Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3202
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 5th March 2023
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
A fairly typical Sunday Prize Puzzle – the highlight for me was the surface reading of 2d
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Across
1a Unusual phenomenon, part of service soon to be fragmented? (6,6)
FLYING SAUCER – SAUCER (part of [tea] service FLYING (soon to be fragmented)
9a Amount taken away that’s been worked out? (9)
DEDUCTION – An amount taken away or something deduced or worked out
10a Bulb lit up after adjustment (5)
TULIP – An anagram (after adjustment) of LIT UP
11a Could boy be touring Northern Ireland, say? (6)
ISLAND – IS (could) LAD (boy) ‘touring’ N (Northern)
12a Relative currency thus invested in outskirts of Gabon (8)
GRANDSON – RAND (currency) SO (thus) ‘invested’ in the outskirts or outside letters of GaboN
13a Mistake made, one loudly sobbing? (6)
HOWLER – An informal term for a glaring blunder or one sobbing loudly
15a Maybe get in order for computing unit (8)
MEGABYTE – An anagram (in order) of MAYBE GET
18a A little music with it, number for singer (8)
BARITONE – BAR (a little music) IT (from the clue) ONE (number)
19a Old currency used, 40 per cent of coins converted (6)
ESCUDO – An anagram (converted)of USED and CO (40% of Coins)
21a Praise drink tackled by cook (8)
FLATTERY – LATTE (drink) ‘tackled’ by FRY (cook)
23a Build box into which last of merchandise put (6)
CREATE – CRATE (box) into which the last letter of merchandisE is ‘put’
26a Puncture in road, cyclist initially hampered (5)
LANCE – LANE (road) into which is inserted (hampered) the initial letter of Cyclist
27a Disappear, as might me and my best friend? (2,7)
GO WALKIES – Informal ways of saying go missing (disappear) or take a dog (best friend) for a walk
28a Block of flats, for example? (3,9)
KEY SIGNATURE – These flats being musical notes
Down
1d Popular count bitten by shark, say (7)
FADDISH – ADD (count) ‘bitten by’ FISH (shark, say)
2d Sing in Grenoble, do you, when climbing? (5)
YODEL – Hidden in reverse (when climbing) in grenobLE DO You A splendid surface reading!
3d Possible plea chap originally entered in midday trial (2,7)
NO CONTEST – The original letter of Chap ‘entered’ into NOON (midday) TEST (trial)
4d Clubs, say, in match? (4)
SUIT – Playing cards or a verb meaning to match
5d Frightened, five in need run off (8)
UNNERVED – V (Roman numeral for five) in an anagram (off) of NEED RUN
6d Each number finished off (5)
EATEN – EA (each) TEN (number)
7d Jazzy, so bluesy, I’m so grateful (5,3)
BLESS YOU – An anagram (jazzy) of SO BLUESY
8d Clean parasite (6)
SPONGE – An old friend of a double definition
14d Slap hurt: something ugly about that (3,5)
WAR PAINT – The solution and slap are both informal terms for make up – PAIN (hurt) inserted into (about) WART (something ugly)
16d Two thirds of everyone in country — this one has six states (9)
AUSTRALIA – ALl (two thirds of everyone) inserted into AUSTRIA (country)
17d Its anger dissipated, it won’t react (5,3)
INERT GAS – An anagram (dissipated) of ITS ANGER
18d Puzzle, architectural feature (6)
BAFFLE – A verb meaning to puzzle or an architectural feature
20d Watch wound up, didn’t I tell you? (7)
OVERSEE – OVER (wound up, finished) SEE? (didn’t I tell you)
22d Topic in article written on this person (5)
THEME – THE (definite article) written on (in a Down solution) ME (this person)
24d I’m off in a Roller, posh! (5)
ADIEU – A (from the clue) DIE (roller) U (posh)
25d Loot, some thief’s wages (4)
SWAG – Found in some thiefS WAGes
4*/4* …
liked 14D “Slap hurt: something ugly about that (3,5)”