ST 3030

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3030

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 17^th November 2019

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment **

A Sunday puzzle which wasn’t as much fun than we expect from Dada, coupled with a few odd surface readings and possibly the use of the wrong tense in 6d

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Across

1a    Drink in brother’s bar, after cutting back (6)
ABSORB – A reversal (back) of BROS BAr (brother’s bar after cutting back or removing the final letter)

5a    Pointer tossing rubbish around playfully at first (8)
SIGNPOST – An anagram (rubbish) of TOSSING around the P that is the first letter of playfully

9a    Study poem rejected by poet, trusted friend (10)
CONFIDANTE – CON (study), a reversal (rejected) of Kipling’s poem IF, and DANTE (poet)

10a    Use force to remove shoe (4)
PUMP – Double definition – one a verb, the other a noun

11a    Again transfer rule-breaking fool (8)
REASSIGN – ASS (fool) breaking REIGN (rule)

12a    Reversal of routine important for country (6)
TURKEY – A reversal of RUT (routine) followed by KEY (important)

13a    Hit on the turn, a soldier (4)
PARA – A reversal (on the turn) of RAP (hit) followed by A (from the clue)

15a    Remains hanging around auberge in France, perhaps (8)
REPUBLIC – RELIC (remains) ‘hanging around’ INN (auberge)

18a    Create broadcast on film, and so on (2,6)
ET CETERA – An anagram (broadcast) of CREATE goes on or after ET (Crosswordland’s favourite film?)

19a    Red stains by one’s ears? (4)
MARX – A Communist (red) sounds like (by one’s ears) MARKS (stains)

21a    Horror film’s introduction, okay (6)
FRIGHT – F (the ‘introduction’ of Film) RIGHT (okay)

23a    Over bit of fish I cast (8)
FINISHED – FIN (bit of fish) I (from the clue) SHED (cast)

25a    Starter of organic root vegetable turned over in sauce (4)
MAYO – A reversal (turned over) of O (the ‘starter’ of Organic) and YAM (root vegetable)

26a    Long canine used, sago roughly cut by fang, regularly (7,3)
SAUSAGE DOG – An anagram (roughly) of USED SAGO ‘cut’ by or having inserted the regular letters of fAnG

27a    Old crack in wood? (8)
CHESTNUT – Double definition – for a change this crossword doesn’t appear to have any of that type of clue!

28a    During attack, foreign article put down again (6)
RELAID – EL (Spanish definite article) inserted into RAID (attack)

Down

2d    Taking lid off bottle, pour forth drink (5)
BOOZE – B (the lid of Bottle) OOZE (pour forth)

3d    Blur face, but so grotesquely (9)
OBFUSCATE – One of my favourite words is obtained from an anagram (grotesquely) of FACE BUT SO

4d    Little room in English county with hi-tech (6)
BEDSIT – BEDS (the abbreviation for the English county of Bedfordshire) IT (high-tech)

5d    Digger initially going in faster, as annual repairs concerning underground line? (3,7,5)
SAN ANDREAS FAULT – An anagram (repairs) of D (digger ‘initially’ FASTER AS ANNUAL

6d    Primate taking lunch in Merlot, say? (5,3)
GREAT APE – EAT (taking lunch) in GRAPE (Merlot say?) – shouldn’t it be ‘take lunch’ to make the EAT work?

7d    Musician and cake decorator? (5)
PIPER – Double definition

8d    Restaurant worker in battle that is grasped by both hands (9)
SOMMELIER – SOMME (battle) and IE (that is) ‘grasped’ by L and R (both hands)

14d    A fine period at hospital — result! (9)
AFTERMATH – A (from the clue) F (fine) TERM (period) AT (from the clue) H (hospital)

16d    Lovely, nasty surprise (9)
BOMBSHELL – Double definition

17d    Throw black rock like that into container (8)
JETTISON – JET (black rock) and SO (like that) inserted into TIN (container)

20d    Where entertainment had dismissing opener, not cricket! (6)
UNFAIR – Dismiss the opener from fUNFAIR (where entertainment had)

22d    Crude measure of old (5)
GROSS – Double definition

24d    Bug turning up in silo, certainly (1,4)
E COLI – Lurking in reverse (turning up) in sILO CErtainly