Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2732
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
This puzzle was published on on Sunday, 23rd February 2014
The usual terrific start to Sunday morning, although it would appear that I didn’t have as much difficulty as some solvers. One clue even engaged Mr CS and I in a bit of breakfast time conversation – whatever next?!
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 Disrespect around monarch is stupid behaviour (10)
IMPRUDENCE – R (Rex, king, monarch) inserted into IMPUDENCE (disrespectful behaviour).
6a Beginning, but not finishing, as top player (4)
STAR – The first four letters only (not finishing) of START (beginning).
9a Port with more piquant flavour (7)
TANGIER – double definition – the first being a port in Morocco and the second being self-explanatory.
10a Two kinds of fish or one kind of apple (7)
CODLING – COD and LING (two kinds of fish) go together to make a kind of elongated greenish cooking apple. Mr CS and I had only heard of the moth of the same name but a bit of investigoogling informed us that the moth, which is a pest of apple trees, is, as we thought, named after the apple.
12a Fashionable site I’m changing within last minute (13)
INFINITESIMAL – Minute as in teeny-tiny – IN (fashionable) and FINAL (last) with an anagram (changing) of SITE IM inserted.
14a Spare money for a female American president (6)
AFFORD – A (from the clue) F (female) and FORD (Gerald, the former American president).
15a I’m returning to doctor awfully tiny photograph (8)
MICRODOT – IM reversed (returning) followed by an anagram (awfully) of DOCTOR.
17a Autocrat reversed corruption at police department (8)
DICTATOR is a reversal of ROT (corruption) AT (from the clue) and CID (police department).
19a Bringer of news about male baby (6)
PAMPER – ‘baby’ here being a verb and not a noun – Insert M (male) into PAPER (bringer of news).
22a With Tory party, share careful thought (13)
CONSIDERATION – CON (Conservative) SIDE (party) RATION (share).
24a Small bit of speech wherein I ask for ring? (7)
PHONEME – The smallest significant sound in a language. Split 5, 2, our setter might be asking you to give him a ring. If you get an email asking what you have for 24a, you must explain your solution very carefully or you end up with an unexpected, but very nice, telephone conversation with a friend!
25a Combination of three countries — means to think about it (7)
BRITAIN – Three countries: England, Wales and Scotland together – IT (from the clue) inserted into BRAIN (means to think!).
26a Place to retire, choice of large numbers of Romans (4)
DORM – A choice of Roman numbers – D (500) OR M(1,000)
27a Suffering in opening without queen? Good (10)
UNDERGOING – UNDOING (opening) with ER (the Queen’s cipher) and G (good) inserted.
Down
1d First nine of our letters turned up, and one from Greece (4)
IOTA – A TO I (the first nine letters of the alphabet) reversed (turned up in a down clue) produce a Greek letter.
2d Religious leader‘s page covering minor argument (7)
PONTIFF – P (page) ON (covering) TIFF (minor argument).
3d Class in university local found far from enlightening (13)
UNINFORMATIVE – UNI (university) and NATIVE (local) with FORM (class) ‘in’ or inserted.
4d Task selected from roster randomly (6)
ERRAND can be selected from (or found hidden in) rostER RANDomly.
5d Prepare to fire back in Manhattan, for example (8)
COCKTAIL – COCK (to draw back the cock of a gun ready for firing) and TAIL (back). A Manhattan is a cocktail of vermouth, whisky, Angostura bitters and sometimes curaçao or maraschino.
7d Tested over very short distance, and cut down to size (7)
TRIMMED – MM (millimetre, very short distance) is inserted into TRIED (tested).
8d With pistol, held up a politician concerned with rules (10)
REGULATORY – A LUGER (pistol) reversed (held up in a down clue) over A TORY (a politician).
11d Is breaking key instrument, I confess, and creating confusion (13)
DISORGANISING – D (musical key) IS (from the clue) ORGAN (instrument) I SING (I confess).
13d Like a golf course, with sand placed haphazardly (10)
LANDSCAPED – An anagram (haphazardly) of SAND PLACED.
16d One’s free, after reforming, as anticipated (8)
FORESEEN – Another anagram (after reforming) of ONES FREE.
18d Outline first of challenges, playing away matches (7)
CONTOUR – C (the first letter of challenges) and ON TOUR (playing away matches).
20d Witticism and dig I combined in Indian language (7)
PUNJABI – PUN (witticism) JAB (dig) and I (from the clue).
21d Good stroll’s become better (6)
GAMBLE – G (good) plus AMBLE (stroll).
23d Catch small shrew (4)
SNAG – S (small) and NAG (shrew here being a person who scolds rather than a small mammal).
If I were to list my favourites, I’d incur the ‘wrath of Kath’ so I’ll just say that I will be back next week with another Sunday review.
Another thoroughly enjoyable crossword from the Sunday Maestro. Thanks to he & to CS. Conversation over breakfast between spouses? Cave CS – the old man’s after something!
I confess to being that person!
I sailed through the puzzle only to spend as much time trying to work it out. Just hadn’t heard of the word.
Thanks to the Sunday Supremo and to CS for the hints!
I always thoroughly enjoy Virgillius’s puzzles. My weekend crossword pleasure was extended as I didn’t do this until the following Tuesday.
Although I had the answer, I had difficulty working out the wordplay of 25a, but looking at the explanation now, I can’t see why. And I am still missing double definitions. On this occasion, it was 9a.
It is difficult to select a fave clue with so many to choose from. I really liked 24a, 1d, and 21d. I also found 10a very interesting. Always thought of the moth, not the apple.
Many thanks to Virgillius for a beautiful puzzle. And many thanks to Crypticsue for an excellent and much appreciated review.
