ST 3194 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3194

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 8^th January 2023

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

A trickier than usual Sunday Prize Puzzle from Dada this week

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Across

7a    Two banks managed by an Asian (7)
IRANIAN – II (Roman numerals for two) ‘banks’ or goes outside RAN (managed) followed by AN (from the clue)

8a    Fancy better edible grains (7)
CAPRICE – CAP (better) RICE (edible grains)

10a    Sugary centre, honey (10)
SWEETHEART – SWEET (sugary) HEART (centre)

11a    Touch instrument that’s reversed (4)
ABUT – A reversal of TUBA (instrument)

12a    Item of underwear and stick returned by Los Angeles dog (8)
LABRADOR – BRA (item of underwear) and a reversal (returned) of ROD (stick) go after (by) LA (Los Angeles)

14a    A book about husband in one’s house (2,4)
AT HOME – A TOME (a book) goes ‘about’ H (husband)

15a    Port east of Verona transformed repeatedly (4,3,4)
OVER AND OVER – DOVER (port) goes ‘east’ (in an Across solution) of an anagram (transformed) of VERONA

19a    Tragedy allowed by amateurish thespian (6)
HAMLET – LET (allowed) goes by (or after) HAM (amateurish thespian)

20a    Old relative cares not for change (8)
ANCESTOR – An anagram (for change) of CARES NOT

22a    Energy gone from bloke having swallowed a fly (4)
GNAT – Remove the E (energy gone) from GeNT (bloke) and insert (swallowed) A (from the clue)

23a    Poet, epic chap (10)
LONGFELLOW – LONG (epic) FELLOW (chap)

25a    Travelling about, Homer is daring (7)
HEROISM – An anagram (travelling about) of HOMER IS

26a    Freedom from partner of la bride? (7)
LEGROOM – A clue to make you smile – the partner of la bride might be LE GROOM

Down

1d    Lever in line with first of beams joining wheels (7)
CROWBAR – ROW (line) with B (first of beams) inserted into (joining) CAR (wheels)

2d    Queen in embrace of Egyptian, Nefertiti (4)
ANNE – Found in the ’embrace’ of EgyptiAN NEfertiti

3d    Cleaned, could he have been dirty originally? (6)
WASHED – WAS HE (could he have been) D (the original letter of Dirty)

4d    Capital gains tax cut, roughly zero (8)
SANTIAGO – An anagram (roughly) of GAINS TAx (cut telling you to omit the x) followed by O (zero)

5d    Dead excited? (10)
BREATHLESS – Dead or so excited you hold your breath

6d    Nasty sandwiches back in refrigerator — yum! (7)
SCRUMMY – SCUMMY (nasty) ‘sandwiches’ the back letter of refrigeratoR

9d    Nikolaos of Greece, say, not Spartan I suspect! (6,5)
PATRON SAINT – An anagram (suspect) of NOT SPARTAN I

13d    Turn right, then change (10)
REVOLUTION – R (right) EVOLUTION (change)

16d    Merciless hustlers out to lunch (8)
RUTHLESS – An anagram (out to lunch) of HUSTLERS

17d    Playwright has inspired a creative type (7)
PAINTER – (Harold) PINTER (playwright) has ‘inspired’ A (from the clue)

18d    Approach snooker shot and fail completely (2,2,3)
GO TO POT – GO TO (approach) POT (snooker shot)

21d    Opening of Christmas present — something valuable in it? (6)
COFFER – The ‘opening’ of Christmas plus OFFER (present)

24d    Body of knowledge lost on religious experiences, primarily (4)
LORE – The primary letters of Lost On Religious Experiences