ST 3156

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3156

A full review by crypticsue

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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

A Dada Sunday Puzzle which didn’t take long to solve, thus leaving more time for Easter Egg eating

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Across

7a    Fighter beaten up was hot (8)
SOUTHPAW – An anagram (beaten) of UP WAS HOT produces a left-handed boxer

9a    Country: one moving with urgency, did you say? (6)
RUSSIA – A homophone (did you say) of RUSHER (one moving with urgency)

10a    Absolutely not where I put sock! (2,4)
MY FOOT – An informal interjection expressing disbelief might also refer to where Dada puts his sock

11a    Drop, then fix, mug (8)
DIPSTICK – DIP (drop) STICK (fix) – derogatory slang for a stupid person (mug)

12a    Cold ice on can sprayed around middle of dirty dish (6,3,5)
CHILLI CON CARNE – CHILL (cold) and an anagram (sprayed) of ICE ON CAN ‘around’ the R (middle letter of dirty)

15a    See predicament (4)
SPOT – Double definition

17a    Flower in back of plot, unwanted plant (5)
TWEED – Despite the surface reading, this flower is a river – T (the back of ploT) WEED (unwanted plant)

19a    Dear: slash price in the end (4)
CUTE – CUT (slash) E (the letter at the end of pricE

20a    Comprehensive where castle may have gone? (6-3-5)
ACROSS THE BOARD – The castle, of course, being a chess piece

23a    Prude finding liar most devious (8)
MORALIST – An anagram (devious) of LIAR MOST

25a    Failing, move to the other side (6)
DEFECT – Double definition

27a    Build higher foundation, for example (4-2)
MAKE-UP – MAKE (build) UP (higher)

28a    Article stopping tooth decay in birds (8)
CANARIES – AN (indefinite article) ‘stopping’ CARIES (tooth decay)

Down

1d    Pit animal working in extremes of poverty (4)
PONY – ON (working) inserted in the extremes of PovertY

2d    Walk in street, then turn round (6)
STROLL – ST (street) ROLL (turn round)

3d    Outstanding poem recited? (4)
OWED – A homophone (recited) of ODE (poem)

4d    Line of latitude runs into field (6)
TROPIC – R (runs) inserted into TOPIC (field)

5d    Private, secret I broadcast about love (8)
ESOTERIC – An anagram (broadcast) of SECRET I goes ‘about’ O (love)

6d    Old capital lifts heart of Dutch queen (10)
WINCHESTER – WINCHES (lifts), the ‘heart’ of duTch, ER (the regnal cipher of our current Queen)

8d    Loyalist group kept in touch (7)
PATRIOT – TRIO (group) kept in PAT (touch)

13d    Penny in Angola, the new 50p is like this (10)
HEPTAGONAL – An anagram (new) of ANGOLA THE into which is inserted P (penny)

14d    Patent finished on sixth of inventions (5)
OVERT – OVER (finished) on the sixth letter of invenTions

16d    Bully has broken heart: and all fingers and thumbs! (8)
THREATEN – An anagram (broken) of HEART and the total number of your fingers and thumbs

18d    European city needs empty road developed (7)
DRESDEN – An anagram (developed) of NEEDS and the outside (empty) letters of RoaD

21d    Icy edge in sight (6)
SLIPPY – LIP (edge) inserted into SPY (sight)

22d    Rowing crew steer ahead of bridge (6)
OXFORD – OX (steer) FORD (bridge)

24d    Mark, irritating little thing (4)
TICK – Double definition, the second an irritating insect

26d    Cook a little quiche, finally (4)
CHEF – A little part of quiCHE Finally