Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2877
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on Sunday 4th December
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment *****
The perfect start to a sunny, extremely frosty, Sunday morning – all solved and the draft review typed before my friend and Elsie her cairn terrier were ready for us to go for our usual constitutional, thus leaving me plenty of time for a long list of early December ‘things to do at the weekend’
I know Kath won’t like it, but why can’t we have a favourite Across clue and a favourite Down clue? – this week 1a and 1d both have very big stars by them, and I really can’t choose between them for top place
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
7a Setback that doesn’t affect mum or dad (8)
REVERSAL – Because mum and dad are both palindromes!
9a Think logically about a child (6)
REASON – RE (about) A (from the clue) SON (child)
10a An unpleasant job, mainly, as TV presenter (6)
ANCHOR – AN (from the clue) CHORe (unpleasant job mainly)
11a State without legal responsibility for losing voters (8)
MINORITY – The state of being under age or the smaller number of voters
12a Caution about piece of furniture that’s characteristic of the kind (14)
CHARITABLENESS – CHARINESS (caution) about TABLE (piece of furniture)
15a A plot being given blanket coverage? (4)
ABED – A (from the clue) BED (plot)
17a Former PM spotted in the Athenaeum (5)
HEATH – the former PM can be spotted in tHE ATHanaeum
19a Small cover moved smoothly (4)
SLID – S (small) LID (cover)
20a It reflects what’s behind one, in a way (4-4,6)
REAR-VIEW MIRROR – cryptic definition
23a Assembled in meeting at her edifice (8)
GATHERED – found in meetinG AT HER EDifice
25a Gave reward that was worth waiting for? (6)
TIPPED – a reward appreciated by a waiter at table
27a Watch out for conflict in working meeting (6)
BEWARE – WAR (conflict) goes in BEE (a gathering of persons to unite their labour for some joint amusement, exercise or competition)
28a Haphazardly scan iris and other flowers (8)
NARCISSI – An anagram (haphazardly) of SCAN IRIS
Down
1d Frenchman and Englishwoman having pronounced difference (4)
JEAN – This one made me smile as I thought of our Jean-Luc who’d say the first part of his name completely differently to an English lady called Jean
2d Secure number in theatre following its opening (6)
TETHER – ETHER (‘number’ in an operating theatre) follows T (the ‘opening’ of Theatre)
3d Fruit that’s highly desirable, exactly as reported (4)
PLUM – a fruit or something choice (highly desirable) sound like (as reported) PLUMB, an adverb meaning exactly or precisely
4d Colour that’s nothing new in fashion (6)
ORANGE – O (nothing) and RAGE (fashion), the latter having N (new) inserted
5d Justice one found in extreme point (8)
FAIRNESS – I (one) inserted into FAR (extreme) plus NESS (point)
6d Switch rooms if it’s extremely noisy in bar? (10)
FORTISSIMO – The bar being a musical one – an anagram (switch) of ROOMS IF ITS
8d Minor injury making one withdraw from event (7)
SCRATCH – a minor injury or a verb meaning to withdraw from a competition
13d Lay dormant till spring in bad earth, in bed (10)
HIBERNATED – An anagram (bad) of EARTH IN BED
14d Stop working, so to speak, or slow down (5)
BRAKE – BRAKE (slow down) sounds like (so to speak) a homophone of BREAK (stop working)
16d Produce tie as he’d a date arranged (4-4)
DEAD-HEAT – An anagram (arranged) of HED A DATE
18d Rodent getting meat, mostly rump (7)
HAMSTER – HAM (meat) and most of STERn (rump)
21d Changes V-sign (6)
VARIES – V (from the clue) ARIES (Sign of the Zodiac)
22d Concerning socks, for example, do some darning (6)
REPAIR – RE (concerning) PAIR (of socks, for example)
24d Accomplished fellow — second last of clues (4)
DONE – DON (fellow) plus the second to last letter of cluEs
26d Not challenging to take part in debate, as yet (4)
EASY – part of debatE AS Yet
S2