ST 3255 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3255

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 10^th March 2024

BD Rating – Difficulty *– Enjoyment ***

An exceptionally friendly Sunday Prize Puzzle and only using four anagrams for a change! Was this that made it one of Dada’s  most enjoyable Sunday Prize Puzzles for some time?

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Across

7a           First sign (7)
INITIAL – The first of something or to sign a document using just initials

8a           Greek character against Italian wine (7)
CHIANTI – CHI (Greek letter of the alphabet) ANTI (against)

10a         French boy crushes fruit flat (4-1-5)
PIED-A-TERRE – PIERRE (French boy) ‘crushes’ DATE (fruit)

11a         Shaft left in sharp tool (4)
AXLE – L (left) in AXE (sharp tool)

12a         How electrical devices may be, sometimes (2,3,3)
ON AND OFF – Electrical devices may well be ON AND OFF

14a         River where a bloke seen touring Australia doing the backstroke? (6)
AMAZON – A MAN (a bloke) touring a reversal (doing the backstroke) of OZ (Australia)

15a         Fantasy blue dish? (3,2,3,3)
PIE IN THE SKY – PIE (dish) IN THE SKY (blue)

19a         Losing head, crab nipped animal (6)
RABBIT – Lose the ‘head’ from cRAB and add BIT (nipped)

20a         Foreign money invested in bank not long ago (8)
RECENTLY – CENT (foreign money) ‘invested’ in RELY (bank)

22a         Test changed as you were reading proofs (4)
STET – An anagram (changed) of TEST – restore after marking for deletion (as you were reading printed proofs)

23a         Good certainly to hole ball, finally — on this? (4,6)
GOLF COURSE – G (the abbreviation for Good) OF COURSE (certainly) into which is inserted (to hole) the final letter of balL

25a         Deny increase, for example (7)
GAINSAY – GAIN (increase) SAY (for example)

26a         Tree: discuss planting one (7)
CONIFER – I (Roman numeral for one) planted in CONFER (discuss)

 

Down

1d           State elected huntress (7)
INDIANA – IN (elected) DIANA (the Roman goddess of several things, including hunting)

2d           Originally seductive this utter dreamboat, Adonis! (4)
STUD – The original letters of Seductive This Utter Dreamboat

3d           Pageant rubbish as well (6)
TATTOO – TAT (rubbish) TOO (as well)

4d           Cord in various holes, super! (8)
SHOELACE – An anagram (various) of HOLES followed by ACE (super!)

5d           Pitfall with loopy family (6,4)
BANANA SKIN – BANANAS (loopy) KIN (family)

6d           Bird atop cheese (7)
STILTON – STILT (a long-legged wading bird) ON (atop)

9d           Choux pastry item with poor trifle unfortunately ending on plate (11)
PROFITEROLE – An anagram (unfortunately) of POOR TRIFLE followed by the ‘ending’ of platE

13d         Nerve-shredding unhygienic practice? (4-6)
NAIL-BITING – Something causing tension or an unhygienic practice

16d         Key altering when retuned (8)
INTEGRAL – An anagram (when retuned) of ALTERING

17d         Flier captures a little green man (7)
MARTIAN – MARTIN (flying bird) ‘captures’ A (from the clue)

18d         Painful thing being second-class celeb? (7)
BLISTER – B-LISTER or second-class celebrity

21d         Birdbrained bird? (6)
CUCKOO – An informal word for slightly made (birdbrained) or a bird

24d         Standard quantity stashed away by leprechaun, I think (4)
UNIT – Hidden in (stashed away by) leprechaUN I Think