C = cold, in DEEM = make judgment, BE, R = right – and OSR 5 | |
| 8 | Side by side in bar seat, both drunk (7) |
| ABREAST – anag. of “bar seat”. A slightly generous OSR 6 for surface reference to seasonal revelry | |
| 9 | Having abused link with press, distributes as result of leak? (9) |
| SPRINKLES – anag. of (link, press) | |
| 12 | Move to another place a problem for rail passengers? Not I (9) |
| TRANSLATE = move to another place – TRA(i)NS,LATE is the “problem for rail passengers”. A few days ago, many would have been glad of any train at all round here! Just qualifies as OSR 7 | |
| 13 | Saintly shoemaker dropping in for snack (5) |
| CRISP = snack – Saint CRISP(in) being the patron saint of shoemakers | |
| 14 | Behold river up North in preliminary survey (5) |
| RECCE = preliminary survey – rev. of ECCE = behold, esp. in “ecce homo”, R = river | |
| 16 | Listened to 7 and progressed rapidly, absorbing knowledge (8) |
| HARKENED = listened to the Carol 1 angels – KEN = knowledge in HARED | |
| 17 | Invalidates covering article in Christmas publications (7) |
| ANNUALS = Christmas publications – A = article, in ANNULS = invalidates – OSR 8 | |
| 19 | What we would like made when dividing some turkey bones (6) |
| WISHES – double def or cryptic def? Not quite sure, but it doesn’t matter – it’s about wishbones and a definite OSR 9 | |
| 20 | Christmas coming up, put notes in as composer of ‘Happy Xmas’ (6) |
| LENNON = composer of Happy Xmas – a modern Christmas song for OSR 10 | |
| 22 | Equal, like the numbers on two sides here (4) |
| EVEN – CD based on the preceding and following clues both having even numbers | |
| 24 | A diamond, perhaps, one may get at Christmas (4) |
| CARD = a diamond, perhaps – and an obvious OSR 11 | |
| 25 | Winter transport Santa primarily has guided (4) |
| SLED = winter transport – S for Santa, and LED = guided – OSR 12 | |
Very nice puzzle indeed, and an excellent job by the setter.
Well done to the reviewer also, for a fine analysis.
Lovely puzzle – 26a was an absolute belter!.
Many thanks to Mr Greer for all his hard work over the year – here’s to many more!.
Thanks Peter for the review as well!