Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3077
A full review by gnomethang
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This puzzle was published on 11th October 2020
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Morning All! A nice mix of clues here which didn’t take too long to solve.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought
Across
7a Still needing bailing out, rowing crew in craft (7)
SLEIGHT – The outside letters (needing bailing out) of StilL and EIGHT (rowing crew)
8a Futile to save more? (7)
USELESS – An old chestnut of a clue that surely doesn’t need explaining?
10a Paying close attention playing football? (2,3,4)
ON THE BALL – This expression meaning paying close attention sounds like you might be playing football
11a Wine good: far from it! (5)
PINOT – PI (good) NOT (far from it)
12a Supplied with guns, ‘urt (5)
ARMED – How a cockney might say ‘harmed’ (‘urt)
13a Topping energy, Argentine leader and I (9)
PEPPERONI – PEP (energy) PERON (Argentine leader) I (from the clue)
15a Dodgy test conducted, fixed (7)
SETTLED – An anagram (dodgy) of TEST then LED (conducted)
17a Man after pub nuts (7)
BARKING – KING (chess man) goes after BAR (pub)
18a Model in weapon of justice, oath (5-4)
SWEAR-WORD – WEAR (model) goes in SWORD (weapon of justice)
20a Brother, one cooking chips, we hear? (5)
FRIAR – Sounds like (we hear) FRIER (one cooking chips
21a Corner fish (5)
ANGLE – Double definition
23a Chap having locked up drink in it, brings key (9)
IMPORTANT – Start with IT (from the clue) and then ‘lock up’ or insert MAN (chap) into which has been inserted PORT (drink)
24a Lower digit to eight initially: so it has been entered wrongly (7)
TOOTSIE – TO (from the clue) E (eight ‘initially) into which has been inserted (entered) an anagram (wrongly) of SO IT
25a Poet certainly reflective about suffering (7)
SHELLEY – A reversal (reflective) of YES (certainly) goes ‘about’ HELL (suffering
Down
1d Measure heart-breaking period? (10)
CENTIMETRE – TIME (period) ‘breaking’ CENTRE (heart)
2d A selfish desire established (6)
AGREED – A (from the clue) GREED (selfish desire)
3d Poor hit (8)
STRAPPED – Double definition with ‘Strapped for Cash’
4d Stop creating a palindrome? (4,2)
PULL UP – As the clue says, a palindrome
5d Pick conference item for visit again (8)
REAPPEAR – REAP (pick) PEAR (conference)
6d Bird caught by hunter, naturally (4)
TERN – Caught by hunTER Naturally
7d Graduate in son is that incompetent as retail worker (4,9)
SHOP ASSISTANT – PASS (graduate) inserted into an anagram (incompetent) of SON IS THAT
9d Rich, as painter’s lovely model could be? (7,6)
SITTING PRETTY – A description of a painter’s lovely model
14d How medicine may be taken, gulping one drink first (10)
ORIGINALLY – ORALLY (how medicine may be taken) ‘gulping’ I (one) GIN (drink)
16d King nowhere to be seen, Greek lass ordered gifts (8)
LARGESSE – Remove the K (king nowhere to be seen) and an anagram (ordered) of GREEk LASS will provide the solution
17d Capital in early stage of development, a nuisance (8)
BUDAPEST – BUD (early stage of development) A (from the clue) PEST (nuisance)
19d He asked for more meat after starter of offal (6)
OLIVER – LIVER (meat) goes after the starter of Offal
20d Assembled, mine exploded, finally (6)
FORMED – FOR ME (mine) D (the final letter of exploded)
22d Shine, good and deep (4)
GLOW – G (good) LOW (deep)