Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3021
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 15th September 2019
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
An awful lot of doing something with a letter this time
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Across
7a Sale I find, after negotiation, agreed upon (9)
FINALISED – An anagram (after negotiation) of SALE I FIND
8a Tongue: deer has one (5)
HINDI – HIND (female red deer) I (one)
10a Quiet moment for comedy routine (6)
SHTICK – SH (quiet) TICK (moment)
11a Touring America, rebel surprisingly OK for further employment (8)
REUSABLE – An anagram (surprisingly) of REBEL ‘touring’ USA (America)
12a Prepared to be fired, being biased (6)
LOADED – Double definition
14a Feed stranger after first of friends (6)
FODDER – ODDER (stranger) goes after the first letter of Friends
16a Heart perhaps in rogue broken by lover, finally (4)
CARD – CAD (rogue) ‘broken’ by the final letter of Lover
17a One feeding relative rice, for example (5)
GRAIN – I (one) ‘feeding’ GRAN (relative)
18a Act that may backfire just the same? (4)
DEED – A palindrome (may backfire just the same)
19a Just so optimal, every second in paradise (6)
UTOPIA – Every second letter of jUsT sO oPtImAl
21a Sluggish swim, rubbish doing the backstroke? (6)
TORPID – A reversal (doing the backstroke) of DIP (swim) ROT (rubbish)
24a Bit rough originally within party (8)
FRACTION – R (rough originally) inserted within FACTION (party)
26a Drinker maybe rudely allowed to bring glass (6)
GOBLET – GOB (drinker, mouth, maybe rudely) LET (allowed)
27a Visible in Finland, Estonian mountain range (5)
ANDES – Visible in FinlAND EStonian
28a Device on tree with pin broken (3-6)
TIN-OPENER – An anagram (broken) of ON TREE PIN
Down
1d Fine political leaning (5)
RIGHT – Double definition
2d Engine fitting bloke covers if worn out (8)
MANIFOLD – MAN (bloke) ‘covers’ or goes on top of in a Down clue, IF (from the clue) and OLD (worn out)
3d Very bad, like a candle? (6)
WICKED – Double definition
4d Worker ending on stretcher — bitter? (4)
BEER – BEE (worker) and the ‘ending’ on stretcheR
5d Smashing sorcerer (6)
WIZARD – Another double definition
6d Red alert activated about posh chap messing around? (9)
ADLTERER – An anagram (activated) of RED ALERT ‘about’ U (posh)
9d Bird evidently short of breath, briefly (6)
PUFFIN – Briefly indicates the need to remove the last letter from PUFFINg (short of breath)
13d Sucker ultimately taken in by ridiculous plan (5)
DRAFT – R (the ultimate letter of sucker) ‘taken in’ by DAFT (ridiculous)
15d Hesitant female changing (9)
FALTERING – F (female) ALTERING (changing)
17d Pass, then stretch out to go round a keeper (6)
GOALIE – GO (pass) and LIE (stretch out) go round A (from the clue)
18d Ball-player demonstrating great skill, one salivating? (8)
DRIBBLER – Double definition
20d By the sound of it, ancient Briton chosen (6)
PICKED – A homophone (by the sound of it) of PICT (ancient Briton)
22d Ignore dodgy neighbourhood (6)
REGION – An anagram (dodgy) of IGNORE
23d Women only saving me — those chaps are macho! (2-3)
HE-MEN – HEN (women only) ‘saving’ ME (from the clue)
25d Catch slow-mover that hasn’t started (4)
NAIL – Remove the first letter (hasn’t started) from sNAIL (slow mover)
B2