Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2745

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 25th May 2014

Many thanks once again to Virgilius for our Sunday treat.   This one was a fine example of the ‘a crossword doesn’t have to be difficult to be extremely enjoyable’ rule

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.  You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

1a           Doing nothing about French breach (10)
INFRACTION – FR (French) inserted into INACTION (doing nothing)

6a           Just  a kind of entertainment (4)
FAIR – A straightforward double definition clue.

9a           Wiped the floor with    woollen fabric (7)
WORSTED –   The past participle of a verb meaning to get the better of in a contest or a fine wool fabric.

10a         Minor playing against India (as heard on radio) in Test (7)
TRIVIAL –   V (versus, playing against) and I (India being the NATO Phonetic Alphabet word – as heard on radio –  used to represent I) inserted into TRIAL (test).

12a         Upset bears with disconcerting display of aggression (5-8)
SABRE-RATTLING – An anagram (upset) of BEARS followed by RATTLING (disconcerting).

14a         Gravity theorist‘s original measure of weight (6)
NEWTON –   NEW (original) and TON (measure of weight).

15a         Ride off in direction of sunset? That’s most odd (8)
WEIRDEST –   An anagram (off) of RIDE inserted into WEST, the direction in which the sun sets.

17a         Like some rulers put in danger protecting area (8)
IMPERIAL –   A (area) is inserted into, or protected by, IMPERIL (put in danger).

19a         Express disapproval about a doctor providing grass (6)
BAMBOO –   BOO (express disapproval) around A (from the clue) and  MB (Bachelor of Medicine, doctor).

22a         Expert firing cheats, then laughing loudly (13)
SHARPSHOOTING –   SHARPS (people who cheat at cards) and HOOTING (laughing loudly).

24a         Carefully examine any seal that’s been tampered with (7)
ANALYSE –   An anagram (that’s been tampered with) of ANY SEAL.

25a         Metal objects withdrawn from market in war economy (7)
TINWARE –   The first of today’s hidden words –   it can be withdrawn from markeT IN WAR Economy.

26a         Observes European agreement (4)
EYES –   E (European) and YES (agreement).

27a         Complaint after traffic light’s turned around, producing accident (10)
DERAILMENT –   A reversal (turned round) of a RED traffic light followed by (after in an Across clue) AILMENT (complaint).

Down

1d           Separate part of England and a part of US (4)
IOWA –   The Isle of Wight is separate from the rest of England and its abbreviation should be followed by A (from the clue) to give a US State.

2d           Said number was raised as anticipated (7)
FORESAW –   A homophone (said) of the number FORE followed by a reversal (raised) of WAS.

3d           Do-it-yourself work that’s bound to be covered (13)
AUTOBIOGRAPHY – A book written by and about its author.

4d           Row about one daughter being not so disorderly (6)
TIDIER –   I (one) and D (daughter) inserted into TIER (row).

5d           Exposed, run over the hill in high dudgeon (8)
OUTRAGED –   OUT (exposed) R (run) and AGED (over the hill).

7d           When repeated in second part of test, it’s stupid (7)
ASININE – AS (when) IN IN (repeated IN) and E (the second ‘part’ of tEst).

8d           Lowering of status, for instance, in part of family (10)
RELEGATION –   EG (for example, for instance) inserted into a RELATION.

11d         Italian tenor excited about new player for his country (13)
INTERNATIONAL –   An anagram (excited) of ITALIAN TENOR and N (new).

13d         Secures inside room — no rush (6,4)
SNAILS PACE –   NAILS (secures) inserted into SPACE (room).

16d         Product of fleecing operation a schemer organised (8)
CASHMERE –   An organised anagram of A SCHEMER.

18d         About to break piece of crockery? Calm down (7)
PLACATE –   CA (circa, about) inserted into a PLATE (piece of crockery).

20d         Lions, for example, in important match (3,4)
BIG GAME –   Lions are an example of the larger animals hunted; the expression could also refer to an important sporting fixture.

21d         Platforms centrally placed in Metro? Strange (6)
ROSTRA –   Another hidden word –   this time literally centrally placed in metRO STRAnge.

23d         Material  investigated in touching way (4)
FELT –   And we finish with a final double definition clue.