Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2976
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This puzzle was published on 4th November 2018
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
The penultimate Virgilius Sunday crossword – my favourite clue was 13d for the usual non-military-related d’oh moment
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Across
7a Minute place within continent, or part of it (8)
MALAYSIA – M (minute) and LAY (place) inserted within ASIA (continent)
8a Change came in art form involving production of pictures (6)
CINEMA – An anagram (change) of CAME IN
10a Casual work, not even taken by epitome of patience (3,3)
ODD JOB – ODD (not even) JOB (Biblical epitome of patience)
11a Group of robbers I legally examine for gang activity (8)
BANDITRY – BAND (group of robes) I (from the clue) TRY (legally examine)
12a English writer in French city died surrounded by birds (7,7)
CHARLES DICKENS – ARLES (French city) and D (died) surrounded by CHICKENS (birds)
15a Regular letters from Germany for English poet (4)
GRAY – The ‘regular’ letters from GeRmAnY
17a Parking behind large vehicle, proceed on foot (5)
TRAMP –P (Parking) behind TRAM (large vehicle)
19a Political type wanting nothing added in tax? (4)
TORY – O (nothing) in TRY (tax)
20a Getting on with swimming group in Eton or Harrow, for instance (8,6)
BOARDING SCHOOL – BOARDING (getting on) SCHOOL (swimming group of fish)
23a Artistic device that goes to Cockney’s head? (8)
AIRBRUSH – How a Cockney would refer to his hair brush
25a One agreement following mass strike (6)
IMPACT – I (one) and PACT (agreement) the latter following M (Mass)
27a Expatriate runs inside storehouse (6)
DEPORT – R (runs in cricket) inside DEPOT (storehouse)
28a Survived cold temperature in Burgundy’s shade (8)
WINTERED- T (temperature) in WINE (Burgundy) RED (shade)
Down
1d Sovereign, as well as foreign coin (4)
RAND – R (Rex or Regina, sovereign) AND (as well as)
2d Preserve holder in shock following predicament (3,3)
JAM JAR – JAR (shock) following JAM (predicament)
3d Piece of hook that’s said to wound others (4)
BARB – A piece of a hook or something said to wound another person
4d Namely, awfully nice and picturesque (6)
SCENIC – SC (Scilicet, namely) and an anagram (awfully) of NICE
5d See about cutting charge? It’s not straightforward (8)
INDIRECT – If you look at the solution you’ll see that RE (about) is ‘cutting’ INDICT (charge)
6d Endlessly leave mark on a carnival site as showbiz organiser (10)
IMPRESARIO – Omit the last letter (endlessly) IMPRESs (leave mark) on A (From the clue) RIO (carnival site)
8d Citizen that could be you, but not me (7)
SUBJECT – One of those ‘grammatical’ clues
13d Difficult for soldiers to penetrate after top of shell comes off (4-6)
HARD-BOILED – I always forget about these particular soldiers
14d Tense, and ending in stalemate, say (5)
DRAWN – A double definition
16d Record of events in 1984, for example? (8)
YEARBOOK – 1984 is both a year and the title of a book
18d Die protecting one’s love (7)
PASSION – PASS ON (die) ‘protecting’ I (one)
21d Work at changing tubs? Certain people don’t have them (6)
DOUBTS – DO (work at) and an anagram (changing) of TUBS
22d Sign, joining part of co-operative (6)
HYPHEN – Another bit of sneakiness – this sign joins the two parts of co–operative
24d Ruined when hit with axe (4)
HEWN – An anagram (ruined) of WHEN
25d Men on board audibly exulted (4)
CREW – A double definition to finish
3*/1*·····
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