Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3032
A full review by gnomethang
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 1st December 2019
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Morning All! A failry quick solve today but the review found some nice constructions that I missed when I threw the words in from checing letters and obvious definitions. Personally I think that I would have added an extra enjoyment star if the Defs had been a bit more oblique.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Greek doctor‘s African native cases (11)
HIPPOCRATES – A charade of a HIPPO(potamus) or African Native and CRATES (cases).
10a More accomplished, a cricketer hasn’t got zero wickets (5)
ABLER – A B(0w)LER or cricketer with )/zero and w(ickets) removed. Both being cricketing abbreviations (abb.)
11a Suspect noticing nothing in disguise (9)
INCOGNITO – A suspect anagram of NOTICING followed by O for zero again.
12a Writing material getting no spill, record protected (9)
NOTEPAPER – NO form the clue and a TAPER/spill for lighting fires containing/proteting an EP or Extended Player record.
13a Fitted into ladders, good steps (5)
RUNGS – G for Good inside RUNS/ladders in stockings.
14a One perhaps feeling less well? (6)
NUMBER – Of which One is an example and also feeling less well being NUMBER/more numb.
16a Flag raised at the outset, boarding ship (8)
STREAMER – The first (at the outset) letter of R(aise) inside/boarding a STEAMER or ship.
18a Landing place one left after finals in British private school (8)
HELIPORT – I for one and Port for Left after the final letters in (Britis)H (privat)E (schoo)L
20a Eye cell about right, a part of the visual organ (6)
CORNEA – An eye CONE cell around/about R for Right and then A from the clue.
23a A bit thick, knocked over just the same (3,2)
NOT ON – A palindrome (knocked over just the same) for ‘a bit thick’/off/out of order.
24a Pole grows tired before Welsh runner (9)
FLAGSTAFF – FLAGGS/grows tired before the river TAFF (which is in Wales?).
26a Driven people, evidently in the pink? (9)
CARNATION – A bit chestnutty but people driven/in cars might cryptically be alluded to as CAR NATION
27a Wall going in as US president (5)
ADAMS – A DAM or wall in AS from the clue.
28a Dish served up? That’s unrealistic (3,2,3,3)
PIE IN THE SKY – Cryptically, a pie dish served UP (in the air) might be so described.
Down
2d Bay I left, consumed by land (5)
INLET – L for left inside I NET for I land (a fish for example).
3d A meaty whopper? (4,3)
PORK PIE – A lovely Cryptic Definition of a whopper (lie) that also has a rhyming slang equivalent with meat included.
4d Upbeat as a tweeter? (6)
CHIRPY – The Cryptic definition being as a bird who chirps/tweets.
5d A priest claiming caught on the nose (8)
ACCURATE – A CURATE/priest claims/contains C for Caught (more cricket abb.!)
6d Savage angered, prepare for a fight (2,5)
EN GARDE – A savage anagram of ANGERED nd a good starting clue.
7d Headache — suffering a little further down? (4,2,3,4)
PAIN IN THE NECK – A fairly simple double definition – the former being just an annoying person/situation, the second being more medically specific.
8d In can on top of mantelpiece, mixed spice (8)
CINNAMMON – An anagram (mixed) of IN CAN ON and the top letter n M(anltepiece).
9d A mess, chow chow possibly? (4,9)
DOGS BREAKFAST – A CD relating to the Chow being a breed of dog.
15d Trial I organised in my army (8)
MILITARY – An organised anagram of TRIAL I inside MY from the clue.
17d Admitted to unit if far gone after a turn, writing on the wall? (8)
GRAFFITI – A reversed (after a turn) hidden (admitted to) clue inside un IT IF FAR G one.
19d South Asian joke: dig one (7)
PUNJABI – A charade of a PUN/joke, JAB/dig (in the ribs) and I for one from the clue.
21d Person claiming stock exchange trader is prepared to act (2,5)
ON STAGE – ONE (person) containing/claiming a STAG or stock trader.
22d Artist has nailed sketching finally — one can draw! (6)
MAGNET – the final letter of (sketchin)G is held/nailed by the artist MANET.
25d A shortfall, I’m afraid (5)
ALACK – Alas and A LACK/shortfall.