ST 3038 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 3038

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3038

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 12th January 2020

BD Rating – Difficulty *Enjoyment ***

I was very much on the Dada wavelength for this one and enjoyed the solve while it lasted

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    Pack things (5)
STUFF – Double definition, the first a verb, the second a noun

4a    Sweet, country’s borders? (5)
CANDY – The borders of country are C AND Y

10a    Unspeakable wickedness in beauty (8)
DEVILISH – EVIL (wickedness) inserted into DISH (beauty)

11a    Top clubs, say, welcoming twin males? (6)
SUMMIT – SUIT (clubs, say) ‘welcoming’ two (twin) M (males)

12a    Poison drink? That’s the limit! (6)
MARGIN – MAR (poison) GIN (drink)

13a    White lies disseminated in gang (8)
RIESLING – An anagram (disseminated) of LIES inserted in RING (gang)

14a    Track alongside sign in quiet location? (7)
LIBRARY – RY (railway – track) goes alongside LIBRA (sign of the Zodiac)

16a    A number dry, waters finally drained out (6)
THIRTY – ‘drain out’ or remove the S (waters finally) from THIRsTY

17a    Rule about new gun (6)
CANNON – CANON (rule, law) ‘about’ N (new)

19a    Good prices for freebooters (7)
PIRATES – PI (good) RATES (prices)

21a    Puzzle scam uncovered (8)
CONFOUND – CON (scam) FOUND (uncovered)

22a    Ruined, as are three-wheelers and go-karts? (6)
DASHED – Three-wheelers and go-karts both contain a hyphen so could be said to be ‘dashed’

23a    Walk quietly — possible instruction to reader in formal attire (6)
TIPTOE – PTO (instruction to reader) inserted into TIE (formal attire)

24a    Small parts married together (2,6)
IN UNSION – S (small) ‘parts’ or goes inside IN UNION (married)

25a    Picture, for example, Parisian pal sent back (5)
IMAGE – A reversal (sent back) of EG (for example) AMI (French, Parisian, friend)

26a    United team is ahead, by the sound of it (5)
LEEDS – A homophone (by the sound of it) of LEADS (is ahead)

Down

2d    Plate I ate, no mixed grill ultimately (7)
TOENAIL – An anagram (mixed) of I ATE NO followed by the ultimate letter of grilL

3d    Added extras — in the hairdressing salon? (6,8)
FRINGE BENEFITS – Something extra which you might find at the hairdressers?

5d    Missing round hard receptacle designed for powdery residue (7)
ASHTRAY – ASTRAY (missing) round H (hard)

6d    Extraordinary tiredness in person expressing resistance (9)
DISSENTER – An anagram (extraordinary) of TIREDNESS

7d    European eaten by wolf in Newfoundland (4)
FINN – Lurking in (eaten by) wolF IN Newfoundland

8d    Lentils and meats in different food processor (5,9)
SMALL INTESTINE – An anagram (different) of LENTILS MEATS IN

9d    Ring number of US soldiers up (6)
SIGNET – A reversal (up in a Down clue) of TEN GIS (number of US soldiers)

15d    Sauna made to break down again and again and again! (2,7)
AD NAUSEAM – An anagram (to break down) of SAUNA MADE

18d    A teacher is someone beautiful (6)
ADONIS – A (from the clue) DON (teacher) IS (from the clue)

19d    Initially, prose saying further unnecessary bits (7)
PADDING – P (prose initially) ADDING (saying further)

20d    Drug otherwise used in eating regimens rejected (7)
STEROID – A reversal (rejected) of DIETS (eating regimens) into which has been inserted OR (otherwise)

22d    Secure nothing in political party (2,2)
DO UP – O (nothing) in DUP (political party)

5 comments on “ST 3038

  1. Well, that’s how they arrived at 22d. Never heard of that party, shudda looked it up! Thanks CS

    1. The DUP appears quite often and I tried to be as helpful as possible in my hints when I said somethin like ‘a UK but non-GB’ political party – that sort of indicates where the party is based.

  2. Yet again the DT is telling me that I got all the unchecked letters in 15d wrong, even though my answer matches CS’s above. One of these days their IT department will sort themselves out!

    Sue, I think this crossword was published on 19th not the 12th.

    Many thanks for all your assistance

    1. The crossword which was published on the 19th January was 3039, the review of which will appear this coming Thursday.

      1. Apologies, I have always assumed that the solution I am given on the iPad on Sundays is the one for the previous Sunday. I’ve never bothered to actually check it.

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