Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2993
A full review by gnomethang
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
This puzzle was published on Sunday 3rd March 2019
Morning All! This was my fastest solve for a long while (and many others found it quite straightforward) but there were some very fine clues contained therein.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Thoroughly cook bitter dessert (8,4)
BAKEWELL TART = A charade of BAKE WELL (Thoroughly cook) and TART for bitter.
8a Somewhat ashen, natural dye (5)
HENNA – A hidden word which is part of (somewhat) as HEN NA tural.
9a Silver medallists, athletes on the climb? (7-2)
RUNNERS-UP – RUNNERS for athletes and UP for on the climb.
11a I select new queen for English city (9)
LEICESTER – An anagram (new) of I SELECT and then E.R. for Elizabeth Regina, our Queen.
12a A section cut off (5)
APART – A from the clue and PART for section.
13a Cake hits the floor before ice cream (4,5)
DROP SCONE – DROPS for ‘hit the floor’ before an ice cream CONE.
16a Line raised, structure spanning river perhaps not opening (5)
RIDGE – Remove the first letter (not opening) of a (b)RIDGE or structure spanning a river.
18a Tulip roughly like a bulb, perhaps? (3,2)
LIT UP – A anagram (roughly) of TULIP.
19a Turks for example are in US, as travelling (9)
EURASIANS – An anagram (travelling) of ARE IN US AS.
20a Poet, messenger of war? (5)
HOMER – The Greek poet and another word for a homing pigeon that was used to send messages during the war.
22a Mark supports strike (9)
BACKSLASH – BACKS for supports and a LASH for a strike.
25a An unenjoyable job bagging silver in US port (9)
ANCHORAGE – AN form the clue and then AG for silver inside a CHORE or unenjoyable job.
26a French river I will have knowledge about (5)
LOIRE – Place LORE for knowledge about I from the clue.
27a Brilliant journey down from Machu Picchu, say? (12)
INCANDESCENT – A journey down from the old South American mountain might cryptically be described as an INCAN DESCENT. Everyone’s top clue!.
Down
1d Marsupial in group with one bird (9)
BANDICOOT – A BAND or group with I for one and a COOT bird.
2d Card cheat? (5)
KNAVE – Two definitions – a playing card (Jack) and a cad/cheat.
3d Least good way to support argument that’s come up (5)
WORST – A ST(reet) or way underneath (supporting in a Down clue) a ROW or argument that is reversed (that’s come up).
4d Unreal ray spinning for some time on the moon (5,4)
LUNAR YEAR – A spinning anagram of UNREAL RAY.
5d Old reptile’s tail found in the American reference book (9)
THESAURUS – The common ending letters in a many types of dinoSAUR placed inside THE from the clue an US for American.
6d Emperor up above a worshipper of Haile Selassie (5)
RASTA – A TSAR or emperor reversed (UP) and above the letter A from the clue.
7d Boy, a Greek landmark supported by a US city (12)
PHILADELPHIA – PHIL (a boy’s name), A and DELPHI (Greek landmark) above (supported by in a Down clue) A from the clue.
10d Harry’s turn to get ceramicist’s machine (7,5)
POTTER’S WHEEL – Harry POTTER’S WHEEL/turn.
14d Star that explodes, vapour sent endlessly flying (9)
SUPERNOVA – An anagram (flying) of VAPOUR and SEN(t) endlessly.
15d Where chairman presides in the main, unfortunately? (9)
OVERBOARD – A chairman presides OVER the BOARD which cryptically refers to the mishap that unfortunately places you in the main/sea.
17d Writer admits art is dubious (9)
DRAMATIST – An anagram (it is dubious) of ADMITS ART.
21d Mother put on party — there’s wine! (5)
MACON – MA for mother placed on the CON(servative) party.
23d The mating game? (5)
CHESS – A nice cryptic definition of the board game that ends in a (check)MATE.
24d Crack swimmer claiming victory (5)
SOLVE – a SOLE fish/swimmer capturing/claiming V for Victory.
Thanks to the setter. I am back tomorrow for a Saturday review.
I enjoyed this very much too – I particularly liked the reptile’s tail
Pleasant Sunday solve lightened by the debate re the bakewell. Is it a tart or a pudding? is icing allowed? As Senf said at the time if Mary Berry can ice a bakewell it must be “golden” It is a bit “After the lord mayor’s show” but thanks to Senf and Gnomethang. More like this please Dada.
3*/3*…
liked 24D (crack swimmer claiming victory).