Sunday Telegraph No 2921

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 15^th October 2017

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****

Such a lot to enjoy as per usual on a Sunday morning – I’ll go for 13a as my favourite for reasons outlined below

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    Monotonous way to vocalise with instrument (7)
HUMDRUM – HUM (way to vocalise) with DRUM (instrument)

5a    Within remaining time, is becoming red (7)
LEFTIST – IS (from the clue) ‘within’ LEFT (remaining) T (time)

9a    Ring concerning something we hear (7)
RESOUND – RE (concerning) SOUND (something we hear)

10a    Out of the ordinary places I recollected (7)
SPECIAL – An anagram (recollected) of PLACES I

11a    Representative who’s becoming more broad-minded? (9)
TRAVELLER – Because as we all know, travel broadens the mind

12a    Quarrel started by daughter, in essence (5)
DRIFT – RIFT ‘started by’ or going after D (daughter)

13a    Stuff covering cake finally? (5)
CREAM – This made me smile, not least because after solving the puzzle and drafting this review, I was going to spend the day making cakes for a Wear It Pink cake event (which turned out to be my best yet, raising £400)

15a    I recover without male doctor, in unethical way (9)
IMMORALLY – I RALLY (I recover) ‘without’ M (male) MO (doctor)

17a    Achieved 50 per cent of score after pro not recalled (9)
FORGOTTEN – FOR (pro, in favour of) TEN (50% of 20, a score)

19a    Leaders of parties on left and right, as different as can be (5)
POLAR – The leaders of Parties On Left And Right

22a    A voyage back as result of making a name for oneself (5)
ALIAS – A (from the clue) and a reversal (back) of SAIL (voyage)

23a    Accepts I must change line that’s dubious (9)
SCEPTICAL – An anagram (must change) of ACCEPTS I followed by L (line)

25a    Figure out about name in reports (7)
GUNFIRE – An anagram (out) of FIGURE goes ‘about’ N (name)

26a    Demand too much of public ahead of a vote (7)
OVERTAX – OVERT (public) A X (vote)

27a    With maximal organisation, temperature falls in it (7)
TIDIEST – T (temperature) and DIES (falls) in IT (from the clue)

28a    Tested product of mine, for example, in a small edition (7)
ASSAYED – SAY (for example) in A S (small) ED (edition)

Down

1d    Dissenter in this position joining spasmodic movement (7)
HERETIC – HERE (in this position) TIC (spasmodic movement)

2d    Million I bet in error (7)
MISTAKE – M (million) I STAKE (I bet)

3d    Libertine consuming good kind of wine from France (5)
ROUGE – ROUE (libertine) ‘consuming’ G (good)

4d    One of best three dinners initially found in menu? (9)
MEDALLIST – D (dinners ‘initially’) found in MEAL LIST (menu)

5d    Chopping out odd pieces, always fears powerful cutter (5)
LASER – chopping out the odd pieces of aLwAyS fEaRs

6d    Expedition for students if led badly leads to fall (5,4)
FIELD TRIP – An anagram (badly) of IF LED leads to, or followed by, TRIP (fall)

7d    First letter one found in old language, then another one turned up (7)
INITIAL – I (the letter one) found in LATIN (old language) and then another I is added, the result being reversed (turned up)

8d    Author raised fortune with second play (7)
TOLSTOY – A reversal (raised) of LOT (fortune) with S (second) TOY (play)

14d    Low number accepting call for peace? Nonsense (9)
MOONSHINE – MOO (low) and NINE (number) ‘accepting’ SH (call for peace)

16d    Maine’s not mistaken for another state (9)
MINNESOTA – An anagram (mistaken) of MAINES NOT

17d    Anxious female with expression of disgust trapped by rodent (7)
FRAUGHT – F (female) with UGH (expression of disgust) trapped by RAT (rodent)

18d    Was ruler guided like Arab, from what we hear? (7)
REIGNED – A homophone (from what we hear) of REINED (guided like an Arab horse)

20d    Flower-girl covering up about it without breaking law (7)
LICITLY – LILY (flower-girl) ‘covering up’ C (about) and IT (from the clue)

21d    About fifty, fired, took it easy (7)
RELAXED – RE (about) L (Roman numeral for 50) AXED (fired)

23d    Thrilled over minimal money being paid out (5)
SPENT – SENT (thrilled) over P (minimal amount of money)

24d    Lock as part of theatre’s security (5)
TRESS – Just as you thought Virgilius had forgotten to include a trademark lurker, he sneaks one in at the end – a lock of hair is found in part of theaTRES Security

B1