ST 2751

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2751

A full review by gnomethang

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

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 6th July 2014

The usual great puzzle – I found this quite straightforward but still raising smiles along the way

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Across

1a           American in party concerning host (10)
REPUBLICAN – RE for concerning/reference then a PUBLICAN or host of a tavern.

6a           Prospect of life in Paris with wife (4)
VIEW – A charade of VIE, the French (in Paris) of life then the abb. of W(ife).

9a           Part of speech supporting no multinational organisation (7)
PRONOUN – Another charade, this time of PRO (supporting), NO from the clue then the UN , United Nations/multinational organisation.

10a         Sporting event in summer, e.g. at Taunton (7)
REGATTA – The boating event is hidden in the last 4 words of the clue.

12a         They keep stealing things — task policeman bungled (13)
KLEPROMANIACS – An anagram (bungled) of TASK POLICEMAN.

14a         They are mostly awfully coarse (6)
EARTHY – An anagram of all but the last letter of THEY AR(e) which is indicated by ‘mostly’ and ‘awfully’.

15a         Break where some locks have been cut (8)
INFRINGE – To break a rule. Some locks of your hair might be cut IN the FRINGE.

17a         Country in grip of left-winger, in other words (8)
RESTATED – STATE for country inside a RED or left-winger.

19a         Pass, in parts of race, European after European (6)
ELAPSE – Place some LAPS of a race inside E(uropean) twice.

22a         I, for example, making excellent landlord (7,6)
CAPITAL LETTER – The definition is neatly hidden at the start. An excellent landlord might be a CAPITAL LETTER/one who lets a property.

24a         Outlaw captured by a fellow in desert (7)
ABANDON – Place BAN (outlaw as a verb) inside A DON/a fellow of a college.

25a         Male one included in cast is visibly amused (7)
SMILING – M for Male and I for one inside SLING (cast/throw).

26a         Backed host’s call to stop getting drinks put out (4)
EMIT – The host from 1a will call TIME at 11 O’Clock in the UK. Reverse this (make it ‘backed’).

27a         Composing melody for little children (6-4)
CRADLE-SONG – I wasn’t familiar with this compound noun. It is a lullaby that will help compose a child when going to sleep. Quite a nice cryptic definition.

Down

1d           Like a painter of poor quality (4)
ROPY – Remember that a painter (and a sheet) are both nautical ropes. Hence ROPY or rope-like.

2d           Stupid person offering inferior wine to ruler (7)
PLONKER – Place PLONK (inferior wine) before ER. Elizabeth Regina (our current ruler in the UK).

3d           Hear Ted may be grief-stricken (6-7)
BROKEN HEARTED – Place a space or break in ‘HEAR TED’ i.e. it is broken.

4d           Beginners leaving rig on site set on fire (6)
IGNITE – Remove the beginning letters from (r)IG (o)N (s)ITE.

5d           I’m taken in by a mate, producing bitterness (8)
ACRIMONY – Place I’M inside A CRONY/mate.

7d           Parted from popular humorous author (2,5)
IN TWAIN – Parted as in split or rent asunder. IN for popular and Mark TWAIN – a humorous author.

8d           At all others, wave frantically (10)
WHATSOEVER – An anagram (frantically) of OTHERS WAVE.

11d         Unlikely transport for officer? Everything stops for it (7,6)
GENERAL STRIKE – If split as GENERAL’S TRIKE it would certainly be an odd form of transport for a military man!.

13d         Protest against absorbing current fall in value (10)
DEPRECIATE – Place I, the S.I symbol for Current, inside DEPRECATE or protest.

16d         European citizen in trio ending off four months on ship (8)
BERLINER – My last one in. Four months end in the 3 letters (trio)-BER. Then add a LINER or ship.

18d         Thus princess brings in piano for top singers (7)
SOPRANI – The plural of Soprano. SO (thus) and RANI (an Indian princess) with P for Piano included.

20d         Some support I constructed for covered entrance (7)
PORTICO – A hidden word (indicated by ‘some’) inside ‘supPORT I COnstructed.

21d         Stopped being Conservative, became moderate (6)
CEASED – Simply C for Conservative and EASED/became moderate.

23d         Excited to have a game in East Germany, initially (4)
AGOG – A from the clue, then the eastern board game of GO followed by the initial letter of Germany.

Thaaks to Virgilius for the entertainment, I will see you all tomorrow morning