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!)
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
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
4*/3*…
liked 24A (thicken stews — here?).