ST 2915

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2915

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 3^rd September 2017

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

Lots to enjoy as is usual for a Sunday morning – at the time of solving I only marked one clue for favouritism so I’ll stick with that – 5d taking the top spot this week.

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Across

8a    One thing we hear about time that’s surprise (7)
ASTOUND – A SOUND (one thing we hear) goes ‘about’ T for Time  

10a    State how old someone is? That could be mean (7)
AVERAGE – AVER (state) AGE (how old someone is)  

11a    Problem for readers, I agree, in English school (9)
EYESTRAIN – YES (I agree) in E (English) TRAIN (school)  

12a    Climber in Australian Alps (5)
LIANA – A climber lurking in AustraLIAN Alps  

13a    Also including thousand yen in capital where it’s usable (5)
TOKYO – TOO (also) ‘including’ K (thousand) Y (Yen)  

14a    Where journeys end, in theory — oddly, by car (7)
TERMINI – The odd letters of ThEoRy and MINI (car)  

17a    Queen who made herself unpopular, namely in dreadful rant at one time (5,10)
MARIE ANTOINETTE – IE (namely)inserted into an anagram (dreadful) of RANT AT ONE TIME  

19a    I had turned over poems of various kinds (7)
DIVERSE – A reversal (turned over) of ID (I had) followed by VERSE (poems)  

21a    For example, lead guest finally into dinner, say (5)
METAL – Sneaky surface reading time – T (the final letter of guest) inserted into MEAL (dinner, say)  

24a    Big game found, if not actually lions initially (5)
FINAL – The initial letters of Found If Not Actually Lions  

26a    Check on eligibility for aid statesmen revised (5,4)
MEANS TEST – An anagram (revised) of STATESMEN  

27a    Family member, right from the start, in euphoric state (7)
ELATION – Take away the R (right) from the ‘start’ of RELATION (family member)  

28a    Lady, perhaps, showing journalists around borders of estate (7)
PEERESS – PRESS (journalists) around the ‘borders’ of EstatE

 

Down

 

1d    Clear area in quiet part of camp (6)
PATENT – A (area) goes in between P (musical instruction meaning quiet) and TENT (part of camp)  

2d    Fast mover, or one barely running (8)
STREAKER – A double definition which might provide a picture opportunity if one of our other bloggers was doing this review 😉

 

3d    A truce I arranged, including individual who has lots to offer? (10)
AUCTIONEER – An anagram (arranged) of A TRUCE I ‘including’ or having inserted ONE (individual)

 

4d    After crazy rising, people getting endless punishment (9)
DAMNATION – A reversal (rising) of MAD (crazy) followed by NATION (peoplep>

 

5d    Fit for second or last part in Shakespeare play (4)
WELL – Found in the second and final parts of the title of the Shakespeare Play All’s WELL that ends WELL  

6d    A wife in one African country or another (6)
MALAWI – Insert A (from the clue) W (wife) in the African country of MALI

 

7d    Doctor deviates, producing remedy for nerves (8)
SEDATIVE – An anagram (doctor) of DEVIATES

 

9d    Give everyone a hand in agreement (4)
DEAL – Even with the two checking letters, this was my last one in and quite a D’Oh moment too – To give everyone a hand in a game of cards; an agreement

 

15d    Presenter of show in the round starring me in new production (10)
RINGMASTER – An anagram (new production) of STARRING ME

 

16d    Sabotage how James Bond worked in East (9)
UNDERMINE – UNDER M (how James Bond worked) IN (from the clue) E (East)

 

17d    Medic declined to cover condition that’s changed (8)
MODIFIED – MO (Medical Officer, medic) and DIED (declined),the latter covering IF (condition)

 

18d    Secured by rope, some frigate there docked (8)
TETHERED – Lurking in frigaTE THERE Docked

 

20d    Destructive type in museum then left (6)
VANDAL – V AND A (Victoria and Albert Museum) L (left)

 

22d    Like Hawaii as state, or Louisiana, on trial (6)
LATEST – LA (Louisiana) TEST (trial)

 

23d    Swindle, i.e. something that’s not on the level (4)
RAMP – A verb meaning to swindle or an inclined plane

 

25d    Placed face up (4)
LAID – A reversal (up in a Down clue) of DIAL (face)

 

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