ST 3028

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3028

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 3^rd October 2019

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

Morning All! I found this a thoroughly fun puzzle to solve in a 2 star time and feel that Mr Halpern is consistently hitting the spot in the Sunday spot after (as I recall) some howls of protest at the start. Thanks to him for maintaining a style and level that appeals as the Sunday puzzle did under the previous auspices of Mr Greer.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

7a           Secretive behaviour in the last novel (7)
STEALTH – n anagram (novel/new) of THE LAST.

8a           Lock phone two ways (7)
RINGLET –RING for phone (one way/direction) and then TEL(ephone) the other way/direction. Sneaky.

10a        Look to probe English university for charging again (9)
RELOADING – Place LO! For look inside Reading University.

11a        In fear, crouch lower before Her Majesty (5)
COWER – A COW or lower/mooer in front of E.R. for Elizabeth Regina (Her Maj for short!).

12a        Test team batting, help to make a comeback? (5)
INDIA – IN for batting (in cricket) followed by a reversal (to make a comeback) of AID/help.

13a        Trimmings of kale alongside variety of haricot vegetable (9)
ARTICHOKE – Place the outside letters (the trimmings of) KalE after an anagram /variety of HARICOT.

15a        With nothing to lose, chase cherry for big innings (7)
HUNDRED – Remove the O for nothing from H(o)UND or chase and then add cherry RED.

17a        Mould precast in various ranges (7)
SPECTRA – Make an anagram  or mould PRECAST.

18a        Something electric, possibly, in country working independently (9)
FREELANCE – An electric variety of EEL inside the country of FRANCE.

20a        European plant with edible root (5)
SWEDE – Two definitions – The joyful nation in the North of Europe and the vegetable.

21a        In poor condition, one accepting frailty at first (5)
UNFIT – A UNIT (one) accepting the first letter of F(railty).

23a        Fruity thing me cuddling member, a youth (9)
MARMALADE – ME from the clue enclosing/cuddling an ARM(member) and A LAD (a youth).

24a        Chinese dynasty finished in royal house (7)
HANOVER – A charade of the HAN dynasty and OVER for finished.

25a        Card revealed when turned over, bet initially lost (7)
NOTELET – Reverse (when turned over) LET ON for revealed and then add (b)ET from the clue with the initial letter lost.

Down

1d           Middle Eastern performance shaking corporation? (5,5)
BELLY DANCE – A nice cryptic definition of the Middle Eastern dance performance where the BELLY/tum/corporation is shaken.

2d           Seen looking to the north in zodiac, a playful animal (6)
ALPACA – A reversal (seen looking to the North in a Down clue i.e. South to North on the page) inside (in) zodi AC A PLA ful

3d           Country: capital in trouble, flag down also (8)
THAILAND – Start with the capital letter in T(rouble), then ad HAIL or flag down (a cab), then finish with AND for also.

4d           Jolly intelligent (6)
BRIGHT – Two definitions – to be of a sunny disposition and also clever.

5d           It’s hard to get on with family member nursing cold (8)
UNICYCLE – An UNCLE or family member containing/nursing ICY for cold. Luckily the fairy loose definition is helped with the checking letters.

6d           Crack in ground, by the sound of it? (4)
FLAW – A FLAW/crack is a homophone (by the sound of it) of FLOOR/ground.

7d           Wash beneath right hand (8,5)
STRAIGHT FLUSH – Nice and easy but deceptively so – to FLUSH/wash underneath STRAIGHT or right.

9d           Equestrian affair venerated, they fancy (5-3,5)
THREE DAY EVENT – A fancy anagram of VENERATED THEY.

14d        An available choice, where cutlery placed? (2,3,5)
ON THE TABLE – The first is the straight definition of an item that is open to discussion in e.g. a tribunal and the cryptic refers to the fact that cutlery is generally placed ON THE TABLE.

16d        Comparable processes I reveal around opening of trial (8)
RELATIVE – Make an anagram (or process) I REVEAL around the opening letter of T(rial).

17d        Promising vigorous music, organ installed (8)
SWEARING – An EAR or organ of the body is installed inside SWING/vigorous music – I can think of more vigorous musical genres myself!

19d        Dead equal or fewer? (2,4)
NO MORE – The first def, again the straight and the second cryptic def. logically meaning NO MORE than (equal or fewer)

20d        Pound to secure vessel, barely enough (6)
SCANTY – A STY or pig pound to capture/secure a CAN or vessel.

22d        Superb penalty (4)
FINE – Two definitions and a simple clue to finish.