ST 2538 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 2538

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2538

A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe

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

Across
1 Ordered in Paris pattern that’s needed for sweater? (14)
ANTIPERSPIRANT – anag. of ‘in Paris Pattern’ – “sweater” here is someone who sweats
9 Red Cross is in place for trading (7)
MARXIST=red – (X=cross,IS) in MART = place for trading
10 Course of treatment the writer needed in backward African country (7)
REGIMEN – ME=the writer, in reversal of Niger, an African country to keep high in your mind along with Mali, Chad, Togo and, of course, SA=South Africa
11 Present from magazine (3)
NOW – two defs, one this magazine
12 Kind of protection nobody else can afford (4-7)
SELF-DEFENCE – def. and cryptic def
14 Horrified reaction, coming in second best (6)
SCREAM – S=second,CREAM=best
15 Old master I enshrined in poetry (8 )
VERONESE – ONE=I, in VERSE=poetry – nice to see ‘I’ in the clue indicating ‘ONE’ in the answer for a change. Veronese is well worth remembering – only other choices for ?E?O?E?E are KEROSENE and the rather grim FELO DE SE = suicide. Watch out for Tiepolo for similar reasons
17 Unorthodoxly parries with left, hitting back (8 )
REPRISAL – anag. of (parries,L=left)*
19 To be putting son first — that’s showing gender bias (6)
SEXIST – S=son,EXIST=to be
22 Inconsiderate yet benevolent, ultimately? Not so (11)
THOUGHTLESS – THOUGH=yet,T from benevolenT,LESS=’not so’, e.g. in ‘not so good’
23 Hit for star group (3)
RAM – 2 defs, one translating Aries=star group
24 Infuriates missing king in periods without power (7)
OUTAGES – outrages=infuriates, with R=Rex=king removed
26 Weapon I had thrown in river (7)
TRIDENT – I’D = I had, in TRENT=river
27 Ability to respond quickly professor supposedly lacks? (8,2,4)
PRESENCE OF MIND – def and cryptic def contrasting with an “absent-minded professor”
Down
1 Commercial vehicle on street helping government (14)
ADMINISTRATION – AD=commercial,MINI=vehicle,ST.=street,RATION=helping
2 One who pitches argument is in the right (7)
THROWER – ROW=argument, in THE,R=right
3 Careful old man at home with betting (11)
PAINSTAKING – PA=father,IN=at home,STAKING=betting
4 Raised fortune when in debt? Given another account (6)
RETOLD – LOT=fortune, reversed inside (i.e. “in the”) RED
5 Drop idea that’s silly and ridiculed (8 )
PARODIED – anag. of ‘drop idea’
6 Sheet music (3)
RAG – double def
7 One’s disturbed about explosive device somebody proposed (7)
NOMINEE – MINE=explosive device, in anag. of ONE
8 Made approximation that wasn’t highly inaccurate (14)
UNDERESTIMATED – cryptic def contrasting ‘highly’ with ‘under-‘
13 Very cold — round North, it’s zero, possibly, in Fahrenheit several times (6,5)
FROZEN STIFF – (anag. of N=north, “it’s zero”) in FFF = “Fahrenheit several times”
16 Showing bias, putting worker under pressure (8 )
PARTISAN – P=pressure,ARTISAN=worker
18 Expert at wheel, perhaps, protecting learner – one included in plan (7)
PLOTTER – L=learner, in POTTER=expert at wheel
20 Serial I broadcast from part of Middle East (7)
ISRAELI = ‘from part of Middle East’ – anag. of “serial I”
21 Kind of drive small car (6)
BEETLE – 2 defintions, one based on that old village hall favourite, the Beetle drive
25 Something highly entertaining from Gilbert and Sullivan, initially (3)
GAS – from first letters of ‘Gilbert and Sullivan’