ST 2899

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2899

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on Sunday 14th May

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

Sundays wouldn’t be the same without a Virgilius puzzle to solve.

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

8a Run and catch returning lover (7)
PARTNER – A reversal (returning) of R (run) and ENTRAP (catch)

10a Broadcast from Conservative in poor taste? Right (7)
SCATTER – A particularly well hidden anagram – insert C (Conservative) into an anagram (poor) of TASTE and add an R (right) on the end

11a What’s in store for those wanting to be upwardly mobile? (9)
ESCALATOR – A nice cryptic definition

12a Something associated with a prayer, inspiring with reverence (5)
AWING – on A WING and a prayer – with no more than a slight hope of succeeding

13a Material sent back for English novelist or American-born poet (5)
ELIOT – A reversal of TOILE (material sent back) – take your pick between George the English novelist or TS, the American-born poet

14a Just starting new climb (7)
NASCENT – N (new) ASCENT (climb)

17a Like people in Panama, men involved with erratic canal (7,8)
CENTRAL AMERICAN – An anagram (involved) of MEN with ERRATIC CANAL

19a Supporter going in front of another without offence (7)
LEGALLY – LEG (supporter) going in front of ALLY (another supporter)

21a Seat in upper chamber (5)
PERCH – Lurking in upPER CHamber

24a Moving protest that lasts more than four weeks (5)
MARCH – A moving protest or a month with more than 28 days (four weeks)

26a Instrument from band grabbed by excited chairman (9)
HARMONICA – O (the letter quite often referred to by setters as a ‘band’) inserted into (grabbed by) an anagram (excited) of CHAIRMAN

27a One isn’t poorly — it’s stress (7)
TENSION – We’ve already had ‘poor’ as an anagram indicator, now we’ve got ‘poorly’ to tell us to rearrange ONE ISNT

28a After short part of speech, are ready (7)
PREPARE – ARE (from the clue) goes after PREP (‘short’ preposition, part of speech)

Down

1d Each copy, namely carbon, included (6)
APIECE – APE (copy) including IE (id est, namely) and C (carbon)

2d Lies about resistance creating animosity (8)
FRICTION – FICTION (lies) goes ‘about’ R (resistance)

3d Without involving others, a learner goes after place to study in future (10)
UNILATERAL – A L (a learner) goes after UNI LATER (place to study … in future)

4d Like essay about moon composed for this scientific study? (9)
ASTRONOMY – AS (like) TRY (essay) goes about an anagram (composed) of MOON

5d Celebratory event a delay held up (4)
GALA – A reversal (held up in a Down clue) of A LAG (a delay)

6d Bar in South with moonshine (6)
STRIPE – S (south) TRIPE (moonshine)

7d Cow not left in marsh (8)
FRIGHTEN – RIGHT (not left) in FEN (marsh)

9d Start off gospel, or earlier book (4)
RUTH – This Old testament (earlier) book is obtained by taking the start off TRUTH (gospel being an informal term for the absolute truth)

15d Game in which loser barely finishes? (5,5)
STRIP POKER – Another nice cryptic definition

16d For toy, expend over pound, then object (9)
PLAYTHING – PAY (expend) goes over L (£ Pound Sterling) and then THING (object) is added at the end

17d A strike in capital, perhaps, is disaster (8)
CALAMITY – A LAM (a strike) in CITY (capital, perhaps)

18d Couturier with a line in red (8)
CARDINAL – CARDIN (Pierre the couturier) with A L (a line)

20d Passing car, finally, on the inside, using horn piercingly (6)
GORING – GOING with R (car ‘finally’) on the inside

22d Delightful place harboured European? (6)
HEAVEN – HAVEN (place) harboured E (European)

23d Stole — punishment pronounced (4)
WRAP – A homophone (pronounced) of RAP (punishment)

25d Hard appearance that could be a shock (4)
HAIR – H (hard) AIR (appearance)

I don’t know whether you’d notice unless you were typing the review, but if I was feeling picky, I’d ask whether ten clues requiring something to be inserted into something else, quite a lot of which feature in the Downs, is a few too many.

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