ST 3122

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3122

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This puzzle was published on 22^nd August 2021

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

A Sunday crossword with a mix of the ‘old friend’ and the ‘what is Dada on about now?’

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Across

9a    I’m leaving you symbolically beside a drop (5)
ADIEU – U (you symbolically) goes beside A (from the clue) and DIE (drop)

10a    Asian in Asia went off with European (9)
TAIWANESE – An anagram (off) of ASIA WENT with E (European)

11a    Proper male swimmer (7)
GENTEEL – GENT (male) EEL (swimmer)

12a    Rotten buffet, strange (7)
OFFBEAT- OFF (rotten) BEAT (buffet)

13a    Girl sat behind Charlie in form (5)
CLASS – LASS (girl) sat behind C (Charlie in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet)

14a    Elaborate alcoholic drink with tea is brewed (9)
DRAMATISE – DRAM (alcoholic drink) with an anagram (brewed) of TEA IS

16a    West Country produce, Cornish-made, ever churned? (10,5)
DEVONSHIRE CREAM – An anagram (churned) of CORNISH MADE EVER

19a    Turn cold before rise — this factor cooling? (4,5)
WIND CHILL – WIND (turn) C (cold) HILL (rise)

21a    Master, teacher holding me back (5)
DEMON – DON (teacher) holding a reversal (back) of ME

23a    California city police operation, memorable (7)
LASTING – LA (California city) STING (police operation)

25a    Coin, rare, placed in the middle (7)
CENTRED – CENT (coin) RED (rare)

27a    Chapels in gold attended by a group of members in blue? (9)
ORATORIES – OR (heraldic term for gold) TORIES (group of members in blue)

28a    A poetic pattern in progress (5)
AFOOT – A (from the clue) FOOT (poetic pattern)

Down

1d    Smack insect from below (4)
TANG – A reversal (from below in a Down solution) of GNAT (insect)

2d    Very local article about English capital (6)
VIENNA – V (very) INN (local) A (indefinite article) ‘about’ E (English

3d    Very quick human, one entering draw shortly (10)
SUPERSONIC – PERSON (human) I (one) ‘entering’ SUCk (shortly telling you to leave off the K)

4d    Cold as ice, perhaps, around capital in Tashkent (6)
STOLID – SOLID (as ice perhaps) ‘around’ T (the capital in Tashkent)

5d    Museum piece is a round cast (8)
DINOSAUR – An anagram (cast) of IS A ROUND

6d    Leg part a little lower? (4)
CALF – Part of the leg or a small animal that ‘lows’

7d    Secured by peg, trousers put on (8)
TELEVISE – LEVIS (trousers) ‘secured’ by TEE (peg)

8d    Old European with maiden featured in great news broadcast (4,6)
WEST GERMAN – M (maiden) featured in an anagram (broadcast) of GREAT NEWS

13d    Rubbish swimmer’s huge impact (10)
CODSWALLOP – CODS (swimmer’s) WALLOP (huge impact)

15d    Not planned, flat, for example (10)
ACCIDENTAL – not planned or a musical term for a note (flat for example) not in the key signature

17d    English mathematician has claimed one in America on another planet? (8)
VENUSIAN – VENN (English mathematician) ‘claimed’ I (one) inserted in US (America)

18d    Feeling good, fastener finally accessing joint, lock securing device (4,4)
HAIR GRIP – AIR (feeling) G (good) R (the final letter of fastener) ‘accessing’ HIP (joint)

20d    Copper hugged by disorientated stripper? (6)
LOCUST – CU (chemical symbol for copper) ‘hugged by’ LOST (disorientated)

22d    Jumper carried by bloke in desert (6)
MAROON – ROO (jumper) ‘carried by’ MAN (bloke)

24d    Press
club (4)
IRON – Double definition

26d    Take out
something sticky (4)
DATE – Double definition