Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2470 – Review
A full analysis by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
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See also the original posting for ST Cryptic No 2470 – Hints
Across
7a A twit to blame, foolishly, the bad weather (4,5)
LAME BRAIN (a little used word for a twit) – an anagram (foolishly) of BLAME followed by RAIN (the bad weather)
8a Scored slowly (5)
LENTO – a musical term for slowly
10a Gave the fellow for dead – somehow came round (8).
AFFORDED (gave) – an anagram (somehow) of FOR DEAD around (came round) F (the fellow)
11a Badgers? They’re dogs! (6)
HOUNDS – double definition – badgers as in pesters; dogs
12a For man or beast (4)
STAG – double definition – man as in stag party; beast as in male deer
13a Reckoning it’s not part of the original building (8).
ADDITION – double definition (three in a row!!) – reckoning as in adding up; not part of the original building as in an extension
15a Through unlocking, allege the zoo lost two ducks and an antelope (7)
GAZELLE (an antelope) – an anagram (unlocking) of ALLEGE around (through) Z (zoo lost two ducks – in cricket a duck is a score of 0)
17a Ran badly in and fell (7)
SPILLED (fell) – SPED (ran) around ILL (badly)
20a Nick, bottling the anger, returned in uniform (8).
LIVERIED (in uniform) – DEVIL (Old Nick) around (bottling) IRE (anger) all reversed (returned)
22a See as the enemy’s top agent (4)
ESPY (see) – E (the enemy’s top) SPY (agent)
25a Cross what off right after? (6)
THWART (cross) – an anagram (off) of WHAT then (after) RT (right)
26a If it’s indecipherable, won’t your letters be delivered? (8).
POSTCODE – cryptic definition
27a Record ten, having slipped, has returned (5)
ENTER (record) – ENT (ten, having slipped – the first letter slips to the end) ER (has returned – read this as “has re turned”)
28a “Awfully smart” is about all you can hear (9)
FEARFULLY (awfully) – FLY (smart) around (is about) EARFUL (all you can hear)
Down
1d Cutting the boss short is a mistake (5)
GAFFE (a mistake) – gaffer (the boss, cut short)
2d A piece on the Big Bang? (6)
REPORT – double definition – a piece in a newspaper; Big Bang as in noise
3d Terribly glad I switched on for, though it’s wasteful (8).
PRODIGAL (wasteful) – PRO (for) and an anagram (terribly) of GLAD I
4d Chap hovering around hoping for some grub? (7)
BIRDMAN – a sort of cryptic definition – not one of the better clues
5d Only later gets flustered about the disproof (8).
REBUTTAL (the disproof) – an anagram (gets flustered) of LATER around (about) BUT (only)
6d What the stable owner lost his stallion playing? (4,5)
STUD POKER – a nice cryptic definition
9d Lose it and tell the editor to shut up! (4)
SHED (Lose it) – SH (tell … to shut up) ED (the editor)
14d Holds one is dealing with (3,2,4)
HAS IN HAND – double definition – holds; is dealing with
16d Exhilarated to be given a lift (8).
ELEVATED – double definition – exhilarated; given a lift
18d Petition, convinced you’ll get satisfaction (8).
PLEASURE (satisfaction) – PLEA (petition) SURE (convinced) – my favourite clue in this puzzle
19d Assumed you’d choose to enter: dead wrong (7)
ADOPTED (assumed) – OPT (you’d choose) inside (to enter) an anagram (wrong) of DEAD
21d Letter returned to you from France (4)
IOTA (Greek letter) – A TOI (to you, French) reversed (returned)
23d Learn to stop being a litter lout (4,2)
PICK UP – double definition – learn; stop being a litter lout
24d A major, now – at university, a lieutenant (5)
ADULT (a major) – AD (now) U(niversity) LT (a lieutenant)