ST 2815

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2815

A full review by gnomethang

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

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 27th September 2015

Morning All!. THis puzzle was definitely in 3 star territory for me due to some exceptionally smooth and concise clues.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.  You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five best!

Across

7a           Old volume found in particular joint (8)
DOVETAIL – Place O(ld) and V for Volume inside DETAIL: or particular.

9a           Man trying to attract woman with diamonds, say, and gold (6)
SUITOR – A charade of a SUIT (e.g. diamonds in cards) and then OR, the heraldic name for gold. Great surface reading.

10a         Practically nothing received by charity ahead of time (6)
ALMOST – Place O for nothing (nil/zip/zero) inside ALMS for charity and then add T for Time.

11a         Fighter that’s outstanding, large and lean (8)
DUELLIST – A charade of DUE (outstanding in a debt) then L for Large and finally LIST for lean.

12a         They can have views without buying lies about popular party points (6-8)
WINDOW-SHOPPERS – A lovely construction. Place WHOPPERS (lies) around (or about) IN (popular/hip), DO for party and W(est) and (South) – two points of the compass. W (IN) (DO) (WS) HOPPERS.

15a         Audible disapproval in this snigger or sigh is strong (4)
HISS – Hidden in both tHIS Snigger and sigH IS Strong.

17a         Rise as bandleader in middle of dance (5)
REBEL – TO rise and take up arms. Place the leading letter of B(andleader) inside a REEL or dance.

19a         Unhappy after the speaker’s been introduced and spoke (4)
SAID – SAD for unhappy with I for the speaker (I as in I am saying) inserted/introduced.

20a         Turned out to cover people on condition it avoids stress (14)
UNDERSTATEMENT – An anagram of TURNED outside of (covering) MEN (people) after (on in an across clue) STATE or condition.

23a         Goes back without penny, so short of cash (8)
STRAPPED – Reverse DEPARTS (goes being back or backwards) outside of (without) P for Penny.

25a         Conclusion still to be decided without pressure up front (6)
ENDING – Remove P, the first letter (without P for Pressure up the front) from (p)ENDING or ‘still to be decided’.

27a         Drink repeatedly passed around, say, quietly (6)
MURMUR – Repeatedly reverse (pass round) the delicious drink of RUM.

28a         A Tory is oddly accepting line that was opposing Parliament (8)
ROYALIST – An odd anagram of A TORY IS including (or accepting) L for Line.

Down

1d           One vessel in front of another on loch (4)
BOWL – This took me ages! The BOW or front of a seagoing vessel on top of (on in a down clue) L for Loch. Cute.

2d           What could be done by changing past (6)
BEYOND – An anagram (changing) of DONE BY but a very subtle clue.

3d           Left in part of hospital, given old-fashioned medical treatment (4)
BLED – Simply L for Left inside of a BED – A course of leeches anyone?

4d           Like many retired people, please put in revised order (6)
ASLEEP – Another simple but tricky clue! Make an anagram (put in revised order) of PLEASE.

5d           Upset if senior figures cover points, for example (8)
FIELDERS – You need to know your cricketing positions but the clue is straightforward – Reverse IF (upset) to FI and add ELDERS (senior figures).

6d           Something one has put on show, initially, before meeting (10)
POSSESSION – The initial letters of P(ut) O(n) S(how) followed by a SESSION or meeting.

8d           Part of pageant I warmly dedicated to peace (7)
ANTIWAR – A hidden word (indicated by ‘part of’) pageANT I WARmly.

13d         Not just occupying one South American city, also part of North America (10)
INIQUITOUS – Place I for One and QUITO (a South American city) inside IN (occupying) and the US (a part of North America.

14d         Mannerism seen in husband, to some extent (5)
HABIT – H for Husband and then A BIT (to some extent).

16d         Bad miss when holding prized weapons (8)
SIDEARAMS – I spent ages trying to get SCIMITARS in before I saw DEAR (prized) inside an anagram (bad) of MISS.

18d         Catcher of fish in lake before day’s end — matter of luck (7)
LOTTERY – Place an OTTER (a catcher of fish) inside L for Lake and the end letter of (da)Y.

21d         Engineers serving wine or pop (6)
REPORT – RE for the Royal Engineers and then PORT (wine served at a table).

22d         It is in city centre (6)
MIDDLE – Great when you see IT. The position of IT in (c)IT(y) is the middle of the word!

24d         Sewer’s repair producing angry pronouncement (4)
DARN – Two definitions – A sewer (one who sews not a drain!) will DARN a sock and DARN is like ‘Poot’ or ‘Dagnabbit’ as a mild curse/angry pronouncement.

26d         Child brought up on hot food (4)
NOSH – Reverse (brought up) SON and add H for Hot.

Thanks to Mr Greer for a cracking puzzle. I’ll see you tomorrow for a review of last Saturday’s Prize Puzzle.