ST 2897

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2897

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on Sunday 30th April

BD Rating – Difficulty *– Enjoyment ****

Morning All! This solve just stayed in the one star territory for me but had some great clues; my favourite, as senf, was 1d.

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

1a           Sailor taken in by awfully silly info about courses (7)
Syllabi – AB – The abb. for Able Bodied (seaman) inside an anagram (awfully) of SILLY.

5a           Being wrongly praised is what people hopefully avoid (7)
DESPAIR – An anagram (wrongly) of PRAISED

9a           Tired as we are, tucking in one daughter (7)
WEARIED – WE ARE from the clue with I for one ticked in and finally D for Daughter.

10a         Study before class how to fit in (7)
CONFORM – A charade of CON (study) and FORM for class.

11a         Cub that comes out at night? (4,5)
URSA MINOR – A cryptic definition of the Latin for Little Bear (or cub) , a star cluster that can only be seen at night.

12a         Installed foreign leader, in a word (5)
PUTIN – The Russian leader when split as (3,2) is UT IN or installed.

13a         Beat and energy in dance one can’t do? (5)
TANGO – A charade of TAN (beat) and GO for energy – it takes two….

15a         Appearance with bishop, say, providing excellent example (9)
SHOWPIECE – A charade of SHOW (appearance) and PIECE – am example (say) of a chess piece being the Bishop.

17a         Appoint different agent after changing side (9)
DESIGNATE – A different anagram of AGENT after an anagram (changing) of SIDE.

19a         Fleet in surprise attack seizing power (5)
RAPID – A RAID or surprise attack including/seizing P for Power.

22a         Run away from predator, going west then north (5)
FLOWN – A reversal (going west) of the predatory WOLF and then N for North at the end.

23a         Perfect being lighter? Not so (9)
MATCHLESS – The second cryptic definition is the cigarette lighter for when you have no matches, or are MATCHLESS.

25a         Convince it is, in short, fine within state (7)
SATISFY – Place ITS (short for IT IS) and F for Fine inside SAY or state.

26a         Nice location, area by stream I’ll be found in (7)
RIVIERA – Place A for Area after a RIVER or stream and then include (it has been flown in) I from the clue.

27a         China, wherein crazy Reds end in disarray (7)
DRESDEN – A crazy anagram of REDS followed by an anagram (in disarray) of END.

28a         Fabric taken to the cleaners (7)
WORSTED – When you beat someone you best them and also worst them. Thus, someone taken to the cleaners or beaten will also be WORSTED.

Down

1d           Fine result of cutting deal, say (7)
SAWDUST – Never forget that deal is a type of wood and nicely diverting in a crossword (as is plane!). The fine result of cutting wood being SAWDUST and a great cryptic definition.

2d           Answer is held by majority shareholder’s intermediary (7)
LIAISON – A for Answer and IS from the clue are inside/held by the LION who has the lion’s share.

3d           A vote on island initially making self-evident statement (5)
AXIOM – A from the clue and an X for a vote on top of (in a down clue) the IOM – an abb. for the Isle of Man.

4d           Units used in one Eastern country or another (9)
INDONESIA – Place ONES or units inside INDIA to get the second Eastern country.

5d           Furnishing inside? Correct, to some extent (5)
DÉCOR – A hidden word (indicated by ‘to some extent) in insiDE CORrect.

6d           Bird making terrible din, perhaps heartlessly (9)
SANDPIPER – An anagram of DIN PER(h)APS – heartlessly telling us to remove the central letter of PER(h)APS before making the anagram.

7d           John or James, for example, having pale ale outside (7)
APOSTLE – A pale is also a POST (think paling). Place ALE form the clue outside.

8d           Like many European languages in court (7)
ROMANCE – Two definitions – The first describes most of the Mediterranean languages of Europe, the second also meaning to woo or court.

14d         Absurdly grandiose, as are workers in union (9)
ORGANISED – An absurd anagram of GRANDIOSE and an easy spot.

16d         In public argument, hard to defeat (9)
OVERTHROW – Place H for Hard inside an OVERT ROW or public argument.

17d         Fed up and exploited, prevented from going off (7)
DEFUSED – A reversal (‘up’ in a down clue) of FED followed by USED for exploited.

18d         Dog that is following historical novelist (7)
SCOTTIE – Place IE for Id Est (that is) after (Walter) SCOTT, the historical novelist.

20d         Grant, as president, lacking identity (7)
PRESENT – Simply remove the ID (Identity) from PRES(ID)ENT

21d         Split up musical group after record cut (7)
DISBAND – A BAND or musical group after a DIS(c) or record that has had its last letter cut.

23d         Month needed to cover a new Indian language (5)
MAYAN – The month of MAY covering or on top of (in a down clue) A and N for New.

24d         Linger, however, after partners have left (5)
HOVER – Remove the bridge partners of W(est) and E(ast) from HO(WE)VER.

               
Thanks to the setter, I will see you all next week.