Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2975

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 28^th October 2018

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

Another splendid Sunday – I’m talking about the crossword, not the weather!

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Little time left in warm embrace is dear (6)
COSTLY – T (little or abbreviated time) and L (left) inserted in a COSY (warm) embrace

4a    Constituent is an ardent supporter (8)
PARTISAN – PART (constituent) and IS AN (from the clue)

10a    Nothing in court contest producing true partnership (4,5)
LOVE MATCH – LOVE (tennis score – in court) MATCH (contest)

11a    Lacking skill in Italian holding writer back (5)
INEPT – IT (Italian) holding a reversal (back) of PEN (writer)

12a    Tanker installing right navigational aid on computer (7)
BROWSER – BOWSER (a tanker which Mr CS insists is American but the BRB thinks Australian or New Zealand) ‘installing’ R (right)

13a    American serving in pub using premises correctly, for example (7)
LOGICAL – GI (American serving) in LOCAL (pub) – premises here being propositions rather than properties

14a    Temperature, approximately, in part of body (5)
TORSO – T (temperature) OR SO (approximately)

15a    Namely, swallowing blend I mixed that’s bad for consumer (8)
INEDIBLE – IE (namely) swallowing an anagram (mixed) of BLEND I

18a    Origin of glow, a small lamp (8)
GASLIGHT – G (the ‘origin’ of Glow) A (from the clue) SLIGHT (small)

20a    What left and right have in common with moderate guy (5)
TEASE – The words left and right both have a T in common and should be added to EASE (moderate)

23a    Composer of the year as represented in pieces (7)
VIVALDI – My favourite clue – this composer was responsible for the Four Seasons, a group of four violin concertos, one for each season of the year

25a    Pay no attention to piece of instruction, e.g. lecture (7)
NEGLECT – Lurking in a piece of instructioN EG LECTure

26a    One emperor backed another’s follower (5)
RASTA – A reversal (backed) of A TSAR (one emperor) produces someone who regards Haile Selassie, the former Emperor of Ethiopia as divine

27a    Performer who needs to take a bow before starting (9)
VIOLINIST – A lovely cryptic definition

28a    Standard combination of gold, foreign currency, and yen (8)
ORDINARY – OR (heraldic term for gold) DINAR (foreign currency) Y (yen)

29a    Partly why bridge is crossed? (6)
HYBRID – Lurking in wHY BRIDge

Down

1d    Not in union — albeit, oddly, in organisation allowing it (8)
CELIBATE – An anagram (oddly) of ALBEIT inserted into CE (Church of England which allows their priests to be married, unlike the Roman Catholic church which does not)

2d    Various changes, and person who delivers others (7)
SAVIOUR – An anagram (changes) of VARIOUS

3d    Soft material that once formed cover for little jumper (9)
LAMBSWOOL – I think I’ll call this lovely clue my Down favourite. Senf wasn’t sure about the ‘jumper’ reference – he’s obviously not observed small lambs at play for the few weeks before they settle down and start grazing like grown up sheep

5d    A most unfriendly conclusion about possible site of leg injury (8,6)
ACHILLES TENDON – A (from the clue) CHILLEST (most unfriendly) END (conclusion) ON (about)

6d    Article in no need of trimming? Good (5)
THING – THIN (in no need of trimming) G (good)

7d    Means of creating letters, say, clients reproduced (7)
STENCIL – An anagram (reproduced) of CLIENTS

8d    It’s clear oddly deficient clues irritate (6)
NETTLE – NET (clear)followed by the even (oddly deficient) letters of cLuEs

9d    Precious material pirate found under site of castle, we hear (8,6)
STERLING SILVER – SILVER (fictional pirate) found under a homophone (we hear) of STIRLING (site of castle)

16d    Popular rising still without courage or honour (9)
INTEGRITY – IN (popular) and a reversal (rising) of YET (still) goes ‘without’ GRIT (courage)

17d    Communist’s taken over country, in other words (8)
RESTATED – RED (Communist) ‘taken over’ STATE (country)

19d    In brief, part of speech is edited as suggested (7)
ADVISED – ADV (adverb, part of speech) IS (from the clue) ED (edited)

21d    Artist upset about revolutionary elite creating studio (7)
ATELIER – A reversal (upset) of RA (artist) goes about an anagram (revolutionary) of ELITE

22d    In charge of party, be excessively active (6)
OVERDO – OVER (in charge of) DO (party)

24d    Initially lacking merit, succeed as student (5)
LEARN – L (lacking initially) EARN (merit)

Unless Gnomey has to work overtime on the next two Wednesday evenings, this will be my last chance to blog a Virgilius Sunday Prize Puzzle    I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank him for all the wonderful crosswords which have been such a joy to solve and a pleasure to explain.   I look forward to the ‘occasional’ appearances and wish him well for the future