DT 25971

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 25971

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **

Not sure about this crossword, maybe I got out of the wrong side of bed this morning, but I personally felt that this was somewhat 16a. and is only rescued by 18a. Comments appreciated as always.

Across

1. Appointment of fool, one little good to country (11)
{ASSIGNATION} – A word sum. ASS (fool) I (one) first letter (little) of G(ood) plus NATION (country) for another word for appointment.

7. Solo passage can daze when being played (7)
{CADENZA} – An anagram of CAN DAZE (when being played) is a complex solo passage in a piece of music.

8. Composer and explorer getting home before lunchtime? (7)
{ROSSINI} – The explorer is Ross (who I assume is Sir John Ross, the arctic explorer, one of Barrow’s boys), IN (getting home) before I (one – lunchtime), gives another name, this time of an Italian composer best know for the opera “The Barber of Seville”.

10. & 11 Country air (8)
{NATIONAL ANTHEM} – Ho hum, a hoary old chestnut this one, a cryptic definition for a song that represents a country. La Marseillaise being the French example.

11. See 10 (6)

13. Listeners having worries start to feel put out (4)
{EARS} – take a word for worries, FEARS and remove (put out) the starting letter (start to) of F(eel), and you have a pair of listeners, usually found on the side of your head.

14. Trust given to someone who’s on the way? … (6,4)
{STREET CRED} – I assume this is a cryptic definition, take a shortened version of a word for trust, e.g. credibility, and a word for a road, and this gives a phrase used to define acceptability or popularity for something among younger people.

16. … as this person may be, though dull (10)
{PEDESTRIAN} – A double definition, for a person who you would find on foot on the above road, who could also be considered to be uninteresting.

18. Song of girl just met, no maiden (4)
{ARIA} – Possibly the best clue of the crossword – think of a song from West Side Story, remove (no) M(aiden) and you have another word for a song usually found in an opera.

21. Gym session’s beginning — first of all girl changes (6)
{ADAPTS} – Take first of all a girls name ADA and then add P(hysical) T(raining) (Gym) plus the beginning of S(essions).

22. Relieve American institution — provide one entrance at the back (8)
{MITIGATE} – The American institution in this case is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, then add I (one) and GATE (entrance) for a verb that means to make less severe or harsh.

24. Girl, English and thin, followed by men (7)
{ELEANOR} – E (english), LEAN (thin), plus OR (Men as in Ordinary Other Ranks in the forces) is a girls name.

25. Get scared if fellow comes around (7)
{TERRIFY} – Fellow is TERRY (Eleanor’s boyfriend obviously), needs to be placed around IF, for another word that means to make very afraid.

26. Form for Year 2 not up to the highest standard (6,5)
{SECOND CLASS} – If you are not FIRST CLASS what are you?

Down

1. Accountant’s car with corrosion showing up (7)
{AUDITOR} – A little bit of product placement, although I am not sure that they would be happy being associated with corrosion – car is AUDI, with ROT (corrosion) reversed (showing up) is also another word used to describe someone who examines accounts.

2. Older one entertained by Spanish gentleman (6)
{SENIOR} – The spanish variation of Mr., around I, is a person who is older.

3. People offering absolute security? You could find us arrogant (10)
{GUARANTORS} – An anagram (you could find) of US ARROGANT for persons who might make or give a promise for something.

4. Jaunty enchantress losing her head (4)
{AIRY} – An enchantress is a FAIRY, now remove the head, F – and you have an adjective that could mean merry.

5. Sort of disorder in, for example, fool being kept in (8 )
{INSANITY} – IN, then place NIT (fool) inside SAY (for example) describes a mental disorder.

6. I want nothing to do with the choice on offer in there somehow! (7)
{NEITHER} – An anagram of IN THERE (somehow) is not one or the other.

7. Prisoner given a time in holy building to think seriously (11)
{CONTEMPLATE} – CON (prisoner), then place A T(ime) in TEMPLE (a holy building) and you can now meditate on or ponder something at length.

9. I am suffering time delay — so job can’t be done thus? (11)
{IMMEDIATELY} – IM (I am) plus and an anagram of TIME DELAY (suffering), describes how you would like a job done, i.e without delay.

12. Excessively enthusiastic about the act? (10)
{LEGALISTIC} – Again I think this is meant to be a cryptic definition, but I leave you to judge whether it works. This word is an adjective used to describe someone or something that has a strict, literal adherence to the law.

15. One thus needs medicine such as an energy drink? (8 )
{ISOTONIC} – I, SO (thus), TONIC (medicine) describes a drink designed to replace the fluid and salts lost from the body during exercise. Lucozade for example (look I can do product placement too).

17. Storage boxes for artists (7)
{DRAWERS} – The first of a double whammy, you would find these in a dresser where you might place your clothes, and its also another word for artists or anyone in fact who might sketch something.

19. Gets prepared to offer money (7)
{READIES} – Just having got over the first one, here’s another. A slang term for money, or a word for making something available.

20. Ace is going the wrong way, mistake being admitted in mountain
range (6)
{SIERRA} – A and IS are going to placed in reverse (wrong way) around ERR (mistake) describes a high, rugged range of mountains that have an irregular outline somewhat like the teeth of a saw.

23. Architect upsetting some planner wilfully (4)
{WREN} – The architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral is hidden carefully and in reverse (upsetting) in “planner willfully”. Maybe its just me, but just for coincidence, wasn’t there a mention of Pudding Lane in the Toughie yesterday?