Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26014 – Review
A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
On the tough side, this one – possibly because of 7 CDs, some a bit vague – but there were quite a few anagrams too, which should have been easy. 11A, 8D, 6D were the last answers to go in. Apologies for the late report – I’ve been busy looking after a young nephew this week.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Defender having a game point (9) |
| APOLOGIST – A,POLO=game,GIST=point. A good clue – strong surface and fair wordplay. I was distracted by BACK=defender and pondering something like BACKGAMMON | |
| 9 | Doubles partner in cafe upset (6) |
| FIANCE = anag. of “in cafe” – “doubles” as a relationship is either a bit iffy or slang I don’t know about | |
| 10 | Protestant, a German on manoeuvres! (9) |
| ORANGEMAN = anag. of “a German on” | |
| 11 | Half number by the way having ardent desire (6) |
| THIRST = THIR(teen),ST. | |
| 12 | Too old for an appointment? (3-2-4) |
| OUT-OF-DATE – gentle CD | |
| 13 | One over there includes one new helmet (3,3) |
| TIN HAT – T(1,N)HAT | |
| 17 | Object achieved at last (3) |
| END – two defs | |
| 19 | Not able to make one’s mark at the election (15) |
| DISENFRANCHISED – I guess this is saying that the X used in voting is similar to the “mark” used instead of a substitute by illiterate folk in the past. | |
| 20 | Be hesitant a very long time (3) |
| ER,A – “er” is a verb as well as the sound you make when “erring” | |
| 21 | Compositions spouse rubbished (6) |
| OPUSES – anag. of SPOUSE | |
| 25 | Hind’s piece of meat (4,5) |
| RUMP STEAK – “hind” here is as in “hind quarters” | |
| 26 | One old reformed simpleton (6) |
| NOODLE – anag. of “one old” | |
| 27 | Chart of Mafeking? (6,3) |
| RELIEF MAP – CD punning on the famous “relief of Mafeking” in the Boer War. | |
| 28 | Two Poles with agreement to contradict (6) |
| NAYSAY – N,AY,S,AY – the two poles being North and South | |
| 29 | Plan to put stone by layers of rock (9) |
| STRATAGEM – STRATA=layers of rock,GEM=stone | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Recover spirits when incidental benefit has increased (4,2) |
| PERK UP – simple charade of PERK=incidental benefits,UP=increased | |
| 3 | Fielder taking considerable time in advance (4,2) |
| LONG ON – another charade just using the same word breaks as the expression | |
| 4 | Lady from Rutherglen dancing (6) |
| GLENDA – hidden word | |
| 5 | Make a difference? (5,2,8) |
| START AN ARGUMENT – CD which just replaces the two main words by synonyms to form another expression | |
| 6 | Star we’re looking forward to seeing (9) |
| HIGHLIGHT – I guess this relies on a star being a high light” | |
| 7 | No government advocate (9) |
| ANARCHIST – “(no government) advocate” | |
| 8 | Attend one duet performed with extreme happiness (9) |
| BEATITUDE – BE AT = attend,1,TUDE = abag. of duet | |
| 14 | Next to notice Joseph at home in middle of night (9) |
| ADJOINING – AD=notice,JO=Joseph,IN=athome,IN=in,G=middle of niGht | |
| 15 | Dumpy one’s new name (9) |
| PSEUDONYM – anag. of “Dumpy one’s”. A very easy clue for anyone who knows the story behind the “Dumpynose” pseudonym used by a Spectator xwd setter. | |
| 16 | Page inserted to cover part of foliage (9) |
| INTERLEAF – INTER=bury=cover,LEAF=part of foliage | |
| 17 | Did not start at this place earlier (3) |
| ERE from (h)ERE=at this place | |
| 18 | Acid also taken up (1,1,1) |
| D.N.A. = reverse of and=also | |
| 22 | In shop Tim accepted most favourable points (6) |
| OPTIMA – hidden words | |
| 23 | Support a Scottish island (6) |
| STAFFA – staff as in “thy rod and staff me comfort still”,A. Staffa is the island with Fingal’s cave. | |
| 24 | Official residence father started leaving before one (6) |
| PALACE – PA=father,L=”started leaving”,ACE=one | |
Agree re: 9a would have been fine without ‘doubles’ which was misleading. The e acute should have made this a good clue for those with a modicum of Froglais!
PS Improving only 5 wrong: eg 13a I put Top Hat for Tin Hat which mislead me!