Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2765
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***– Enjoyment ****
This puzzle was published on Sunday, 12th October 2014
Another great Sunday crossword – solving it took me slightly longer than usual, hence the 3* difficulty rating.
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Across
1a Something insightful said in support of enjoyable repair work — about time (10)
PROFUNDITY – PRO (in favour of) FUN (enjoyable) and DIY (repair work) with T (about time) inserted.
6a Excessively sentimental short message ultimately lacking (4)
TWEE – The short message being a TWEET from which the last letter is removed (ultimately lacking).
9a Faults what treacherous person does, perhaps (7)
DEFECTS – If you pronounce the first E differently, the solution means deserting one’s country or cause.
10a Friendly question your setter has about his competence? (7)
AMIABLE – Split 2, 1,4, our setter could be asking if he is able to set cryptic clues.
12a Logical flaw I had reversed in short form (13)
CONTRADICTION – As the clue instructs, reverse ID (I had) into a CONTRACTION or short form of something.
14a People taking flights needing part of stair mended (6)
AIRMEN are hidden in part of stAIR MENded.
15a Doctor doing some gymnastics in reflected light (8)
MOONBEAM – MO (doctor) ON BEAM (doing some gymnastics).
17a UN brought in if Nato scrambled jet (8)
FOUNTAIN is an anagram (scrambled) of IN NATO with UN brought in or inserted.
19a Fire up learner admitted by helpful European (6)
KINDLE – KIND (helpful) L (learner) and E (European).
22a Workers in this stable ruined business (13)
ESTABLISHMENT – MEN (workers) inserted into an anagram (ruined) of THIS STABLE.
24a What might you do with internet, absorbing energy in excess (7)
SURFEIT – SURF IT is what you do with the internet, insert (absorbing) an E for energy.
25a Form of carbon that could be useful for dating? (7)
DIAMOND – Lovely cryptic definition.
26a Signals agreement — name on document signed using initials only (4)
NODS is obtained from the initial letters only of Name On Document Signed.
27a Bullied in dispute between bishops, bolted (10)
BROWBEATEN – Put a ROW (dispute) between two B’s (Bishops) and follow with EATEN (bolted one’s food).
Down
1d Fills out page with material that profits paper (4)
PADS – P (page) and ADS – the revenue from advertisements helps a newspaper’s profits.
2d Promoted soldier not in reserve, right? (7)
OFFICER – OFF (not in) ICE (reserve) and R (right).
3d Insecure about short story? That’s beyond dispute (13)
UNCONTESTABLE – UNSTABLE (insecure) about CONTE which is apparently a short story genre in France.
4d Stop serving part of meal, so to speak (6)
DESERT – To leave the army without permission (stop serving) sounds like (so to speak) DESSERT (part of meal).
5d Way in over one’s head? (4-4)
TRAP-DOOR – A door to the attic perhaps?
7d Odd bits included in small Internet contribution (7)
WEBSITE – An anagram (odd) of BITS inserted into WEE (small).
8d What comes before or after this clue is still less sensitive (4,6)
EVEN NUMBER – EVEN (still) and NUMBER (less sensitive). In front of this clue is a number 8, after it you can choose either the 4 or the 6, all are examples of an even number.
11d Regardless of others, trendy Conservative chosen for team to assess (13)
INCONSIDERATE – IN (trendy) C (Conservative) ON SIDE (chosen for team) and RATE (assess).
13d Hold son (4-6)
HALF-NELSON – Look at this wrestling hold and you will see that SON is indeed HALF [of] NELSON! My favourite clue!
16d At heart, assassin is terribly menacing (8)
SINISTER is hidden in the heart of assasSIN IS TERribly.
18d Complete limited edition, it’s said (7)
UTTERED – UTTER (complete) and ED (abbreviated or ‘limited’ edition).
20d Tried to put in another order in this US city (7)
DETROIT is an anagram (in another order) of TRIED TO.
21d Dog some breeders had owned (6)
SHADOW – Dog here meaning follow – hidden in some of breederS HAD OWned.
23d Port in Middle East, a place inhabited with pride (4)
ADEN – A (from the clue) and DEN (place inhabited by a pride of lions).
Thanks to Virgilius once again. I’ll be back in the morning with a review of last Saturday’s Prize Puzzle.
