ST 3042

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3042

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 9^th February 2020

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

Dada is one of those setters where you really need to get on his wavelength straight away in order to solve the crossword. I hadn’t put many solutions in on a first pass through the clues and then all of a sudden it was as if my brain went ‘oh its him’, everything starting flowing and I finished the crossword in no time at all. My favourite clue was 27a

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Across

1a    Instrument that may be vital? (5)
ORGAN – As well as being musical, organ can refer to vital parts of the body

4a    VIPs cover undergarments with cardigans, for example (3,5)
TOP BRASS – BRAS (undergarments) covered with TOPS (cardigans, for example)

10a    More foamy like that, a breakwater perhaps (7)
SOAPIER – SO (like that) A (from the clue) PIER (breakwater perhaps)

11a    Threesome employed as computer technicians in test (7)
TRINITY – IN IT (employed as computer technicians) inserted into TRY (test)

12a    Method of transport making one complain persistently (4)
RAIL – Double definition – one a type of transport, the other a verb

13a    Blunder boss detailed (5)
GAFFE – GAFFEr (boss) ‘de-tailed’ or without the last letter

14a    Slight hiccup over exercise initially for trainer, perhaps? (4)
SHOE – The initial letters of Slight Hiccup Over Exercise

17a    Don’t panic — and don’t shave! (4,4,4,2)
KEEP YOUR HAIR ON – Don’t panic and don’t shave your head

19a    One stirring up cream, say, added to fish a little squirt! (14)
WHIPPERSNAPPER – WHIPPER (one stirring up cream say) added to SNAPPER (fish)

22a    Lottery that doesn’t have a winner (4)
DRAW – Double definition

23a    A Brit somewhere in the Home Counties (5)
ASCOT – A (from the clue) SCOT (Brit)

24a    Hard business (4)
FIRM – This week’s chestnut comes in the form of a double definition

27a    French mark I called squiggly (7)
CEDILLA – An anagram (squiggly) of I CALLED produces a mark we probably all referred to as squiggly when we were learning French

28a    Escape eagle circling around a kid’s head (7)
LEAKAGE – An anagram (circling) of EAGLE goes around A (from the clue) and K (the head of Kid)

29a    If retired, live somewhere warm and comfortable (8)
FIRESIDE – A reversal (retired) of IF followed by RESIDE (live)

30a    Exist alongside tree, perhaps (5)
MAYBE – BE (exist) goes alongside MAY (tree)

Down

1d    Beat after working out (2,6)
ON STRIKE – STRIKE (beat) goes after ON (working)

2d    In change of gear, metal switched for stone (7)
GRANITE – A reversal (switched) of TIN (metal) inserted into an anagram (change) of GEAR

3d    Catch slow mover initially dropping off? (4)
NAIL – Drop off the initial letter of a slow-moving sNAIL

5d    Phenomenal in deep space, perhaps? (3,2,4,5)
OUT OF THIS WORLD – Perhaps in deep space?

6d    Release harvest bundle, did you say? (4)
BAIL – A homophone (did you say?) of BALE (harvest bundle)

7d    Sound of mild explosion: a shot, I gathered, ending in salvo (7)
ATISHOO – An anagram (gathered) of A SHOT I followed by the ‘ending’ in salvO

8d    Approach step that’s pronounced (5)
STYLE – A homophone (that’s pronounced) of STILE (step)

9d    Book reader insults a novel (8,6)
TREASURE ISLAND – An anagram (novel) of READER INSULTS A

15d    Maiden on my arm, courtship foolish, all concluding (5)
NYMPH – The conclusions of oN mY arM courtshiP foolisH

16d    Six wheels for minister (5)
VICAR – VI (Roman numeral for six) CAR (wheels)

18d    Piano with two notes before first performance (8)
PREMIERE – P (musical instruction piano) RE MI (two musical notes) ERE (before)

20d    One giving little away, more difficult to grasp last part of manifesto (7)
HOARDER – HARDER (more difficult) to ‘grasp’ the O that is the last part of manifestO

21d    Dominance shown, quick to maintain edge (7)
PRIMACY – PACY (quick) to ‘maintain’ RIM (edge)

22d    Met up for coffee (5)
DECAF – A reversal (up in a Down clue) of FACED (met)

25d    Endless uncooked food served up, sadly (4)
ALAS – Another reversal using ‘up’, this time ‘served up’ indicating a reversal of SALAd (endless uncooked food)

26d    Oil found in herbal medicine (4)
BALM – Found lurking in herBAL Medicine