Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3046
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 8th March 2020
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Trickier than some previous Sunday crosswords
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
8a Trace long line (4)
DASH – Double definition
9a Seen in diagram, a random blot (3)
MAR – Lurking (seen) in diagraM A Random
10a Grey cave at back of field (6)
LEADEN – DEN (cave) at the back of (or following) LEA (field)
11a Lovely trapping first of pheasants — game (3,3)
CUP TIE – CUTIE (lovely) ‘trapping’ the first letter of Pheasants
12a Fine stuff, player collecting crosses in the middle (8)
GOSSAMER – GAMER ‘collecting’ the middle letters of crOSSes
13a Where oxygen and nitrogen are inhaled, coincidentally (2,3,4,6)
IN THE SAME BREATH – a phrase meaning coincidentally can describe where oxygen and nitrogen are inhaled
15a Drink or biscuit in French house? (7)
BOURBON – Triple definition
17a Meats cooked with it occasionally (2,5)
AT TIMES – An anagram (cooked) of MEATS with IT
20a Don bags lead in partnership (4,3,8)
WEAR THE TROUSERS – WEAR (don) THE TROUSERS (bags being an informal term for trousers)
23a Highlight patient after performance in theatre, say (8)
SHOWCASE – CASE (patient) after SHOW (performance in theatre)
25a Book is perfect, I see! (6)
ISAIAH – IS (from the clue) AI (perfect) AH (I see!)
26a Old series that’s somewhat pithy (6)
ORANGE – O (old) RANGE (series)
27a Resort where Benidorm is, less popular (3)
SPA – Remove the IN (less popular) from SPAin (where Benidorm is)
28a Females in the field manipulate sounds (4)
EWES – A homophone (sounds) of USE (manipulate)
Down
1d Astronomically huge ball placed on vase (6)
SATURN – SAT (placed) on URN (vase)
2d After little time, one devising plan for old politician (8)
THATCHER – T (abbreviated, little, time) HATCHER (one devising plan)
3d Warmer steam iron here, failing, I am pressing down on it (9,6)
IMMERSION HEATER – IM (I am) pressing down on (or on top of in a Down solution) an anagram (failing) of STEAM IRON HERE
4d Second and third of companies securing capital, then one folding (7)
ORIGAMI – The second and third letters of CoMpanies securing RIGA (the capital of Latvia), the result then followed with I (one)
5d Leader in city, urban ecologist unfortunately just failing (5,3,2,5)
CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR – The ‘leader’ in City and an anagram (unfortunately) of URBAN ECOLOGIST
6d House containing a splendid building (6)
PALACE – PLACE (house) containing A (from the clue)
7d Simple body of water (4)
MERE – This week’s old chestnut of a double definition
14d Support for driver, a character did you say? (3)
TEE – Sounds like a letter T
16d Figure skimming top off ice cream (3)
ONE – Skim off the top of an ice cream cONE
18d Where bid may be beyond doubt (2,6)
IN SPADES- A phrase meaning beyond doubt presumably originating in the game of bridge
19d Doctrine at odds with religious beliefs, shame it unravelled (7)
ATHEISM – An anagram (unravelled) of SHAME IT
21d Fighting sport (6)
ROWING – Double definition, the first being a verb, the other a sport
22d Carried by cardinal, organ brought up (6)
REARED – EAR (organ) ‘carried’ by RED (cardinal)
24d Instrument needing tuning, though not originally (4)
HARP – Remove the original letter from sHARP (needing tuning)