ST 2698 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 2698

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2698

A full review by gnomethang

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

Morning All! – Apologies for my absence last week, things got a bit hectic and BD kindly stepped in. This was another fine puzzle from Virgilius and included a lovely &Lit.

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           Most of the fault lies in this economy (6)
THRIFT – Most of the word TH(e) followed by a RIFT (Seismological fault)

4a           Blood type different? That’s a nuisance (6)
BOTHER – B for the Blood Group and OTHER for different.

8a           Sign of grief, having broken up or parted (8)
TEARDROP – Make an anagram (broken up) of OR PARTED – very deceptive for me due to the excellent surface reading!.

10a         Penalty to pay, about a pound in the end (6)
FINALE – A and L (pound sterling, Librum) inside FINE – the penalty to pay.

11a         Hot gaseous mixture — that may end in a bang (4)
HAIR – A lovely clue with the bang being an Americanism for a longish fringe (on  a bob, say). A charade of H(ot) and AIR (gaseous mixture).

12a         Bad luck, having set mousetrap, for example (4,6)
HARD CHEESE  –  If the mousetrap was set a while ago the CHEES would be HARD.

13a         Two sprinters involved in cool events? (6,6)
WINTER SPORTS – A well spotted then disguised anagram (involved) of TWO SPRINTERS. Nice definition too!

16a         Switched dancing there as redirected (12)
INTERCHANGED –  So many anagram indicators!. The required one is ‘as redirected’. The fodder is DANCING THERE and the definition is Switched (which could also be an anagram indicator!).

20a         They bear heavy burdens, so include supporting frames in case? (10)
PACKHORSES Split as (4,6) this could mean to include supporting frames for drying clothes in a suitcase

21a         Like some Asians, that is, endlessly getting together (4)
THAI – An observational clue – remove the last letters of THA(t) I(s) and put them together to form the word.

22a         Convert to aims of a revolutionary leader (6)
MAOIST – A conversion of TO AIMS.

23a         It indicates you’ve arrived — don’t knock it! (8)
DOORBELL – Well if it’s not a knocker it must be a doorbell!

24a         Woollen cloth that’s good in short jacket (6)
ANGORA – G for Good inside a shortened ANORA(k).

25a         Cross section of lengthy bridge (6)
HYBRID – The crossed genetic strain is hidden (a section of) the last two words.

 

Down

1d           The graduate a short time in charge of certain subject (8)
THEMATIC – A charade of THE (from the clue) MA (Master of Arts, graduate) and A T (short abbreviation of Time) followed by the abbreviation for In Charge, IC.

2d           Having basic education in odd places, not so well done (5)
RARER – I’ll use BD’s hint: “This adjective meaning not so well done, when applied to cooking steak, has the three elements of basic education in the odd letters”. That is R_R_R and one has to guess the non intersecting letters for the definition. Not my favourite clue!.

3d           Warm coat, in that situation, cut in advance (7)
FURTHER – FUR (a warm coat) and THER(e) having been  shortened/cut

5d           For example, general proposal covering one chapter (7)
OFFICER – An OFFER (proposal) covering I C for One C(hapter).

6d           Followers creating aggravation between husband and child (7-2)
HANGERS-ON – ANGER (aggravation) inside H for Husband and SON

7d           Take part in quarrel I should enjoy (6)
RELISH – Another hidden ford (if you take a part of.in) quarREL I SHould.

9d           Rewrote as script in adaptation for RADA, perhaps (11)
PARAPHRASED – An anagram (in adaptation) of RADA PERHAPS.

14d         Instant idea underlying the Web, primarily (9)
TWINKLING – an INKLING (idea) going underneath (underlying in a down clue) the primary letters of T(he) W(eb). The twinkling of an eye, perhaps.

15d         Storyteller held up in act, no longer on track (8)
DERAILED – Place a LIAR (storyteller) backwards (held UP in a down clue) inside DEED for act.

17d         Tastiest extremity on swine? (7)
TROTTER – A superb &Lit or all-in-one clue. Either the first or last extremity of T(asties)T followed by ROTTER (swine). Then read the clue to give the whole definition (as a Frenchman might want to eat!)

18d         That man’s right account of what happened (7)
HISTORY – A charade of HIS (that man’s possessive indication) plus TORY for right winged in politics.

19d         State of a canalon your head be it (6)
PANAMA – Two definitions – A state where a famous canal is situated and a hat.
My favourite palindrome – A MAN, A PLAN, A CANAL, PANAMA.

21d         Row across British or Italian river (5)
TIBER – Place a TIER (row) around B for British to get an Italian river (not the Po!)

 

I’ll see you all next week for another dose of Sunday Fun.