ST2997

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2997

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 31^st March 2019

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

Morning All! – Thanks to CS for sending this over to me. I’ve been flat out for the last couple of weeks!

Across

1a           Understand downward measurement (6)
FATHOM –  A nice double definition with a particularly good cryptic definition for the second meaning

5a           Enjoy what might add flavour (6)
RELISH – Another double definition

10a        Unit also crossing river, heading for Paris (5)
TROOP – TOO (also) ‘crossing’ R (river) followed by P (the heading for Paris)

11a        Dud and I came to tour old country (9)
MACEDONIA – An anagram (dud) of AND I CAME ‘touring’ O (old)

12a        Cooking vessel disgusting, so in a tizzy (7)
PANICKY – PAN (cooking vessel) ICKY (disgusting)

13a        Gem finally pocketed by dodgy dealer — this one? (7)
EMERALD – M (the final letter of gem) ‘pocketed’ by an anagram (dodgy) of DEALER

14a        Dubious article between furniture items, face to face (9)
DEBATABLE- BED and TABLE (furniture items), face to face indicating the need to reverse the BED so that the ‘faces’ or front letters are next to each other, an A (article) should then be inserted between them

17a        Adjoining rooms adorable, by the sound of it (5)
SUITE – A homophone (by the sound of it) of SWEET (adorable)

18a        Straight path’s ending below (5)
NEATH – NEAT (straight) H (path’s ‘ending’)

19a        Foolish Icarus, too shocking (9)
ATROCIOUS – An anagram (foolish) of ICARUS TOO

21a        Assessment devoured, having the will (7)
TESTATE – TEST (assessment) ATE (devoured)

23a        Cheerful sculptor? (7)
CHIPPER – My dad always used this word when he was cheerful – it might also describe a sculptor

25a        Hurtful, shade reflective having broken heart (9)
CORROSIVE – A reversal (reflective) of VISOR (shade)  inserted between COR and E (a broken heart)

26a        Relative in Greece injured back (5)
NIECE – How nice to have this clued by a reversed lurker rather than having something inserted into a French city – This relative can be found in GreECE INjured

27a        Label covering each black container full of holes (3,3)
TEA BAG – TAG (label) covering EA (each) and B (black)

28a        Perfect Europeans (6)
POLISH – This double definition is an old friend of the crossword solver

Down

2d           Seed in a load of old chestnuts? (5)
ACORN – And talking of old friends … A (from the clue) followed by CORN (a load of old chestnuts – several of which can be found in some of the clues/solutions of this crossword)

3d           Block after short journey creating minor diversion? (9)
HOPSCOTCH – SCOTCH (block) goes after HOP (short journey)

4d           Possible call from child, one kept under wraps (5)
MUMMY – What a child might call has the same name as an ancient Egyptian kept under wraps

5d           Method of torture alien and always criminal (9)
RACKETEER – RACK (method of torture) ET (alien) EER (poetical word meaning ever)

6d           Gold daubed on bottom of white stick (5)
LODGE – An anagram (daubed) of GOLD goes on top of an E (the bottom letter of white)

7d           A new month occupying Chinese nation (3,6)
SAN MARINO – A (from the clue) N (new) MAR (month of March) inserted into (occupying) SINO (Chinese)

8d           Gormless boss saving character from Athens (6)
STUPID – STUD (boss) ‘saving’ PI (Greek letter – from Athens)

9d           Get a grip on composer, audibly (6)
HANDLE – A homophone (audibly) of HANDEL (composer)

15d        Restaurant put some orchestral players on lake (9)
BRASSERIE – BRASS (some orchestral players) on lake ERIE

16d        State in existence, working hard (9)
BEAVERING – AVER (state) in BEING (existence)

17d        Model in a closet in various pieces (9)
SECTIONAL – An anagram (model) of IN A CLOSET

18d        Detect water as liquid or vapour, by deduction? (6)
NOTICE – if water is liquid or vapour, then by deduction it is NOT ICE

20d        Redevelopment of Dorset dealt with (6)
SORTED – An anagram (redevelopment) of DORSET

22d        Killer doctor after mix of blood types? (1-4)
A-BOMB – MB (doctor) goes after ABO (a mix of blood types found in the ABO system

23d        Tweet deserving contempt, did you say? (5)
CHEAP – A homophone (did you say) of CHEEP (tweet)

24d        Smooth journalists (5)
PRESS – A very old friend of a double definition