ST 3202 (Full review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3202

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on 5^th March 2023

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

A fairly typical Sunday Prize Puzzle – the highlight for me was the surface reading of 2d

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought

Across

1a    Unusual phenomenon, part of service soon to be fragmented? (6,6)
FLYING SAUCER – SAUCER (part of [tea] service FLYING (soon to be fragmented)

9a    Amount taken away that’s been worked out? (9)
DEDUCTION – An amount taken away or something deduced or worked out

10a    Bulb lit up after adjustment (5)
TULIP – An anagram (after adjustment) of LIT UP

11a    Could boy be touring Northern Ireland, say? (6)
ISLAND – IS (could) LAD (boy) ‘touring’ N (Northern)

12a    Relative currency thus invested in outskirts of Gabon (8)
GRANDSON – RAND (currency) SO (thus) ‘invested’ in the outskirts or outside letters of GaboN

13a    Mistake made, one loudly sobbing? (6)
HOWLER – An informal term for a glaring blunder or one sobbing loudly

15a    Maybe get in order for computing unit (8)
MEGABYTE – An anagram (in order) of MAYBE GET

18a    A little music with it, number for singer (8)
BARITONE – BAR (a little music) IT (from the clue) ONE (number)

19a    Old currency used, 40 per cent of coins converted (6)
ESCUDO – An anagram (converted)of USED and CO (40% of Coins)

21a    Praise drink tackled by cook (8)
FLATTERY – LATTE (drink) ‘tackled’ by FRY (cook)

23a    Build box into which last of merchandise put (6)
CREATE – CRATE (box) into which the last letter of merchandisE is ‘put’

26a    Puncture in road, cyclist initially hampered (5)
LANCE – LANE (road) into which is inserted (hampered) the initial letter of Cyclist

27a    Disappear, as might me and my best friend? (2,7)
GO WALKIES – Informal ways of saying go missing (disappear) or take a dog (best friend) for a walk

28a    Block of flats, for example? (3,9)
KEY SIGNATURE – These flats being musical notes

Down

1d    Popular count bitten by shark, say (7)
FADDISH – ADD (count) ‘bitten by’ FISH (shark, say)

2d    Sing in Grenoble, do you, when climbing? (5)
YODEL – Hidden in reverse (when climbing) in grenobLE DO You A splendid surface reading!

3d    Possible plea chap originally entered in midday trial (2,7)
NO CONTEST – The original letter of Chap ‘entered’ into NOON (midday) TEST (trial)

4d    Clubs, say, in match? (4)
SUIT – Playing cards or a verb meaning to match

5d    Frightened, five in need run off (8)
UNNERVED – V (Roman numeral for five) in an anagram (off) of NEED RUN

6d    Each number finished off (5)
EATEN – EA (each) TEN (number)

7d    Jazzy, so bluesy, I’m so grateful (5,3)
BLESS YOU – An anagram (jazzy) of SO BLUESY

8d    Clean parasite (6)
SPONGE – An old friend of a double definition

14d    Slap hurt: something ugly about that (3,5)
WAR PAINT – The solution and slap are both informal terms for make up – PAIN (hurt) inserted into (about) WART (something ugly)

16d    Two thirds of everyone in country — this one has six states (9)
AUSTRALIA – ALl (two thirds of everyone) inserted into AUSTRIA (country)

17d    Its anger dissipated, it won’t react (5,3)
INERT GAS – An anagram (dissipated) of ITS ANGER

18d    Puzzle, architectural feature (6)
BAFFLE – A verb meaning to puzzle or an architectural feature

20d    Watch wound up, didn’t I tell you? (7)
OVERSEE – OVER (wound up, finished) SEE? (didn’t I tell you)

22d    Topic in article written on this person (5)
THEME – THE (definite article) written on (in a Down solution) ME (this person)

24d    I’m off in a Roller, posh! (5)
ADIEU – A (from the clue) DIE (roller) U (posh)

25d    Loot, some thief’s wages (4)
SWAG – Found in some thiefS WAGes