ST 2756

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2756

A full review by crypticsue

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

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 10th August 2014

A nice straightforward Sunday puzzle – perfect for the very tired solver/blogger.   There is always something you notice when typing a review of a puzzle that doesn’t immediately seem obvious when solving – this week there were eleven instances of inserting something into something else.   My favourite clue wasn’t one of those clues, but the splendid 17d.

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Across

1a           It’s repeated the wrong way by an old master (6)
TITIAN –   IT (from the clue)is reversed twice (repeated the wrong way) and followed by AN (from the clue).

4a           Hit and pinched (6)
SWIPED –   A double definition.   To strike with a swipe (hit) or an informal way of saying stolen (pinched).

8a           Unfaithful wife in part of so-called cage (5,3)
FALSE RIB –   FALSE (unfaithful) and RIB (a Biblical word for a wife – Eve was formed from one of Adam’s ribs).

10a         Language that contributes to anger management (6)
GERMAN is hidden in (contributes to) anGER MANagement

11a         Brave conclusions reached by good people of jury (4)
DEFY –   the ‘conclusions’ of gooD peoplE oF jurY.

12a         Staggered because heavy weight I dropped (10)
ASTONISHED –   AS (because) TON (heavy weight) I SHED (I dropped).

13a         Mostly err badly about favourite bird (6,6)
STORMY PETREL –   An anagram (badly) of MOSTLY ERR with PET (favourite) inserted.

16a         Vehement protesting in the event that ruler enters profession (12)
VOCIFERATION –   IF ER (in the event that ER (our Queen, ruler) enters VOCATION (profession).

20a         Dash around shopping centre to get details of contract (5,5)
SMALL PRINT –   MALL (shopping centre) inserted into SPRINT (dash).

21a         Short power cut, thank goodness! (4)
PHEW –   P (a ‘short’ abbreviation for Power) and HEW (cut).

22a         Project about story producing tragic heroine (6)
JULIET –   LIE (story) is inserted into JUT (project, stick out).

23a         Began hugging learner that’s alarmed (8)
STARTLED –   STARTED (began) hugs L (learner).

24a         Lashes out in annoyance (6)
HASSLE is an anagram (out)of LASHES.

25a         Part of flower some plant here (6)
ANTHER is hidden in plANT HERe.

Down

1d           Absurd misrepresentation of attempt to wrap a piece of clothing (8)
TRAVESTY   – A VEST (a piece of clothing) is inserted into (wrap) TRY (attempt).

2d           Before close of play, cricket match becomes bad-tempered (5)
TESTY –   TEST (cricket match) before Y (the close or last letter of play).

3d           Study in a library that’s emptied so soon! (7)
ALREADY –    A (from the clue) followed by READ (study)  inserted between   L  and  Y (the outside letters – that’s emptied – of LibrarY).

5d           Driver missing in combat (7)
WAGONER –   GONE (missing) inserted into WAR (combat).

6d           Abbreviated greeting after wine and cheese (4,5)
PORT SALUT –   PORT (wine) and SALUTe (a greeting with its last letter removed (abbreviated).

7d           Salesman with a line in expensive-sounding animals (6)
DEALER –   A (from the clue) and L (line) inserted into DEER –  animals which are a  homophone of DEAR (expensive)

9d           British are mendacious about female monarchs, say (11)
BUTTERFLIES –   B (British ) UTTER LIES (are mendacious) with F (female)inserted.

14d         Daydreams about large celebrations (9)
REVELRIES –   L (large) is inserted into REVERIES (daydreams).

15d         Old family member shouted warning after driving over animal (8)
FOREBEAR –   FORE (a warning shouted after a golf ball has been hit) and BEAR (animal).

17d         Excellent kind of characters needed for TV but not radio (7)
CAPITAL –   TV is written here in capital letters, radio isn’t!

18d         Keep confining ring-leader to school again (7)
RETRAIN –   R (Ring ‘leader’) is inserted into RETAIN (keep).

19d         Unexpected attack prior to PM joining President (6)
AMBUSH –   As everyone knows, AM (morning) comes before (prior to) PM (afternoon).    AM goes before (prior to)  BUSH (either of the two Presidents with that surname).

21d         In essence, caught lofted shot (5)
PITCH –   C (caught) is inserted into PITH (essence).

 

Thanks once again to Virgilius – Sunday mornings wouldn’t be the same without you.