Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3243
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This puzzle was published on 17th December 2023
BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ****
I really enjoyed solving (and blogging) this Dada Sunday Cryptic Crossword
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Across
1a Coin — nicker? (6)
COPPER – Not a thief (nicker) but a nicker of thieves
4a Magic writing skill? (8)
SPELLING – Double definition
9a Worker in stone alters rocks (6)
SLATER – An anagram (rocks) of ALTERS
10a Nothing wrong in one piece (3,5)
ALL RIGHT – If nothing is wrong, then ALL is RIGHT
12a Current old king to his friends? (4)
EDDY – How the friends of King Edward might refer to him
13a Month filled with toil ultimately, had a rest (5)
SLEPT – SEPT (month) ‘filled’ with the ultimate letter of toiL
14a Man, say, in silver, oddly (4)
ISLE – The odd letters of In SiLvEr
17a Milan team fail to score in netting zero — half-time? (12)
INTERMISSION – INTER (Milan football team) MISS (fail to score) and IN (from the clue) the latter ‘netting’ O (zero)
20a Powerful type in twilight, free to roam (12)
WEIGHTLIFTER – An anagram (to roam) of TWILIGHT FREE
23a Thoroughfare went on broadcast? (4)
ROAD – A homophone (broadcast) of RODE (went on)
24a Bread brought home — what might go in sandwich? (5)
BACON – A reference to the expression “Bringing home the bacon”
25a Taste insect that’s rolled over (4)
TANG – A reversal (that’s rolled over) of GNAT (insect)
28a Plant, anything but a girl’s best friend! (8)
SHAMROCK – A shamrock wouldn’t be a girl’s best friend – according to the song, that would be a real diamond
29a Suspect recalled trapping good man (6)
KNIGHT – A reversal (recalled) of THINK (suspect) ‘trapping’ G (Good)
30a Typical colours (8)
STANDARD – typical or a reference to a flag also known as colours
31a Like seabird in the wake of ship? (6)
ASTERN – AS (like) TERN (seabird)
Down
1d Alien caught by huge slap (8)
COSMETIC – ET (alien) ‘caught’ by COSMIC (huge)
2d Latitude, see, where children get together in New York? (4,4)
PLAY DATE – PLAY (latitude) DATE (see)
3d Always turning up in Tupperware, vegetables (4)
EVER – Hidden in reverse in TupperwaRE VEgetables
5d European set for first place (4,8)
POLE POSITION – POLE (European) POSITION (set)
6d Fat chap fed last of caviar (4)
LARD – LAD (chap) ‘fed’ the last letter of caviaR
7d Swallow nesting, establishing shelters (6)
INGEST – Hidden in nestING ESTablishing
8d Extremely disappointed, as a fish might be? (6)
GUTTED – An informal way of saying extremely disappointed or what a fish might be in order to prepare it for cooking and eating
11d Out-of-this-world sighting, evidence of poltergeist in kitchen? (6,6)
FLYING SAUCER – A FLYING SAUCER might well be evidence of a poltergeist in the kitchen
15d Where flag found — like that of Saudi Arabia, mostly? (5)
GREEN – A flag is found on a golf green. The flag of Saudi Arabia is mostly green
16d Bird dressin’? (5)
ROBIN – ROBING or dressing without the G
18d Get a tight hold on unusual round ball, finally (8)
STRANGLE – STRANGE (unusual) goes round the final letter of balL
19d Clear up seaside city, did you say? (8)
BRIGHTEN – A homophone (did you say) of BRIGHTON (seaside city)
21d Credit is doubled — catastrophe! (6)
CRISIS – CR (credit) IS IS (doubled)
22d Cigar that may go to one’s head? (6)
PANAMA – A type of cigar or a type of hat
26d Classic tune really, although different originally (4)
TRAD – The original letters of Tune Really Although Different
27d Burden is America’s? (4)
ONUS – ON US – the responsibility or burden is on America
4*/2* ….
liked 21D ” Credit is doubled — catastrophe! (6)”