Big Dave's Crossword Blog

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2790

A full review by crypticsue

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

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 5th April 2015

Gnomethang’s on a golfing break in Spain this week, meaning that he misses out not only on the glorious hot sunshine here, but also his scheduled  opportunity to review this excellent crossword.   Lots to enjoy in this Easter Sunday treat – I particularly liked 11a and 3d.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.  You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five best!

Across

1a           Female improperly cut this film on traitor (5,9)
FIFTH COLUMNIST –   F (female) followed by an anagram (improperly) of CUT THIS FILM ON.

9a           Armed vessel in sound you observe carefully in attack (7)
GUNBOAT –   GO AT (attack) into which is inserted U (‘you’ sounded out loud) and NB (observe carefully)

10a         Create design in a way that’s upset clients (7)
STENCIL –   An anagram (upset) of CLIENTS.

11a         Calm characters often found in Greece and Crete, we hear (4)
EASE –   Sounds like (we hear) those letters found in Greece and Crete.

12a         They warn of danger, if turning over actual weapons (4,6)
FIRE ALARMS –   A reversal (turning over) of IF followed by REAL (actual) and ARMS (weapons).

14a         Unimportant details I very briefly included in inconclusive case (6)
TRIVIA –   I (from the clue) V (very ‘briefly’ or abbreviated) included in almost all of TRIAL (‘inconclusive’ case).

15a         What breaches dyke, perhaps, and disastrously wets area (8)
SEAWATER –   An anagram (disastrously) of WETS AREA.

17a         Person following Eliot’s first couplet, not great poetry (8)
DOGGEREL –   DOGGER (someone who follows and tracks constantly) and EL (the first two letters [couplet] of Eliot.

18a         One obstacle put back in areas where many travel in caravans (6)
ARABIA –   A reversal (put) back of I (one) and BAR (obstacle) inserted between two As (areas).

21a         Mixture of alpaca, mink, and llama, perhaps (4,6)
PACK ANIMAL –   An anagram (mixture of) ALPACA and MINK.

22a         Ointment found among herbal medicines (4)
BALM – Found among her BAL Medicines.

24a         Landed on mark that’s clearly visible on stage (7)
SPOTLIT –   LIT (landed on) goes on or after SPOT (mark).

25a         Worker who travels around hospital, one doing brain operations (7)
THINKER –   H (hospital) inserted into TINKER (a worker who travelled round mending pots and pans).

26a         Appliance chosen by affluent consumer (8,6)
ELECTRIC HEATER –   ELECT (chosen) RICH (affluent) EATER (consumer).

Down

1d           Invention from key people in sudden outbreak (7)
FIGMENT –   G (musical key) MEN (people) put into a FIT (sudden outbreak).

2d           Searching around in swimming group that trains young ladies (9,6)
FINISHING SCHOOL –   FISHING (searching) goes around IN (from the clue).   A swimming group [of fish] is a SCHOOL!

3d           Attacking shot bad captain played (4)
HOOK –   This attacking shot is also the surname of the very bad captain in the play Peter Pan.

4d           Be smarter than old fool after university (6)
OUTWIT – O (old) U (university) followed by(after) TWIT (fool)

5d           Not expected to succeed at Wimbledon, as not prepared for grass, say (8)
UNSEEDED –   A less strong tennis player sounds like a piece of ground not prepared for a lawn.

6d           Dreadfully reek — old and new sewers do that (10)
NEEDLEWORK –   An anagram (dreadfully) of REEK OLD NEW

7d           Doctor cures it, still holding empty comforter for child (8,7)
SECURITY BLANKET –   An anagram (doctor) of CURES IT followed by YET (still) holding BLANK (empty).

8d           Conservative person showing hesitation? Not so far (6)
CLOSER –   C (conservative) and LOSER (as the old proverb says “”he who hesitates is lost”).

13d         In job, I met all I could, including Al with Mo, for example (10)
BIMETALLIC – Hidden in joB I MET ALL I Could is something that could be made by combining the metals aluminium (AL) and molybdenum (Mo).

16d         Go-between put up list, same as mentioned earlier (8)
MEDIATOR –   A reversal (put up)of ROTA (list) and IDEM (Latin, short for idem and eadem, ” the same”, as mentioned earlier).

17d         Throw out measure restricting European power (6)
DEPOSE –   DOSE (measure) restricting E (European) and P (power).

19d         Difficult situation a doctor covers up for fan (7)
ADMIRER –   MIRE (difficult situation) covered up by A DR (a doctor).

20d         Kind of Eastern food caught in Northern sea (6)
BALTIC –   BALTI (kind of Eastern food) and C (caught).

23d         Possibly shocking wickedness shown up (4)
LIVE – A reversal (shown up)of EVIL (wickedness).

S4B1