ST 2822 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 2822

by gnomethang  

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2822

A full review by gnomethang

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 15th November 2015

Morning All!. A fine puzzle from Virgilius. There were some very good clues here and a great &Lit.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.  You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five best!

Across

1a           Reach conclusion in essay with it (6)
TRENDY – To END or reach conclusion within a TRY or essay.

4a           City cut to pieces by conflict (6)
WARSAW – Place SAW (cut to pieces) after (by) WAR/conflict.

8a           Last drink that may go to one’s head (8)
NIGHTCAP – A fairly chestnutty cryptic definition plus definition – The last alcoholic drink before bed and the headgear that we used to wear to bed on our heads/to one’s head..

10a         Experts add it for your health! (6)
PROSIT – A charade of PROS (experts) and IT added. Cheers!

11a         Expression of disapproval during this speech is stated twice (4)
HISS – The HISS appears hidden twice in tHIS SpeecH IS Stated.

12a         Observer, I heard, distorted its news (10)
EYEWITNESS – EYE, a homophone (heard) of I, followed by a distorted anagram of ITS NEWS.

13a         Deadly gunman –- note small nose (12)
SHARPSHOOTER – My favourite clue!. A SHARP note (as opposed to a flat) followed by S for small and HOOTER for nose.

16a         Recreational facility in between two vessels (7,5)
BOWLING ALLEY – Another top clue. Place IN from the clue inside two vessels – one a BOWL and the other a GALLEY ship.

20a         View Surrealist works by European producing shock (10)
SCANDALISE – SCAN for view followed by DALI’S (surrealist works) and finally E for European.

21a         Turn around pack animal in stream (4)
FLOW – Reverse WOLF (a pack animal).

22a         Asian garment‘s bargain price – about a rupee (6)
SARONG – Place a SONG (going for a song being a bargain price) around/about A and R for Rupee.

23a         Ten years Einstein transformed (8)
NINETIES – A chestnutty anagram (transformed) of EINSTEIN.

24a         Record-holder with advantage, right on line (6)
LEDGER – Place EDGE/advantage and R for Right on L for Line.

25a         Spirit that’s kind and friendly in the extreme (6)
BRANDY – BRAND for kind/type and the end letter Y of friendl(Y).

Down

1d           Misplaced wit, lacking seriousness in period of decline (8)
TWILIGHT – A misplaced anagram of WIT followed by LIGHT (lacking seriousness)

2d           Habitual character of group in quiet hospital (5)
ETHOS – A hidden word IN quiET HOSpital.

3d           Noble endlessly expected to join game with kings and queens (7)
DUCHESS – Almost all of DU(e) or expected with CHESS (a game with kings and queens) added.

5d           Isn’t inserting pages –- nothing is put in (7)
APPOINT – Place P and P (two pages) and O for nothing inside AIN’T, slang for isn’t.

6d           Heartless cad no rule’s reformed? (9)
SCOUNDREL – A great All-in-one or &Lit. remove the heart of C(a)D and make an anagram (reformed) of this and NO RULES.

7d           Reason to include one piece of writing that’s fanciful (6)
WHIMSY – WHY, the reason, to include I for one and MS (manuscript).

9d           Quietly move on, for example (11)
PREPOSITION – P for Quietly (from musical notation) and then REPOSITION (move on).

14d         Outlaw‘s to commit crime with head covered (5,4)
ROBIN HOOD – ROB – to commit a crime followed by IN HOOD i.e. with head covered.

15d         Rally in Rome initially extremely supportive of Italian author (8)
RECOVERY – R for the initial letter of Rome and then VERY (extremely) being under (in support of) Umberto ECO the Italian author.

17d         Craftily get around monarch in dispute (7)
WRANGLE – To WANGLE – or ‘craftily get’ around R for Rex or Regina (a Monarch).

18d         Person who gathers what’s abandoned in general (7)
GLEANER – An anagram (abandoned) of GENERAL.

19d         Second slow movement that may be hard to interpret (6)
SCRAWL – S for Second followed by a CRAWL or slow movement.

21d         Enjoyment around outskirts of Tokyo, something for relaxation of Japanese (5)
FUTON – Place FUN around the outer letters (outskirts) of T(okyO).

3 comments on “ST 2822”

  1. Another Sunday treat – thanks to Virgilius and Gnomethang, On the podium for me, after a close contest, were 4a, 16a and 9d.

  2. Thanks to Virgilius and Gnomey totally agree with Gazza and his choice of outstanding clues particularly 16a.

  3. Before I can remember the crossword I have to a) remember what we were doing that day and then b) see if I can find the crossword to see what I scribbled on it.
    So far so good . . .
    I had a bit of a fight with 16a – don’t know why – I really thought it was a good clue, eventually.
    Spent too long trying to think of a synonym for a decade with 23a before realising that it was a specific one.
    I liked 4 and 16a and 9 and 21d. My favourite was 14d.
    With thanks to Virgilius and to Gnomey.

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