Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3247
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 14th January 2024
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
“A very friendly and enjoyable Sunday Cryptic Crossword” – I typed those words a good hour or more before the Hints were published. Apparently I was one of very few people who found this crossword straightforward – but then if we were all the same type of solver, there wouldn’t be any need for crossword blogs
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Across
1a Indicator illuminated, has to set off (6,4)
LITMUS TEST – LIT (illuminated) MUST (has to) and an anagram (off) of SET
6a Headline penned by journalist, arresting (4)
STAR – Hidden in (penned by) journaliST ARresting
9a Break and pull on plant (10)
SNAPDRAGON – SNAP (break) DRAG (pull) ON (from the clue)
10a Dodgy two shakes, first one ignored (4)
IFFY – Two shakes of a JIFFY ignoring the first letter
12a Before run, draw level (4)
TIER – TIE (draw) goes before R (run)
13a Dye coloured in a cloche (9)
COCHINEAL – An anagram (coloured) of IN A CLOCHE
15a Crack in ruby fixed (8)
RESOLVED – SOLVE (crack) in RED (ruby)
16a Ultimately careless stroke — that’s hard to read (6)
SCRAWL – S (the ultimate letter of careless) and CRAWL (swimming stroke)
18a US author recalled in the top academic (6)
CAPOTE – Hidden in reverse (recalled) in thE TOP ACademic
20a Listener’s problem can fool American (8)
TINNITUS – TIN (can) NIT (fool) US (American)
23a Spirited former lover, very industrious creature (9)
EXUBERANT – EX (former lover) UBER (very) ANT (industrious creature)
24a Stone ring, intimate (4)
OPAL – O (ring) PAL (intimate friend)
26a Tolerate hairy animal (4)
BEAR – Double definition
27a Sweetener worker fed to patron (10)
BACKHANDER – HAND (worker) ‘fed’ to BACKER (patron)
28a Charming message abbreviated (4)
TWEE – A truncated (abbreviated) TWEEt (message)
29a Fruit’s outside, awfully large one: half of pear inside (6,4)
ORANGE PEEL – An anagram (awfully) of LARGE ONE into which is inserted the first half of PEar
Down
1d Lid off vessel for girl (4)
LASS – Remove the first letter (lid off) of gLASS (vessel)
2d Grovelling lot offering foreign aid in lower digits (7)
TOADIES – An anagram (foreign) of AID inserted into TOES (lower digits)
3d Knickers etc the scoundrel waved about (12)
UNDERCLOTHES – An anagram (waved about) of THE SCOUNDREL
4d Woman of iron, man of straw? (8)
THATCHER – Margaret THATCHER was known as the Iron Lady; a THATCHER uses straw
5d Ruin alcoholic drink (6)
SCOTCH – Double definition
7d I appreciate that strong cheese, crisp and silky stuff (7)
TAFFETA – TA (I appreciate that) F (forte, strong) FETA (cheese)
8d Hand two little boys cleanse (5,5)
ROYAL FLUSH – ROY and AL (two little boys) FLUSH (cleanse)
11d Sad record keeping people awake? (12)
DISCONSOLATE – DISC (record) ON SO LATE (keeping people awake?)
14d Two animals, one held by player? (7,3)
CRICKET BAT – CRICKET and BAT (two animals)
17d Post in time? Wrong! (8)
MISTAKEN – STAKE (post) in MIN (minute, time)
19d Best time for finery (7)
PLUMAGE – PLUM (best) AGE (time)
21d Nonsense that’s wacky, primarily rot! (7)
TWADDLE – The primary letters of That and Wacky followed by ADDLE (rot)
22d Pub surrounds bordering on Zambia and a market (6)
BAZAAR – BAR (pub) ‘surrounds’ the ‘bordering’ of ZambiA and A (from the clue)
25d Test of right and left, originally (4)
ORAL – The original letters of Of Right And Left