Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2781

A full review by crypticsue

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

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 1st February 2015

I had to go out specially to buy the Sunday paper as it was so cold in the spare room that our printer refused to work.   Well worth the four mile round trip as all the things you expect in a Sunday crossword were there in abundance.

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Across

1a           Government, in disarray, isn’t being held in high regard (14)
ADMINISTRATION – An anagram (in disarray) of ISNT inserted into (being held in) ADMIRATION (high regard).

9a           List including duck and domestic fowl (7)
ROOSTER – O (duck = nought in cricket scoring) inserted into a ROSTER (list).

10a         Consult part of manual, say, for problem with tank (7)
SEEPAGE –   Split 3,4, this might mean to look at a particular page of an instruction manual.

11a         Component of evil empire that is particularly so (4)
VILE is a component of eVIL Empire.

12a         Notice fair-minded people with little time producing change (10)
ADJUSTMENT –   AD (advertisement , notice) JUST MEN (fair-minded people) and T (little or abbreviated Time).

14a         Preserve on record what prevents progress (3,3)
LOG JAM –   JAM (preserve) put on or after LOG (record).

15a         Set off in vessel heading east after opening scenes (8)
ACTIVATE –   ACT I (opening scenes of a play) VAT (vessel) and E (east).

17a         A Conservative supporter accepts workers’ organisation, in fact (8)
ACTUALLY –   A (from the clue) C (Conservative) TU (workers’ organisation) and ALLY (supporter).

18a         Communication devices run so long (6)
RADIOS –   R(run) and ADIOS (so long).

21a         Endless difficulty framing suitable answer that’s useful (10)
PROFITABLE –   Remove the last letter (endless) from PROBLEM (difficulty) and insert FIT (suitable) and A (answer).

22a         Asian leader in past hiding yen in part of Ireland (4)
MAYO – Y (the abbreviation for the monetary unit Yen) inserted into Chairman MAO (Asian leader in past).

24a         Once more coming back over a river, one with spectacular views (7)
NIAGARA –   A (from the clue) R (river) AGAIN (once more) all reversed (coming back over)

25a         Case is sorted out by king poorly, in the main (7)
SEASICK –   An anagram (sorted out) of CASE IS followed by K (king)

26a         Standard variety of green trade for this kind of farmer (6,8)
MARKET GARDENER –   MARK (standard) followed by an anagram (variety of) GREEN TRADE.

Down

1d           Advent calendar finally included by a competitor (7)
ARRIVAL –   Insert the last letter (finally) of calendar into A RIVAL (a competitor).

2d           Does extra work on a tuneful arrangement, initially — work for pianists (9,6)
MOONLIGHT SONATA – MOONLIGHTS (does extra work outside once normal employment) followed by ON A (from the clue) and the initial letters of tuneful arrangement.

3d           In the last resort, ultimately cleared of charges (4)
NETT –   The ‘ultimate’ letters of iN thE lasT resorT.

4d           With thoroughfare restricted, go on horseback or walk (6)
STRIDE –   ST (street or thoroughfare restricted or abbreviated) and RIDE (go on horseback).

5d           Possibility of help or rescue at sea (8)
RESOURCE –   An anagram (at sea) of OR RESCUE.

6d           Mad Hatter I mostly describe as overdramatic (10)
THEATRICAL – An anagram (mad) of HATTER followed by I CALL (most of I CALL –I describe).

7d           Testing event for student looking down in the mouth? (4,11)
ORAL EXAMINATION –   A cryptic definition – could the student be one studying dentistry?

8d           One insect or another let out (6)
BEETLE –   BEE (insect) followed by an anagram (out) of LET.

13d         Get animated about a distant island where big game can be watched (6,4)
SAFARI PARK –   SPARK (get animated) into which is inserted A FAR I (a distant Island).

16d         Nice group of characters in sample, as anticipated (8)
PLEASANT –   Hidden in samPLE AS ANTicipated.

17d         Native growing up in mountainous area, possibly Nepali (6)
ALPINE –   An anagram (possibly) of NEPALI.

19d         Fish European river for sport (7)
SNOOKER – SNOOK (a type of fish) E (European) and R (river).

20d         A request received by US city or state (6)
ALASKA – A (from the clue) followed by ASK (request) inserted into LA (Los Angeles).

23d         Musicians not allowed in audition (4)
BAND –   A homophone (in audition) of BANNED (not allowed).

 
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