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ST 3253 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3253

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 25th February 2024

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

Another anagram-filled Sunday Prize Puzzle

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought

 

Across

1a           Troublesome start while in very hot water? (7,2,4)
BAPTISM OF FIRE – A trying ordeal

9a           Hole, after reversing, crossed by a street vehicle (9)
AEROPLANE – A reversal of PORE (hold) inserted between A (from the clue) and LANE (street)

10a         Area with trees where police heard? (5)
COPSE – A homophone (heard) of COPS (police)

11a         Lightweight knocked out on cue (5)
OUNCE – An anagram (knocked out) of ON CUE

12a         Thus in power, government (4)
ERGO – Hidden in powER GOvernment

13a         Financial gain, though lack of it for teacher (4)
PROF – PROFit without (lack of) IT

15a         Bond formed by boy in group (7)
SEALANT – ALAN (boy) in SET (group)

17a         Clobber on, cuter after tailoring (7)
TROUNCE – An anagram (after tailoring) of ON CUTER

18a         Taste of claret’s in another drink (7)
RETSINA – Part (a taste) of claRETS IN Another

20a         Friend with limo adapted for biofuel (4,3)
PALM OIL – PAL (Friend) with an anagram (adapted) of LIMO

21a         Cloak, better back on vampire (4)
CAPE – CAP (better) and the ‘back’ of vampirE

22a         All leaders in opposition really antagonistic, Labour said (4)
ORAL – The leaders in Opposition Really Antagonistic Labour

23a         Country folk onto you (5)
YEMEN – MEN (folk) onto YE (you)

26a         Dawn has lit up place (5)
ONSET – ON (lit up) SET (place)

27a         Go to pieces as top camera breaks (4,5)
COME APART – An anagram (breaks) of TOP CAMERA

28a         One pocketed by foolish client, I’d want double! (9,4)
IDENTICAL TWIN – I (Roman numeral for one) inserted into an anagram (foolish) of CLIENT ID WANT

 

Down

1d           Snake that’s savage squeezing a prisoner hard (3,11)
BOA CONSTRICTOR – BOOR (savage) ‘squeezing’ A (from the clue) CON (prisoner) STRICT (hard)

2d           Old Argentine leader wants agent gone after revolution? (5)
PERON – A reversal (after revolution) of NO REP (agent gone)

3d           A promise I broke around first of rules — fair boss? (10)
IMPRESARIO – An anagram (broke) of A PROMISE I goes ‘around’ the first letter of Rules

4d           A retreat under yours truly, most unpleasant (7)
MEANEST – A NEST (retreat) goes under ME (yours truly)

5d           Case of four, then twice that number for cargo (7)
FREIGHT – The ‘case’ of FouR then EIGHT (twice that number)

6d           North toured by first person from Berlin — not very far (4)
INCH – N (north) ‘toured by’ ICH (I, first person, in German)

7d           Language one’s pater translated (9)
ESPERANTO – An anagram (translated) of ONES PATER

8d           Feeling initially coming up in old cook for meaty dish (4,10)
BEEF WELLINGTON – The initial letter of Feeling and WELLING (coming up) inserted into the famous old cook [Mrs] BEETON

14d         Lovely new party game (10)
VOLLEYBALL – An anagram (new) of LOVELY followed by BALL (party)

16d         Bonus drink after an assortment of Italian morsels (9)
ANTIPASTI – TIP (bonus) and ASTI (drink) go after AN (From the clue)

19d         Fruit with a soft cheese: no thanks! (7)
APRICOT – A (from the clue) RICOTta (no ta, thanks)

20d         Stick on audio equipment for contentious argument (7)
POLEMIC – POLE (stick) MIC (microphone, audio equipment)

24d         Yowl! I am upset you trod on my paw! (5)
MIAOW -An anagram (upset) of I AM and OW (an exclamation of pain)

25d         Minor irritation in dirty accommodation voiced? (4)
STYE – A homophone (voiced) of STY (dirty accommodation)

2 comments on “ST 3253 (Full Review)

  1. Since when is “Alan” a definition of a boy? Given literally anything can be a name, boy, on that basis, can mean literally anything.

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