ST 2895

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2894

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on Sunday 16th April

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

Another splendid Sunday offering – my favourite was 17a.

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Across

7a Cause of visual problem producing fall (8)
CATARACT – Spookily timely double definition giving that BD was having the procedure to remove one on the following Tuesday, leading rise to lots of comments from people who’d had it done, telling him not to worry

9a A woman from New York in Paris, say (6)
ABROAD – A (from the clue) BROAD (N American offensive slang for a woman)

10a Left to one’s own resources in commercial break (6)
ADRIFT – AD (commercial) RIFT (break)

11a Massive part of our capital, in statement (8)
WHOPPING – A homophone (in statement) of WAPPING (part of London)

12a Crooked merchant confused backer with mere talk (5,9)
BLACK MARKETEER – An anagram (confused) of BACKER MERE TALK

15a Perform as striker returning for game (4)
GOLF – A reversal (returning) of FLOG (perform as striker)

17a This is odd – without leader, it’s the opposite (5)
SEVEN – An odd number which, if you removed the ‘leader’ would spell EVEN (the opposite!)

19a It sounds like search for religious type (4)
SIKH – Another homophone, it sounds like SEEK (search for)

20a Sources of rumours corrupt Congressman is holding boy back (14)
SCANDALMONGERS – An anagram (corrupt) of CONGRESSMAN holding a reversal (back) of LAD (boy)

23a Quick to contain damage where drugs are sold (8)
PHARMACY – PACY (quick) contains HARM (damage)

25a E.g. a landlord? (6)
LETTER – An example of a letter of the alphabet; or someone who is a landlord

27a Royal son ultimately put in charge? (6)
PRINCE – N (son ‘ultimately’) put in PRICE (charge)

28a Flower I water is ruined (8)
WISTERIA – The beautiful flower I can see out of my window as I type this is an anagram (ruined) of I WATER IS

Down

1d Collection of tiny moving parts in old-fashioned timer (4)
SAND – the tiny pieces that move from one side to another in an hour-glass

2d Crazy bloke I accost, dropping charge (6)
MANIC – MAN (bloke) I (from the clue) AC (accost dropping the ‘cost’ or charge)

3d Pack coming from bridge player to opponent (4)
STOW – S (South, one bridge player) TO (from the clue) W (West, his bridge-playing opponent)

4d Initially play a part in conditional release (6)
PAROLE – P (play initially) A (from the clue) ROLE (part)

5d Gains, we hear, inspired teachers (8)
PROPHETS – Another homophone (we hear) of PROFITS (gains)

6d Kind of lender that’s manipulated person with less money (10)
PAWNBROKER – PAWN (manipulated person) BROKER (with less money)

8d In office of rival paper, occasionally (2,5)
AT TIMES – nice surface reading

13d Loss an heir mishandled – that means less for everyone else (5,5)
LIONS SHARE – An anagram (mishandled) of LOSS AN HEIR

14d Dance in Scotland including very lively celebration (5)
REVEL – REEL (Scottish dance) including V (very)

16d Female artist presented with gift, like perfume (8)
FRAGRANT – F (female) RA (artist) GRANT (presented with gift)

18d Kind of pasta that’s new, lots and lots (7)
NOODLES – A clue we’ve seen a lot lately – N (new) OODLES (lots and lots)

21d Person using pencil found in part of desk (6)
DRAWER – A nice straightforward double definition

22d Threaten to go out, say, after midnight? (6)
GUTTER – UTTER (say) goes after the ‘mid’ letter of niGht

24d Passage heading north on large sailboat (4)
YAWL – A reversal (heading north in a Down clue) of WAY (passage) followed by L (large)

26d Issue great healer proverbially raised (4)
EMIT – A reversal (raised) of TIME, proverbially known as a ‘great healer’

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