Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2876
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on Sunday 27th November
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment *****
Once again my piece of paper has a minor galaxy of stars by the clues I really liked, hence the award of 5* for enjoyment. Hard to pick just one but if pressed, I’d choose 16d
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 Pressed about part of UK being penalised (8)
PUNISHED – PUSHED (pressed) about NI (part of UK)
9a King entering a social event, accomplished and charming (8)
ADORABLE – R (Rex, king) enters A DO (a social event) and ABLE (accomplished) is then added at the end
10a Meat provided by Americans serving tea, we hear (4)
GIST – GIS (Americans ‘serving’) and T (a homophone, we hear, of tea)
11a Result of splitting up in toughest range men tackled (12)
ESTRANGEMENT – Lurking in toughEST RANGE MEN Tackled
13a District in which prince relocated court (8)
PRECINCT – An anagram (relocated) of PRINCE followed by CT, the abbreviation for court
15a One who doesn’t believe measure of yarn’s quality (6)
DENIER – A double definition where the words are spelled the same but pronounced differently. Someone who doesn’t believe in something or a unit of silk, rayon or nylon yarn weight.
16a Sides of Trent or other English river (4)
TEES – because the ‘sides’ of TrenT are both Ts!
17a Fully successful candidate left within a year (5)
AMPLY – MP (Member of Parliament, successful candidate) and L (left) go within A (from the clue) and Y (year)
18a Screen broadcast extending over hour (4) SHOW – SOW (broadcast seed) extending over H (Hour)
20a Case I deposited in part of London (6)
ACTION – I (from the clue) deposited in ACTON (part of London)
21a Make easier, having second hint provided inside (8)
SIMPLIFY – The fourth ‘put something in something else’ clue in a row. S (second) and IMPLY (hint), the latter having IF (provided) ‘inside’.
23a Navy planes in dilapidated state (12)
PENNSYLVANIA – An anagram (dilapidated) of NAVY PLANES IN
26a Crow or rook evidently secured? (4)
BRAG – R (Rook in chess) in the BAG (secured)
27a Reminder of holiday making one awfully envious, right? (8)
SOUVENIR – An anagram (awfully) of ENVIOUS followed by R (right)
28a Raised fences every individual broke through (8)
BREACHED – BRED (raised) fences EACH (every individual)
Down
2d Place for studying part of Bible? Everything, really (8)
UNIVERSE – UNI (place for studying) VERSE (part of Bible)
3d Plea for another is not sincere, possibly (12)
INTERCESSION – An anagram (possibly) of IS NOT SINCERE
4d Wants one footballer for team in hurry (6)
HASTEN – HAS TEN players so needs one more to have a full football team
5d Statistical information at short notice turned over (4)
DATA – A reversal (turned over) of AT (from the clue) and AD (a short, abbreviated, notice)
6d Followed heartless lady with determination (8)
DOGGEDLY – DOGGED (followed) LadY (‘heartless’ lady)
7d Old Bank of England, initially, as producer of notes (4)
OBOE – The initial letters of Old Bank Of England
8d Pressure on hot line in airport (8)
HEATHROW – HEAT (pressure) H (hot) ROW (line)
12d Like John, Paul, or George, but not Ringo, speaking briefly? (12)
MONOSYLLABIC – Poor old Ringo, he’s always left out, this time because his name has more than one syllable
14d Two portions of pasta exchanged for Spanish food (5)
TAPAS – Swap or exchange the PAS and the TA
16d Member silenced following point of order? (8)
TRAPPIST – A cryptic definition of a member of a Cistercian order known especially for its rule of silence, not to mention its austerity
17d Writhing in agony, holding front of nose, becoming tiresome (8)
ANNOYING – An anagram (writhing) of IN AGONY, holding N (the ‘front’ of Nose)
19d No longer acting, having left old coach (8)
OFFSTAGE – OFF (having left) STAGE (old coach)
22d President and film star entangled no more (6)
MONROE – An anagram (entangled) of NO MORE. A nice surface reading too
24d Common sense that’s purposeless, mostly (4)
NOUS – Most of NO USe (purposeless)
25d Part of speech some deliver brilliantly (4)
VERB – Lurking in some deliVER Brilliantly, especially a favourite setter who is a master of the well-hidden ‘lurker’
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