Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2892
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on Sunday 26th March
BD Rating – Difficulty */**– Enjoyment ****
Another Sunday puzzle where I’m hard pressed to pick one particular favourite, but decided in the end to plump for 18d.
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Across
1a Had a get-together in spacecraft cut short (6)
DOCKED – Joined together two spacecraft in space; cut short
4a Number of staff available, holding captured enemy in half-hearted way (8)
MANPOWER – POW (captured enemy) in MANnER (half-hearted way)
9a Excessive pride one’s taken in any TV broadcast (6)
VANITY – I (one) taken into an anagram (broadcast) of ANY TV
10a Things of passing interest in European article about odd MP here (8)
EPHEMERA – Put an anagram (odd) of MP HERE inside E (European) A (article)
11a In some respect, a clever display (9)
SPECTACLE – Lurking in some reSPECT A CLEver
13a Traveller’s guide eventually abridged (5)
ATLAS – AT LASt (eventually) ‘abridged’
14a Dig up seed scattered around end of plot that’s detached (13)
DISINTERESTED – DIS INTER (dig up) and an anagram (scattered) of SEED go around the ‘end’ of plot
17a Student‘s strangely guarded nature (13)
UNDERGRADUATE – An anagram (strangely) of GUARDED NATURE
21a False statement about British pound giving offence (5)
LIBEL – LIE (false statement) goes ‘about’ B (British) and an L (£, pound) goes at the end
23a Turn aside, having frantically tried to break up fire (9)
SIDETRACK – An anagram (frantically) of TRIED to ‘break up’ SACK (fire)
24a Like hot spots of current interest, containing resistance (8)
TROPICAL – TOPICAL (of current interest) ‘containing’ R (Resistance)
25a In East Germany, finally abandoned fairness (6)
EQUALITY – QUIT (abandoned) goes between E (East) and Y (Germany ‘finally’)
26a It’s not bound to provide a little information (8)
PAMPHLET – A cryptic definition of a small book stitched but not bound
27a First edition taken to cleaners (6)
BESTED – BEST (first) ED (edition)
Down
1a Money equally divided by six wanting to avoid conflict (6)
DOVISH -Because doves are the symbol of peace. DOSH (money) divided in the middle (equally) by VI, the Roman numeral for six
2d Study taken care of and maintained (9)
CONTENDED – CON (study) TENDED (taken care of)
3d Property of landowners, say, in Mid-west (7)
ESTATES – STATE (say) goes inside ES – the ‘mid’ of wESt
5d Got arrested (11)
APPREHENDED – Understood (got) or arrested
6d Nobility always poetically expressed in part of book (7)
PEERAGE – EER (always expressed poetically) in PAGE (part of book)
7d Turn with cry of excitement going over line (5)
WHEEL – WHEE (cry of excitement) L (line)
8d Perhaps Odysseus conceals this ecstatic expression of feeling (8)
RHAPSODY – Concealed in peRHAPS ODYsseus
12d Stupidly put secret agent in most prominent position (6,5)
SECRET AGENT – An anagram (stupidly put) of SECRET AGENT
15d Blow absorbed by person with faith in analyst (9)
THERAPIST – RAP (blow) absorbed by THEIST (person with faith)
16d Period for Americans when this would be obvious advice to eater (4,4)
FULL STOP – I did like the ‘obvious advice to eater’
18d Elizabethan courtier who brought King Edward’s predecessor (7)
RALEIGH – Sir Walter R who brought the first potatoes back to England, King Edwards being a variety grown here since 1902
19d Opposed to what, for the French, is old-fashioned (7)
ANTIQUE – ANTI (opposed to) QUE (the French word for what)
20d Authorised including Arthurian knight in dictionary (6)
OKAYED – KAY (King Arthur’s foster brother) inserted into the OED (Oxford English Dictionary). Sir Kay isn’t in the BRB so I don’t suppose he’s actually in the OED either!
22d Flourish as learner in time of prosperity (5)
BLOOM – L (learner) in BOOM (time of prosperity)
S2