ST 2744

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2744

A full review by crypticsue

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

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 18th May 2014

Another splendid start to a really lovely sunny Sunday morning.   Took me a while to spot the well hidden anagram in 18d and as for ‘what’s contained in shot’ in 20d, that has to be the d’oh of the day.

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Across

1a           Go round the world in MCC tour I’ve again organised, missing nothing (14)
CIRCUMNAVIGATE –   An anagram (organised) of MCC TOUR IVE AGAIN once you have removed the O (missing nothing).

9a           Unusual CD I am on, always moving? (7)
NOMADIC – And another anagram – unusual is what tells us to rearrange CD I AM ON.

10a         Poet leading international group, as result of big hit in US (4,3)
HOME RUN –   HOMER (poet) and UN (international Group) split 4,3 to give us a baseball term for a hit that goes far enough to allow the batter to make a complete circuit of all four bases or the score made in this way.

11a         Off colour? (3)
RED –   The colour of the card the referee uses when he sends a football player off.

12a         Hand in scholarship that’s again providing entry (11)
READMITTING –   MITT (hand) inserted into READING (scholarship).

14a         Agree with Conservative about despicable type (6)
CONCUR – C (Conservative) ON (about)  CUR (despicable type).

15a         Running    one kind of entertainment (2-6)
IN-FLIGHT –   A phrase meaning running away is also a type of entertainment found on an aeroplane.

17a         Colour of hair improved when cut with streak put in (8)
BRUNETTE –   Almost all of BETTER (improved when cut) with RUN (streak) inserted.

19a         Not just  dark, also raining perhaps? (6)
UNFAIR –   Three definitions for the price of one.

22a         Diligent musical group ahead of us on river (11)
INDUSTRIOUS –   INDUS (river) followed by a TRIO (musical group) ahead of US (from the clue).

23a         From taps, initially, a drink (3)
CHA –   The initial letters found on Cold and Hot taps followed by A from the clue.

24a         Relevant as a new drug after what causes illness (7)
GERMANE – GERM (what causes illness) followed by A (from the clue)  N(new) and E (Ecstasy, drug).

26a         Visionary‘s other novel covering page after page (7)
PROPHET –  After is the indication that we should follow a P (page) with  an anagram (novel) of OTHER with another  P (page) inserted (covering).

27a         Travel with French writer mostly in mind to see how countries are run (14)
GOVERNMENTALLY –   GO (travel) VERNE (‘most’ of the surname of the French writer, Jules Verne) and MENTALLY (in mind).

Down

1d           Diminish captain’s position in game (8,6)
CONTRACT BRIDGE –   CONTRACT (diminish) and BRIDGE (where the captain should be found on a ship).

2d           Raced around area, infuriated, in fast time (7)
RAMADAN –   RAN (raced) ‘around’ A (area) and MAD (infuriated).

3d           Pressured to wear informal clothing outside university (5,6)
UNDER DURESS – UNDER DRESS (wear informal clothing) with U (university) inserted.

4d           Delicious drink in the neighbourhood around court (6)
NECTAR –   CT (court) inserted into NEAR (in the neighbourhood).

5d           Check restraining macho types getting heated (8)
VEHEMENT –   VET (check) restraining HE MEN (macho types).

6d           Admirable person repeatedly contributing to stage management (3)
GEM –   A Virgilius speciality – the double hidden word – repeatedly contributing to staGE ManaGEMent.

7d           Revolutionary movement adjusting without monarch (7)
TURNING –   TUNING (adjusting) with R (Rex or Regina, monarch) inserted.

8d           Adventurously moving piece, rushed attempt to capture queen (6,8)
KNIGHT ERRANTRY – Travelling in search of adventure – KNIGHT (piece in a chess game) ER (the cipher of our current Queen) RAN (rushed) and TRY (attempt).

13d         Discoverer of stars having latest count wrong (6,5)
TALENT SCOUT –   An anagram (wrong) of LATEST COUNT.

16d         Person operating over time as supplier of delicacy (8)
STURGEON –   The supplier of caviar – SURGEON (person operating) with T (time) inserted.

18d         Cook for short time that’s rounded off (7)
UNDERDO –   An anagram (off) of ROUNDED.

20d         What’s contained in shot in local drunk? (7)
ALCOHOL –   An anagram (drunk) of LOCAL plus ‘what’s contained in sHOt’ ie the middle two letters .

21d         Bonnie and Clyde, say, left in American car (6)
COUPLE – L (left) inserted into a COUPE.

25d         Player who excels in matches, ignoring the odds (3)
ACE –   The even letters (ignoring the odds)of mAtChEs.