ST 3112

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3112

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This puzzle was published on 13^th June 2021

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

Another straightforward Sunday puzzle, perfect for a sunny Sunday when it was too hot to be indoors solving and blogging crosswords

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Across

1a    Fly down something with a neck (10)
BLUEBOTTLE – BLUE (down, miserable) BOTTLE (something with a neck)

6a    Smack overly diligent student by one’s ear? (4)
SWAT – A homophone (by one’s ear) of a SWOT (overly diligent student)

9a    Rubbish salesman a dog perhaps witnessed on the retreat (10)
WASTEPAPER – A reversal (on the retreat) of REP (salesman) A (from the clue) PET (dog perhaps) SAW (witnessed)

10a    Rule not starting soon (4)
ANON – cANON (rule, law) ‘not starting’

12a    Serve ace: something funny about that? (4)
WAIT – WIT (something funny) goes about A (ace)

13d    So judge has nothing to hide in that place (9)
THEREFORE – REF (judge) O (nothing) to ‘hide’ in THERE (that place)

15a    Implicit message, obvious one (8)
OVERTONE – OVERT (obvious) ONE (from the clue)

16a    Trial in old era, disorderly (6)
ORDEAL – An anagram (disorderly) of OLD ERA

18a    Cross line of taxis in empty city (6)
CRANKY – RANK (line of taxis) in the outside (empty) letters of CitY

20a    Meat market: drain running back alongside one (8)
PASTRAMI – A reversal (running back) of MART (market) SAP (drain) followed by I (one)

23a    Standard elevation ultimately in further plan (3,6)
RED ENSIGN – the ultimate letter of elevatioN inserted in RE DESIGN (further plan)

24a    Animal in shock, by the sound of it? (4)
HARE – A homophone (by the sound of it) of HAIR (shock)

26a    Gilt books for relation (4)
AUNT – AU (the chemical symbol for gold, gilt) NT (New Testament books)

27a    Set including rosemary and basil originally in, say — here? (4,6)
HERB GARDEN – HARDEN (set) including EG (say) into which are inserted the original letters of Rosemary and Basil

28a    Christmas in no time, school ends (4)
NOEL – NO (from the clue) and the ‘ends’ of timE and schooL

29a    Letters sent out after backing of rule in place of financial dealings (4,6)
WALL STREET – An anagram (sent out) of LETTERS goes after a reversal (backing) of LAW (rule)

Down

1d    Deliver container for fruit, perhaps? (4)
BOWL – Double definition

2d    High step, better (7)
UPSTAGE – UP (high) STAGE (step)

3d    Beautiful, as may be a low blow? (12)
BREATHTAKING – A low punch may take your breath away

4d    In honour of a police operation, raising one’s glass (8)
TOASTING – TO A (in honour of) STING (police operation)

5d    Numbers of Germans were untrustworthy? I’m not sure (6)
LIEDER – LIED (were untrustworthy) ER (I’m not sure)

7d    Get a little sweet (7)
WINSOME – WIN (get) SOME (a little)

8d    Cut red line, not squiggly (10)
TENDERLOIN – An anagram (squiggly) of RED LINE NOT

11d    Frank discussion — between red queen and king, perhaps? (5-2-5)
HEART-TO-HEART – The queen and king being playing cards

14d    Power on train affected, without a doubt (3,7)
FOR CERTAIN – FORCE (power) on an anagram (affected) of TRAIN

17d    Writer’s piece screened by channel, might one finish another off? (8)
CANNIBAL – NIB (writer’s piece) ‘screened’ by CANAL (channel)

19d    Cook elated about new way to serve pasta (2,5)
AL DENTE – An anagram (cook) of ELATED ‘about’ N (new)

21d    Shorten a violin part (7)
ABRIDGE – A (from the clue) BRIDGE (violin part)

22d    Last word I caught written up for film (6)
CINEMA – A reversal (written up) of AMEN (last word) I (from the clue) C (caught)

25d    Bird in flight on knife-edge, rising (4)
KNOT – Hidden in reverse (riding) in flighT ON Knife