ST 3116

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3116

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This puzzle was published on 11^th July 2021

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Another Sunday puzzle from Dada

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Across

1a    Opening bit for spokesperson (10)
MOUTHPIECE – Double definition

6a    Asian trio hard at it, originally (4)
THAI – The original letters of Trio Hard At It

10a    Lost, as a boat may be? (2,3)
AT SEA – In a state of uncertainty as someone in a boat may be

11a    New leaf let go in French bean (9)
FLAGEOLET – An anagram (new) of LEAF LET GO gives us another appearance of the DT’s Bean of the Week

12a    Lecturer boarding cutter, forgiving type (8)
PARDONER – DON (lecturer) ‘boarding’ PARER (cutter)

13a    Corrupt mates in power (5)
STEAM – An anagram (corrupt) of MATES

15d    Two rugby union teams perhaps imbibing swiftly initially — as this? (7)
THIRSTY – THIRTY (two rugby union teams) ‘imbibing’ the initial letter of Swiftly

17a    Prepared in the morning, as salad may be? (7)
DRESSED – Double definition

19a    Spectacle seeing insect on leaf (7)
PAGEANT – ANT (insect) goes on or after PAGE (leaf)

21a    Gold figure kept in empty cabinet for crown (7)
CORONET – OR (heraldic gold) ONE (figure) ‘kept’ in the outside (empty) letters of CabineT

22a    Top forty in Roman numerals on the radio? (5)
EXCEL – A homophone (on the radio) of XL (forty in Roman numerals)

24d    For example, fine writer is into beer (8)
PENALISE – PEN (writer) and IS (from the clue) inserted into ALE (beer)

27a    Wrongdoing in cooler, scarcely contained (9)
INJUSTICE – IN (from the clue) ICE (cooler) ‘containing’ JUST (scarcely)

28a    Base failing, reportedly? (5)
FLOOR – A homophone (reportedly) of FLAW (failing)

29a    Award returned in spring, no good (4)
GONG – Hidden in reverse (returned) in sprinG ON Good

30a    Some printed text allowed by Queen in the public notice (10)
LETTERHEAD – LET (allowed) THE (from the clue) AD (public notice) into which is inserted the regnal cipher of our current Queen

Down

1d    Duck caught by male grouse (4)
MOAN – O (duck) ‘caught’ by MAN (male)

2d    Liberal showing no mercy (9)
UNSPARING – Double definition

3d    Picked up by the ears, number of cows, it’s said (5)
HEARD – A homophone (it’s said) of HERD (number of cows)

4d    Early years at home, complicated (7)
INFANCY – IN (at home) FANCY (complicated)

5d    Burnt fish, like snapper say? (7)
CHARRED – CHAR (fish) RED (like a snapper for example)

7d    Divide by two (well divided by five) (5)
HALVE – HALE (well) ‘divided’ by V (Roman numeral for five)

8d    Bully I’d found in buddy (10)
INTIMIDATE – ID inserted (found) in INTIMATE (buddy)

9d    Sew name originally on right shirt or trousers, say? (8)
MENSWEAR – An anagram (originally) of SEW NAME goes on R (right)

14d    Corking line about conversion of pope (10)
STOPPERING – STRING (line) goes about an anagram (conversion) of POPE

16d    Perfect without stitches? (8)
SEAMLESS – without any sewn seams

18d    French novelist’s sound rock (9)
SANDSTONE – SANDS (French novelist’s) TONE (sound)

20d    Cut made by champions? (7)
TOPSIDE – Champions would be the TOP SIDE

21d    Felon conveyed agreement (7)
CONSENT – CON (felon) SENT (conveyed)

23d    Half came, one in twelve descended from French colonists (5)
CAJUN – The first half of CAme and JUN (June – one in twelve months)

25d    Another drink shortly served up for serious criminal (5)
LIFER – A reversal (served up) of almost all of a REFILl (another drink)

26d    Some bar I drank dry! (4)
ARID – Hidden in some bAR I Drank