Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2955
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 10th June 2018
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
It is becoming harder and harder to think of something original to say about the weekly treats from Virgilius. I can’t even say which clues are my favourites for fear of incurring the wrath of Kath, so I’d better just say ‘many thanks once again to our setter’
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Across
1a Some hard stuff leading journalist finished (8)
SCOTCHED – SCOTCH (hard alcohol) ED (leading journalist)
9a Refuse to include in charge one person with authority (8)
OFFICIAL – OFFAL (refuse) to include inside IC (in charge) and I (one)
10a Original type in South America or in part of Western US (4)
INCA – IN CA (in California, part of the West of the United States)
11a Hint about a loner’s dreadfully without human feelings (12)
IMPERSONALLY – IMPLY (hint) goes about an anagram (dreadfully) of A LONERS
13a After pressure, is one cutting rights for detainee? (8)
PRISONER – After P for pressure, IS ONE from the clue goes between (cutting) two lots of the letter R (rights)
15a It’s behind pupil revealing some secret inadvertently (6)
RETINA – Revealed in some secRET INAdvertently
16a Expressions of surprise, taken aback in part of London (4)
SOHO – OH OS (expressions of surprise) reversed (taken aback)
17a British people support couple (5)
BRACE – B (British) RACE (people) go together for this double definition clue.
18a Dated chap — desire unconsummated (4)
COVE – ‘unconsummated’ or unfinished COVET (desire)
20a Attempt to hear what’s silent, oddly (6)
LISTEN- An anagram (oddly) of SILENT
21a Like wayward youth and young woman, shut up (8)
MISSPENT – MISS (young woman) PENT (shut up)
23a Recital isn’t arranged ahead of time for musician (12)
CLARINETTIST – An anagram (arranged) of RECITAL ISNT in front of (ahead of) T (time)
26a Poet‘s old verse I had shortened (4)
OVID – O (old) V (verse) ID (I had ‘shortened’)
27a Nothing I included in payment for letter from faraway region (8)
ORIENTAL – O (nothing) and I ‘included’ in RENTAL payment for letter
28a What’s stressful about a resistance producing delay? (8)
TARRYING – TRYING (stressful) about A (from the clue) and R (resistance)
Down
2d Care endlessly given to musical composition (8)
CONCERTO – CONCERn (care ‘endlessly’) TO (from the clue)
3d Recorder of numbers gives magical lessons? (12)
TRAINSPOTTER – This clue seemed new to a number of solvers on the day, but I’m sure I’ve seen similar clues before where collectors of [train] numbers are split 6,6 to suggest giving lessons in magic to Harry Potter
4d Take place as chaps spend without limits (6)
HAPPEN – Remove the ‘limits’ or outside letters from cHAPs sPENd
5d Going the other way, cross threshold (4)
DOOR – Reverse (going the other way) a ROOD cross
6a About direction to be followed, certainly (2,6)
OF COURSE – OF (about) COURSE (direction to be followed)
7d Reduced weight with badly needed determination (4)
WILL – W (reduced or abbreviated weight) with ILL (badly)
8d Make winning move for friend out of work? (8)
PLAYMATE – Split 4,4 you might make a winning move at a game of chess but this solution refers to a friend outside work
12d Thinking ahead, snap up article dividing Labour? (12)
ANTICIPATORY – A reversal (up in a Down clue) of PIC (snap) and A (article) ‘divide’ ANTI TORY (Labour?)
14d Raise male, ready for new conflict (5)
REARM – REAR (raise) M (male)
16d Chooser of players putting English learner in part (8)
SELECTOR – E (English) and L (learner) put into SECTOR (part)
17d Some money difficulty in plague (8)
BANKNOTE – KNOT (difficulty) in BANE (plague)
19d An event I organised for Casanova, say (8)
VENETIAN – Casanova being an example of someone who came from Venice
22d Thin piece cut from small organ (6)
SLIVER – S (small) LIVER (organ)
24d Wartime alliance having a boundary set up (4)
AXIS – A (from the clue) and a reversal (set up) of SIX (the score you make in cricket when the ball goes over the boundary)
25a List that is like this, initially (4)
LIST – The initial letters of That Is Like This