Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3000
A full review by gnomethang
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This puzzle was published on 21st April 2019
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Morning All! Not a particularly tricky puzzle this week but some very nice clues to enjoy.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Mess up and down (5)
FLUFF – My last one in, not least because until I had the checking letters I was looking for a palindrome as ‘up and down’ in a crossword clue usually is a good indication of this. However, what was required was a double definition, one a verb and the other a description of a covering of fluffy hair
4a House party in Turkey, not essential (5)
TUDOR – Remove the key from TURkey (not ‘essential)’ and insert a DO (party)
10a Very little music with it: solo voice (8)
BARITONE – BAR (very little music) IT (from the clue) ONE (solo)
11a Cloak in which to secrete an item of party food (6)
CANAPE – CAPE (cloak) into which is secreted AN (from the clue)
12a One entertained by Highlanders in glengarries (6)
SINGLE – Lurking in HighlanderS IN GLEngarries
13a High plane, the jumbo (8)
ELEPHANT – An anagram (high) of PLANE THE
14a Paraphernalia in waste receptacles: harmful thing rejected earlier (7)
GUBBINS – Rejected earlier tells you to reverse BUG (harmful) thing and put it before BINS (waste receptacles)
16a Drier harbours right for small digger (6)
TROWEL – TOWEL (drier) ‘harbours’ R (right)
17a Sudden pain, double gets halved (6)
TWINGE – TWIN (double) and the first half of GEts
19a Article penned by poet, durable material (7)
LEATHER – THE (definite article) ‘penned by’ LEAR (poet)
21a Frame OK for car when travelling (4,4)
ROOF RACK – An anagram (when travelling) of OK FOR CAR
22a Turn of phrase for angel of the highest order (6)
SERAPH – An anagram (turn) of PHRASE
23a Criticised — as roof may be? (6)
SLATED – Double definition
24a Arbitrator made it complex, in other words (8)
MEDIATOR – An anagram (complex) of MADE IT followed by OR (in other words)
25a Lions were interfering, did you say? (5)
PRIDE – A homophone (did you say) of PRIED (were interfering)
26a Changes seen in cast, I decided to retire (5)
EDITS – Lurking in reverse (to retire) in caST I DEcided
Down
2d Member gripping a racket first (7)
LEADING – LEG (member) ‘gripping) A (from the clue) DIN (racket)
3d Perks offered to hairdressers, quite possibly? (6,8)
FRINGE BENEFITS – These perks might be offered to hairdressers
5d Ineffective advice to prodigal? (7)
USELESS – Split 3, 4 to see the advice in this very old friend of a crossword solver
6d Group of players confusing her with actors (9)
ORCHESTRA – An anagram (confusing) of HER with ACTORS
7d On court, zero affection (4)
LOVE – A score of zero on a tennis court or some affection
8d Where relocated ring might be, however (2,3,5,4)
ON THE OTHER HAND – This expression meaning however might describe where a relocated ring had been placed
9d Absorbing marine life? (6)
SPONGE – A nice cryptic definition
15d European relic Dane wrecked (9)
ICELANDER – An anagram (wrecked) of RELIC DANE
18d Vague description of mammoth? (6)
WOOLLY – Double definition
19d Top hosts make merry wildly (4,3)
LIKE MAD – LID (top) ‘hosts’ an anagram (merry) of MAKE
20d Harmonious relationship, having hit on kind of wine (7)
RAPPORT – RAP (hit) PORT (kind of wine)
22d Face Manchester United, for example? (4)
SIDE – Manchester United being an example of one side in a football match
2*/3*…
liked 5D(ineffective advice to prodigal?).