ST 2833 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 2833

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.

 

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