ST 2973

 Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2973

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on ^14th October 2018

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

Morning All! The usual excellence, in my opinion.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           Got a loan outside bank, interest-free? (8)
BORROWED – BORED or interest-free outside of a ROW or bank.

9a           Of a political type different to us, in NI? (8)
UNIONIST – A different anagram of TO US IN NI and a very apposite clue.

10a         Brave — ultimately afraid, see, of nobody (4)
DEFY – the last/ultimate letters in afraiD seE oF nobodY.

11a         Man’s covered by notice I check and copy — stick with it (8,4)
ADHESIVE TAPE – HE’S for Man’s is inside/covered by AD (notice), I VET (I check) and APE for copy.

13a         Malinger, albeit poorly in earliest stage (8)
GERMINAL – An anagram (albeit poorly) of MALINGER.

15a         Reminder for actor in carefree play, in part (6)
PROMPT – Place a ROMP or carefree play inside PT for part.

16a         Service area set back a long way away (4)
AFAR – The RAF or service and A(rea) returned/set back.

17a         Stranger not even seen by monarch (5)
ODDER – ODD (not even) by ER (Elizabeth Regina) or our current monarch.

18a         Offer to wrap new tie (4)
BIND – A BID/offer covering/wrapping N for New.

20a         Something played in time by title-holder? (6)
SPINET – T for Time by the SPINE or title holder of a book.

21a         Request access to have meal inside (8)
ENTREATY – ENTRY or access with EAT (to have a meal) inside.

23a         Male lawyer of bad repute in East producing general panic (4,8)
MASS HYSTERIA – M for Male then a SHYSTER (a bad lawyer) inserted into ASIA (or the East).

26a         Part of Southern England understood in North (4)
KENT – Two definitions – the second a local northern word for understood.

27a         Put in solitary, fellow citizen of ours (8)
LONDONER – Place a DON or fellow inside a LONER or solitary (person).

28a         Primate, in practice, preceded by bishop, say (8)
MANDRILL – A DRILL or practice preceded by a MAN or Bishop on a chess board.

Down

2d           Caught learner initially exiting big intersection on other side (8)
OVERLEAF – Remove C for caught and L (the initial letter of Learner) from a CLOVERLEAF intersection in the States.

3d           Specialized corps in army role, as arranged (5,7)
ROYAL MARINES – An anagram (arranged) of IN ARMY ROLE AS and a terrific spot of the anagram and surface reading.

4d           Not beyond showing humour with short clue (6)
WITHIN – WIT for humour and HIN(t) or a short clue.

5d           Early deposits, we hear, in regular payment (4)
DUES – A homophone (we hear) of DEWS or early morning deposits of moisture.

6d           Dangerous striker in the box, one grabbed by Scottish player (3,5)
PIT VIPER – a TV 9the box) and I for one are grabbed by a PIPER or Scottish player.

7d           Funding a grand opera? Doesn’t sound like it! (4)
AIDA – AID for Funding and A from the clue.

8d           Watching big game, top journalist described what happened in court (8)
ATTESTED – To watch a big sports game one might be AT (a) TEST, Add ED(itor) for a top journalist.

12d         Rogue, leader of thieves, Russian forger? (12)
TROUBLEMAKER – The leading letter of T(hieves) and then a ROUBLE MAKER or Russian forger of money.

14d         Cautiously move below large rocky ridge (5)
LEDGE – To EDGE or move cautiously underneath (in a down clue) L for Large.

16d         Meeting, with skill, covering disorder up (8)
ASSEMBLY – Place ABLY/with skill around a reversal (up) of MESS/disorder.

17d         Remote lake Stanley finally found in expedition (8)
OUTLYING – L for Lake and the final letter in (stanle)Y inside an OUTING or expedition.

19d         Somebody else supported by a line? Only in theory (8)
NOTIONAL – Somebody else is NOT I whch is ON (supported by) A and L for Line.

22d         Deliberately lost, like defeated wrestler, perhaps (6)
THROWN – A deliberately lost game is THROWN, as is a defeated wrestler.

24d         Small object put in post (4)
SEND – S for Small and an END or object/objective.

25d         Theorem regularly selected for school period (4)
TERM – The odd letters (regularly selected) of T h E o R e M.