Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2676

A full review by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****

Not the hardest Virgilius ever but full of the usual high level of enjoyment throughout.

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Across

1a           Inappropriate solution when one is dog-tired? (6)
CATNAP –  A lovely cryptic definition of the kind of short sleep that humans and cats, but apparently not dogs, might enjoy.

4a           Building    the bases for arguments (8)
PREMISES –   A double definition clue – either a building, especially a place of business, or some  propositions stated for the purposes of argument.

10a         Produce picture with a backing that produces Oscar, say (5)
AWARD –  A from the clue followed by a reversal (backing) of DRAW (produce a picture) – Oscar being the ‘nickname, of the statuette awarded by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

11a         Drunk is no match for computer (9)
MACINTOSH –   A make of computer is a drunk anagram of IS NO MATCH.

12a         Cook’s vessel? Yes and no (7)
STEAMER –    Yes – a cook may use a steamer to cook food more healthily (unless it is my favourite treacle pudding) but No – you couldn’t go to sea in it!   I quite liked being temporarily  misled into thinking of Captain James Cook, whose vessel, the Endeavour, wasn’t a steamer either!

13a         Early morning caller‘s ring in resort misdirected (7)
ROOSTER –  We have one of these early morning callers in our village !    Insert an O (ring) into an anagram (misdirected) of RESORT.

14a         They store documents, proceeding in line with ministerial groups (6,8)
FILING CABINETS –   Walking in line one behind the other plus a group of senior ministers who formulate government policy.

17a         Not bound to put in force a principle of capitalism (4,10)
FREE ENTERPRISE –  FREE (not bound) plus ENTER (put in) and PRISE (force open [with a lever])

21a         On first course study only a little (7)
SOUPCON –   A hardly perceptible quantity –   what people often choose as a first course – SOUP – followed by CON (to study carefully).

23a         Family doctor at home is essential person (7)
KINGPIN –  KIN (family) GP ([family] doctor) and IN (home).

24a         Before trial he bungled, that man could be in better shape (9)
HEALTHIER –  HE (that man) is placed before an anagram (bungled) of TRIAL HE.

25a         Excising even parts of carcasses can make one so insensitive (5)
CRASS –   The every-other letter one – this time, a word meaning very tactless or insensitive is obtained by removing or excising the even parts of CaRcAsSeS.

26a         Flourishing group within party holding unemployed back (8)
WIELDING –   Flourishing in the sense of waving about like a weapon –   Insert a reversal of IDLE (unemployed) into a WING or section of a political party.

27a         Article penned by small youth providing glossy material (6)
SATEEN –  A glossy fabric resembling satin – Insert the indefinite article – A – between S for small and  TEEN (youth).

Down

1d           Restrict access to young woman if within country’s borders (8)
CLASSIFY – To make secret for security reasons –   Insert between the first and last letters (borders)  of CountrY  first LASS (young woman) and then  IF (from the clue).

2d           Presumably broad-minded salesperson (9)
TRAVELLER –  Because as we know, travel broadens the mind.

3d           Belly dancer initially covered by sailor on sign (7)
ABDOMEN –    The initial letter of Dancer should be inserted between (or covered by) AB (Able Seaman, sailor) and OMEN (sign).

5d           Top performers make film of waves? (6-8)
RECORD-BREAKERS –  RECORD (film) BREAKERS (waves broken on the  shore).

6d           First of mud appearing before long in rainy season (7)
MONSOON –  M (first of Mud) ON SOON (appearing before long).

7d           Snappish husband, kind on the outside (5)
SHORT –   Inclined to be quick-tempered – Insert H into SORT (kind in the sense of type).

8d           Primarily sandy, a hot and not half arid area (6)
SAHARA – A nice &Lit –  the first letter of Sandy,  A from the clue, H (hot) AR (the first half of ARid) and A (the abbreviation for area).

9d           Miner in Canada I represented as brave? (8,6)
AMERICAN INDIAN –  An anagram (represented) of MINER IN CANADA I.

15d         Articulated story without embellishment as part of craft (9)
TAILPLANE –   Two homophones – firstly TALE (story) and secondly PLAIN (without embellishment).

16d         Curious new trap set up for poet (8)
TENNYSON –  A reversal (set up in a down clue) of NOSY (curious) N (new) and NET (trap).

18d         Conservative interrupting left is turned on (7)
EXCITED –  Insert C (Conservative) into EXITED (left).

19d         Every year bringing in an expert that can fix everything (7)
PANACEA –  A cure for all things –  Insert into PA (per annum, each or every year) AN (from the clue) and ACE (expert).

20d         Refrain from laying directions on champ (6)
ESCHEW – To abstain or refrain from –   Put two directions – E(ast) and S(outh) onto CHEW (champ).

22d         Linguistic practices that could take setter and solver a lot of time (5)
USAGES – Normal or acceptable language or speech patterns – US (the setter and the solver) and AGES (a lot of time).

I’ll be back next Thursday with a review of ST 2677.   Oh… and  just in case Gnomey is reading this, you should be here  tomorrow morning with the blog of DT 27091 from last Saturday