Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2925
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 12th November 2017
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Not quite the birthday treat it could have been – typing the review makes me wonder whether this was because six of the first nine Across clues required something to be inserted into something else, and two of the others were anagrams. There’s a similar situation towards the end of the Downs too – three insertions and two anagrams in six clues. What’s more there’s not a single trademark lurker but two lots of ‘hip’. Still a good Sunday crossword, but not quite as much enjoyment as usual for me
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Across
1a Remarkable theory won’t, when revised (10)
NOTEWORTHY – An anagram (when revised) of THEORY WONT
6a Dishonest activity taking son to front of academic stream (4)
SCAM – S (son) in front of CAM (the ‘stream’ that gives the University City of Cambridge its name
9a Arrogant newcomer wrongly put over top player (7)
UPSTART – An anagram (wrongly) of PUT over STAR (top player)
10a Devout accepting empty temple? That’s pathetic (7)
PITEOUS – PIOUS (devout) ‘accepting’ the outside letters (empty) of TemplE
12a Finished in one sitting? Novel you reportedly pan wouldn’t be (13)
UNPUTDOWNABLE – An anagram (novel) of U (you ‘reportedly’) and PAN WOULDN’T BE
14a In place of fighting, is standing up (6)
RISING – IS (from the clue) inserted in RING (place of fighting)
15a Asked, in conclusion, what choir sounds like (8)
ENQUIRED – QUIRE (a homophone – sounds like – of choir) inserted into END (conclusion)
17a Taking flight from East, break into song when over limit (8)
ESCAPING – E (east) and SING (break into song) ‘over’ CAP (limit)
19a Pair holding hands, grasping broken piece of flower (6)
STAMEN – S and N (pairs holding hands of cards in a game of bridge) ‘grasping’ TAME (broken in the sense of taming a horse)
22a Enterprise Utopians initially put together? (8,5)
EUROPEAN UNION – Expand the usual abbreviations indicated by the initial letters of Enterprise and Utopians
24a Article after article with added mass – letter-sorter can handle it (7)
ANAGRAM – A (indefinite article) goes after AN (another article) and GRAM (mass) is then added
25a Set small bed beside big lake (7)
COTERIE – COT (small bed) beside ERIE (one of the big Great Lakes)
26a Minute can last for eternity? (4)
TINY – TIN (can) and the last letter of eternitY
27a So tried to change fashionable position, on paper (10)
EDITORSHIP – An anagram (change) of SO TRIED TO followed by the first appearance of HIP meaning fashionable
Down
1d Verb or adjective, say, as part of speech (4)
NOUN – Verb and adjective are both examples of words that are nouns (parts of speech)
2d After onset of tears, gives out these? (7)
TISSUES – T (the onset of Tears) ISSUES (gives out)
3d Reportedly knocking publication that provides present coverage (8,5)
WRAPPING PAPER – A homophone (reportedly) of RAPPING (knocking) plus PAPER (publication)
4d Spin after moonshine’s consumed (6)
ROTATE – ROT (moonshine) ATE (consumed)
5d Part of body found in trendy establishment (3,5)
HIP JOINT – Another appearance for HIP (trendy) followed by JOINT (establishment)
7d Means to exert leverage in constant dispute with lawyers (7)
CROWBAR – C (constant) ROW (dispute) BAR (lawyers)
8d Wrongly judging motorway is north of English university town (10)
MISREADING – M (motorway) IS (from the clue) north of (on top of) READING (English university town)
11d Part of shoe on dishonest person? It’s hard to say (6-7)
TONGUE-TWISTER – TONGUE (part of shoe) TWISTER (dishonest person)
13d Mishandled trial never producing material? Not so (10)
IRRELEVANT – An anagram (mishandled) of TRIAL NEVER
16d Not having weapons around hospital, so not injured (8)
UNHARMED – UNARMED (not having weapons) ‘around’ H (hospital)
18d I recant after conversion, for sure (7)
CERTAIN – An anagram (after conversion) of I RECANT
20d Leading lady or man performing in moving protest (7)
MONARCH – ON (performing) in MARCH (moving protest)
21d Left cold during musical piece that’s sweet and soothing (6)
DULCET – L (left) and C (cold) in DUET (musical piece)
23d Spring this year’s a little longer than most (4)
LEAP A verb meaning to spring or a cryptic definition of a year with 366 days rather than 365
B1