ST 2745

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2745

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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

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25a         Metal objects withdrawn from market in war economy (7)
TINWARE –   The first of today’s hidden words –   it can be withdrawn from markeT IN WAR Economy.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