ST 2747

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2747

A full review by gnomethang

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

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 8th June 2014

Morning All!. There were a couple of sticklers that I kicked myself after solving but the usual excellence shines through because of that fact!

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

7a           Highest level of salt in tree (8)
PINNACLE – Common salt is Sodium Chloride or NA-CL to give it its chemical designation. Place that inside the PINE tree – PIN (NACL) E

9a           Unsuccessfully leading army maybe around island (2,4)
IN VAIN – If you are leading the army charge you are IN the VAN (short for VANGUARD). Place I for Island in the second to last position.

10a         Dog in cargo vessel that’s docked (6)
COLLIE – COLLIE(r) – a cargo vessel carrying coal with its last letter cut off (docked).

11a         Cleaned out bunk — part needs to be remade (8)
BANKRUPT – Make an anagram (needs to be remade) of BUNK PART.

12a         Performer who survives dangerous form of consumption? (5-9)
SWORD-SWALLOWER – A nice cryptic definition. It was either that or a fire-eater!. Consumption here is the key.

15a         Family doctor, primarily caring (4)
KIND – A charade of KIN (family) and the initial ( or primary) letter of D(octor).

17a         A cold that man had caused discomfort (5)
ACHED – A charade of A and C(old) then HE’D or “That man had” as a contraction.

19a         Nasty cracks in accommodation (4)
DIGS – Two definitions and a good clue.

20a         Middle-of-the-road positions on which it’s safe to take a stand? (7,7)
TRAFFIC ISLANDS – Nothing to do with politics (as the clue reads) but simply a good place to break a journey across the public highway.

23a         Men and boys outside prison put back in shackles (8)
MANACLES – MALES (both men and boys in some form of Venn Diagram) outside of the reversal of CAN (slang for prison put back – reversed). MA (NAC) LES.

25a         Line outstanding, calling from Jersey or Guernsey (6)
LOWING – Remember your makes of cows! And they Moo (or low)! L for Line and OWING for ‘Outstanding’

27a         Energetic kind of voice (6)
ACTIVE – Big Dave’s hint of the day: Two definitions – an adjective meaning energetic and a grammatical term meaning of that voice in which the subject of the verb represents the doer. The other voice is passive.

28a         Alternative to ally is supporter of ruler (8)
LOYALIST – An alternative anagram of TO ALLY IS.

Down

1d           Italian’s so long in Chicago, oddly (4)
CIAO – Take the odd letters in ChIcAgO.

2d           Be irritating about length — he tends to exaggerate it (6)
ANGLER – To ANGER (be irritating) about (or around) L for Length.

3d           As which, best is the same as worst (4)
VERB – As a verb to best and to worst both mean to beat. Check the dictionary!.

4d           Indication you need a sling after fracture (6)
SIGNAL – An anagram (after fracture) of A SLING.

5d           Intimidated, old woman got married (8)
OVERAWED – A charade of O for Old, VERA (a woman) and WED (married).

6d           Father was furious after daughter is denigrated (10)
DISPARAGED – A charade of PA RAGED (father was furious) after the abb. D for Daughter and IS from the clue – D IS PA RAGED.

8d           Part of our capital, in addition, invested in tea (7)
CHELSEA – ELSE (in addition) inside CHA for Tea.

13d         Timepiece that, on the other hand, can be digitally adjusted (10)

WRISTWATCH – A lovely cryptic definition. It sits on one hand and is adjusted by the fingers, or digits, of the other hand. This makes it an all-in-one clue!

14d         A medic taken around hospital for particular purpose (2,3)
AD HOC –A DOC (a medic/DOC(tor)) around the outside of H fo Hospital.

16d         Like theatre surgeon, perhaps, caught pocketing fine instrument (8)
DRAMATIC – An AMATI is a fine stringed instrument (violin etc) from Cremona, Italy. Place her lovingly iside DR (for doctor/surgeon) and C for Caught.

18d         Diamonds I spread out for show (7)
DISPLAY – A charade of D(iamonds – the abb. from the Bridge card came) , I from the clue and SPLAY (spread out).

21d         Hesitate as female tailor (6)
FALTER – Simply F for Female and ALTER for tailor (as a verb!).

22d         In audience for Shakespeare, namely As You Like It? (2,4)
AT WILL – AT means ‘in audience’ (e.g. at a show). Follow that with WILL Shakespeare.

24d         Second nature for so-called lawyer (4)
SILK – This one took me ages!. S for Small and ILK for nature/bent.

26d         Something found in Chinese soup — or in minestrone (4)
NEST – The avian soup is found inside (IN) miNESTrone.

Thanks to Virgilius for another top puzzle. I’ll see you all tomorrow after the hopeful football result!