ST 3073

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3073

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

This puzzle was published on 13^th September 2020

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Not particularly tricky but not quite as much fun as ‘usual’ either 

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a    After break, back in a jiffy (5,6)
SPLIT SECOND – SECOND (back) goes after SPLIT (break)

9a    Start positioning shed behind meadow (4-3)
LEAD-OFF – DOFF (shed, take off) goes behind LEA (meadow)

10a    Venetian bridge tailor-made? (6)
RIALTO – An anagram (made) of TAILOR

12a    Heavy trampolinist? (7)
BOUNCER – This ‘heavy’ found outside a nightclub for example might describe a trampolinist

13a    Husband held by soldier: gosh mummy! (7)
PHARAOH – H (husband) ‘held’ by PARA (soldier) plus OH (gosh)

14a    In retirement, English and Central European run away together (5)
ELOPE – A reversal (in retirement) of E (English) and POLE (Central European)

15a    Missing drinking container of beer? Certainly! (9)
ABSTINENT – ABSENT (missing) ‘drinking’ TIN (container of beer?)

17a    Large tank has me kept in storage when explosive (9)
GASOMETER – ME (from the clue) kept in an anagram (when explosive) of STORAGE

20a    Twin fixture (5)
MATCH – Double definition

22a    Item of furniture found in case, correct (7)
SUBEDIT – BED (item of furniture) found in SUIT (case)

24a    Special brew in a pub (4,3)
WINE BAR – An anagram (special) of BREW IN A

25a    Awkward, left in Marseille? (6)
GAUCHE – The French word for left is the same as an English word meaning awkward

26a    A way to maintain performance of rite, most creative (7)
ARTIEST – A (from the clue) ST (street, way) to ‘maintain’ an anagram (performance) of RITE

27a    Fresh sole caught by fishermen, traders in large quantities (11)
WHOLESALER – An anagram (fresh) of SOLE ‘caught’ by WHALERS (fishermen)

Down

2d    Breaking stick? (4,3)
POOL CUE – Cryptic definition

3d    Currently doing well, insect in grass (9)
INFORMANT – IN FORM (currently doing well) ANT (insect)

4d    A little quarrel (5)
SCRAP – Double definition or all in one or both??

5d    Bread I knock over after tea (7)
CHAPATI – Reverse (over) I TAP (knock) and put them after CHA (tea)

6d    Salt last of cheese pie at home, served up (7)
NITRATE – A reversal (served up) of E (the last letter of cheese) TART (pie) and IN (at home)

7d    Shock seeing fat animal eating every other bit of frog (11)
FLABBERGAST – FLAB (fat) BEAST (animal) ‘eating’ the alternate (every other) letter of fRoG

8d    Geographical plan spread out showing African capital (6)
MAPUTO – MAP (geographical plan) and an anagram (spread) of OUT

11d    Blue chatter I edited in article (11)
THATCHERITE – An anagram (edited) of CHATTER I inserted into THE (article)

16d    Funny turn before dance (9)
SCREWBALL – SCREW (turn) goes before BALL (dance)

18d    As rising, heading for breakfast and wash, time for rest (7)
SABBATH – A reversal (rising) of AS, the heading for Breakfast and BATH (wash)

19d    Test revolutionary citric substance in lemon, on having been cut (7)
MEDICAL – A reversal (revolutionary) of ACID inserted into the first three letters (on having been cut) of LEMon

20d    Watch car touring Northern Ireland (7)
MONITOR – MOTOR (car) ‘touring’ NI (Northern Ireland)

21d    A consumable computer? (6)
TABLET – Cryptic definition

23d    ‘Hair‘: appearing in theatres Saturday (5)
TRESS – appearing in theaTRES Saturday

B2