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)
B1
21d duly nominated for easiest clue of the year; guessed what 13a might be but didn’t know it and nor did I look it up. Wasn’t quite convinced by ‘elegant’, either **/**
Thanks for the review CS
Did the ‘beady eyes’ make you laugh in The Times today Sue? I was chuckling away for some time when the penny finally dropped