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ST 2844

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2844

A full review by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Difficulty **Enjoyment ****

This puzzle was published on Sunday, 17th April 2016

Lovely stuff as we have come to expect on Sundays.   A particular well-hidden lurker and some triple definitions added to the fun.   Surprised to read that quite a few  people didn’t know either the hat or the light meal. 

 

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.

1a           Drug dealer with power to do damage is covered by law (10)
PHARMACIST –  P (power) HARM (do damage) and IS (from the clue) inserted into (covered by) ACT (law)

6a           Call from quartermaster made more than once (4)
TERM –   More than once is a clear indication that we are looking for a double-lurker –  hidden in quarTERMasTER  Made.

9a           Clubs move quickly to impose discipline (7)
CHASTEN –   C (clubs in a card game) HASTEN (move quickly)

10a         In front of a club, say, place notice (7)
PLACARD  –   PL (place) goes in front of A CARD (a club, say)

12a         Reduced seasoning, directing attention to sauce (5,8)
SALAD DRESSING –   SALt (seasoning reduced or with its last letter missing) ADDRESSING (drawing attention to)

14a         Game with two packs — discarded in a hurry (6)
RUSHED –  RU (Rugby Union being a game with two packs)  SHED (discarded).

15a         A building that’s secure since lock added (8)
FORTRESS –   FOR (since) TRESS (lock of hair)

17a         For instance, disturb these old people (8)
ANCIENTS –   An anagram (disturb) of INSTANCE.

19a         Ideal place providing protection for head in university area (6)
UTOPIA   –   TOPI (a hat – protection for head – worn especially in India) goes ‘in’ between U (university) and A (area).

22a         Doctor sent in light meal for Leo, for example (13)
CONSTELLATION –    An anagram (doctor) of SENT inserted into a COLLATION (a light meal).  My father’s family were great fans of a cold collation so it was a regular part of my childhood.

24a         Cut off female coming to a traffic light (7)
SHEARED –   SHE (female) A (from the clue) RED (traffic light)

25a         Find fault with naughty child brought before a head (7)
IMPEACH –   IMP (naughty child) goes before EACH (a head, per person)

26a         Repaired at last, we hear, and disposed of (4)
SOLD –   A homophone (we hear) of SOLED  (like a shoe repaired on a cobbler’s last)

27a         Broken wire in pretty awful office equipment (10)
TYPEWRITER –   An anagram (broken) of WIRE goes inside another anagram (awful) of PRETTY.

Down

1d           Select   best   tool for digging (4)
PICK –   A triple definition clue to start the Downs…

2d           Forms congregation supporting key church services (7)
AMASSES –   A (musical key) MASSES (church services)

3d           It reveals what’s buried in letter to me cad composed (5,8)
METAL DETECTOR –   An anagram (composed) of LETTER TO ME CAD

4d           A notice posted in California and state bordering Alaska (6)
CANADA –   AN AD (a notice) ‘posted’ inside CAL (the abbreviation for California.

5d           Prior use changed for better (8)
SUPERIOR –   An anagram (changed) of PRIOR USE

7d           Shifty first mate holding traveller’s document up (7)
EVASIVE –   EVE (the first ‘mate’ on Earth) holding a reversal (up in a Down clue) of VISA (traveller’s document)

8d           Crazy fuel put in a vehicle in part of Africa (10)
MADAGASCAR   –   MAD (crazy) and GAS (fuel), the latter being inserted between A (from the clue) and CAR (vehicle).

11d         Ruthless businessman, as person on outing, taking groups inside (5-8)
ASSET-STRIPPER –  SETS (groups) inserted into AS TRIPPER (as person on outing)

13d         Female American actors collectively appearing in shows (10)
BROADCASTS –   BROAD (North American offensive slang for a  female person) CAST (actors collectively)

16d         Plenty raised with no particular purpose, showing no emotion (8)
STOLIDLY –   LOTS (plenty) reversed (raised)  plus IDLY (with no particular purpose)

18d         Screen epic once, albeit not completely (7)
CONCEAL  –   This extremely well-hidden lurker could be found in epiC ONCE ALbeit

20d         Author and poet shortened piece of jewellery (7)
PENDANT –   PEN (author or write)  DANTe (the Italian poet ‘shortened’ or without his last letter)

21d         Girlfriend storing one volume in case (6)
DATIVE –  DATE (girlfriend) ‘storing’ I (one) V (volume)

23d         Make black   fish   cleaner (4)
CHAR –   …. And another triple definition to finish with.

 

BD has  had to remove the list of authors which updated every time we added a review (it was one of the things that upset  the site performance) but I am pretty  sure that this is  my 500th review – most of them submitted from the ‘deserted wastelands of the Weekend Puzzle Review’, not to mention the NTSPP review,  where I appear to have monopolised the spot for the last four weeks!

I’m not sure how many people actually read the weekend reviews – it was a nice surprise last week when a lurker de-lurked in order to enquire where the Saturday review had got to.   However, as far as Sunday puzzles are concerned,  Gnomey and I are really lucky to get to enjoy them twice over, although we have to say that  the occasional comment would be appreciated too.

S1

 

6 comments on “ST 2844

  1. This was a superb puzzle from Virgilius as usual. I particularly liked the two triple definitions. Thanks to crypticSue for the review.

  2. Thanks as always Sue, I must admit I read the review but Anno Domini but does not allow me to remember what I did and thought the previous weekend. From now on I will squirrel the crossword away so that I have to hand.

  3. Congratulations on your 500th review, Sue.

    I do try and read the weekend reviews, but rarely have anything to add by then. They are all much appreciated though – many thanks.

  4. Same here.
    Congratulations on your 500th.
    Always read it too but hardly comment.
    Thanks for your hard work.

  5. Congratulations, CrypticSue!

    The Bloggers’ statistics used to appear in the right-hand side sidebar … where are they now?

    :unsure:

    (Especial thanks for always providing a blog when we’ve all forgotten about it completely!)

    1. Er – as I said .. “BD has had to remove the list of authors which updated every time we added a review (it was one of the things that upset the site performance) but I am pretty sure that this …. “

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