Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 27133

A full review by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Gnomey’s stuck in a  dark basement again (the lives these young men lead!) and his very last minute  emailed plea for help gives me the chance to review this Cephas puzzle –  Cephas  is definitely increasing the difficulty level these days which adds to the enjoyment factor too.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.  You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

1a           Drink that lacks body (6)
SPIRIT  –  An alcoholic drink or a disembodied soul.

9a           Jack’s answer: ‘Pardon?’ (10)
ABSOLUTION –   Jack here is a way of referring to a sailor, as is the abbreviation AB so a pardon is an AB  (sailor’s) SOLUTION (answer)

10a         Epidemic requires change, taking steps (10)
PESTILENCE –    Insert STILE (steps) into PENCE (small change).

11a         A young animal backed into insect (4)
PUPA –   One of the stages of an insect’s development is  a reversal of A (from the clue) and PUP (young animal.

12a         Mount comeback for four members of Italian team (4)
ETNA  –  The four-letter volcano  is hidden in ItaliAN TEam.

14a         Telegraph covering left-winger with sex appeal — it’s to be admired (10)
CREDITABLE –   Insert into a CABLE (telegraph)  RED (a left-winger) and IT (sex appeal).

17a         Young lady I will take on assignment (7)
MISSION  – MISS (young lady) I and ON  (both in the clue).

18a         Ducking duel arranged in middle of night (7)
ELUDING –  An anagram (arranged) of DUEL,  IN (from the clue) and G (the ‘middle’) of niGht.

20a         Nuclear process  that makes one wealthy? (10)
ENRICHMENT –  The process of increasing the isotopes of an element such as uranium in nuclear fuel or an archaic term meaning to make richer or more wealthy.

21a         General‘s weapon left out (4)
RIFE –  General, prevalent or current – just remove L (left out) from a RIFLE.

22a         Hearts, represented by ace, laid down twice for a laugh (2-2)
HA-HA –  The abbreviations used in card games for Hearts and Ace, repeated, produce a representation of a laugh.

23a         Printed matter from retail organisation that’s true, after a fashion (10)
LITERATURE –   Two anagrams – an ‘organisation’ of RETAIL and (after a fashion) TRUE

25a         Delegate makes entrance with hunk (10)
MOUTHPIECE –  The one that held several of us up –  A delegate or spokesperson –  MOUTH (entrance) and PIECE  (hunk in the sense of a lump of something rather than an attractive man!)

26a         Showy beasts, odd characters misplaced in dull surroundings (6)
DRESSY –   The even letters of bEaStS (the odd characters having been misplaced or taken away) inserted into DRY (dull).

Down

2d           Not very exciting and lacking drive apparently (10)
PEDESTRIAN –   A word meaning commonplace or unexciting is also used when referring to someone travelling on foot (lacking a vehicle to drive apparently).

3d           Split  lease (4)
RENT –  An obvious double definition.

4d           After laying out for dinner, one’s left shaken — or taken to the cleaners (10)
TABLECLOTH  –   Depending on how messy your dinner guests are, you might get away with just shaking crumbs from your tablecloth, or you might have to send it to the laundry!!

5d           Apart, and sure to be reassembled (7)
ASUNDER –   An anagram (to be reassembled) of AND SURE.

6d           What water may be below zero, and may do above, it’s said (4)
FLOE – A field of floating ice (ice being frozen has a temperature below O^o C .   A homophone of FLOE would sound like a FLOW of water, which water  at a higher temperature will do.

7d           It is inclined to raise one’s standing (10)
STEPLADDER –  A cryptic definition of something you use when needing to reach up high.

8d           Storm in Virginia: ‘Lower classes should be in their proper place’ (6)
INVADE – Storm in the sense of attack or take by assault –  IN (from the clue) VA (the abbreviation for the State of Virginia, followed by DE (the lower classes in their proper order, following at the end of the word).

13d         Attackers like to travel by sea — soldiers may go under (10)
ASSAILANTS –   AS (like)  SAIL (travel by sea) and ANTS (soldier ants).

15d         Unfortunate drill-master working out, miles to go (3-7)
ILL-STARRED –  Working out an anagram of DRILL MASTER, once you have removed the M (miles to go).

16d         Armies come down on railroads (10)
LANDFORCES – LAND (come down on) FORCES  ( railroads means forces to do something).

19d         One may not believe he needs most of the capital (7)
HEATHEN –   HE (from the clue) followed by nearly all of the capital of Greece – ATHEN[s]

20d         Get up late! (6)
EXHUME – To remove a dead body (late person)from a place of burial.

23d         Bound to see pole dancing (4)
LOPE –  Leap or bound – an anagram (dancing) of POLE.

24d         Book sent for my attention (4)
TOME –  A scholarly book or volume, split 2,2 would be sent  TO  ME or for my attention.

Apologies in advance for errors and omissions –  I was on my way to bed when I thought I would just check my emails!   I hope  if he’s not too etiolated, Gnomey will be  back next week with a review of Saturday’s Prize Puzzle .