ST 2772

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2772

A full review by crypticsue

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

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 30th November 2014

 

I always draft the review on the same day the puzzle is published, not least because then when I type the prologue I can remember what I thought of the crossword.   For some reason, I didn’t do so this time, but obviously found the solving process  fairly easy and enjoyable, judging by the ratings I gave it at the time.

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           Carriage in railway station (8)
VICTORIA –   A type of carriage or a London railway terminus.

9a           Son opposed to a journey in capital (8)
SANTIAGO   – S (son) ANTI (opposed to) A (from the clue) and GO (journey).

10a         Cancel function for multinational organisation (4)
UNDO –   a UN (multinational organisation) DO (function, party).

11a         50 per cent of unions delayed protest, not acting with others (12)
UNILATERALLY –   UNI (50% or half of the word ‘unions’) LATE (delayed) and RALLY (protest).

13a         Family man initially representing his country (5,3)
UNCLE SAM –   this family man’s initials – U S –  are also the initials of the country he personifies.

15a         It keeps time for organ (6)
TICKER –   A timepiece or an informal term for the heart.

16a         Standard selection of women or men (4)
NORM – Hidden in a selection of womeN OR Men.

17a         Person showing partiality, we hear, for this drink (5)
CIDER sounds like a SIDER or person showing partiality.

18a         Dull religious book that’s been abridged (4)
MATT – a word meaning dull is the same as an abbreviated way of referring to the New Testament Book – the Gospel according to Saint Matthew.   It is also an abbreviated way of referring to our No 2 son but sadly the clue doesn’t mention that!

20a         Preserved food in  difficult situation (6)
PICKLE –   The name of type of preserve, usually of vegetables in vinegar or brine, can also be used informally to refer to a difficult situation.

21a         Cover protecting beautiful woman that’s defamed (8)
LIBELLED –   BELLE (beautiful woman) inserted into a LID (cover protecting)

23a         Great care, however, in poetry, is followed by uneven quality (12)
THOROUGHNESS –   THO (a poetical way of saying however)and ROUGHNESS (uneven quality).

26a         Greet    part of wintry forecast, perhaps (4)
HAIL –  A greeting or some frozen rain.

27a         Object after getting notice, being really mad (8)
SEETHING –   SEE (notice) followed by (after) THING (object).

28a         In the red, I typically find what parents pass on (8)
HEREDITY –   Hidden in tHE RED I TYpically.

Down

2d           Doctor in nude? No, that’s a malicious suggestion (8)
INNUENDO –   An anagram (doctor) of  IN NUDE NO.

3d           Rogue investing foreign money in volatile market (12)
TROUBLEMAKER – ROUBLE (foreign currency) inserted into an anagram (volatile)of MARKET.

4d           Fail to score again? That’s careless (6)
REMISS – Split 2, 3 this might mean to miss again.

5d           It includes a part of Russia, not the Western part (4)
ASIA –   A continent which includes the eastern part of Russia.   A (from the clue) and the eastern part of the word RusSIA.

6d           Creative type at home opening circular letter? Right (8)
INVENTOR –   IN (at home) VENT (opening) O (a ‘circular’ letter) and R (right).

7d           Person with convictions upset about old prison (4)
GAOL –   A reversal (upset in a down clue) of LAG (person with convictions) with O (old) inserted.

8d           Sacred work worthily revised (4,4)
HOLY WRIT –   A revised anagram of WORTHILY.

12d         Did Ma’s child cope when mistreated? (12)
ACCOMPLISHED –   And another anagram (when mistreated) of MAS CHILD COPE.

14d         Award Duke received in middle of banquet, say (5)
MEDAL –   D for Duke inserted into MEAL (banquet,  say).

16d         Person showing favouritism as trophy is in bag (8)
NEPOTIST –   POT (trophy) inserted into NET (bag).

17d         Sweet, like some sugar that woman’s put in (8)
CHERUBIC –   HER (that woman) inserted into CUBIC (like sugar cubes).

19d         There it’s altered as casual garment (3,5)
TEE SHIRT –   An anagram (altered)of THERE ITS.

22d         Provider of drink in empty beer jug (6)
BREWER – BR (beer with its middle letters removed – emptied) and EWER (jug).

24d         Steers vote among one’s constituents (4)
OXEN –   X (vote) inserted into an anagram of the constituents (letters) of ONE.

25d         Heard greeting moment of success (4)
HIGH –   Sounds like (heard) the informal greeting HI.

 
Thanks to Virgilius once again.    In theory, I’m back next Thursday with another Sunday review – in practice, who knows?!