Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2530
A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***** – Enjoyment ****
Four-letter words scuppered me in this one – at 1D I wrongly had SHED when the large number is “shed load”, and at 23D I missed LEFT as one of the possibilities for ?E?T, and gave up with WENT, BELT and RENT all fitting only half of the clue. Both my fault, though helped by a fear/loathing of 4-letter words with common checking letters. Also helped by not realising that one apparent double definition was actually triple.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cons with PR? Do it deviously as this (4,6) |
| SPIN DOCTOR – anagram of “Cons, PR do it” – an all-in-one clue as long as we allow “this” to describe a person | |
| 6 | Man briefly named to occupy position announced (4) |
| PHIL = “fill” = occupy position | |
| 9 | Within bars modern composer put in final part (7) |
| ENCAGED – (John) CAGE, avant garde compser, in END = final part | |
| 10 | Minor role in two sections (3,4) |
| BIT, PART = “two sections” | |
| 12 | Topic of discussion, one that’s ruled to be important (7,6) |
| SUBJECT = one that’s ruled, MATTER = to be important | |
| 14 | Infuriate workers going without increase (6) |
| MADDEN – ADD = increase, inside MEN = workers. “without” has an archaic meaning of “outside”. Some fussier solvers wonder whether this meaning of outside actually included “on either side of” or “surrounding” | |
| 15 | Detain alien in modern communications facility (8 ) |
| INTERNET – INTERN = detain, E.T. = alien | |
| 17 | With nothing visible in dark, possibly, I will produce this? (4,4) |
| ROAD KILL – O=nothing in anagram of DARK, I, ‘LL = will – another all-in-one | |
| 19 | Constant failure as person could make you more careful (6) |
| CLOSER – C = a mathematical constant, LOSER = “failure as person”. And ‘careful’ is one of several meanings of ‘close’ | |
| 22 | Many travail, so may be converted to religious group (9,4) |
| SALVATION ARMY – anag. of ‘many travail, so’ | |
| 24 | Events at sea get a tar excited (7) |
| REGATTA – anag. of ‘get a tar’ | |
| 25 | Be pleased about Irish writer’s pronouncement (7) |
| REJOICE – RE = about, JOICE = (James) “Joyce” | |
| 26 | Source of notes on back of envelope, initially (4) |
| OBOE – first letters of “on back of envelope” | |
| 27 | Left seat by taking this off? (6,4) |
| SAFETY BELT – anag. of ‘left seat by’ – the third all-in-one among the acrosses | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Eliminated a large number (4) |
| SLEW – 2 definitions, one ‘N Amer inf’ | |
| 2 | Made cuts in theatre I’d since edited (7) |
| INCISED – anagram of ‘I’d since’ | |
| 3 | Messy situation boxers, say, bring under control quickly (4,9) |
| DOGS BREAKFAST – DOGS = ‘boxers, say’, BREAK = ‘bring under control’ (as of horses), FAST = quickly | |
| 4 | Bloke such as Morse, good at heart (6) |
| CODGER – G = good, in CODER = “such as Morse”. Arguably, “at heart” should indicate insertion into the exact centre, but that’s impossible in a 5-letter word and this as close as you can get | |
| 5 | Going round and round in circles, carrying little information (8 ) |
| ORBITING – BIT = little information (computing), in (O,RING) = circles | |
| 7 | Cheer try added to score? Not half! (7) |
| HEARTEN – HEAR = try, TEN = half of score=20 | |
| 8 | Writing American volume with a true change of heart therein (10) |
| LITERATURE – LITER = ‘American volume’, A, TURE = true with a ‘change of heart’ | |
| 11 | Flower representative of happiness? Just the opposite (10,3) |
| TRAVELLERS JOY = wild clematis, a.k.a. “old man’s beard”. A traveller is a representative and joy is happiness, so ‘representative of happiness’ would be JOY’S TRAVELLER | |
| 13 | Mostly have big effect on a carnival site as stage manager (10) |
| IMPRESARIO = stage (i.e. theatrical) manager. IMPRES(s) = ‘have a big effect on’, A, RIO = ‘carnival site’ | |
| 16 | Not altogether adult, I’m at academy for final terms (8 ) |
| ULTIMATA = ‘final terms’ – hidden word | |
| 18 | Briskly scored a half-century with cricket side, then run out (7) |
| ALLEGRO – A,L = 50 = ‘half-century’,LEG = ‘cricket side’,RO = run out | |
| 20 | Person living highly ascetic life — it’s in fashion (7) |
| STYLITE – an ascetic dwelling on top of a pillar. IT in STYLE | |
| 21 | In prison, perhaps, subject to charge? (6) |
| UNFREE – 2 def’s, one whimsical | |
| 23 | Split in political group can be a blow (4) |
| LEFT – three definitions – split=departed, political group, and a punch in boxing | |