Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2957
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 24th June 2018
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Not that difficult a solve – handy for the stand-in blogger– but that did allow time to appreciate some splendid surface readings
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Across
1a Like green area — reverse of awful desert (8)
FORESTED – Reverse OF (from the clue) and follow with an anagram (awful) of DESERT
9a Musical work to repeat with variation (8)
OPERETTA – An anagram (with variation) of TO REPEAT
10a Ready to publish what’s in daily, twice? Just the opposite (4)
EDIT – A reversal (just the opposite) of TIDE (what comes in twice a day)
11a Reckoned without precision as a quietly expert team won game (12)
APPROXIMATED – A (from the clue) P (quietly in music notation) PRO (expert) XI (eleven – the number in a team) MATED (won a game of chess)
13a Violent criminal ousting many from Germany full of dread (8)
GANGSTER – Remove (ousting) MANY from GERmany and fill with ANGST (dread)
15a Desired weight I lost (6)
WISHED – W (weight) I (from the clue) SHED (lost)
16a Exhaust, we hear, or other part of car (4)
TYRE – A homophone (we hear) of TIRE (exhaust)
17a Repeatedly strike for hard cash these days (5)
POUND – Double definition, one a verb and the other a description of a £1 coin, not like in the ‘old’ days when it was a paper note
18a Bank that’s really heartless (4)
RELY – Remove the middle two letters (heartless) from REalLY
20a Object to being given another posting? (6)
RESENT – If this were 2,4, it would mean given another posting
21a Tear down line in protest before I shut up (8)
DEMOLISH – DEMO (protest) L (line) I (from the clue) SH (shut up, be quiet)
23a Phrasing sign of spring in reference books (12)
DICTIONARIES – DICTION (phrasing) ARIES (a sign of the Zodiac in the spring)
26a Namely, short day in Rome (4)
IDES – ‘short’ indicates the requirement to remove the last letter from ID ESt (namely)
27a Steps taken by fighters and a crew at sea (3,5)
WAR DANCE – An anagram (at sea) of AND A CREW
28a Listen in when broadcast is left-wing, in a way (8)
LENINIST – An anagram (when broadcast) of LISTEN IN
Down
2d Otherwise name is inserted in personal record, as usual (8)
ORDINARY – OR (otherwise) plus DIARY (personal record) into which is inserted N (name)
3d Complication with people following magical symbol not starting on time (12)
ENTANGLEMENT – MEN (people) following pENTANGLE (magical symbol, not starting or without its first letter) on top of (in a Down solution) T (time)
4d Cheap tea — said where it may be found (6)
TINPOT – T (a homophone (said) of Tea) plus IN POT (where it may be found)
5d Old fogey‘s repeated urge to perform (4)
DODO – Split 2,2 this would produce a repeated urge to perform
6d Critically discussed member of clergy that is married (8)
REVIEWED – REV (member of clergy) IE (that is) WED (married)
7d This kept same text, ultimately? (4)
STET – The ultimate letters of thiS kepT samE texT
8d Start off carelessly, and with little effort to be honest (8)
CANDIDLY – C, the ‘start’ of Carelessly, AND (from the clue) IDLY (with little effort)
12a Kiwi, for example, unfortunately trapped by European (12)
AUSTRALASIAN – ALAS (unfortunately) ‘trapped’ by AUSTRIAN (European)
14d Some golf balls are like this (5)
ROUND – A round of golf or the shape of balls – a splendid surface reading, ideal for the person who should have been blogging this crossword
16d Reduce volume of refuse (4,4)
TURN DOWN – To reduce the volume of a radio, for example, or to refuse to take something
17d Weed, before spring, having no room to grow (8)
POTBOUND – POT (weed) before BOUND (spring)
19d Lethargic and liable to forget some shopping? (8)
LISTLESS – Split this synonym for lethargic 4,4 and you may well have a cause to forget your shopping requirements
22d Workers securing financial support, first of all (6)
MAIDEN – MEN (workers) ‘securing’ AID (financial support)
24d String for one part of CD (4)
CORD – C OR D – one part of CD
25d First person killed in confused situation after leader’s removed (4)
ABEL – Remove the ‘leader’ from bABEL (confused situation)
B2