DT 26199

Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26199

A full analysis by Big Dave

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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***

One of the most difficult aspects of any cryptic crossword is the definition. Often the setter’s idea of a synonym is somewhat different from yours. See what you think about 4a, 24a, 5d and 17d – with better definitions this would probably be 4* rather than 3*.

Across

4a    Recording chap changing gear (8)
COVERAGE – recording is a rather weak definition – combine COVE (chap) with an anagram, indicated by changing, of GEAR

8a    River rose perhaps (6)
FLOWER – a double definition – Crosswordland’s synonym for a river and a plant

9a    Purist interminably struggling in middle of night during rebellion (8)
UPRISING – an anagram (struggling) of most (interminably) of PURIS(T) is followed by IN and G (middle of niGht) to get a word meaning rebellion

10a    Soundly interrogate Heather, collaborator (8)
QUISLING – combine QUIS (sounds like quiz / soundly interrogate) with LING (heather without the capital letter) to get this collaborator

11a    Abnormal interest not in the way (6)
STREET – an anagram (abnormal) of (IN)TEREST without the first two letters (not IN) gives this way

12a    Some outline area starting in Asia (4,4)
NEAR EAST – hidden inside (some) outline area starting is a part of Asia

13a    I am at Alabama port stationary (8)
IMMOBILE – combine I’M (I am) with a port in Alabama (which coincidentally came up in Toughie – T 326) to get a word meaning stationary

16a    Jo back to replace foot and knee covering (8)
JACKBOOT – an anagram (replace) of JO BACK TO gives an item of footwear that covers the foot and the knee

19a    Not easy to remove middle part of rubble (4-4)
HARD-CORE – a charade of “not easy” and “to remove middle part” gives a name for some rubble

21a    Kay is satisfied with fate (6)
KISMET – word-sum time – K (Kay) + IS + MET (satisfied) = fate

23a    Support with evidence record in detail (8)
DOCUMENT – if you split this clue “support with evidence” and “record in detail” you have a double definition

24a    New situation in Rugby perhaps (4,4)
BALL GAME – an unsatisfactory double definition- the phrase is “a whole new ball game”

25a    Fatter storeroom? (6)
LARDER – a double definition

26a    Where rep stood out? (8)
DOORSTEP – a cryptic definition of where the Betterwear man used to stand with his suitcase when he called at your house

Down

1d    Book in French — ‘L’Oeuf Blanc’ (7)
ALBUMEN – combine a book for storing photographs or stamps with the French for “in” to get the white of an egg – having the pseudo-definition being in French is un hareng rouge

2d    Astonished by pronounced success of prospector (9)
AWESTRUCK – sounds like ore struck – pronounced success of prospector

3d    Endlessly racing round a plant (6)
ARNICA – an anagram (round) of RACIN(G) without its final letter (endlessly) together with A gives a plant, a tincture of the flowers of which is applied to sprains and bruises

4d    Batsman who is all at sea might be (6,2,3,4)
CAUGHT IN THE DEEP – a part-cryptic double definition

5d    Verse may be translated exactly as before (4,4)
VERY SAME – an anagram (translated) of VERSE MAY gives a phrase that loosely means exactly (the same) as before

6d    One going up found on the stairs (5)
RISER – a double definition

7d    Affectedly stylish fellow takes fish (7)
GENTEEL – a word meaning affectedly stylish is a charade of a fellow and a fish

14d    Shooting case? (3,6)
BOX CAMERA – a cryptic definition of, for example, a Kodak Brownie

15d    (A)bridge (8)
CONTRACT – a clever double definition – to abridge or the game of contract bridge

17d    In an excited way when dealing with notes (7)
AGITATO – a cryptic definition of this musical term that would also seem to fit ANIMATO – agitato was accepted by CluedUp!

18d    Medal had finally darkened in the sun (7)
BRONZED – medal had could be said as medal’d which is equivalent to bronze’d which then leads to a word meaning darkened in the sun

20d    Remember to visit again (6)
RECALL – a double definition

22d    Man caught short going over river is middle-distance runner (5)
MILER – start with MILE(S) (man) and remove the last letter (caught short) and then add R(iver) to get a middle-distance runner, like Roger Bannister or Seb Coe

ARVE Error: need id and provider

Another of the new, improved Saturday puzzles – keep it up Cephas!