Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2948

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 22nd April 2018

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

Morning All! I found this a very good crossword that was over a bit too quickly.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

8a           Sheltered location in main general hospital area (7)
LEEWARD – The General LEE and a WARD (general hospital area).

10a         Pupil’s situation, being subject to examination (7)
EYEBALL – The pupil is situated in the EYEBALL and the cryptic definition is EYEBALL being a visual examination of a face/person.

11a         Old clue’s convoluted, second is totally clear (9)
CLOUDLESS – An anagram (convoluted) of OLD CLUE followed by S for Second.

12a         Economist said to be making money in his country no longer (5)
MARKS – The German economist and the former currency of Germany.

13a         Possibly watch male entering bank (5)
TIMER – M for Male inside a TIER or bank.

14a         Events at sea get a tar excited (7)
REGATTA – An anagram (excited) of GET A TAR and a perfect clue in my book.

17a         Funny programme that’s abridged in series it completes (9,6)
SITUATION COMEDY – The abb. SITCOM is hidden in the last 3 words of the clue!

19a         Drink beer, mostly chilled, when it’s hot inside (7)
ALCOHOL – Most of AL(e)/beer then COOL/chill with H for Hot inside.

21a         Daily crime (5)
THEFT – One London daily paper is the Financial Times also known as THE FT for short. Crime being the straight definition.

24a         Large branch acquired, losing little time (5)
BOUGH – Remove the T for Time from BOUGH(t) or acquired.

26a         Purge all extreme characters from party — the British complaint (9)
ARTHRITIS – The instruction is to remove or purge all external (extreme) letters from (p) ART (y) (t)H(e) (b)RITIS(h).

27a         Ponders, when confused, to get answer (7)
RESPOND – A confused anagram of PONDERS.

28a         Preserve bit of golf course that’s best avoided when driving (7)
POTHOLE – A charade of POT (preserve, like jug) and then a HOLE on a golf course.

Down

1d           Obtain conclusion from judge consistent with law (6)
ELICIT – The final letter (conclusion) in (judg)E followed by LICIT or legal/consistent with law.

2d           Change layout in part of theatre for matinee (8)
REFORMAT – A hidden word which is part of theat RE FOR MAT inee.

3d           Repeatedly note tree rot (10)
BALDERDASH – A lovely clue. Repeat a musical note and a tree twice – B + ALDER then D + ASH.

4d           Novel athletic event that makes the papers (9)
NEWSPRINT – A charade of NEW (novel) and a SPRINT race.

5d           Country without any end or beginning (4)
GERM – Remove the ANY from the end of the country GERMANY.

6d           Kind of cake that’s positively motivating (6)
CARROT – A CARROT cake and the nice alternative to the stick.

7d           Set of definitions a lexicographer finally put in magazine (8)
GLOSSARY – Place A from the clue and the final letter in (lexicographe)R inside a GLOSSY magazine.

9d           Parliament providing plan for consumers (4)
DIET – Two definitions – The e.g. German parliament and a foos regime.

15d         Produce text for another good entertainer, correctly pronounced (5-5)
GHOST-WRITE – G for Good followed by a HOST or entertainer and finally WRITE, a homophone (pronounced) of right or correctly.

16d         Crows, for example, about all I messed up in sport (9)
Place a messed-up anagram of ALL I inside BIRDS – of which crows are an example.

17d         Holder of weapon, person who won’t strike poet (8)
SCABBARD – A charade of a SCAB or strike-breaker and a BARD/poet.

18d         Skilled but penniless, one supported by hard work (8)
EXERTION – Remove the P (penniless) from EX(p)ERT and then add I for one and ON for ‘supported by’

20d         Lots of people who sail, we hear, do so for pleasure (6)
CRUISE – A homophone (we hear) of CREWS or people who sail.

22d         Experienced altered state with first of drugs (6)
TASTED – An anagram (altered) of STATE with the first letter in D(rugs).

23d         A spinner’s over (4)
ATOP – A from the clue and TOP for spinner (a spinning TOP).

25d         Cool, paradoxically, about duck making other bird’s call (4)
HOOT – HOT, the antonym (paradoxically) of cool around/about O for a duck, zero.

Thanks to the setter – I’ll see you all tomorrow.