Sunday Cryptic No 2936
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 28th January 2018
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Slightly trickier than usual, or perhaps it was just me being tired from a long day out on the Saturday? Either way, there is no contest as to the top clue this week – the lovely double lurker in 14d
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
7a Prepare to shoot at brace of ducks and another bird (8)
COCKATOO – COCK (prepare a gun to shoot) AT (from the clue) OO (two – a brace – of ducks in cricket scoring)
9a Make safe and secure at sea (6)
RESCUE – An anagram (at sea) of SECURE)
10a Lines included in live reading of casual sort (6)
BROWSE – ROWS (lines) included in BE (live)
11a Recruit partner in notable way (8)
SIGNALLY – SIGN (recruit) ALLY (partner)
12a Centre of action involving masked man perhaps in theatre (9,5)
OPERATING TABLE – The centre of action in a hospital theatre
15a Psychoanalyst has no right to take part in ongoing conflict (4)
FEUD – Remove the R (has no right) from FREUD, the psychoanalyst
17a Covering for rest very briefly in double act (5)
DUVET – V (briefly indicating that we need the abbreviation for very) in DUET (double act)
19a In a word, ultimate indication of something lacking? Not so (4)
LESS – Put the solution after quite a few words and you’d get an indication of something lacking – eg careless, peerless, matchless etc
20a Renounce gift –- it could amount to making money illegally (14)
COUNTERFEITING – An anagram (could amount to) of RENOUNCE GIFT IT
23a Cocktail making us drunk before dance (8)
HIGHBALL – HIGH (drunk) before BALL (dance)
25a Champ seen around one European city (6)
MUNICH – MUNCH (champ) around I (one)
27a Thing that’s positive about new agreement (6)
ASSENT – ASSET (thing that’s positive) about N (new)
28a Dog runs with youngster, initially, in place of mine (8)
COLLIERY – COLLIE (dog) R (runs) Y (Youngster, initially)
Down
1d Number of people having a row in small square (4)
FOUR – The number of people in a rowing crew or a small square number
2d More crooked rod used when cooking (6)
SKEWER – A nice misleading double definition as when I first read the clue I wondered if ‘cooking’ was going to be an anagram indicator
3d Swindles some gentle females? (4)
DOES – Depending on how you pronounce the solution it can be a verb meaning swindles or some gentle female deer
4d Area not left in proper fashion (6)
ARIGHT – A (area) RIGHT (not left)
5d One book penned by sultan, possibly, in Eurasian city (8)
ISTANBUL – I (one) followed by B (book) ‘penned by’ an anagram (possibly) of SULTAN
6d Complete English hero that subdues opponent by force of arms (4,6)
FULL NELSON – A wrestling hold is created by linking FULL (complete) and NELSON (English hero)
8d Time and time again, including minute editor sent by phone? (7)
TWEETED – A short message that could be sent using a phone. T (time) and T (time again) ‘including’ WEE (minute), the result finished off with ED (editor)
13d Most moralistic member of clergy interrupted by a head (10)
PREACHIEST – PRIEST (member of clergy) ‘interrupted by’ EACH (a head)
14d One version –- everyone has it twice, not once (5)
NEVER – A lovely double lurker – you can find NEVER twice, once in oNE VERsion and again in versioN EVERyone
16d Part of issue produced by changing of the guard (8)
DAUGHTER – An anagram (changing) of THE GUARD
18d Moving air that’s uplifting for those without power (7)
THERMAL – Moving currents of air used by, for example, gliders
21d Warm tribute before close of play (6)
TOASTY – TOAST (tribute) before Y (the ‘close’ of plaY)
22d Raised offence — what divides opponents in this court action (6)
TENNIS – A reversal (raised in a Down clue) of SIN (offence) and NET (what divides opponents in this court action)
24d Beat for pace (4)
LICK – Double definition, one a verb the other a noun
26d It’s found in bottle of wine — port (4)
CORK – A variation of an old friend of the crossword solver, so not a lot of thought required to solve this double definition clue
S2
CS – I also thought this was one of Mr Greer’s more tricky puzzles so any possible effects of the BB can probably be discounted.
I agree on your selection of favourite, that was quite a brilliant clue.
P.S. You have a minor typo in the solution for 20a – ‘G’ instead of ‘F’.
I left 18d unsolved, intending to return to it later. But I forgot, so thank you, CS, for the solution. I can’t remember coming across the answer to 13d before. By the way, CS, there is a typo in the answer to 20a.
Many thanks to setter and blogger.
Thanks both – now sorted
Thank you for the blog, CS, I remember very much enjoying this one – with the exception of 13d which I thought was somewhat contrived.
14d definitely stood out – I always think that type of clue must demand a great deal of cogitation on the setter’s part.
Yup, 14d clue was top dog for me too! Loved it.
Not only do I remember this one but I’ve also even managed to find it.
I had trouble with 6d.
My joint favourites were 16d, because I have two wonderful ones, and 28a because of the collie. I have to admit that 14d was pretty clever too.
Thanks to Virgilius for the crossword and to CS for the review.
Excuse me? – are my eyes deceiving me? “Joint favourites” – whatever next? – now if you’d called one your Across favourite and the other your Down favourite, that would have been fine, but if anyone else had said ‘joint’ favourites, they’d definitely have been in trouble!