Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2692
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
Another great start to Sunday morning – thank you once again to Virgilius.
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Across
1a In bitter enmity, stupidly staged grand war (2,7,5)
AT DAGGERS DRAWN – An anagram (stupidly) of STAGED GRAND WAR. Lovely surface reading.
9a One vehicle or another sent back in right direction (7)
TRACTOR – A reversal (sent back) of CART (another vehicle) TO R(right) (in the right direction).
10a This African country has aluminium where another has nickel, primarily (7)
ALGERIA – Replace the first two letters of Nigeria (NI being the chemical symbol for nickel)with AL (the chemical symbol for aluminium).
11a Poet’s work pronounced outstanding (3)
ODE – A homophone (pronounced) of OWED (outstanding).
12a Cotton cape Ethel chose, in need of alteration (11)
CHEESECLOTH – C (the abbreviation for Cape) followed by an anagram (in need of alternation) of ETHEL CHOSE.
14a Contractor who’s paid money to butcher (6)
HITMAN – a cryptic definition of a hired assassin.
15a Regular traveller who reduces time, perhaps? (8)
COMMUTER – A person who travels some distance daily between home and work, could also be someone who exchanges a sentence (especially the death penalty) for a less severe punishment.
17a Insulted Labour leader seen outside (8)
SLIGHTED – Insert the first letter of Labour (leader) into SIGHTED (seen).
19a Turned heads, being sweet (6)
BONBON – Reverse (turned) NOB twice (heads)
22a Unusually gifted person originally ordered into cavalry (11)
CLAIRVOYANT – An anagram (originally ordered) of INTO CAVALRY.
23a It’s initially legislated at Westminster (3)
LAW – Lovely &Lit – the initial letters of Legislated At Westminster.
24a Claret’s possibly this shade of red (7)
SCARLET – An anagram (possibly) of CLARETS.
26a Part of cross-reference for ongoing loss of liquid assets (7)
SEEPAGE – a noun meaning liquid that has seeped out could if split 3, 4 be part of a cross-reference.
27a Reform never restricting trade union with excellent financial backing (7,7)
VENTURE CAPITAL – An anagram (reform) of NEVER into which is inserted (restricting) TU (trade union). The second word, CAPITAL, is an adjective meaning excellent.
Down
1d Scientific type collecting a second prize thus, is content, finally (14)
ASTROPHYSICIST – A (from the clue) S (second) TROPHY (prize) SIC (thus, used in printed matter to show that the originally is being faithfully reproduced, even though incorrect or apparently so) IS (from the clue) and T (the final letter of contenT).
2d Rebuilt citadel, in a manner of speaking (7)
DIALECT – An anagram (rebuilt) of CITADEL.
3d Keep in Conservative with less sense who shouldn’t be in party? (11)
GATECRASHER – GATE (keep in) C (Conservative) and RASHER (with less sense).
4d Unqualified driver not getting start in lucrative job (6)
EARNER – Virgilius doesn’t often present us with a chestnut but….. simply remove the L from the start of [L]EARNER (unqualified driver).
5d Instant record of game’s exciting (8)
SNAPSHOT – SNAP[‘]S (the card game’s) and HOT (exciting).
6d Doctor‘s trying, but oddly deficient (3)
RIG – A verb meaning to doctor or manipulate unscrupulously or dishonestly is obtained by removing the odd letters (oddly deficient) from tRyInG.
7d Calculate to satisfactorily finish exercise (4,3)
WORK OUT – A triple definition.
8d Container of explosive ignited for spectacular revolution (9,5)
CATHERINE WHEEL – A cryptic definition of a rotating firework.
13d Stake he secured in company plan that’s put together to promote growth (7,4)
COMPOST HEAP – CO (company) followed by MAP (map) into which is inserted POST (stake) and HE (from the clue). If we illustrated weekend puzzle reviews, I would add here a photo of Mr CS’s newly- finished compost heap arrangements, a very grand triple bay affair complete with wattle fencing.
16d Person who provides topical information about ale (8)
REPORTER – RE (about) and PORTER (dark ale).
18d The writer is succeeded by a friend in religious office (7)
IMAMATE – I[‘]M (Virgilius, the writer, is) followed by A MATE (a friend).
20d Don’t dilly-dally crossing line in city in UK (7)
BELFAST – Insert (crossing) L (line) into an instruction not to hang about – BE FAST.
21d White wine from area found in pubs and clubs (6)
BARSAC – BARS (pubs) A (area) C (clubs).
25d Conclusions reached in trial, so accept one’s fate (3)
LOT – The ‘conclusions’ of triaL, sO and accepT.
My turn to blog Virgilius again next week. 
