Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3108
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This puzzle was published on 16th May 2021
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Another ‘typical’ Dada Sunday Prize Puzzle
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Across
1a Do put on nut in part of engine (10)
CRANKSHAFT – SHAFT (a slang word meaning do in the sense of swindle) put on or after CRANK (nut)
6a Eccentric king, for example (4)
CARD – This term for an eccentric can also mean a playing card such as a king
9a Cat flap within reach (5)
TABBY – TAB (flap) BY (within reach)
10a Freeing criminal is general (9)
RELEASING – An anagram (criminal) of IS GENERAL
12a Playboy out for percentage in unlawful venture? (4-3)
RAKE-OFF – RAKE (playboy) OFF (out)
13a Move after beat in dance (5)
TANGO – GO (move) goes after TAN (beat)
15a After one has gone, relation devastated in the future (5,2)
LATER ON – After the I (one) has been removed (gone), an anagram of the remaining letters of RELATiON will produce the solution
17a Joke, cricket shot towards the on side? (3-4)
LEG-PULL – Without the hyphen, this joke would be a PULL (cricket shot) towards the LEG (on) side of a cricket pitch
19a Eventually march back in perhaps? (7)
SOMEDAY – A reversal (back) of a DEMO (march) inserted in SAY (perhaps)
21a Evil cardinal returning — snake! (7)
MEANDER – MEAN (evil) followed by a reversal (returning) of RED (cardinal)
22a Failure drinks last of bottle (5)
LAPSE – LAPS (drinks) and the last letter of bottlE
24a Wicked, if cruel — is he? (7)
LUCIFER – An anagram (wicked) of IF CRUEL
27a Epic ego is out to steal foreign money (9)
GRANDIOSE – An anagram (out)of EGO IS to ‘steal’ RAND (foreign money)
28a Perfect thing croupier might say? (5)
IDEAL – A croupier might describe his job as “I DEAL”
29a River pretty near houses (4)
TYNE – pretTY NEar ‘houses’ this river
30a Pray, as Goth murdered philosopher (10)
PYTHAGORAS – An anagram (murdered) of PRAY AS GOTH
Down
1d Mention location on the phone? (4)
CITE – A homophone (on the phone) of SIGHT (location)
2d Flower beds carried first of tulips in botanical garden (9)
ARBORETUM – An ARUM lily (flower) into which is inserted BORE (carried) and T (the first letter of Tulips)
3d Boat that’s no different after capsizing? (5)
KAYAK – Because the name of this type of boat is a palindrome
4d Brother unable to speak regarding weapon (7)
HARPOON – HARPO (the Marx Brother who didn’t speak) ON (regarding)
5d Middle Eastern food, some endlessly in decline (7)
FALAFEL – A FEw (some ‘endlessly) inserted into FALL (decline)
7d Foreign story in article (5)
ALIEN – LIE (story) inserted in AN (indefinite article)
8d White straps go after catches (3,7)
DOG COLLARS – DOG (go after) COLLARS (catches)
11d Island in conflict with island, briefly (7)
ANTIGUA – ANTI (in conflict with) GUAm (briefly indicating the need to remove the final letter of the Island of Guam)
14d Steps taken to defend strike resulting in shiner (10)
FLASHLIGHT – FLIGHT (steps taken) to ‘defend’ LASH (strike)
16d Carrot-top adhered to mould (7)
REDHEAD – An anagram (to mould) of ADHERED
18d Bloomers perhaps inferior to flower (9)
UNDERWEAR – UNDER (inferior to) the river WEAR (flower)
20d Fairish call over leaders in organisation waiting years (7)
YELLOWY – YELL (call) over the leaders in Organisation Waiting Years
21d Play gong in American study (7)
MACBETH –CBE (gong, decoration) in MATH (what the Americans call the study of mathematics)
23d Downright simple (5)
PLAIN – Double definition
25d Cast reel (5)
FLING – Double definition, the second referring to a Scottish dance (reel) such as the Highland Fling
26d Some mountainous place to climb? (4)
ALPS – Hidden in reverse (to climb) in mountainouS PLAce