ST 2943

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2943

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 18^th March 2018

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

Virgilius in really devious mode – but the usual high level of entertainment. My favourite was 25a but I have a long list of also-rans which were so nearly chosen for the honour

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Across

1a    Do it so male suffering cuts becomes poor (6)
DISMAL – Cut the final letters from Do It So MALe

4a    Disciplines citizens (8)
SUBJECTS – Double definition

10a    Succeeded in college course with marks for reading volumes (9)
GRADUATED – And another – the first a verb, the second describing something like a measuring jug

11a    Courts in European country releasing us (5)
ATRIA – Remove (releasing) the US from the European country of AusTRIA

12a    Elected ruler is protecting pound, creating suspicion (7)
INKLING – IN (elected) KING (ruler) protecting L (£ Sterling)

13a    Balance with skill in new launch (7)
RESTART – REST (balance) with ART (skill)

14a    Language in short clue I’d revised (5)
HINDI – HINt (‘short’ clue) and an anagram (revised) of ID – I’ve called this an anagram rather than a reversal purely because ‘revised’ appears in the BRB’s list of anagram indicators, but not it the list of reversal indicators

15a    See bud attached to minute fruit tree (4,4)
DATE PALM – DATE (see) PAL (bud) attached to M (minute)

18a    Neat kind of knitwear for yacht (8)
TRIMARAN – TRIM (neat) ARAN (type of knitwear)

20a    General holding large gun (5)
RIFLE – RIFE (general) ‘holding’ L (large)

23a    Annual publication from chap filling a need? Not quite (7)
ALMANAC – MAN (chap) ‘filling’ A LACk (not quite a need)

25a    Top man on board is mad, mad, mad liar (7)
ADMIRAL – An anagram (mad) of MAD followed by another (mad) of LIAR

26a    Recluse is learner with fraction of basic education (5)
LONER – L (learner) ONE R (fraction of basic education)

27a    I am going to mock about article, making you anxious (3,2,4)
ILL AT EASE – ILL (I am going to) TEASE (mock) about A (indefinite article)

28a    Understand and object, being very angry (8)
SEETHING – SEE (understand) THING (object)

29a    Believe chapter right, ready for publication (6)
CREDIT – C (chapter) R (Right) EDIT (ready for publication)

Down

1d    Conflict between setters, say — in which one may be shot down (8)
DOGFIGHT – The setters here being of the canine rather than the crossword variety

2d    Slow students lack energy, to some extent (7)
SLACKEN – Lurking (to some extent) in studentS LACK ENergy

3d    It’s not heavy metal that Americans have removed one from (9)
ALUMINIUM – Americans spell it without the second I (removed i) – ALUMINUM

5d    Easy enough to grasp, like umbrella during shower? (14)
UNDERSTANDABLE – Split the solution 5, 9 and the second part of the clue should produce a big smile

6d    Garment of Frenchman or Englishwoman? (5)
JEANS – Possibly belonging to Jean the Frenchman, or Jean the Englishwoman

7d    Shorten or cut rail that’s tangled up (7)
CURTAIL – An anagram (that’s tangled up) of CUT RAIL

8d    Small, spiteful, absent-minded and disorganised (6)
SCATTY – S (small) CATTY (spiteful)

9d    Instruction for players in part of journey South, perhaps (5,9)
STAGE DIRECTION – STAGE (part of journey) DIRECTION (south, perhaps)

16d    Variable standard on a gauge (9)
PARAMETER – PAR (standard) A (from the clue) METER (gauge)

17d    Determined male will, having become crooked (4-4)
HELL-BENT – HELL (he (male) will) BENT (crooked)

19d    Carmen crazy about love – or some such story (7)
ROMANCE – An anagram (crazy) of CARMEN about O (love)

21d    Attacker in combat protected by former president (7)
FORWARD – WAR ‘protected’ by FORD (former US President)

22d    Beset by scruffs, left Mediterranean city (6)
NAPLES – L (left) ‘beset by’ NAPS (scuffs)

24d    Unorthodox covers top of every country chart? (5)
NORTH – Lurking in uNORTHOdox

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