ST 3130

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3130

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This puzzle was published on 17^th October 2021

BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***

Dada upped the difficulty level this Sunday – there was a point when I wondered whether he’d been trying to put a P (or two) into each solution but that proved not to be the case

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

7a    Robust
binder (9)
STRAPPING – A double definition – the first an adjective, the second a noun

8a    Transported goods belong on vehicle (5)
CARGO – GO (belong) on or after CAR (vehicle)

10a    Little devil in crisis (6)
PICKLE – Informal terms for a troublesome child and/or a crisis – apparently Shakespeare used this word to mean a sorry plight or state of disorder in The Tempest (V i) “How cam’st though in this pickle?”

11a    Radical in favour of institute (8)
PROFOUND – PRO (in favour of) FOUND (institute here is a verb)

12a    Marked with dots, plans ultimately something to go on! (6)
SPOTTY – S (the ultimate letter of plans) and POTTY (something to go on!)

14a    Reversed agreement with criticism — sorry? (6)
PARDON – A reversal of NOD (agreement) with RAP (criticism)

16a    Treasure
sold for a pretty penny (4)
DEAR – A beloved person (treasure) or something that is expensive to buy

17a    Rubbish fine, picked up by drone (5)
HOKUM – OK (fine) ‘picked up’ by HUM (drone)

18a    Originally nefarious emperor, Roman one — that’s him! (4)
NERO – The original letters of Nefarious Emperor Roman One

19a    First of tendons pulled from bone in dish (6)
PAELLA – The first letter of Tendons ‘pulled’ from PAtELLA

21a    Linen on table, blood on surface of fabric (6)
NAPKIN – KIN (blood) on or after NAP (surface of fabric)

24a    Verbal, when rioting inmates caught (8)
SEMANTIC – An anagram (when rioting) of INMATES followed by C (caught)

26a    Unpleasantly moist — like seafood? (6)
CLAMMY – Like a particular type of seafood

27a    Note in brief I’ve recorded (5)
FIVER – Hidden in brieF IVE Recorded

28a    Scariest, a bumpy flight (9)
STAIRCASE – An anagram (bumpy) of SCARIEST A

Down

1d    Grave didn’t move, by the sound of it? (5)
STAID – A homophone (by the sound of it) of STAYED (did not move)

2d    Bird sitting on spike, tall flower (8)
LARKSPUR – LARK (bird) sitting on (in a Down solution) SPUR (spike)

3d    Happy with extraordinary pub lunch? (6)
UPBEAT – An anagram (extraordinary) of PUB followed by EAT (lunch)

4d    Cut spikes up (4)
SNIP – A reversal (up) of PINS (spikes)

5d    Figure welcoming a very generous act (6)
FAVOUR – FOUR (figure) ‘welcoming’ A (from the clue) and V (very)

6d    Game on date following a battle (9)
AGINCOURT – GIN (card game) on COURT (date), both following A (from the clue)

9d    Ball of yarn with tangle of hair twice brushed up (6)
POMPOM – A reversal (brushed up) of two lots of MOP (tangle of hair)

13d    Canadian territory that welcomes island nation (5)
YUKON – YON (that) ‘welcomes’ UK (island nation)

15d    Cast emerge in a diverse group (9)
MENAGERIE – An anagram (cast) of EMERGE IN A

17d    Dowdiness primarily missing in tailored threads — suit! (6)
HEARTS – An anagram (tailored) of THREAdS missing the D that is the primary letter of Dowdiness

18d    Problem is masked in subtlety (8)
NUISANCE – IS (from the clue) ‘masked’ in NUANCE (subtlety)

20d    Rich: as 8 Across may have been? (6)
LOADED – A slang term for rich or wealthy could also mean what might have happened to the solution of 8a

22d    Piece of cake in outdoor meal? (6)
PICNIC – Double definition

23d    In the morning, milk please! (5)
AMUSE – AM (the morning) USE (milk)

25d    Musical account written up: Eliot, say? (4)
CATS – A reversal (written up) of AC (account) and the initials of TS Eliot produce a musical based on his book Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats