Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2883
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on Sunday 22nd January
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
Another great Sunday puzzle which cheered up a proper winter’s day, with freezing fog and ice that never thawed. My favourite was 19a, although there were quite a few ‘runners-up’ for the title.
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Across
8a She opened the box containing one or two of Pa’s pieces (7)
PANDORA – P AND OR A
10a Workers taken back into excellent plant (7)
ANEMONE – A reversal (taken back) of MEN (workers) inserted into A ONE (excellent)
Back in October, Notabilis told me about a really good way of remembering how to spell the name of this plant. It has proved very helpful, but the question is: should I let everyone else into the secret?
11a Source of pictures showing shrub in front of golf club (9)
HOLLYWOOD – HOLLY (shrub) WOOD (golf club)
12a Fake psychoanalyst having change of heart (5)
FRAUD – Change the ‘heart’ of FREUD (psychoanalyst) from an E to an A
13a Fish producing bad smell when head’s cut off (5)
TENCH – Cut off the ‘head’ of STENCH which here is a rare verb meaning to cause to stink (produce a bad smell)
14a Otherwise express runs to European country (7)
RESTATE – R (runs) E (European) STATE (country)
17a Justice and three others using bad advice run trials (8,7)
CARDINAL VIRTUES – An anagram(bad) of ADVICE RUN TRIALS. Just in case you were wondering, the other three are prudence, temperance and fortitude.
19a Setter’s superior when it comes to giving directions in clue (7)
POINTER A breed of dog that points when discovering game is bound to be superior to another breed, the setter. A pointer can also be a hint, tip, suggestion or indication which would be helpful directions when solving a clue.
21a One in suit given precedence over others? Blast! (5)
TRUMP A card in a suit that ranks higher than other cards or an archaic term for a blast.
24a Fierce individual having row, good at heart (5)
TIGER – TIER (row) with G (good) at its ‘heart’
26a Leading man‘s changing it, if he can (9)
CHIEFTAIN – An anagram (changing) of IT IF HE CAN
27a Nasty type we had put outside quickly turned around (7)
WHEELED – WE’D (we had) put outside HEEL (nasty type)
28a Secretive activity, the last resort? (7)
STEALTH – An anagram (resort) of THE LAST
Down
1d Eventual outcome produced by aiming too high? (6)
UPSHOT – Split the solution 2, 4 and you’d be aiming high rather than low
2d Soul of wit exemplified in single craft (3-5)
ONE-LINER – ONE (single) LINER (craft)
3d Adherent of widespread religious belief (10)
POLYTHEIST A cryptic definition of a belief in a plurality of goods. Out of curiosity, I had quick search and this was the only ten letter word I could find using the checking letters in the grid.
4d Computer device produced by firm with organised effort (4,5)
HARD DRIVE – HARD (firm) DRIVE (organised effort)
5d Hazard at sea — do something to reduce canvas (4)
REEF – A marine hazard or something a sailor would do to reduce the exposed surface of a sail
6d Boy present for a musical performance (6)
SONATA – Split 3, 2 1 you’d get a SON (boy) AT (present) A
7d Provokes strike initially uncalled for (8)
NEEDLESS – NEEDLES (provokes) S (Strike initially)
9d Placed above leaders of all the other people (4)
ATOP – The ‘leaders’ of All The Other People
15d Stone cut, formally approved, and arranged in layers (10)
STRATIFIED – ST – the (cut) abbreviation for Stone and RATIFIED (formally approved)
16d Playwright grasping man who acts badly is obstacle (9)
BARRICADE – BARRIE (the playwright) ‘grasping’ CAD (man who acts badly)
17d A cop went crazy in African city (4,4)
CAPE TOWN – An anagram (crazy) of A COP WENT
18d As usual, Ben messed up, not fit to be employed (8)
UNUSABLE – An anagram (messed up) of AS USUAL BEN
20d Reduced access for French artist (6)
INGRES – Reduce or remove the final letter from INGRESS (access)
22d Effective drink for party on Fourth of July (6)
PUNCHY – PUNCH (drink for party) and Y (the ‘fourth’ of JulY)
23d Fail to notice single person? Not he (4)
MISS – A verb meaning to fail to notice or a single person that isn’t a man (not he)
25d Short river, hardly stream (4)
RILL – R (abbreviation, short of River) ILL (hardly)
S1