Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2833
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment *****
This puzzle was published on Sunday, 31st January 2016
Another lovely Sunday puzzle – slightly trickier than usual – and with what I think is probably the most splendid clue yet for a ‘lurker’.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five best!
Across
1a Secret fortune I moved around for criminals making money (14)
COUNTERFEITERS – An anagram (moved around) of SECRET FORTUNE I
9a First-class fare may be enhanced by its addition (7)
TOPPING – An informal adjective meaning first-class, excellent, or something one could put on food (fare) to make it even more delicious.
10a Quick to learn about a cutting-edge device (7)
CLEAVER – CLEVER (quick to learn) with A (from the clue) inserted (about)
11a Declare love in a car (4)
AVOW – O (love) inserted into A VW (a car).
12a Unites again in one’s circle after disruption (10)
RECONCILES – An anagram (after disruption) of ONES CIRCLE
14a With precision, switch position after position (4-2)
SPOT-ON – One of the positions of a switch – ON – goes after SPOT (position)
15a Nit-picking editor brought in to criticise essay (8)
PEDANTRY – ED (editor) brought in to PAN (criticise) TRY (essay)
17a Aquatic animals in a river seen by crew (8)
MANATEES – MAN (crew) A (from the clue) TEES (river)
18a Family doctor’s put in old robe from East (6)
KIMONO – Insert MO (medical officer, doctor) into KIN (family) and then add an O (old) at the end.
21a Not appealing, being incapable of working without directions (10)
UNENVIABLE – The compass directions, E and N inserted into UNVIABLE (being incapable of).
22a For which you need to search within this clue (4)
HINT – The most splendidly clued ‘lurker’ ever?? Hidden in witHIN This.
24a Prepare papers in legal action without foundation (7)
SUBEDIT – SUIT (legal action) goes round (without) BED foundation.
25a Let out without being treated, back in troubled period (7)
WARTIME – A reversal (back) of EMIT (let out) RAW (without being treated).
26a Writer above doing double-entry bookkeeping? (9,5)
RECORDING ANGEL – The heavenly being (writer above) who records in a book all of the good and bad things you’ve done before deciding if you can go into heaven or descend to hell (hence the reference to ‘double-entry’)
Down
1d Trim young lady that’s found in sailor’s arms (7)
CUTLASS – A broadsword formerly used in the navy (by a sailor!) – TRIM (cut) and LASS (young lady).
2d Non-European club reformed? It’s impossible to say (15)
UNPRONOUNCEABLE – it’s fairly impossible to type too! An anagram (reformed) of NON EUROPEAN CLUB.
3d Cause the fall of Republican in end (4)
TRIP – R (Republican) inserted into TIP (end)
4d Rook and white bird are in sorry state (6)
REGRET – R (rook) and EGRET (white bird)
5d Conclusion within another contained (8)
ENCLOSED – CLOSE (conclusion) put within END (another conclusion).
6d Directed by priests to teach RC I converted (10)
THEOCRATIC – An anagram (converted) of TO TEACH RC I
7d Radically changing development in revolt (15)
REVOLUTIONISING – EVOLUTION (development) inserted into RISING (revolt).
8d Playful fellow, potentially harmful (6)
FRISKY – F(fellow) RISKY (potentially harmful)
13d Distress evident in low capital for some South Americans (10)
MONTEVIDEO – The capital of Uruguay is obtained by inserting an anagram (distress) of EVIDENT into MOO (low here meaning the sound made by cattle).
16d Split section in legal document (8)
DEPARTED – Split here is a slang term meaning left, made oneself scarce – PART (section) inserted into DEED (legal document)
17d Enormous serving includes this dessert (6)
MOUSSE – Hidden in enorMOUS SErving.
19d Old tamale recycled as breakfast food (7)
OATMEAL – O (old) followed by an anagram (recycled) of TAMALE.
20d In terrible winter, suddenly arrived, like blizzard? (4,2)
BLEW IN – Hidden in terriBLE WINter
23d A harvest unfinished in field (4)
AREA – A (from the clue) and almost all of (unfinished) REAp (harvest).
A couple of commenters on the day appeared to have the ‘wrong’ word in 16d – I’d be interested to learn what they put in the grid before I said that if they hadn’t heard of the word, they’d definitely got the wrong solution.
S2