Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3208
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 16th April 2023
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Dada provided a mix of the old friend and the ‘shouldn’t this clue be in a Toughie?’ but I ended up in my ‘usual’ time for a Sunday Prize Puzzle
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Across
1a Upset with sharp pain, something done with needle? (5-6)
CROSS-STITCH – CROSS (upset) STITCH (sharp pain)
10a Set up streaks for the audience (5)
RAISE – A homophone (for the audience) of RAYS (streaks)
11a Maine car customised, a collection from there, say? (9)
AMERICANA – An anagram (customised) of MAINE CAR followed by A (from the clue)
12a Position of US player in two garments (9)
SHORTSTOP – The two garments being SHORTS and TOP
13a Bear, erect (5)
STAND – Double definition
14a Festival when consumer scoffs last of chocolates (6)
EASTER – EATER (consumer) ‘scoffs’ the last letter of chocolateS
16a Wild bird is in Italian city (8)
BRINDISI – An anagram (wild) of BIRD IS IN
18a Affectionate type in theory completely gutted, seeing hooliganism (8)
THUGGERY – HUGGER (affectionate type) inserted into the outside (completely gutted) letters of TheorY
20a Concerned with swimmers, cold (6)
OFFISH – OF (concerned with) FISH (swimmers)
23a Incomplete sudoku surprisingly will bring praise (5)
KUDOS – An anagram (surprisingly) of the first 5 letters (incomplete) of SUDOKu
24a Defeat almost catching people out, initially, in sport (5,4)
WATER POLO – Almost all of WATERLOo (defeat) into which is inserted (catching) the initial letters of People and Out
26a Hey, vodka’s back: fancy double? (9)
LOOKALIKE – LOOK (hey) A (the back of vodkA) and LIKE (fancy)
27a Total, say (5)
UTTER – Double definition
28a Flower shape, people inspired by little one (6-2-3)
FORGET-ME-NOT – FORGE (shape) followed by MEN (people) ‘inspired’ by TOT (little one)
Down
2d Animal with horn, I gathered (5)
RHINO – An anagram (gathered) of HORN I
3d Vet drops in on spook (7)
SPECTRE – inSPECT (vet without (drops) IN) RE (on the subject of)
4d Song won’t end in joy (6)
SHANTY – SHANT (won’t) and the end in joY
5d Amateurish batting performance at first: strive to rein it in (8)
INEXPERT – IN (batting) and the first letter of Performance inserted into (to rein it in) EXERT (strive)
6d Red borders trimmed with blue (7)
CRIMSON – RIMS (borders) ‘trimmed’ with CON (Conservative, blue)
7d In top gear, as might be an assassin? (7,2,4)
DRESSED TO KILL – This way of saying dressed in order to attract and impress sounds like it might refer to the clothing worn by an assassin
8d Great fiddler, unbeliever in Italy (8)
PAGANINI – PAGAN (unbeliever) IN (from the clue) I (IVR code for Italy)
9d Advertiser offering snack and regular meals? (8,5)
SANDWICH BOARD – These advertising placards sound like they are offering things to eat
15d Valid fight, hollow for musician (5,3)
SOUND BOX – SOUND (valid) BOX (fight)
17d English poet using grill? (8)
BROWNING – This poet sounds like something you’d use a grill for
19d Secret police try to conceal doctored tapes (7)
GESTAPO – GO (try) to ‘conceal’ an anagram (doctored) of TAPES
21d Lot of money assigned to musical composition (7)
FORTUNE – FOR (assigned to) TUNE (musical composition)
22d Trendily urban setter, misguided (6)
STREET – An anagram (misguided) of SETTER
25d Beat off party (5)
OUTDO – OUT (off) DO (party)
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