Christmas Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 100008
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on Sunday 25th December
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Perfect Christmas morning entertainment, with some very nice themed clues. I’m going to select 13a, 4d, 6df and 15d for ‘special mention’
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Across
1a A temperature examined and reported in trial (8)
ATTESTED – A (from the clue) T (temperature) TESTED (examined)
5a A Christmas Carol quartet — good entertainers (6)
GHOSTS – G (good) HOSTS (entertainers) – in A Christmas Carol, Dickens introduced us to the ghosts of Marley, Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come
10a Jovial deliveryman contributing to pleasant atmosphere (5)
SANTA – found ‘contributing to’ pleaSANT Atmosphere
11a Very old, truly an improvised piece of organ music (9)
VOLUNTARY – V (very) O (old) and an anagram (improvised) of TRULY AN
12a and 14 Across and 29 Down: Bearers of gifts when tree is arranged, including me (5)
THREE WISE MEN – An anagram (arranged) of WHEN TREE IS and ME
13a One of three I saw arriving this morning, going by air? Sea, actually (4)
SHIP – According to the ‘air’ or Christmas Carol ‘I saw three ships come sailing by’
14a See 12 Across (4)
16a Open anger that may be smouldering in church (12)
FRANKINCENSE – FRANK (open) INCENSE (anger)
21a Servant a long time retained by vessel’s bosses (4,8)
LINE MANAGERS – MAN (servant) AGE (a long time) retained by LINERS (vessel’s)
24a Rookie in trio having change of heart (4)
TIRO – Change the letters in the ‘heart of TRIO
25a What athletes aim for — and archers (4)
GOLD – The best kind of medals or the colour of the circle in the middle of an archery target
27a Resort around spring in part of Europe (5)
SPAIN – SPA (a resort built around a mineral spring) and IN (from the clue)
29a Peacemaking activity I dominate improperly (9)
MEDIATION – An anagram (improperly) of I DOMINATE
30a Run repeatedly into my hospital for medicinal gum (5)
MYRRH – R R (the abbreviation for R repeatedly) inserted between MY (from the clue) and H (hospital)
31a Small quantity of liquor, or two other drinks (6)
NOGGIN – Made up of two drinks [egg] NOG and GIN
32a See 18 Down (8)
Down
1d Property stupid people distributed over time (6)
ASSETS – ASSES (stupid people) distributed over T (time)
2d Notes we hear from singers in famous trio (6)
TENORS – The Three TENORS sound like (we hear) TENNERS (Ten Pound Notes)
3d Dispatch a pair of players north to get instrument (5,4)
SNARE DRUM – A reversal (north, in a Down clue) of MURDER (dispatch) A (from the clue) and N S (North and South being a pair of players in a game of bridge)
4d At Christmas they traditionally help themselves? Not half! (5) ELVES – Found in the second half of themsELVES
6d Three fliers from France sent to me after three others (4)
HENS – Because the Three French Hens were sent by the true love in the song after one partridge in a pear tree, and two turtle doves
7d It’s not as ruined as places like Waterloo (8)
STATIONS – An anagram (ruined) of ITS NOT AS
8d Cast start retiring (3)
SHY – Three definitions – to throw, to jump in surprise or retiring in the sense of reserved or modest
9d Floundering, showing weakness crossing line (8)
FLAILING – FAILING (showing weakness) crossing L (line)
15d Third descriptor of Boxing Day snow is not odd (4)
EVEN – Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen, when the snow lay all about (1) deep, (2) crisp and (3) EVEN
17d Farm animal introduced to new sort of tonic safe to consume (3-5)
NON-TOXIC – OX (farm animal) introduced into N (new) and an anagram (sort of) TONIC
18d and 32 Across: Things to be unpacked today, such as three Across answers (9)
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS – the three Across answers being GOLD, FRANKINCENSE and MYRRH, although, strictly speaking these presents weren’t actually given until 6 January
19d Learner in oversized uniform (4)
FLAT – L (learner) in FAT (oversized)
20d Crazily firing without notice — that’s demeaning (5,3)
INFRA DIG – An anagram (crazily) of FIRING goes outside (without) AD (notice)
22d Customer parking right in the middle of a lot (6)
PATRON – P (parking) and R (right) inserted into the middle of A TON (a lot)
23d In game on board, mostly moves cautiously (6)
INCHES – IN (from the clue) and CHESs (most of a game of CHESS)
26d Philanthropist‘s name inscribed in entrance (5)
DONOR – N (name) inscribed in DOOR (entrance)
28d Short publication I provided for some on Christmas journey with travel guide (4)
MAGI – MAG (‘short’ magazine, publication) and I (from the clue)
29a See 12 Across (3)
Although this puzzle was published on Christmas Day, the review can’t be seen in public until 5 January, which means that it is too late for me to wish Virgilius a Merry Christmas, but about right for me to wish him a Happy New Year and to say that I look forward to a lot more Sunday treats in 2017.
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