Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3190
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 11th December 2022
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Another enjoyable Dada Sunday Prize Puzzle with some inventive anagram indicators
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Across
1a Good old fashion designer, stimulating (7)
PIQUANT – PI (good) QUANT (Mary, the old – 1960s! – fashion designer)
5a With sun going in, shoot bird (7)
BUSTARD – STAR (sun) going in BUD (shoot)
9a Our hero in a state unfortunately, appear distraught (4,4,4,3)
TEAR ONES HAIR OUT – An anagram (unfortunately) of OUR HERO IN A STATE
10a Repetition of cheers for so long (2-2)
TA-TA – Repetition of TA (cheers, thank you)
11a Choose stout (5)
PLUMP – To choose decisively or an adjective meaning somewhat fat and rounded
12a Score in cricket chased (4)
ETCH – Hidden in crickET CHased
15a Sharp jerks after exercise, possibly (7)
PERHAPS – An anagram (jerks) of SHARP goes after PE (exercise)
16a Builder of muscle in feeble editors (7)
STEROID – An anagram (feeble) of EDITORS
17a Colourful band in front introduced by artist (7)
RAINBOW – RA (artist) introduces IN (from the clue) and BOW (front)
19a Study country’s borders on arrival (7)
PERUSAL – PERUS (country’s) and the ‘borders’ on ArrivaL
21a Colours fade (4)
FLAG – Colours or ensigns, or a verb meaning to fade
22a Iraqi city Arabs designed (5)
BASRA – An anagram (designed) of ARABS
23a Warm arms going round (4)
SNUG – A reversal (going round) of GUNS (arms)
26a Dizzying flight from Paris, as articles flying all over the place (6,9)
SPIRAL STAIRCASE – An anagram (flying all over the place) of PARIS AS ARTICLES
27a Take away first of trunks, transported back (7)
DETRACT – A reversal (back) of the first letter of Trunks and CARTED (transported)
28a Just punishment is required after revolutionary observed stealing millions (7)
NEMESIS – IS (from the clue) goes after a reversal (revolutionary) of SEEN (observed) into which is inserted (stealing) M (millions)
Down
1d Track circuit breaker? (3,4)
PIT STOP – A cryptic definition of somewhere on a race track where breaks are taking from circuiting the course
2d District record broken by bit of a swimmer, a competitor as yet unbeaten? (7-8)
QUARTER-FINALIST – QUARTER (district) LIST (record) broken by FIN (bit of a swimmer) and A (from the clue)
3d Bit before N-Z? (4)
ATOM – In the alphabet, A TO M come before N to Z
4d Training device still wobbling, on being secured (7)
TRELLIS – An anagram (wobbling) of STILL into which is inserted (being secured) RE (on the subject of)
5d Noises made by animals importing meat in island country (7)
BAHAMAS – BAAS (noises made by animals) ‘importing’ HAM (meat)
6d Miss out jump (4)
SKIP – Double definition
7d Long time to wait for June’s ice cream, might you say? (1,5,2,7)
A MONTH OF SUNDAYS – A MONTH OF (June’s) and a homophone (might you say) of SUNDAES (ice cream)
8d Lost diamonds proved an irritation (7)
DITCHED – D (diamonds) ITCHED (proved an irritation)
13d Key near cat (5)
TABBY – TAB (key) BY (near)
14d Jolly drunk (5)
MERRY – Double definition
17d Blend in colour dismissed (7)
REFUSED – FUSE (blend) in RED (colour)
18d Thingummy with a hollow shaft, broken (7)
WHATSIT – An anagram (broken) of WITH A and the outside (hollow) letters of ShafT
19d Concern there’s pressure guaranteed when leader gone (7)
PERTAIN – P (pressure) cERTAIN (guaranteed without its ‘leader’)
20d Drunk missing the stage? (7)
LEGLESS – LESS (missing) the LEG (stage)
24d Information gathered, quite upset (4)
DATA – A reversal (upset) of A TAD (quite)
25d Unfinished theatrical production shot (4)
DRAM – An unfinished DRAMa (theatrical production)
It was 10 days ago, but I remember this as being a friendly Dada. Mary Quant, memories, she was THE rage when I lived in England a lifetime ago. There was also a hairdresser who specialised in the Quant haircut, can’t remember his name, natch, I had to have one. I think it was just over £1 a pop and I thought it was outrageously expensive. Oh well, water under the bridge!
Vidal Sassoon – I used to get my hair cut at his Sloane Street salon back in the 70s. It wasn’t cheap then so goodness only knows what it costs now
I think I need to borrow Brian’s wet towel to lay across my brow after winning my battle with this one. A long way off wavelength today, although pleasing eventually to complete unassisted (and somehow a triumph that I squeezed it in before the relevant paper ‘dropped off’ the App for being more than 28 days old).
3*/5*…..
liked 26A “Dizzying flight from Paris, as articles flying all over the place (6,9)”