Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2508
A full analysis by Big Dave
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Tilsit’s review is a little late, so I have decided to publish the answers and the essentials of the wordplay.
Across
1a Second falling building is obstacle (9,5)
STUMBLING BLOCK – Combine S(econd) TUMBLING (falling) and BLOCK (building as in office block or block of flats) to get this obstacle
9a Article abroad penned by journalists — they stand up for angry people (7)
HACKLES – the definite article in France (or one of them) is LE, and this is put inside (penned by) HACKS (journalists) to get these things that are said to stand up for angry people
10a Work not to be rushed from a new poet (7)
ANDANTE – a musical term meaning moderately slow, but moving (not to be rushed) is built up from A N (a new) and DANTE Alighieri (poet)
11a Sound of outstanding lyric lines (3)
ODE – these lyric lines sound like OWED (outstanding)
12a Fatal detachment (6,5)
FIRING SQUAD – an excellent cryptic definition
14a Members of household showing what happens to guys over time (6)
MÉNAGE – over time MEN AGE, producing members of a household
15a Sign of distress as predator runs amok (8)
TEARDROP – this sign of distress is an anagram (runs amok) of PREDATOR
17a Liquid mixture you are seeking (8)
SOLUTION – what you are seeking is the SOLUTION to this clue, and to the whole puzzle
19a One helping Horatio Nelson, to some extent (6)
RATION – a helping is hidden (to some extent) inside Horatio Nelson,
22a Without guilt from religious education, like Lewis now (11)
REMORSELESS – a word meaning without guilt is beautifully constructed from RE (religious education) and MORSELESS (without Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour MORSE / like Lewis now, since the departure of his boss)
23a Some fellow’s greetings (3)
HIS – a double definition – belonging to some fellow or the plural of HI (greetings)
24a Dog that is attached to author from same country (7)
SCOTTIE – a Scottish dog is a charade of Sir Walter SCOTT (Scottish author) and IE (id est / that is)
26a Show excitement, having invested a thousand in ambitious bet (7)
TREMBLE – a word meaning to show excitement is created by putting M (a thousand in Roman numerals) inside a TREBLE (an ambitious bet)
27a Impromptu new composition for a trumpet? Indeed (14)
UNPREMEDITATED – a word meaning impromptu is an anagram (new composition for) of A TRUMPET INDEED
Down
1d With swimming group, I’m lifting tension as instructor (14)
SCHOOLMISTRESS – the swimming group is a SCHOOL of fish, add IM reversed (lifting) and STRESS (tension) to get this lady instructor
2d Relative with a name that’s sullied (7)
UNCLEAN – start with UNCLE (a relative) then add A N (a name) to get a word meaning sullied
3d One repeatedly charged as perpetrator of cruelty to animals (11)
BULLFIGHTER – a clever cryptic definition
4d Enter, still without son (6)
INSERT – a word meaning to enter is built from INERT (still) outside (without) S(on)
5d Ill-gotten earnings for family members (8)
GRANNIES – an anagram (ill-gotten) of EARNINGS gives these elderly family members
6d Hat that comes down over one eye (3)
LID – a double definition
7d Get the better of Tory with short question (7)
CONQUER – a word meaning to get the better of is built up from CON(servative) (Tory) and QUER(Y) (short question)
8d Committed robbery in school’s main office? Didn’t lose self-respect (4,2,4,4)
HELD UP ONE’S HEAD – a part-cryptic double definition
13d Couple of pages added to newspaper as help for accountants (11)
SPREADSHEET – a double definition
16d Players without a move for game (4,4)
HOME TEAM – these players don’t travel to another ground
18d Interrupted by a politician, fool is subject to ridicule (7)
LAMPOON – the fool is a LOON and he is around A MP (a Member of Parliament) to get a word meaning to subject to ridicule
20d People like the way sister dresses (7)
INHABIT – a word meaning to populate / people could be IN HABIT (the way a nun / sister dresses)
21d Having got behind on something, like MPs? (6)
SEATED – a humorous double definition
25d Sailor one may pay on deck (3)
TAR – another double definition – a TAR is another name for a sailor, and to pay means to to smear a wooden boat with TAR as waterproofing