ST 2767 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 2767

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2767

A full review by gnomethang

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BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ***

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 26th October 2014

Morning All! This was a pretty fast solve and certainly up to the usual standards in enjoyment and smoothness.

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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           After a short time, left opposition in legendary island (8)
ATLANTIS – A from the clue then T (a short/abb. of Time), then L for Left followed by the ANTIS or opposition – A T L ANTIS

9a           Weakness of contract in card game with North or South holding hearts (8)
LOOPHOLE – I wasn’t aware of the card game LOO, but start with that and then place H for Hearts inside a POLE (of which the Earth has the North and South).

10a         United’s new outfit passed around (4)
KNIT – N for new with a KIT/outfit passed around the outside.

11a         I am quietly remaining, then I take off, exhausted (12)
IMPOVERISHED – A charade of IM (from the clue) then P for Piano/quietly, OVER (remaining), I from the clue and finally SHED for removed/sloughed.

13a         Women committed to union could make a scene if agitated (8)
FIANCEES – An anagram (if agitated) of A SCENE IF.

15a         Person from one part of Africa so attached to another (6)
SOMALI – Place MALI (an part of Africa) after SO from the clue.

16a         Farm building above ground, as opposed to cellar, say (4)
BYRE – The homophone of buyer, the opposite of a seller (a homophone, say, of cellar). I like these sort of clues!!

17a         Series of shots producing recovery (5)
RALLY – A straightforward double definition.

18a         Female of higher class in England than in France or US? (4)
DAME – In the UK a Dame is ennobled. In France or the US the term is of a more vulgar provenance (think ‘broad’)

20a         Yell cry of pain, being immature (6)
CALLOW – A charade of a CALL (yell) and OW (a cry of pain).

21a         New player included in side, but antagonised (8)
DEBUTANTE – A hidden word (included in) the last three words.

23a         Like the word you need to write but not the words in the clue (12)
POLYSYLLABIC – The answer describes itself but not the single syllable words that comprise the clue.

26a         Injure part of leg in run? Just the opposite (4)
HARM – Part of a leg is a HAM and R is run. Do the opposite of placing the leg pert in run and place R in HAM – HA R M.

27a         Starts off orchestrating musical piece in original score as this? (8)
COMPOSER – Take the starting letters from Orchestrating Musical Piece and place them in an anagram (original) of SCORE – C OMP OSER.

28a         Argument that’s often heard over church? (4-4)
DING-DONG – A mice definition and cryptic definition. THE BELLS! THE BELLS!.

Down

2d           What’s needed to finish crossword, yet I can’t, weirdly (8)
TENACITY – An anagram (weirdly) of YET I CANT. No such troubles here today!.

3d           It allows us to review a certain ploy, in a way (6,6)
ACTION REPLAY – Another anagram, this time of A CERTAIN PLOY (indicated by ‘in a way/fashion’

4d           Add twice as much nonsense about learner (6)
TRIPLE – To add twice as much to x you get x + 2x = 3x. Also place TRIPE (nonsense) around L for Learner.

5d           Russian, for example, is not a free person — not entirely (4)
SLAV – Remove the last letter (not entirely) from SLAV(e) – a not free person.

6d           Some detour is typical, especially for sightseers (8)
TOURISTY – SOME of the words deTOUR IS Typical.

7d           Harrods is this sort of shop (4)
POSH – A nice and concise clue. Make an anagram of (sort) SHOP.

8d           Insensitive policy that puts writer under pressure (8)
DEADLINE – A charade of DEAD (insensitive) and LINE (policy).

12d         Editor in newspaper upset, longed for house (4-8)
SEMI-DETACHED – Place the ED inside the TIMES newspaper and then reverse (upset) the lot before adding ACHED (longed for) – SEMI DE T ACHED.

14d         Repaired at last and disposed of, we hear (5)
SOLED – Lovely misdirection with the cobbler’s last. A homophone (we hear) of SOLD.

16d         Piece of luggage from one rugby player followed by eight more (8)
BACKPACK – One of the BACK line in Rugby Union followed by the PACK – the 8 forwards in the scrum.

17d         With my words, I transformed antisocial behaviour (8)
ROWDYISM – An anagram (transformed) of MY WORDS I.

19d         Ma’s letters are recited in Asian language (8)
MANDARIN – Ma’s letters are M AND A. Then add R (sounds like ‘are’ when recited) and finally IN from the clue.

22d         Bishop with a blessing for primate (6)
BABOON – A charade of B for Bishop then A BOON/blessing

24d         Retriever, in short, holding minute young creature (4)
LAMB – A retriever is a LAB, short for Labrador. Insert M for Minute.

25d         Master giving choice of ends in football field (4)
LORD – The choice of the end letters in F(ootball fiel)D is L OR D.

Thanks to Virgilius for the puzzle. I’ll see you all tomorrow for a review of last Saturday’s Prize Puzzle.