ST 3011

Sunday Telegraph No 3011

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 7^th July 2019

BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***

Back to ‘tricky Dada’ – well I thought so anyway – the RH side was easier than the left

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Ray is so suspicious (5)
FISHY – A ray could be described as FISHY

4a    Mistake, foreman not finishing (5)
GAFFE – A GAFFEr or foreman without its last letter (not finishing)

10a    Sad sort of crossword clue thrown out (8)
DOWNCAST – DOWN (sort of crossword clue) CAST (thrown out)

11a    Greek island has drunken hordes (6)
RHODES – An anagram (drunken) of HORDES

12a    Duct raised, say (4,2)
PIPE UP – PIPE (duct) UP (raised)

13a    Bogus debtor’s note held by London players (8)
SPURIOUS – IOU (debtor’s note) held by SPURS (London football players)

14a    Bargain by the sound of it? I’m off! (7)
GOODBYE – Sounds like GOOD BUY (bargain)

16a    In insect, bovine disease not there! (6)
ABSENT – BSE (bovine disease) in ANT (insect)

17a    Most excellent bows with trimmed edges for present (6)
BESTOW – BEST (most excellent) and the inside (with trimmed edges) letters of bOWs

19a    Sugarcoat introduction to song, little number (7)
SWEETEN – S (the introduction to Song) WEE (little) TEN (number)

21a    Summit entertained by serenade at the lectern? (8)
SPEAKING – PEAK (summit) entertained by SING (serenade)

22a    Embracing love, swami unfortunately sounds catty? (6)
MIAOWS – An anagram (unfortunately) of SWAMI ’embracing’ O (love)

23a    Companion runs into brute (6)
FRIEND – R (runs) inserted into FIEND (brute)

24a    Published, precise total (8)
OUTRIGHT – OUT (published) RIGHT (precise)

25a    Promise bit of corn from Cornwall? (5)
SWEAR – A SW (south west, from Cornwall) EAR (bit of corn)

26a    Silly idiots, ninnies and nincompoops: empty heads (5)
INANE – The ‘heads’ of Idiots Ninnies And Nincompoops Empty

Down

2d    Housework decreasing, apparently? (7)
IRONING – Housework that de-creases clothes etc

3d    The holy man seen wandering somewhere in Oxfordshire (6-2-6)
HENLEY-ON-THAMES – An anagram (wandering) of THE HOLY MAN SEEN

5d    Tastier cooking for creative type (7)
ARTISTE – An anagram (cooking) of TASTIER

6d    Lucky swimmer, showing strength on the outside (9)
FORTUNATE – FORTE (strength) goes on the outside of TUNA (swimmer)

7d    Observed in meeting, a spectacularly sharp intake of breath (4)
GASP – Found (observed) in meetinG A SPectularly

8d    New suit I own in a state — dilemma? (2-3,9)
NO-WIN SITUATION – An anagram (new) of SUIT I OWN inserted into NATION (state)

9d    One of five children from the south-east? Sparkly little thing (6)
SEQUIN – A SE (South East) QUIN (one of five children)

15d    Curved feature in tail of hound, dog bites (3,6)
BOW WINDOW – BOW WOW (dog) ‘bites’ IN (from the clue) and D (the ‘tail’ of hound)

18d    Sell abroad last of merchandise: ten left (6)
EXPORT – E (the last letter of merchandise) X (the Roman numeral for 10) and PORT (left)

19d    Novel soaring, Italian title (7)
SIGNORA – An anagram (novel) of SOARING

20a    Warning will be in the present at that time (3,4)
NOW THEN – NOW (in the present) THEN (at that time)

22d    Sheep drops on mongrel (4)
MUTT – Drop the ON at the end of MUTTon (sheep)