ST 2961

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2961

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 22^nd July 2018

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

Morning All! The usual solid offering on Sunday which is my favourite solve of the week.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Right to vote, having abandoned his country (6)
FRANCE – A right to vote is a FRANCHISE. Remove the HIS from the clue (it has been abandoned).

4a           Indian quickly protecting leader of Hindus (6)
APACHE – APACE or quickly surrounding/protecting the leading letter of H(indus).

8a           No human is so sinful without guilt, ultimately (8)
IMMORTAL – Place IMMORAL or sinful outside (without) the ultimate letter in (guil)T.

10a         Lack of reason to revise any clue endlessly (6)
LUNACY – lose the end letter (endlessly) of ANY CLU ( e ) and then revise or make an anagram.

11a         Person intellectually challenged adding large number to 100 (4)
CLOT – A LOT or large number added to C for 100 (in Roman Numerals).

12a         Aid for maritime safety easily carried by legislative body (10)
LIGHTHOUSE – A charade of LIGHT (easily carried) next to/by a legislative HOUSE of government.

13a         Share deal is improperly justified (12)
RATIONALISED – A RATION or share followed by an anagram (improperly) of DEAL IS.

16a         Over a short time, change discussion (12)
CONVERSATION – Place a CONVERSION or change around/over A from the clue and T – a short abb. of Time.

20a         Top performer, in fashion, unusually pure? Seldom (10)
SUPERMODEL – An anagram, indicated by unusually, of PURE SELDOM.

21a         It may be up in the air pending 50/50 decision (4)
COIN – A cryptic definition of that which is tossed in the air to settle a 50/50 decision via Heads or Tails.

22a         Body or soul (6)
PERSON – two definitions, one corporeal and the other less so. Not a massive fan of this clue.

23a         Artist at home applied layer of paint that’s waterproof (8)
RAINCOAT – A charade of R.A. (Royal Academician or artist) IN (at home)) and a COAT of paint.

24a         Bizarre demand for incense (6)
MADDEN – A bizarre anagram of DEMAND and incense here is a verb although treated as a noun in the clue.

25a         Bright and breezy, initially, then wet (6)
BRAINY – The initial letter of B(reezy) and then RAINY for wet.

Down

1d           Close friend‘s loud question about my veracity? (8)
FAMILIAR – F (Forte) for loud and then AM I LIAR? (a question about my veracity).

2d           Often how long a ruler is being prepared (5)
AFOOT – A measuring ruler may often be A FOOT long. The rest is the straight definition.

3d           With no end in view, can talk, and in European language (7)
CATALAN – ‘With no end in view’ instructs us to remove the final letters from CA (n) TAL (k) AN (d).

5d           Current learner absorbed in head’s system of exercises (7)
PILATES – I for the SI unit of current then L for Learner inside PATES or heads/bonces.

6d           Agreement producing new line in outerwear (9)
CONCORDAT – N for New and CORD for line/string inside a COAT (outerwear).

7d           Sort of scan he or she can get ready for (6)
ENCASH – Two anagrams (indicated by a sort/shuffle: either SCAN HE or SHE CAN. Ready here being the vernacular for money (see below!)

9d           Money left — for example, change covering tip (5,6)
LEGAL TENDER – Start with L(eft) and E.G. (for example) and then ALTER r change surrounds/is covering and END or tip.

14d         Became greater, as embraced by popular set of beliefs (9)
INCREASED – AS from the clue is surrounded/embraced by IN (popular) and CREED (set of beliefs).

15d         Form of punishment one suffers as converted royalist (8)
SOLITARY – A converted anagram of ROYALIST.

17d         New energy eclipsing old source of fossil fuel, as somebody proposed (7)
NOMINEE – N(ew) and E(nergy) are around/eclipsing O9ld) and a MINE (a source of coal/fossil fuel).

18d         Join, in a way, including one enlisted man (7)
SOLDIER – To SOLDER or join two metals including I for one.

19d         Saying nothing about application for place with collections (6)
MUSEUM – To keep MUM/say nothing around/about USE/application.

21d         They grow prickly about start of play (5)
CACTI – C for about (circa) and then ACT I or the start of a play.

Thanks to Mr Greer – I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.