Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3035
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 22nd December 2019
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
An extremely straightforward Sunday puzzle, perfect for me to solve and draft the review before the taxi came to take us to the airport to travel to Northern Ireland for Christmas with the family. Lots of seasonal themed references as one might expect on the Sunday before Christmas
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Across
1a Burnt offering, plain outrage (12)
FRANKINCENSE – FRANK (plain) INCENSE (outrage)
9a This grade remarkable, look at the score! (5-4)
SIGHT-READ – An anagram (remarkable) of THIS GRADE
10a Direction taken by old PM? (5)
NORTH – Lord NORTH was the Prime Minister from 1770 to 1782
11a Cake: nearly all covered in cereal, flipped over (6)
ÉCLAIR – AL (‘nearly’ all) ‘covered’ in a reversal (flipped over) of RICE (cereal)
12a Better opportunity originally missed, in conclusion (8)
ENHANCED – The original letter of cHANCE (opportunity) is ‘missed’ and the remaining letters inserted into END (conclusion)
13a Follower, revolutionary in Vietnam’s eyes (3-3)
YES-MAN – Lurking in reverse (revolutionary) in VietNAMS EYes
15a Generous first dash of soda: without spirit? (8)
SELFLESS – S (the first ‘dash’ of Soda) ELFLESS (without spirit)
18a Article perhaps used in washing cotton sample (8)
TOILETRY – TOILE (cotton) TRY (sample)
19a Agreement during Whitsun is ongoing (6)
UNISON – Found during WhitsUN IS ONgoing
21a Denying tiger fun proves foolish (8)
REFUTING – An anagram (foolish) of TIGER FUN
23a Little point claiming extra power for dictator (6)
DESPOT – DOT (little point) ‘claiming’ ESP (extra power)
26a Fluff English, reading, writing and arithmetic, bagging zero (5)
ERROR – E (English) R R R (reading, writing and arithmetic being the 3 Rs) ‘bagging’ O (zero)
27a Dark individual in suit in entertainment venue (9)
NIGHTCLUB – NIGHT (dark) CLUB (individual in suit)
28a Tree certainly not tidy around end of December (6,6)
NORWAY SPRUCE – A nicely accurate seasonal surface reading – NO WAY (certainly not) SPRUCE (tidy) ‘around’ the R at the end of December
Down
1d She and I fry fresh salmon etc, caught here (7)
FISHERY – An anagram (fresh) of SHE I FRY
2d Article on setter shows spirit (5)
ANGEL – AN (indefinite article) on GEL (setter)
3d Bird I come to after Manx cat (9)
KITTIWAKE – I WAKE (I come to) goes after KITT (‘Manx’ indicating that the cat should be tailless)
4d By all conclusions, when to raise hell — party season? (4)
NOEL – The conclusions of wheN tO raisE helL
5d Risk grenade going off having grabbed pin, ultimately (8)
ENDANGER – An anagram (going off) of GRENADE having ‘grabbed’ N (pin ‘ultimately’)
6d Generous type, devil with tail up somewhat? (5)
SANTA – The N at the ‘tail end’ of SATAN moved up somewhat
7d Crazy code-breakers? (8)
CRACKERS – Double definition
8d Where ancient giant stood in more than one street, it’s said? (6)
RHODES – A homophone (it’s said) of ROADS (more than one street)
14d Little point in the sea launch for WWII flier (8)
SPITFIRE – SPIT (little point of land jutting out into the sea) FIRE (launch)
16d Touch on clue one’s nailed! (9)
FINGERTIP – FINGER (touch) TIP (clue)
17d Prepare to catch with opener for Northants just out? (5,3)
BRAND NEW – BREW (prepare) to ‘catch’ AND (with) and N (the opener for Northants)
18d Upping routine, critical for country (6)
TURKEY – A reversal (upping in a Down clue) of RUT (routine) followed by KEY (critical)
20d Celebrity lacking in skill? (7)
NOTABLE – NOT ABLE (lacking in skill)
22d Main part of body thus stuck under rock (5)
TORSO – SO (thus) ‘stuck’ under TOR (rock)
24d Edge raised on gold dish from India (5)
PILAU – A reversal (raised) of LIP (edge) put on AU (chemical symbol for gold)
25d Lug rocks, ending on Salisbury Plain (4)
UGLY – An anagram (rocks) of LUG followed by the ‘ending’ of SailsburY