ST 2935

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2935

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on 21^st January 2018

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

It is very hard to find something new and original to say about the lovely treats we get from Virgilius each Sunday. It’s also a shame that Kath’s New Year Resolution is comment more on the weekend puzzle reviews as I’d really like to list lots of clues I really like this week

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    Start of pitching really upset bad sailor? (6)
PIRATE – P (the ‘start’ of Pitching) IRATE (really upset)

4a    Policy’s revised about masculine sporting event (8)
OLYMPICS – An anagram (revised) of POLICYS ‘about’ M (masculine)

10a    Big island in a lake in mountainous land (9)
AUSTRALIA – A L (a lake) in AUSTRIA (mountainous land)

11a    Garment worn for warmth in mostly chilly area (5)
PARKA – Most of PARKy (chilly) A (area)

12a    Developing book about section of party (7)
BREWING – B (book) RE (about) WING (section of party)

13a    I caught African animal in country with greater latitude (7)
ICELAND – I (from the clue) C (caught) ELAND (African animal)

14a    Extreme pieces of literature put together in volume (5)
LITRE – Extreme indicates that we need to put together pieces of the word LITeratuRE. Took me a while to realise that I needed more pieces from one end than the other as there isn’t anything to tell you this in the clue

15a    Showing fierce determination and unusual grit, is he? (8)
TIGERISH – An anagram (unusual) of GRIT IS HE

18a    For French form of address, is entering Parisian street name? Au contraire! (8)
MONSIEUR – IS (from the clue) entering RUE (Parisian street) and NOM (French word for name). Au contraire! Is the instruction to reverse the result

20a    Excessively consuming salt is forbidden (5)
TABOO – TOO (excessively) ‘consuming’ AB (salt here referring to an Able-Bodied Seaman, sailor)

23a    One way of working that includes bygone painting technique (7)
IMPASTO – I (one) MO (Modus Operandi, way of working) that ‘includes’ PAST (bygone)

25a    Declaration in church before line is added to English worship (7)
IDOLISE – I DO (declaration in church) L (line) IS (from the clue) E (English)

26a    Less expensive –- reduced by a penny? Hurrah! (5)
CHEER – Reduce CHEAPER (less expensive) by removing A and P (penny)

27a    Something done about match, perhaps, that makes one happy (9)
DELIGHTED – DEED (something done) ‘about’ LIGHT (match, perhaps)

28a    Trade was switched away from West (8)
EASTWARD – An anagram (switched) of TRADE WAS

29a    Name on piece of neckwear snatched (6)
STOLEN – N (name) goes on or after STOLE (piece of neckwear)

Down

1d    Co-operate in theatrical performance with dance (4,4)
PLAYBALL – PLAY (theatrical performance) with BALL (dance)

2d    Hold in high regard, in particular (7)
RESPECT – Double definition

3d    Has meal consumed by sailors, characteristic of boat to China? (9)
TARDINESS – DINES (has meal) ‘consumed by’ TARS (sailors). I’d nominate this as Clue of the Day, even if it did leave me with an earworm

5d    Object after guiding editor’s work (7,7)
LEADING ARTICLE – ARTICLE (object) after LEADING (guiding)

6d    He seizes power that is symbolic in Commonwealth country (5)
MAPLE – MALE (he) ‘seizes’ P (power) – the Commonwealth country in question being Canada

7d    Progress with it on Greek island, it’s said (7)
INROADS – IN (with it) on a homophone (it’s said) of RHODES (Greek island)

8d    Small and convenient mixed drink (6)
SHANDY – S (small) and HANDY (convenient)

9d    Female easily carried instrument in black box (6,8)
FLIGHT – F (female) LIGHT (easily carried) RECORDER (musical instrument)

16d    Not completely sure, though tester made another assessment (9)
RETHOUGHT – Lurking in part of (not completely) suRE THOUGH Tester

17d    Olympian tragically poisoned (8)
POSEIDON – An anagram (tragically) of POISONED

19d    He lost his wife taking her up, so awfully (7)
ORPHEUS – An anagram (awfully) of HER UP SO. Having known that Orpheus did lose his wife, I did send Mr CS off to his reference books to check whether the Olympian in 17d was poisoned, but apparently not

21d    Large numbers turned up after sailing ship docked in port (7)
BRISTOL – LOTS (large numbers ) reversed (turned up in a Down clue) after a BRIG (sailing ship) without its last letter (docked)

22d    Blunder when playing music ruined performance, ultimately (6)
MISCUE – An anagram (ruined) of MUSIC followed by E (performancE ‘ultimately’)

24d    Prop in second team (5)
SCREW – S (second) CREW (team) – a screw being another term for a propeller

 

S1