Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2991

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 17 February 2019

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

Either this is another Dada crossword that’s escaped from a Tuesday ‘toughie’ slot, or he’s finally got the recipe for a Sunday Prize Puzzle just right. I particularly liked the way he told us that he knew what we’d say about several clues (all 17ds!)

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Across

7a    Bird, one poking around gobbling crumbs ultimately (7)
ROOSTER – ROOTER (one poking around) ‘gobbling’ the S that is the ultimate letter of crumbs

8a    Study of literature in English university (7)
READING – The first of today’s 17ds – one a verb the other a university town

10a    Closet open, used mysteriously to hide cross (9)
UNEXPOSED – An anagram (mysteriously) of OPEN USED ‘hiding’ X (cross)

11a    Trunk roughly attached to elephant at last (5)
TORSO – Another variation of a 17d – OR SO (roughly) attached to T (the last letter of elephant)

12a    Male billed as an old sailor (5)
DRAKE – A male duck (with a bill) or Sir Francis, the old sailor – the first clue to make me smile as I worked my way down the Across clues!

13a    In the outskirts of Leeds, there’s always a fight for good-for-nothings (9)
LAYABOUTS – AY (always) A BOUT (a fight) inserted into the outskirts of LeedS

15a    Spicy sauce, mostly strong is it? (7)
HARISSA – Most of HARd (strong) IS (from the clue) SA (it = Sex Appeal)

17a    Establish name in two companies (7)
CONFIRM – N (name) inserted between CO and FIRM (two companies)

18a    Fear those spotted behind bovine are dropping back (9)
COWARDICE – COW (bovine) AR (are dropping the back letter) DICE (those spotted)

20a    Unpleasant type rat, he is horrible (5)
HATER – An anagram (horrible) of RAT HE

21a    Arabian person in attention-seeker? (5)
OMANI – MAN (person) in OI (way of seeking attention)

23a    Check fellow is cleaner (9)
DETERGENT – Another 17d – DETER (check) GENT (fellow)

24a    Thicken stews — here? (7)
KITCHEN – An anagram (stews) of THICKEN

25a    I’m not sure boy is Italian (7)
UMBRIAN – UM (I’m not sure) BRIAN (boy)

Down

1d    Soft tissue on me thrown over into grave (4,6)
BONE MARROW – ON (from the clue) and a reversal (thrown over) of ME (from the clue) inserted into BARROW (grave)

2d    Secure standard (6)
STAPLE – Double definition, one a verb, the other a noun

3d    Capital city in trouble is on the up after support of women (8)
BRASILIA – AIL (trouble) and IS (from the clue) reversed (on the up) and put after BRA (support of women)

4d    One of seven papers in conflict (6)
FRIDAY – Seven days of the week not Snow White’s friends – ID (papers) in FRAY (conflict)

5d    Last seen in canteen I guess, tool brought up for refuse collector (5,3)
WASTE BIN – The last letter of canteeN, I (from the clue) BET (guess) SAW (tool) all reversed (brought up)

6d    Sound of stringed instrument, one telling a story (4)
LIAR – A homophone (sound) of LYRE (stringed instrument)

7d    Where twelve numbers may appear, always (5,3,5)
ROUND THE CLOCK – Where the numbers 1 – 12 may appear

9d    Neighbourly type from somewhere in India installing radio mast for broadcasting (4,9)
GOOD SAMARITAN – GOAN (from somewhere in India) ‘installing’ an anagram (for broadcasting) of RADIO MAST

14a    Where are the clouds? Not sure (2,2,3,3)
UP IN THE AIR – Where the clouds are usually to be found

16d    Serious passage read out (8)
STRAIGHT – A homophone (read out) of STRAIT (passage)

17d    Wood, funny old thing? (8)
CHESTNUT – A type of wood or a funny old thing often found in crossword clues

19d    I feast beneath the moon (6)
IODINE – DINE (feast) goes beneath IO (the innermost moon of Jupiter)

20d    Fragrant hugs beginning to excite as a result (6)
HEREBY – HERBY (fragrant) ‘hugs’ the beginning to Excite

22d    Book already commencing, the story starts (4)
ACTS – The ‘starts’ of Already Commencing The Story