Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2564
A full analysis by Peter Biddlecombe
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment *****
Here’s a puzzle using one of those “natural” 15×15 grids with words of 5, 7, and 9 letters. These have the potential to include some very familiar content, but although there are a few old favourite answers here, there are plenty of less frequent visitors to the grid too, and enough difficulty to make it a relatively tricky Sunday Telegraph puzzle for me, even with 3 hidden word clues.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fare for Italians from Mediterranean island (7) |
| SALAMIS = a Mediterranean island, best known for a battle – or SALAMIS = fare for Italians, of fond memory for me – I discovered salami at about the age of 6 on a family holiday in a Bournemouth hotel. Their (Danish) salami was my starter of choice at every meal, until the waiter had to tell me that they’d run out of it. | |
| 5 | Choose to get rid of ground-breaking device (7) |
| PICKAXE = “ground-breaking device” – charade of PICK = choose, and AXE = get rid of | |
| 9 | Club in collection of weapons (7) |
| ARSENAL – another double def – club and the “collection of weapons” after which the club was named, back in Woolwich | |
| 10 | Someone chasing ship’s officer around university (7) |
| PURSUER = someone chasing – U = university in PURSER = ship’s officer | |
| 11 | Frenchman demonstrated about short measure (9) |
| PROVENCAL = Frenchman – PROVEN = demonstrated, CA. = about, L = short measure (litre) – a tricky end, but that matters little if you understand the rest | |
| 12 | Second expression of desire is smart (5) |
| SWISH – S = second, WISH = expression of desire – I wonder now whether SWISS might have gone next to PROVENCAL. | |
| 13 | With bright colour I had decorated anew (5) |
| REDID = decorated anew – RED = brigh colour, I’D = I had | |
| 15 | Rebel got out of mountains urgently (9) |
| INSURGENT – hidden word | |
| 17 | Opposition accepting rule by king, one from another country (9) |
| FOREIGNER – FO(REIGN)E = “opposition accepting rule), R = rex = king | |
| 19 | Charming woman accompanying Conservative inside (5) |
| WITCH = charming woman, as in this bit of nostalgia from my salami days – C = Conservative in WITH = accompanying | |
| 22 | Girl embracing golf or another sport (5) |
| RUGBY = “another sport” – G = Gold (radio alphabet), in RUBY = girl | |
| 23 | Places where people can read overlapping signs (9) |
| LIBRARIES = places for reading – LIBRA and ARIES are the only pair of “overlapping signs” that mean anything as far as I know | |
| 25 | Aggressive colonist confused many, taken in by cunning (4,3) |
| ARMY ANT = aggressive colonist – anag. of MANY, in ART = cunning (noun) | |
| 26 | Friendly inquiry about my intelligence (7) |
| AMIABLE = friendly, which breaks up (or down) into “Am I able”? | |
| 27 | A couple of servants carrying cross for islander (7) |
| MANXMAN = islander – X = (St Andrew’s) cross, in MAN,MAN | |
| 28 | Island city in uproar about dreadful nude (7) |
| DUNEDIN = “island city” – anag. of ‘nude’ in DIN = uproar | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Person who shoots fish (7) |
| SNAPPER – 2 def’s, one by way of photography | |
| 2 | Miss dictionary definition for ‘caught with rope’ (7) |
| LASSOED – LASS = miss, OED = dictionary – a good moment to mention that your UK library card number now gets you access to a new version, as well as the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and other references including the Dictionary of Quotations | |
| 3 | Bishop, for example, with quarters in ecclesiastical residence (5) |
| MANSE = “ecclesiastical residence” – MAN = bishop, for example (on a chess board), then S,E = quarters (major compass points) | |
| 4 | Pick Spanish or French article, in part (9) |
| SELECTION = pick (noun) – S(EL)ECTION or SE(LE)CTION | |
| 5 | Student at university I put in place (5) |
| PUPIL – (UP = “at university”, I) in PL. = place | |
| 6 | Graves may be opened by this gang from part of Ireland (9) |
| CORKSCREW – CORK’S CREW = “gang from part of Ireland”, and adapting the words of a transatlantic crossword blogger, if you see “Graves” in a clue, you should be thinking “wine”. A blog now of interest to me as I’m planning a trip next year to join the small group who have competed in both the Times championship and the non-cryptic American equivalent – a group that includes your setter. | |
| 7 | A coach I have can be insulting (7) |
| ABUSIVE – A, BUS = coach, I’VE = I have – just about enough excuse for another bit of nostalgia | |
| 8 | Area held by others, changing everything within it, we hear (7) |
| EARSHOT = “everything within it, we hear” – 2 fake wordplay indicators for the price of one! A = area in anag. of ‘others’ | |
| 14 | A great number upset about much agricultural business (5,4) |
| DAIRY FARM = agricultural business – reverse of myriad = many, around far = much. | |
| 16 | Awful frauds rob supporter on crest of a wave (9) |
| SURFBOARD = “supporter on the crest of a wave” – anag. of “frauds” rob, with BRA = supporter as a possible misleading bit of potential wordplay | |
| 17 | Determined to capture attention, producing weapon (7) |
| FIREARM = weapon – EAR = attention, in FIRM = determined | |
| 18 | Course of treatment from doctor, e.g., I mentioned (7) |
| REGIMEN – hidden | |
| 20 | Wound requiring, initially, blood transfusion – one can rest here (4,3) |
| TWIN BED = “one can rest here” – nicely precise as two would be a squeeze. B from ‘blood’ in TWINED = wound – past tense of wind rather than an injury | |
| 21 | Someone no long popular is not totally penniless, we hear (3-4) |
| HAS-BEEN = someone no longer popular, sounding like “has bean” | |
| 23 | Source of ego, id, etc (5) |
| LATIN – from which “ego” and “id” are taken. Crossword nostalgia this time: “In which three couples get together for sex” being another BG clue for this word, which raised some sniggers from long-ago Times championship contestants (“sex” being Latin for 2 times 3 = 6) | |
| 24 | Like many flying from Russia via Norway (5) |
| AVIAN – our third hidden word | |
I wouldn’t have gone for four stars for difficulty, more like two-and-a-half, IMO. However, I found this one very enjoyable.
Thanks to setter and reviewer (the latter, in particular, for the “nostalgia” comment on 23D!)
Thanks for the review Peter, I enjoyed this crossword very much on Sunday, I liked 25a and 1d best.
Thanks Peter. I’m with Qix in that I didnt find this so tricky but I regularly find myself on the other side of the see-saw!. Loved the alternative LATIN clue!
I am with the not too tricky camp as well.