ST 3198 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph No 3198

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 5^th February 2023

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

A particularly solver-friendly crossword this time 

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Across

1 A technological subject grasped by relative, just the same (2,2,2)
AS IT IS – A (from the clue) IT (technological subject), the latter ‘grasped’ by SIS (relative)

5 Brief affair involving Peg recalled (8)
FLEETING – FLING (affair) ‘involving’ a reversal (recalled) of TEE (peg)

9 Sacre Coeur’s winding track (10)
RACECOURSE – An anagram (winding) of SACRE COEURS

10 Sharp
dessert (4)
TART – Double definition

11 Norse god in request for feast (8)
PLETHORA – THOR (Norse god) inserted in PLEA (request)

12 Get African country heard? (6)
GARNER – A homophone (heard) of GHANA (African country)

13 Loads of money, perfect (4)
MINT – A vast sum of money or in perfect (mint) condition

15 Ill-fitting strides, a catastrophe (8)
DISASTER – An anagram (ill-fitting) of STRIDES A

18 Revolutionary can’t hope for memorial (8)
CENOTAPH – An anagram (revolutionary) of CANT HOPE

19 Wine increased (4)
ROSE – My favourite type of wine or part of a verb meaning increased

21 Just behind front of fire alarm (6)
FRIGHT – RIGHT (just) goes behind the ‘front’ of Fire

23 Extraordinary state in Texas originally most stylish (8)
NATTIEST – An anagram (extraordinary) of STATE IN followed by the original letter of Texas

25 Bird, some scoter, naturally (4)
TERN – Hidden in some scoTER Naturally

26 Fruit in an ornate tray, nourishing (10)
ALIMENTARY – LIME inserted in AN (from the clue) followed by an anagram (ornate) of TRAY

27 Marvellous Scottish city, did you say? (8)
STERLING – Sounds like, and is often confused with the name of the Scottish city STIRLING

28 One of seven characters dropping off? (6)
SLEEPY – Snow White’s little friend who liked to sleep a lot

Down

2 Hunters finally catch sluggish creature (5)
SNAIL – S (the final letter of hunters followed by NAIL (catch)

3 Score also announced for every player on football field? (6-3)
TWENTY-TWO – TWENTY (score) and a homophone (announced) of TOO (also)

4 Prize collected by boy, absolutely correct (4-2)
SPOT-ON – POT (prize) ‘collected’ by SON (boy)

5 Progressive striker, fine leader (7-8)
FORWARD-THINKING – FORWARD (striker) THIN (fine) KING (leader)

6 Seeing drunk grabbing queen, charge! (8)
ENERGISE – An anagram (drunk) of SEEING ‘grabbing’ ER (Queen)

7 Dear me, gold coach! (5)
TUTOR – TUT (dear me) OR (heraldic word for gold)

8 Cool when all transmitters removed? (9)
NERVELESS – If all transmitters were removed, you would be nerve-less

14 I approach home of hawk, say, with serious intent (2,7)
IN EARNEST – I (from the clue) NEAR (approach) NEST (home of hawk, say)

16 Street I’ve tidied up, cleaner (9)
SERVIETTE – An anagram (tidied up) of STREET IVE

17 Finished with butter, I smoked beef (8)
PASTRAMI – PAST (finished) RAM (an animal that butts) I (from the clue)

20 Capital in those days invested in arsenic (6)
ATHENS – THEN (in those days) inserted into (invested in) the chemical symbol for arsenic

22 Someone on the way out: in leaving, one rueful (5)
GONER – Hidden in leavinG ONE Rueful

24 Temper raging initially in bar (5)
STROP – R (the initial letter of Raging) inserted into STOP (bar, prevent)