ST 2998

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2998

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This puzzle was published on 7^th April 2019

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

A straightforward Sunday crossword with repeated clue devices and a couple of old friends

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Across

1a    Online helper seen reaching out (6,6)
SEARCH ENGINE – An anagram (out) of SEEN REACHING

9a    Leave a ring about (7)
ABANDON – A (from the clue) BAND (ring) ON (about)

10a    Dreadful blow having split with a party (7)
TORNADO – TORN (having split) A (from the clue) DO (party)

11a    Kind of transport protest (4)
RAIL – A kind of transport or a verb meaning to protest (with, at or against)

12a    Attack, finding nothing in fight (5)
FORAY – O (nothing) in FRAY (fight)

13a    Insect used to be heading for picnic (4)
WASP- WAS (used to be) plus the ‘heading’ for Picnic

16a    Garment for ladies near knotted piece of cloth (7)
NIGHTIE – NIGH (near) TIE (knotted piece of cloth)

17a    God embraced by mostly fearful orchestra members (7)
TIMPANI – PAN (Greek god of pastures, flocks and woods) ’embraced’ by most of TIMId (fearful)

18a    Evil ruler in decline (7)
SINKING – SIN (evil) KING (ruler)

21a    Marvel seeing vehicle turning in distance (7)
MIRACLE – A reversal (turning) of CAR inserted into MILE (distance)

23a    Body of soldiers retrieving metal, uranium (4)
UNIT – A reversal (retrieving) of TIN (metal) U (uranium)

24a    Dread snakes — like this one? (5)
ADDER – An anagram (snakes) of DREAD

25a    One side remaining (4)
LEFT – One side or an adjective meaning remaining

28a    Clothing in minaret, tailored (7)
RAIMENT – An anagram (tailored) of MINARET

29a    Sample covering old kitchen appliance (7)
TOASTER – TASTER (sample) ‘covering’ O (old)

30a    Shiner one European’s given to another! (6,6)
FRENCH POLISH – FRENCH (one European) given to POLISH (another)

Down

1d    Wet nag is OK when swimming (7)
SOAKING – An anagram (when swimming) of NAG IS OK

2d    Assistant, girl without limits (4)
AIDE – Remove the outside letters (without limits) from mAIDEn (girl)

3d    Comfort panel (7)
CONSOLE – A verb meaning to comfort or a panel with dials and switches

4d    Remove former area of land (7)
EXTRACT – EX (former) TRACT (area of land)

5d    Dress card game up (4)
GARB – A reversal (up in a down clue) of the card game BRAG

6d    Monroe film a belter ultimately, repeatedly uplifting (7)
NIAGARA – A reversal (uplifting) of A (the third appearance of ‘A from the clue’) R (the ultimate letter of belteR and AGAIN (repeatedly) gives us the title of a 1953 film noir starring Marilyn Monroe

7d    Nation in fashion, conventional honestly (4,3,6)
FAIR AND SQUARE – IRAN (nation) inserted into FAD (fashion) and followed by SQUARE (conventional)

8d    Analysis about odd parts of poll is free (13)
COMPLIMENTARY – COMMENTARY (analysis) goes ‘about’ the odd letters of PoL

14d    Serious way to get help (5)
STAID – ST (street, way) AID (help)

15d    Stylish vehicles turned up (5)
SMART – A reversal (turned up) of TRAMS (vehicles)

19d    One impressed by snore I let loose — more deafening! (7)
NOISIER – I (one) impressed by or put into an anagram (let loose) of SNORE I

20d    Come on wife, split the bill! (2,5)
GO DUTCH – GO (come on) DUTCH (colloquial term for wife, a contraction of duchess)

21d    Eminent musician taking moment to mop up tears, sadly (7)
MAESTRO – MO (moment) ‘mops up’ or takes in an anagram (sadly) of TEARS

22d    Feline venom arising after hurt, head cut (7)
CHEETAH – A reversal (arising) of HATE (venom) goes after aCHE (a synonym for hurt, with its ‘head’ cut)

26d    Some utter nightmare for flier (4)
TERN – This week’s lurker – found in utTER Nightmare

27d    Hired vehicle cheers all those in football team? (4)
TAXI – TA (cheers, thanks) XI (the eleven members of a football team)