ST 2687

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2687

A full review by crypticsue

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

Sundays are the highlight of my crosswording  week and so it is no hardship at all to stand in for Gnomey  while he is on his hols.    My top favourites in this particular fine example of a Virgilius puzzle were 15a, 17a, 26a, and 27a.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.  You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.

Across

1a           A substance consumed by male, rather naughty in legal office (10)
MAGISTRACY –   Insert A (from the clue) and GIST (substance) between M (male) and RACY (rather naughty).

6a           Substitute put in for striker,     as result of injury (4)
SCAB –  Double definition – someone who works during a strike or what little boys’ knees are usually covered with!

9a           Dramatic success for act of betrayal (4-3)
SELL-OUT  –   To  betray one’s principles could describe a theatre performance so popular that all the seats had sold.

10a         Member of class left good source of income (7)
LEARNER –   L (left) and EARNER (good source of income).

12a         Following a trend, in a way (5,1,7)
AFTER A FASHION –   AFTER (following) A (from the clue) and FASHION (trend).

14a         In hospital, immersed in a large volume (2,4)
AT HOME –   Insert H (hospital) into A TOME (large book, volume).

15a         They remind some men to saw a couple of bits off each end (8)
MEMENTOS –   Found hidden  in soME MEN TO Saw – once you have cut off two letters either end.

17a         Source of support for Edward II (8)
SECONDER –    Edward II was of course, the SECOND ER (second Edward Rex).

19a         Butt of jokes is too gentlemanly, to some extent (6)
STOOGE –   Hidden in iS TOO GEntlemanly.

22a         Noise from horse initially blows cover for us in vicinity (13)
NEIGHBOURHOOD –   NEIGH (noise from horse) B (the initial letter of blows) and OUR HOOD (cover for us).

24a         The drum he’d taken out, favourite instrument (7)
TRUMPET –  Remove the letters H, E and D from T[he d]RUM and follow with PET (favourite).

25a         It is where you think, this country? (7)
BRITAIN –     IT is inserted into BRAIN (where you think).

26a         Conclusions reached in the media, perhaps, overly simple (4)
EASY –   The ‘conclusions’ of thE mediA perhapS and overlY.

27a         You’ll find it thus in hospitality suite (10)
REPEATEDLY –    ‘it’ is found repeatedly in hospITalITy suITe.

Down

1d           Nobody’s wife is a failure? (4)
MISS –   Double definitions again –  an unmarried lady or  a failure.

2d           Heavyweight fighter needing a light arranged over ring (7)
GOLIATH –   An anagram (arranged) of A LIGHT with O (a ring) inserted.

3d           Fair acting in play represented in prim snapshots (13)
SPORTSMANSHIP –  An anagram (represented) of IN PRIM SNAPSHOTS.

4d           Right clue finally leading to wrong answer (6)
RETORT  – R (right) E (the final letter of clue) and TORT (wrong).

5d           Failure of nerve due to lack of adequate hose? (4,4)
COLD FEET –  To be in a state of fear, not necessarily because you haven’t any socks on.

7d           Caught, then appearing versus court, one gets put inside (7)
CONVICT –   C (caught in cricket scoring)  ON (appearing) V (versus) I (one put inside) CT (abbreviation for court).

8d           Women entitled to give piece of music zero points (10)
BARONESSES –  BAR (piece of music) O (zero) and N E S S E S (all examples of compass points).

11d         Non-committal type, awfully obstinate, isn’t changing (13)
ABSTENTIONIST –   There appear to be two anagram indicators here –   awfully tells you to rearrange OBSTINATE, and changing ISNT.

13d         Wrong on estimate for accommodation (10)
MAISONETTE –   And another anagram (wrong), this time of ON ESTIMATE.

16d         Bound over unnamed adolescent, one who has been expelled (8)
DEPORTEE –   A reversal (over) of ROPED (bound) followed by TEE (a ‘teen’ or adolescent with the N for name removed).

18d         Exclusive groups have measured intelligence in things like this (7)
CLIQUES –  Insert IQ (measured intelligence) into CLUES (things like this one, 18d).

20d         Person who’s experienced untold handicaps, in part (3,4)
OLD HAND –  Hidden in part of  untOLD HANDicaps.

21d         Belter given new arrangement for top singer (6)
TREBLE –  An anagram (new arrangement) of BELTER – a top singer because it’s one of the highest voices.

23d         Diplomat with no love for green cause (4)
ENVY –   The cause of making us ‘green’ –   remove O (no love) from a diplomatic ENV[o]Y

Gnomey is enjoying ‘spoiling a good walk’ in the  Spanish sunshine so I will be back in the morning with the review of last Saturday’s puzzle.