Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2477 – Review
A full analysis by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Yet another good Sunday puzzle – not as difficult as last week’s but just as enjoyable.
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Across
7a Wrote back “The material was misleading” (7)
REPLIED – This corded material allegedly told fibs, and was answered
8a Reject and it’s sent back, enclosed – just one’s luck (7)
DESTINY – DENY (reject) around ITS reversed (sent back) gives a word meaning one’s unavoidable fate (one’s luck)
10a One of the in people (4-2-4)
STAY-AT-HOME – cryptic definition
11a Tip “Bad Boy” (4)
HEEL – straightforward double definition
12a Believed to have quoted a revolutionary in (8)
CREDITED – this synonym of believed comes from CITED (quoted) around RED (a revolutionary)
14a In return, the artist gets compensation for (6)
REWARD – this artist is a DRAWER which when reversed (in return) gives a word meaning compensation – this pair of words, and the shorter DRAW / WARD combination, crop up quite often
15a Is unsuccessful in one’s attempt to go places? (4,7)
GETS NOWHERE – a double definition, one part of which is cryptic
19a The way to pronounce “demesne” (6)
MANNER – this way is a homophone of manor, or demesne
20a Got a folder out to put in, as you anticipated (8)
FORETOLD – this anagram (got a … out) of FOLDER is around TO to give a word meaning as you anticipated
22a Catch on there’s something wrong (4)
SNAG – another straightforward double definition
23a Used the time to get assistance (6-4)
SECOND-HAND – a simple charade of SECOND (the time) and HAND (get assistance) gives a synonym for used
25a “Fish pie? Pish, fie!” he said! (7)
SPOONER – the transposition of initial sounds of spoken words, as here, is attributed to the Reverend William Archibald Spooner, former Warden of New College, Oxford
26a Lived in, though it’s shut up (7)
BOARDED – we end the across clues with another straightforward double definition
Down
1d Again take up painting after a break (7)
RESTART – to begin again, just put painting after sitting down for a break
2d Rub out the L in “articulate” (4)
SLAY – just follow the instructions, and put L in SAY and you get a word meaning to murder (rub out)
3d Champ at the bit, about to go away (4,2)
BEAT IT – EAT (champ your food) inside this BIT, and tell someone to go away
4d Give her a turn – a bad scare – in the investigation (8)
RESEARCH – this was my clue of the day – turn HER around an anagram of SCARE for a scientific investigation
5d If all else fails, that rickety tower’s to be demolished (2,3,5)
AT THE WORST – a pair of anagrams – THAT (rickety) and TOWER’S (to be demolished) give a phrase meaning if all else fails
6d Smuggle the king through in nun disguise? Forget it! (7)
UNLEARN – this was a close second – LEAR, Shakespeare’s most famous king, is smuggled inside an anagram of NUN
9d Has a job, but does prevent from skating? (5,6)
HOLDS OFFICE – could be read as HOLDS OFF ICE (prevent from skating) – hence the question mark at the end
13d Is useless and not a philanthropist (4,2,4)
DOES NO GOOD – another one of those double definitions where one part is cryptic
16d Anxious to give up sweets (8)
STRESSED – give up signals that DESSERTS (sweets) is to be reversed to give this synonym for anxious – our second semordnilap of the puzzle: semordnilap is palindromes spelt backwards
17d Rests before a night on the tiles? (7)
CATNAPS – a cryptic definition
18d Looks to find the broken legs trapped can, if moved (7)
GLANCES – another double anagram, this time LEGS (broken) is around (trapped) CAN (if moved) to give a word meaning looks
21d Prattles about how it’s powered by (4,2)
RUNS ON – a final double definition for this puzzle
24d Animal fur must be declared (4)
HARE – we end on a homophone – this fur that this animal sounds like (must be declared) is hair
A good mix of clue types made for another in this improving series of Sunday puzzles.