Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2959

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 8^th July 2018

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

You know exactly what you are going to get on a Sunday morning and this Sunday Prize Crossword didn’t disappoint. Lots to enjoy- my Across favourite is 1a and my Down favourite 1d

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Across

1a    What’s good in dish topped with pastry covering? (6)
PIGEON – G (good) in PIE (dish topped with pastry) followed by ON (covering)

4a    Like every story and old record (3-5)
TWO-SIDED – Because as everyone knows, there are two sides to every story

10a    Short suit or vest being worn (9)
SINGLETON – A single card of its suit in a hand – SINGLET (vest) ON (being worn)

11a    Headless chicken or other bird (5)
RAVEN – Remove the ‘head’ or first letter from cRAVEN (chicken in the sense of cowardly)

12a    One vehicle after another for group of travellers (7)
CARAVAN – A VAN (one vehicle) goes after CAR (another vehicle)

13a    Insert minute sketch in it (7)
IMPLANT – M (minute) PLAN (sketch) inserted into IT (from the clue)

14a    Member of clergy clipped page three, for example (5)
RECTO – Clip the final letter from RECTOr (member of clergy) to get a printing term for the right-hand page in a book

15a    Took in gold found in berth? (8)
ABSORBED – OR (heraldic term for gold) inserted in ABS (sailor’s) BED (berth)

18a    Reverse as taken to heart by less polished campaigner (8)
CRUSADER – A reversal of AS (from the clue) ‘taken to heart’ or inserted into CRUDER (less polished)

20a    Half-hearted American playwright’s competitor, in long run (5)
MILER – Remove one of the L’s at the heart of the American playwright Arthur MILLER

23a    Significant reason for not eating in restaurant (7)
NOTABLE – Split your solution 2, 5 to understand the second part of the clue

25a    Male with an indication of scholarly achievement, not youth (7)
MANHOOD – M (male) AN (from the clue) HOOD (an indication of scholarly achievement)

26a    E.g. alternating with king or queen in monarchy (5)
REIGN – EG (from the clue) alternates with R (Rex or Regina, king or queen) and IN (from the clue)

27a    Different entrances needed on the way back up (9)
RENASCENT – An anagram (different) of ENTRANCES

28a    Tired holding power supported by arms (8)
WEAPONRY – WEARY (tired) holding P (power) ON (supported by)

29a    Reached finish with no difficulty, breaking record (6)
CEASED – EASE (no difficulty) inserted into (breaking) CD (record)

Down

1d    It’s addressed by message — other side often has a view (8)
POSTCARD – The perfect cryptic definition of a postcard

2d    Non-specific info on Central American? (7)
GENERIC – GEN (info) on the letters found centrally in AmERICan

3d    Line I inserted in manifest that’s not sensible (9)
OBLIVIOUS – L (line) and I (from the clue) inserted into OBVIOUS (manifest)

5d    Endlessly wine and dine people in bar? Blow that! (4,10)
WIND INSTRUMENT – Remove the ‘ends’ from WINe and DINe and then insert MEN (people) into STRUT (bar)

6d    Barely finished performance in sporting outfit (5)
STRIP – A double definition with a nice surface reading

7d    Stray fruit I have cut up inside (7)
DEVIATE – Insert a reversal (up) of IVE (an abbreviated (cut) way of saying I have) inside a DATE (fruit)

8d    Present put on a tree, oddly (6)
DONATE – DON (put on) A (from the clue) and the odd letters of TrEe

9d    Rebranded a star, transformed into leader of movement (8-6)
STANDARD-BEARER – An anagram (transformed) of REBRANDED A STAR

16d    Think about past crimes in reformed state, ultimately (9)
REMINISCE – An anagram (reformed) of CRIMES IN followed by the ‘ultimate’ letter of statE

17d    Went hunting, as happened before (8)
PREDATED – Hunted for prey or to be earlier than

19d    Drink everything contained by overturned canisters (7)
RETSINA – Lurking (contained) in reverse (overturned) in cANISTERs

21d    Pound is small, housing single feline (7)
LIONESS – L (Pound sterling) IS (from the clue) S (small) ‘housing’ ONE (single)

22d    Prince again securing academic title (6)
ANDREW – ANEW (again) ‘securing’ DR (academic title)

24d    Triumphant cry from British dominating home game (5)
BINGO – B (British) going over (dominating) IN (home) and GO (Chinese game)