ST 3176 (full review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3176

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 4^th September 2022

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Another Sunday Prize Puzzle from Dada, this one with a bit of deja-vu for anyone who solves the Toughie

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Across

1a    Not much of a difference for coppers (5,6)
SMALL CHANGE – Not much of a difference or a description of copper coins

10a    Subject for choosing, finally forgotten (5)
TOPIC – A clue our setter seems to have almost recycled from a very similar clue in his Toughie 2913 published on the previous Tuesday. TO PICk, the final letter being forgotten

11a    Food processor undergoing trial in back of cafe (9)
INTESTINE – IN (undergoing) TEST (trial) IN (from the clue) and the ‘back’ of cafE

12a    Boss, best of the bunch? (3,6)
TOP BANANA – An informal term for the most important person (boss) could also describe the best fruit in a bunch of bananas

13a    Shock in a puzzle (5)
AMAZE – A (from the clue) MAZE (puzzle)

14a    Large number rarely cut, zero sent back (6)
OODLES – SELDOm (rarely, cut or without its final letter) and O (zero) – all reversed (sent back)

16a    Weirdly porcine, old cheese from sheep (8)
PECORINO – An anagram (weirdly) of PORCINE O (old)

18a    Article pains ham actor (8)
THESPIAN – THE (definite article) and an anagram (ham) of PAINS

20a    Flourish with a leap (6)
ABOUND – A (from the clue) BOUND (leap)

23a    A supporter of the arts? (5)
EASEL – A cryptic definition of a supporter of a work of art

24a    Father dead-headed rose in garden plot (9)
PATRIARCH – Dead-head or remove the first letter from bRIAR (rose) and insert into PATCH (garden plot)

26a    Move tried on in performance (9)
RENDITION – An anagram (move) of TRIED ON IN

27a    Broadcasting in Bulgarian, old revolutionary (2,3)
ON AIR – Hidden in reverse (revolutionary) in bulgaRIAN Old

28a    Ridiculously hot man, dense to put it mildly (3,4,4)
AND THEN SOME – An anagram (ridiculously) of HOT MAN DENSE

Down

2d    Wash second baby (3,2)
MOP UP – MO (second) PUP (baby)

3d    Express didn’t have crew, they said (7)
LACTATE – A homophone (they said) of LACKED (didn’t have) EIGHT (crew)

4d    Height 110 around capital city (6)
CLIMAX – CX (110 in Roman numerals) round LIMA (the capital city of Peru)

5d    Tail of ruminant grabbed by a smarter animal (8)
ANTEATER – T (the tail of ruminanT) ‘grabbed by A (from the clue) and NEATER (smart)

6d    Brutal force goes wrong: light touch accepted (7)
GESTAPO – An anagram (wrong) of GOES into which is inserted (accepted) TAP (light touch)

7d    Modern nation frequently requiring compassion (5-2-3-3)
STATE-OF-THE-ART – STATE (nation) OFT (frequently) HEART (compassion)

8d    Dessert I stuff inside suit, messily (8)
TIRAMISU – I (from the clue) RAM (stuff) inserted into an anagram (messily) of SUIT

9d    Rural county: cars let out south of this place (13)
HEREFORDSHIRE – FORDS (cars) HIRE (let out) goes ‘south’ (in a Down solution) of HERE (this place)

15d    Saucy thing, part of morning routine (8)
DRESSING – A type of sauce or part of one’s morning routine

17d    Twist isn’t cosmetic (8)
WARPAINT – WARP (twist) AINT (isn’t)

19d    Nerve required to climb over brave person in passenger seat (7)
PILLION – A reversal (to climb) of LIP (nerve) goes over a LION (brave person)

21d    Islanders: unknown number in bistro, drunk (7)
BRITONS – N (unknown number) inserted into an anagram (drunk) of BISTRO

22d    Heavy weight carried by wizard immediately (2,4)
AT ONCE – TON (heavy weight) ‘carried’ by ACE (wizard)

25d    Domain: actual kingdom, ultimately (5)
REALM – REAL (actual) M (the ultimate letter of kingdom)