Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 26229
A full review by Big Dave
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
An enjoyable Prize puzzle from Cephas, with no major grumbles from me!
Across
1a Railway employee working on and off (9)
SWITCHMAN – a cryptic definition of someone in charge of rail points, probably in the USA
9a Be including race, I concluded, in the country (6)
BRUNEI – put BE around (including) RUN (race) and add I at the end (concluded) to get this country
10a Wavering, a maltster became suspicious (5,1,3)
SMELT A RAT – an anagram (wavering) of A MALTSTER results in a phrase meaning became suspicious
11a Skimp acting part to make an impression (6)
IMPACT – hidden inside (part) skimp acting is a word meaning to make an impression
12a Thin gloss removed from elastic propeller (9)
SLINGSHOT – an anagram (removed) THIN GLOSS gives a catapult (elastic propeller)
13a A test of the cavities of the heart (6)
ATRIAL – A TRIAL (a test) gives a word meaning of the atria (cavities of the heart)
17a Greek character Penny is coming back (3)
PSI – this Greek character is built up from P (penny) and IS reversed (coming back)
19a Operatic stylist in Iberia (6,2,7)
BARBER OF SEVILLE – a cryptic definition
20a Bell the cat (3)
TOM – Great Tom is a bell in Oxford and a tom is a male cat – and a play on “belling the cat”
21a Get run over, it becomes high-priority (6)
URGENT – an anagram (over) of GET RUN gives a word meaning high-priority
25a Drastic going from side to side, point accepted (9)
SWINGEING – a word meaning drastic is SWINGING around E(ast)
26a Go missing, goatherd suffered famine (6)
DEARTH – an anagram (suffered) of (GO)ATHERD without GO (missing) gives a famine
27a Cross Rita tried moving (9)
IRRITATED – a word meaning cross is an anagram (moving) of RITA TRIED
28a Subtle point, tiny adjustment accommodating this in Lyon (6)
NICETY – a subtle point is built up from an anagram (adjustment) of TINY around (accommodating) CE (this in Lyon / in French)
29a Like what seamen are doing beginning hostilities (9)
ASSAILING – combine AS (like) with SAILING (what seamen are doing) to get a word meaning beginning hostilities
Down
2d Nothing removed from hall in Cambridgeshire except nun’s veil (6)
WIMPLE – remove O (nothing) from WIMPOLE hall (a National Trust Hall in Cambridgeshire) to get a nun’s veil
3d Natural ability in story-book (6)
TALENT – a natural ability is a charade of TALE (story) and NT (book, or more accurately a collection of books, of the bible)
4d Nag, say, after nagging too much might be? (6)
HOARSE – how you might be after nagging too much sounds like (say) horse (nag)
5d Sad orators flow south, dazed and confused (2,1,4,3,5)
AT A LOSS FOR WORDS – an anagram (dazed) of SAD ORATORS FLOW S(outh) gives a phrase meaning confused
6d Formal and proper item I have that’s rudimentary (9)
PRIMITIVE – a charade of a PRIM (formal and proper) IT (an item) I’VE (I have) gives a synonym for rudimentary
7d At home in Paris (2,7)
EN FAMILLE – the French (in Paris) for at home
8d Spirited producer? (9)
DISTILLER – a gently cryptic definition
14d Rich one leaping (9)
ABOUNDING – rich, in the sense of plentiful comes from A (one) with BOUNDING (leaping)
15d Olfactory property of piece of worn cloth found in the country (9)
FRAGRANCE – the olfactory property is created by putting RAG (piece of worn cloth) inside (found in) FRANCE (country)
16d Bring back control, say (9)
REINSTATE – a word meaning to bring back is a charade of REIN (control) and STATE (say)
17d Drug container (3)
POT – a double definition
18d One sergeant-major had distinctive theory (3)
ISM – combine I (one) and SM (sergeant-major) to get a distinctive theory
22d Coming from Penang in acute pain (6)
ANGINA – hidden inside (coming from) Penang in acute is a sudden intense pain
23d Happen to exist and become a victim (6)
BEFALL – a word meaning to happen to is a charade of BE (exist) and FALL (become a victim)
24d A French drama — heard but not viewed (6)
UNSEEN – combine UN (a in French / the French indefinite article) with a word that sounds like (heard) SCENE (a drama) gives a word meaning not viewed