ST 3059

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3059

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 7^th June 2020

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

Enjoyable while it lasted, with some smiles along the way

Across

1a    Where ham etc kept, mum eats a few sandwiches (4,4)
MEAT SAFE – Hidden (sandwiched) in muM EATS A FEw

5a    University enters records of performance for rank (6)
STATUS – U (University) ‘enters’ STATS (records of performance)

9a    Order as purist on another level? (8)
UPSTAIRS – An anagram (order) of AS PURIST

10a    Dishonest as a redhead or brunette? (6)
UNFAIR – A redhead or brunette could be considered to be UN FAIR

11a    Minor injury no handicap (7)
SCRATCH – Double definition – a minor injury or a golfing term to do with handicaps (or lack of)

12a    Stop actors cut from the same mould? (3-4)
DIE-CAST – DIE (stop) CAST (actors)

13a    Where all goes well, beetroot perhaps planted here? (6,5)
PURPLE PATCH – A time of good luck or success might describe part of the garden where only vegetables the same colour as beetroot are planted

16a    Where plane in Hampshire might fly, repeatedly (4,3,4)
OVER AND OVER – This one made me smile – a plane might fly OVER ANDOVER in Hampshire

21a    That place accommodating a thespian’s debut? (7)
THEATRE – THERE (that place) ‘accommodating’ A (from the clue) and T (the debut or first letter of thespian)

22a    Baroque art, pure joy (7)
RAPTURE – An anagram (baroque) of ART PURE

23a    Artist isn’t out to show fruit (6)
RAISIN – RA (Royal Academician, artist) IS IN (isn’t out)

24a    Quick inspection when done (4-4)
ONCE-OVER – without the hyphen, this would mean when done

25d    Weight of material one refuses to acknowledge (6)
DENIER – Double definition – a weight of material or someone who refuses to acknowledge

26d    What listeners in religious education practise (8)
REHEARSE – EH (what?) and EARS (listeners) inserted into RE (Religious Education)

Down

1d    Sweet deer, by the sound of it? (6)
MOUSSE – Sounds like a MOOSE (deer)

2d    Ridiculous way to stop leaders in union ruining deal (6)
ABSURD – ABS (Anti-lock Braking System – way to stop) and the ‘leaders’ in Union Ruining Deal

3d    Launch threw vermin skyward? (5-2)
START-UP – A reversal (skyward in a Down clue) of PUT RATS (threw vermin)

4d    Long spanner right for bed needing adjustment (5,6)
FORTH BRIDGE – An anagram (needing adjustment) of RIGHT FOR BED

6d    Perfect for example holding a lead, become nervous (5,2)
TENSE UP – TENSE (perfect being an example of a grammatical tense) UP (holding a lead)

7d    Polite gathering still up drinking a bit (3,5)
TEA PARTY – A reversal (up in a Down clue) of YET (still) ‘drinking’ A PART (a bit)

8d    Flexible prison sentence silly, ultimately (8)
STRETCHY – STRETCH (prison sentence) Y (the ultimate letter of silly)

12d    Release energy on organ in mazurka, perhaps? (11)
DELIVERANCE – E (energy) on LIVER (organ) inserted into DANCE (mazurka, perhaps)

14d    Fixed month in effect rare (8)
DOCTORED – OCT (month) in DO (effect) followed by RED (rare)

15d    Italian native travelling around outskirts of Nice (8)
VENETIAN – An anagram (travelling) of NATIVE ‘around’ the outskirts of NicE

17d    Across a thoroughfare, drive (7)
ASTRIDE – A (from the clue) ST (thoroughfare) RIDE (drive)

18d    Delegate allowed expenses, initially charged (7)
REPLETE – REP (delegate) LET (allowed) E (expenses initially)

19d    Shake one of those in a bar? (6)
QUAVER – A verb meaning to shake or a musical note (found in a bar)

20d    Weapon deposited in river, alas (4,2)
DEAR ME – ARM (weapon) ‘deposited’ in the River DEE