ST 3072

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3072

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 6 September 2020

BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment ***

Slightly trickier but still enjoyable – a bit of bleeping from the repetition radar, but the d’oh moment when I realized about the ‘foot’ in 25a was well worth it!

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Across

1a    Elegant tree (6)
SPRUCE – Double definition

4a    Andean camelid, as primarily seen on mountain? (6)
ALPACA – The primary letters of Andean Camelid As seen on or after ALP (mountain)

8a    Destitute, one tending to wander (8)
INDIGENT – I (one) followed by an anagram (to wander) of TENDING

10a    Drink back in pubs close by (6)
SHANDY – The back or final letter of pubS followed by HANDY (close by)

11a    Wait, in just a year (4)
STAY – Hidden in juST A Year

12a    Carefully considered, still sell (7,3)
THOUGHT OUT – THOUGH (still) TOUT (sell)

13a    Article, say, written by square journalists (6,6)
FOURTH ESTATE – THE (definite article) and STATE (say) written by or after FOUR (square)

16a    Flock in ignorance got lost (12)
CONGREGATION – An anagram (lost) of IGNORANCE GOT

20a    Brilliant strategy in reinterpretation of maps learnt (6,4)
MASTER PLAN – An anagram (reinterpretation) of MAPS LEARNT

21a    After conflict, little time for growth (4)
WART – The abbreviation (little) for time goes after WAR (conflict)

22a    Story read backwards during journey, sweet (6)
GELATO – A reversal (read backwards in an Across clue) of TALE (story) inserted into (during) GO (journey)

23a    Curious individual (8)
PECULIAR – Double definition

24a    Dashing, hurried to collect skirts in Kigali (6)
RAKISH – RASH (hurried) to ‘collect’ the skirts in KigalI

25a    A great foot perhaps? (6)
LEGEND – Something great could be your LEG END (foot)

Down

1d    Redraft contains official approval (8)
SANCTION – An anagram (redraft) of CONTAINS

2d    Bright, though not at first — wet! (5)
RAINY – Remove the first letter from bRAINY (bright)

3d    Wild animal taking weasel by the ears? (7)
CHEETAH – A homophone (by the ears) of CHEATER (taking weasel)

5d    Served up shortly, fish sandwiches like a dish from Italy (7)
LASAGNA – A reversal (served up) of a truncated (shortly) verb meaning to fish ANGLe into which is inserted AS (like)

6d    Flat bit crew installed in middle of location (9)
APARTMENT – PART (bit) and MEN (crew) installed in the middle of the letters at the middle of locATion

7d    Passion more difficult, it’s commonly said? (6)
ARDOUR – Sounds like someone ‘common’ would say ‘ARDER (more difficult)

9d    This cyclist might need closure after crashing during journey (7,4)
TROUSER CLIP – An anagram (after crashing) of CLOSURE inserted into (the second use of during as an insertion indicator) a TRIP (journey)

14d    Circuit people follow (9)
RACETRACK – RACE (people) TRACK (follow)

15d    Bishop, say, into fruit — bon vivant (8)
GOURMAND – MAN (Bishop as a chess piece or man) inserted into GOURD (fruit)

17d    On edge seeing Venus, or agitated (7)
NERVOUS – An anagram (agitated) of VENUS OR

18d    Worrier upset and hurt: sweet, saucy thing (7)
GANACHE – A reversal (upset in a Down clue) of NAG (worrier) followed by ACHE (hurt)

19d    Calling nurse, medicine finally swallowed (6)
CAREER – CARER (nurse) swallowed the final letter of medicinE

21d    Reportedly untamed author (5)
WILDE – A homophone (reportedly) of WILD (untamed)

 

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