Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3037
A full review by gnomethang
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This puzzle was published on 5th January 2020
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Morning All! Quite a tricky one I thought and I threw 6d in without a clue as to the parsing.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Mutual connection in gracious story (11)
CORRELATION – COR for ‘Gracious’/’My’ and a RELATION or story.
9a Pose with ten performing old dance (3-4)
ONE-STEP – An anagram (performing) of POSE with TEN.
10a Advertisement featured by flier (6)
PUFFIN – A PUFF piece or advertisement with IN for featured (IN a magazine, say).
12a Drop shade with force (7)
PLUMMET – A PLUM colour/shade of red with the MET for Metropolitan Police Force.
13a Man bottling wine very early in the morning (7)
PREDAWN – A PAWN or man on a chess board including/bottling a RED wine.
14a Approach career with it (3-2)
RUN IN – RUN for career and IN for with it/popular.
15a One pub joining another in welcoming a savage (9)
BARBARIAN – Two BARs or pubs an then IN including/welcoming A from the clue.
17a Area of expertise for bloke in East Midlands town (9)
MANSFIELD – An area of expertise for a bloke might cryptically be referred to as a MAN’S FIELD.
20a Strong drink (5)
STOUT – A regular double definition.
22a Enormous junk in attic (7)
TITANIC – An anagram, indicated by junk, of IN ATTIC.
24a One pulling a fast one, did you say? That’s very quick (7)
CHEETAH – A homophone (did you say?) of a CHEATER – someone pulling a fast one.
25a Boil half of eggs another way, please (6)
OBLIGE – Make an anagram (another way) of BOIL and half of EG(gs).
26a First language I rejected: Swahili finally embraced (7)
INITIAL – a reversal (rejected) of LATIN I with the final letter in (swahil)I included/embraced.
27a Engineer: worker needing time on platform (5-6)
STAGE-MANAGE – A MAN or worker and an AGE or period of time after (ON in an across clue) a STAGE/platform.
Down
2d Empire that’s been stuffed (7)
OTTOMAN – An old Turkish empire that is also a couch which may be stuffed/padded.
3d Pure nonsense, board trustworthy (9)
REPUTABLE – A nonsense anagram of PURE and then a TABLE or board.
4d Greatly enjoy leading Formula One race, say? (3,2)
LAP UP – When leaing an F1 race one might be a LAP UP/ahead.
5d Chunky rolls with cheese that’s fine and crisp (7)
TAFFETA – A reversal (rolls) of FAT for chunky and thn FETA cheese.
6d Asian craft making capital in central Wyoming (7)
ORIGAMI – Just worked this out! Place RIGA, the capital of Latvia inside the central letters of (wy) OMI (ng).
7d Change medium, it getting hard for metalworker (11)
COPPERSMITH – The change in your pocket is COPPERS. Add M(edium), IT from the clue and H for Hard (as in pencil strengths).
8d Hand back on pivot (6)
RETURN – A charade of RE: (reference, about, on) and TURN for pivot.
11d Suntan I worked on, agony briefly (2,1,8)
IN A NUTSHELL – Start with an anagram (worked on) of SUNTAN I and then add HELL for agony.
16d Drop journalist into protest (9)
REDUCTION – Place an ED for editor/journalist into a RUCTION or protest.
18d A lot, by inference? I don’t think so (3,1,3)
NOT A BIT – Cryptically or by inference, a lot is NOT A BIT/small amount.
19d Foil work, perhaps, putting up barriers (7)
FENCING – One works with a foil blade in the sport of FENCING, the rest is the straight definition of creating barriers around properties, for example.
20d Recognise monarch hunting (7)
SEEKING – SEE for recognise and a KING/monarch.
21d Old hat in good shape for suit, say (6)
OUTFIT – OUT for old/passé and then FIT for ‘in good shape’.
23d Best put paper under contract at first (5)
CREAM – Place a REAM of paper under the first letter in C(ontract).
Thanks to the setter – I’ll be back tomorrow.