ST 2721

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2721

A full review by crypticsue

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

A few to think about but the usual 26a crossword to start Sunday morning with both a sense of achievement and a smile.

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Across

1a           Celebrated fellow introducing prophetic work about university (6)
FAMOUS –  F (fellow) and AMOS (one of the Old Testament Minor Prophets) with U (university) inserted.

4a           Addict losing head with bad habits, hence court actions (8)
SERVICES –  Actions on a tennis court, for example –   Remove the first letter (losing head) from a USER (addict) and follow with VICES (bad habits).

10a         Deflect criticism from very short show (9)
VINDICATE –   V (the ‘short’ or abbreviated form of very) and INDICATE (show).

11a         Using few words repeatedly included by better setters, etc (5)
TERSE is hidden twice (repeatedly) in betTER SEtTERS Etc.

12a         Search Internet link the wrong way, in excess (7)
SURFEIT  –   SURF (search the internet) followed by a reversal (the wrong way) of TIE (link).

13a         Before four, servant returns in Mediterranean city (3,4)
TEL AVIV –   A reversal (returns) of a VALET (servant)  followed by (before) IV (the Roman numeral for four).

14a         Finally shortened book of world records? (5)
ATLAS –   AT LAST (finally)  with the  last letter removed (shortened).

15a         Charming article on the cards about Queen (8)
ADORABLE –   A (indefinite article)   and DOABLE (informal adjective meaning able to be done) with R (Regina, Queen) inserted.

18a         It enables speculator to see what’s central to board (5-3)
BULLS-EYE –  A person who speculates on rising share prices is a BULL –  a bull’s eye would enable him to see but a BULLS-EYE is actually the centre of a target in, for example, a dartboard.

20a         Possibly a solemn promise by English learner (5)
VOWEL –  Possibly a is an indication that you are looking for  VOWEL –   VOW (solemn promise) plus E (English) and L (learner).

23a         A competitor initially duplicated entry (7)
ARRIVAL  –  A (from the clue) and R RIVAL (the initial letter of RIVAL (competitor) being  duplicated).

25a         Went on rampage with tirade about carnival scene (3,4)
RAN RIOT –   Insert RIO (home of the famous carnival) into RANT (tirade).

26a         Excellent     fish found in British stream (5)
BRILL –   B (British) and RILL (stream) combine to make either an informal adjective meaning excellent or a fish related to the turbot.

27a         Enclose page by court official for clerk (3-6)
PEN-PUSHER –    PEN (enclose) P (page) and USHER (court official).

28a         Generate changes for young person (8)
TEENAGER –   An anagram (changes)of GENERATE.

29a         Scot’s understanding no backward African (6)
KENYAN –  KEN (a Scottish word meaning to know, see and recognise) followed by a reversal (backward) of NAY (an archaic form of no).

Down

1d           Top-quality light installed in tree (4-4)
FIVE-STAR –   Insert a VESTA (match, light) into  a FIR tree.

2d           Break norm, e.g. on length, unlike well-bred setter, say (7)
MONGREL –   An anagram (break) of NORM EG on or followed by L (length) produces  a less well-bred  dog (setter, say, indicating an example of a dog)

3d           Ubiquitous shift in values? That’s about right (9)
UNIVERSAL –   Insert R (about right) into an anagram (shift) of IN VALUES.

5d           European with brief lecture that is about one group engaged in politics (14)
ELECTIONEERING –  E (European)   LECT (brief lecture)  IE (that is) with ONE inserted (about) and RING (group).

6d           Critical volume on EU country abridged (5)
VITAL  –   V (volume) and ITALy (EU country abridged).

7d           Cut line holding a Spanish ship (7)
CARAVEL – Insert A (holding) A into CARVE (cut) and finish with L (line) to  get a light Mediterranean sailing ship.

8d           Possibly hiding-place for ace    record-holder (6)
SLEEVE –   Where a magician might hide a playing card such as an ace, or a cardboard container for a gramophone record.

9d           Awfully ill, appreciates incomplete coverage – seen as ominous by some (7,7)
PARTIAL ECLIPSE –   An anagram (awfully) of ILL APPRECIATES.

16d         Exploit commercial opening on Northern river (9)
ADVENTURE –   AD (commercial) VENT (opening) and URE (a river in North Yorkshire).

17d         Accommodation over club that’s no longer a pressing requirement (8)
FLATIRON –   FLAT (accommodation) followed by (over in a down clue)  IRON (golf club) produces an old-fashioned iron for pressing clothes, fortunately for those who have to do the ironing now superseded by the electric iron.

19d         Instrument filled with water falling in part of USSR once (7)
UKRAINE –  Gnomey will have liked this clue as he has two ukuleles , a single one being informally known as a UKE, into which should be inserted RAIN (filled with water).

21d         Why I get confused is significant (7)
WEIGHTY –   An anagram (confused) of WHY I GET.

22d         Weak player has rook and bishop captured by a piece (6)
RABBIT is apparently a term for an inferior player at golf or cricket.   R (rook in chess) and A BIT (a piece) with B (bishop in chess) inserted (captured by).

24d         Complete classical quartet turned up in house (5)
VILLA –   Another appearance for IV, the Roman numeral for four –  it and ALL (complete) are both reversed (turned up).

Season’s Greetings to Virgilius –  looking forward to more fun in 2014.