Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3249
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This puzzle was published on 28th January 2024
BD Rating – Difficulty */**– Enjoyment ***
A friendly Sunday Prize Crossword – could this be because there were nine anagrams??
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Across
1a Meat as a rule with veg is cooked (5,7)
LIVER SAUSAGE – An anagram (cooked) of AS A RULE with VEG
9a Environment not entirely welcomed by bowler, say (7)
HABITAT – A BIT (not entirely) ‘welcomed’ by HAT (bowler, say)
10a Difference in microns rose (7)
CRIMSON – An anagram (difference in) of MICRONS – the solution and rose are both varieties of the colour red
11a Very pink, once in a blue moon! (4)
RARE – A description of meat cooked ‘very pink’ or the meaning of ‘once in a blue moon’
12a Naive politician (5)
GREEN – Double definition
13a Immoral behaviour, very cold stuff (4)
VICE – V (very) ICE (cold stuff)
16a Generally, the story’s over then? (3,4)
ALL TOLD – If the story was over then ALL [would have been] TOLD
17a However, little time for consideration (7)
THOUGHT – THOUGH (however) T (abbreviated, little, time)
18a Extreme dictators having dropped to ground (7)
DRASTIC – An anagram (ground) of DICTAtoRS once you have ‘dropped’ TO
21a For example, a claret I spilt (7)
ARTICLE – An anagram (spilt) of CLARET I
23a Signal put aside, reportedly? (4)
WAVE – A homophone (reportedly) of WAIVE (put aside)
24a Coarse skin on rhino, yuk! (5)
ROUGH – The ‘skin’ or outside letters of RhinO and UGH (yuk!)
25a Region, part of hectare, apparently (4)
AREA – Hidden in the last two words of the clue
28a Desecration of nearest grave (7)
EARNEST – An anagram (desecration) of NEAREST
29a Multi-million pound contract? Whatevs! (3,4)
BIG DEAL – A multi-million pound contract would definitely be a BIG DEAL. Whatevs! Is a slang way of saying that something is not important
30a Novel altered by lie, on purpose (12)
DELIBERATELY – An anagram (novel) of ALTERED BY LIE
Down
1d Bountiful braille that’s dotty! (7)
LIBERAL – An anagram (that’s dotty) of BRAILLE
2d Examine old reject (4)
VETO – VET (examine) O (old)
3d Sap in scarlet went to bed (7)
RETIRED – TIRE (sap, wear out) in RED (scarlet)
4d Very old tin with cane, thrashed (7)
ANCIENT – An anagram (thrashed) of TIN with CANE
5d Hearts, say, in action (4)
SUIT – A suit in a pack of cards (hearts, say) or a legal action
6d Start support for young bird (7)
GOSLING – GO (start) SLING (support)
7d As miniature chocolate might be — in a nutshell? (5,3,5)
SHORT AND SWEET – A miniature chocolate would be sweet and wouldn’t last long
8d Where food missing bib might end up — wasted! (5,3,5)
UNDER THE TABLE – A description of where baby food that missed the bib would end up is an informal way of saying hopelessly drunk (wasted)
14d Price to pay with a Spanish tourist destination (5)
COSTA – COST (price to pay) with A (from the clue)
15d A little candy out here for child (5)
YOUTH – Hidden in a little of candY OUT Here
19d Contrary commercial composition (7)
ADVERSE – AD (commercial) VERSE (composition)
20d Extremes of toil involved in task, crack up (7)
CHORTLE – The ‘extremes’ of ToiL inserted (involved) in CHORE (task)
21d Brainiac originally getting stuck into a large, complex calculation (7)
ALGEBRA – The original letter of Brainiac inserted into (getting stuck) an anagram (complex) of A LARGE
22d Vehicle really for restaurant (7)
CARVERY – CAR (vehicle) VERY (really)
26d Legendary beast confined to Skye, timorous (4)
YETI – Hidden in (confined to) the last two words of the clue
27d Gawp at other guys, looking eager initially (4)
OGLE – The initial letters of Other Guys Looking Eager