Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2571
A full review by Crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Being a relative newcomer to the world of the Sunday Telegraph Cryptic, it always takes me quite a few clues to get into the mind of Virgilius. As usual, it was well worth the effort as this was a great crossword which seemed to be enjoyed by all on the day.
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Across
1a Inner cities had become disorderly, getting cut off (14)
DISINHERITANCE an anagram (disorderly) of INNER CITIES HAD spells out what happens when one is cut out of a will.
9a In part of plant, allowed to distribute pamphlets (7)
LEAFLET A type of pamphlet is a charade of LEAF (part of a plant) and LET (allowed to).
10a Small organism inserting sting in rodents (7)
MICROBE – Sting here means a deception or theft. The rodents are MICE, insert ROB (steal) to obtain a microscopic organism such as a bacteria
11a Yahoo available on line (4)
LOUT a yahoo is a boorish lout – L (line) and OUT (available in the sense of being in the public domain).
12a Female assistant upset make-up people? (10)
FANTASISTS People who create or indulge in fantasies – F (female) followed by an anagram (upset) of ASSISTANT.
14a Two rings attached to European bird (6)
HOOPOE – This rather special bird is made up by HOOP and O (two rings) and E (European).
15a Time put into handicraft, note (8)
CROTCHET – A note equal to half a minim – CROCHET (decorative handicraft using a needle to create intertwined loops using wool or thread) with T for time inserted.
17a Holy word in response to ring, getting married (8)
HALLOWED – You answer a phone by saying HALLO (in response to ring) and another way of saying married is WED. The resulting holy word is an adjective meaning holy or revered
18a Tries to win where some games are played (6)
COURTS – A nice double definition – wooing or winning the attention of someone/a place where games such as netball and tennis are played.
21a Patient man’s running arrangement to reduce unemployment (3-7)
JOB-SHARING – The prophet JOB is famed for his patience. SHARING refers here to participating in an arrangement. As the clue quite rightly says, job-sharing in the workplace means that two people are employed rather than just one.
22a Old Bank of England, initially, as source of notes (4)
OBOE The musical instrument is obtained, as the clue instructs by taking the initial letters from Old Bank Of and England.
24a Scoundrel promises to pay — that’s odd (7)
CURIOUS – CUR is another word for a scoundrel and paper promises to pay are IOUS. Here the meaning of curious is odd or strange.
25a Fruit taken from bed after almost one month (7)
APRICOT – These delicious fruit are the result of combining APRI (APRIL without the L is almost one month) COT (a baby’s bed).
26a Silly Harry reckoned without parking in West End location (4,4,6)
HYDE PARK CORNER An anagram (silly) of HARRY RECKONED and P (parking) – this brought back memories as I worked for many years in the 1970s a couple of streets away from this busy London ‘junction’.
Down
1d Femme fatale lied disgracefully and upset prince (7)
DELILAH – the lady who was responsible for Samson’s downfall – an anagram (disgracefully) of LIED and LAH (Prince Hal reversed).
2d Prominent figure in New York moved there from France (6,2,7)
STATUE OF LIBERTY – the clue is a cryptic definition of the famous statue given to the United States of America by France as sign of international friendship.
3d A swan, deprived of space, sits on this river (4)
NILE The clue instructs you to move the space between A and SWAN, producing ASWAN, the site of the famous temples and dam on the River NILE.
4d Catch colleague, endlessly shown up (6)
ENTRAP to catch or entangle someone is a reversal (shown up) of a word meaning colleague PARTNER without the R (endlessly).
5d Shut up about a Tory leader being inexperienced (8)
IMMATURE – To imprison or confine IMMURE with A and T(Tory leader) inserted. Inexperienced in the sense of not being fully developed.
6d Charge about, protecting us in battle (10)
ACCUSATION – the act of charging or bringing a charge – Insert into ACTION (battle) C (Circa = about) and US (protecting us).
7d Take irrevocable step in crucial problem, dividing religious objects (5,3,7)
CROSS THE RUBICON – To go pass the point of no return as Julius Caesar did when he crossed the River Rubicon when invading Ancient Rome in 49 BC – the religious objects are the CROSS and ICON, and the snag or the crucial problem, as Hamlet says in his To be or not to be speech:
“there’s THE RUB” .
8d Basic accommodation in county, just what’s needed (6)
BEDSIT – The last one to go in for me. The county is Bedfordshire (abbreviated to BEDS) and IT here means just what’s needed.
13d Black and white children admitted by doctor with no capital (10)
MONOCHROME – another term for black and white is a charade of MO (medical officer, doctor) NO, CH (children) and ROME (the capital of Italy).
16d Banks are ruined in this part of US (8)
NEBRASKA – an anagram (ruined) of BANKS ARE gives you a Mid Western state in the USA.
17d Don’t audibly greet crewman like this on plane! (6)
HIJACK – Sailors are often known as Jack (Tars). Greeting one “Hi Jack” might cause major problems on an aeroplane in mid air.
19d Warm garment husband’s not needed in Southern climate (7)
SWEATER – another term for a jumper (a warm garment we UK-based solvers have been wearing a lot lately) – S (southern) and WEATHER with the H removed (husband’s not needed).
20d Expose corrupt man in American bank, finally (6)
UNMASK – reveal someone’s identity – An anagram (corrupt) of MAN inserted into US (American) with the last letter (finally) of banK.
23d Vivacious spirit queen’s shown in life (4)
BRIO – this Italian word, used in musical terminology, means liveliness, spirit or vivacity. BIO (a combining form signifying life, or living organisms) with R (Regina, queen) inserted.
The NE Corner proved troublesome for many solvers, including me – I will even admit to having used Tippex on two clues there where I was slightly too hasty in writing what I thought was the solution. As I said on the day, far too many good clues to pick a favourite so I will conclude by thanking Virgilius for the usual superb entertainment.