Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2538
A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment *****
Across | |
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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’ |