ST 2903

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2903

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on Sunday 11th June

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

Another splendid Sunday crossword – I’ll pick the double lurker 15a as my Across favourite and 8d as my Down favourite

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Across

 

7a           First and foremost, partly represent (5,3)
STAND FOR – And we start with a lurker (partly) in firST AND FORemost

9a           Continue drawing attention to wine bottle (6)
FLAGON – Split your solution 4,2 to ‘see’ the first part of the clue

10a         Many people in the wrong — we backed out (6)
THRONG – Removed the reversed (backed out) WE from THe wRONG

11a         Way to remove water gardenia badly needed (8)
DRAINAGE – An anagram (badly) of GARDENIA

12a         Support behind club, non-executive director? (4-4,6)
BACK-SEAT DRIVER – BACK (support) SEAT (behind) DRIVER (golf club) – lovely definition!

15a         Pain recurring in stomach each evening (4)
ACHE – This pain recurs in stomACH E ACH Evening

17a         Sent message that gets fellow fired (5)
FAXED – F (fellow) AXED (fired)

19a         Instrument that’s plucked or one that’s blown, not loudly at first (4)
LUTE – Remove the F (musical instruction to play loudly) from FLUTE (an instrument that’s blown)

20a         Inconsistently applied principle somehow adds to a blunder (6,8)
DOUBLE STANDARD – An anagram (somehow) of ADDS TO A BLUNDER

23a         Hard book — after all, that’s an indication of quality (8)
HALLMARK – H (hard) and MARK (Book of the New Testament), the latter going after ALL (from the clue)

25a         Disgust partner, returning gift finally (6)
REVOLT – A reversal (returning) of LOVER (partner) followed by the T at the end of (finally) gifT

27a         American city less British, in short? The reverse (6)
BOSTON – The reverse of NOT SO (less) and B (British, abbreviated or ‘in short’)

28a         Ability to figure menu out, not lacking spice (8)
NUMERACY – An anagram (out) of MENU and RACY (not lacking [full of] spice)

  Down

1d           Leaders of unions treat apprentices harshly in Western state (4)
UTAH – The leaders of Unions Treat Apprentices Harshly

2d           Open University joined by new rugby forward (6)
UNLOCK – Sneaky as I for one spent a while trying to fit OU into something.   U (university) N (new) LOCK (rugby forward)

3d           Raised money, as announced (4)
BRED – A homophone (as announced) of BREAD, a slang term for money

4d           A fine and equitable business (6) AFFAIR – A (from the clue) F (fine) FAIR (equitable)

5d           Classical quartet in sensual festive occasion (8)
CARNIVAL – IV (classical [Roman] numeral for four [quartet] in CARNAL (sensual)

6d           Resorting to change around West Berlin, for example (10)
SONGWRITER – Irving Berlin being an example of the solution.   An anagram (change) of RESORTING TO  goes around W (West)

8d           First gear (3,4)
FIG LEAF – A cryptic definition that made me smile

13d         Company taken in by cunning academic or member of clergy (10)
ARCHDEACON – CO (company) taken in by ARCH (cunning) DEAN (academic)

14d         Part of US having taxes evenly redistributed? (5)
TEXAS – Redistribute or change the places of the even letters of TAXES

16d         Aspect of fairness, English characteristic (8)
EQUALITY – E (English) QUALITY (characteristic)

18d         Mausoleum site shown in indistinct drawing (7)
DIAGRAM – AGRA (the site of the famous mausoleum) inserted into DIM (indistinct)

21d         Became capable of a run in fast time (6)
LEARNT – A (from the clue) and R (run) in LENT (time of fast)

22d         Change route of flier on time (6)
DIVERT – DIVER (bird, flier) on T (time)

24d         Family supported by daughter showing generosity (4)
KIND – KIN (family) ‘supported by’ D (daughter)

26d         Want to take it easy when head’s away (4)
LACK – Remove the ‘head’ from SLACK (take it easy)

S1