Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2476 – Review
A full analysis by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
A hardish crossword, but the improvement in the Sunday puzzles continues.
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Across
1a A perennial leakage of war secrets (10)
WATERCRESS – an anagram (leakage) of WAR SECRETS gives a perennial salad plant
6a Regard as an indication the chick has hatched (4)
PEEP – one part of this double definition is the noise a chick might make
9a Saying ‘Don’t move,’ cuts one loose (5)
FREES – a homophone (saying / sounds like) of freeze (don’t move)
10a Transmitted from the US, female performers only (9)
BROADCAST – BROAD is a US slang term for a female, and performers make up the CAST of a play
12a For half the pine trees about to be felled, a reprieve (7)
RESPITE – PI(ne) (half the pine) inside an anagram (to be felled) of TREES gives a reprieve
13a Forbidding to get back on board (5)
STERN – the double definitions keep on coming – forbidding on the one part, and the rear of a vessel (back, on board) on the other
15a ‘Girls will be girls,’ I interposed (7)
LASSIES – one term for girls is formed by putting “I” inside (interposed) another – not very good when the words are more-or-less the same
17a Buy it for the bird (7)
SWALLOW – a double definition (again)
19a Puts on the lettuce and spoils (7)
COSSETS – SETS (puts) follows COS (lettuce) to give a word meaning pampers (spoils)
21a A rude song for the audition of ‘The Buccaneer’ (7)
CORSAIR – this pirate is a homophone (for the audition) of coarse air (rude song)
22a The Dalmatian and I left, bound for a holiday resort (5)
MALTA – this holiday island is an anagram (bound) of (D)ALMAT(ian) (Dalmatian without / left AND I)
24a A proper pinhead – and not very polite (7)
PRUDISH – a charade of P(inhead) and RUDISH (not very polite) give a synonym for proper
27a Don’t have, when you leave the building (2,7)
GO WITHOUT – a cryptic definition (when you leave the building) of a phrase meaning you don’t have
28a Might, if there’s a cold front about (5)
FORCE – C(old) inside FORE (front) gives a word meaning might
29a Communication of a strange character (4)
CARD – the last across double definition – a postCARD (communication) or a comical or eccentric person (strange character)
30a In which Goldilocks found the three beds? (4,6)
BEAR GARDEN – not strictly correct as the three bears had their beds in the house, but there could have been flower beds in the garden – a fun clue nevertheless
Down
1d I am among the few to knock around with, or consort (4)
WIFE – I am inside an anagram (to knock around with) of FEW to give a partner (consort)
2d Wonders if there will be an increase in those travelling (9)
THEORISES – RISE (increase) inside an anagram (travelling ) of THOSE gives a word meaning wonders
3d Resists changes at first and rebels against (5)
RISES – an anagram (changes) of RESISts (resists … at first)
4d Except for upsetting pieces on animals (7)
RABBITS – these animals are derived from BAR (except for) reversed (upsetting) then BITS (pieces)
5d They reveal one gives generously (7)
SHOWERS – a tricky double definition – in the plural these people reveal; as a singular word it also means to give generously (in the US they have a bridal shower or a baby shower)
7d Delete because entered before (5)
ERASE – put AS (because) inside (entered) ERE (a poetic word for before) and you get rub out (delete)
8d ‘Pull strings’, summarised (3,2,1,4)
PUT IN A WORD – this phrase can have different meanings, depending on how you say it
11d Speaking in French of Paris riots, be very gloomy (7)
DESPAIR – DE (a French word for in) is followed by an anagram (riots) of PARIS to give a word that means to be very gloomy
14d Dirty tricks? (5,5)
BLACK MAGIC – a clever cryptic definition
16d I can’t move the old into. It would be wrong (7)
INEXACT – an anagram (move) of I CAN’T around EX (old) and you have a word that means not precisely true (would be wrong)
18d Beaten, though in the lead at that point (9)
LEATHERED – put THERE (at that point) inside LEAD and you get a word meaning beaten
20d Think up, when a posse’s formed to capture (7)
SUPPOSE – a little difficult to spot – UP is inside (to capture) an anagram (formed) of POSSE giving a synonym for think
21d As opposed to phoney money (7)
COUNTER – double definition time again – against (opposed to) and a substitute for a coin (phoney money)
23d Look angry and more depressed (5)
LOWER – and another
25d Refrained, heartbroken by the below (5)
INFRA – an anagram (broken) of the centre (heart) of reFRAINed gives a word meaning lower down on the page (below)
26d Meagre tip (4)
LEAN – and we finish with yet another double definition – thin (meagre); to incline (tip)
My only grievance – a few too many double definitions. It would be nice to have a bit more variety, but who am I to complain – these puzzles are a lot better than they used to be only a few weeks ago.