ST 3263 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3263

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 5^th May 2024

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

Fairly typical Dada Sunday Prize Puzzle – as usual there were quite a few anagrams  My favourite clue was 9d

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought

Across

7a           Alive and kicking? (2,3,4)
ON THE BALL – This expression meaning alert could also describe a football getting ready to kick the ball

8a           A rise anew (5)
AGAIN – A (from the clue) RISE (gain)

10a         Page secured by rusty pin (6)
STAPLE – P (page) ‘secured’ by STALE (rusty)

11a         Last song played for late Soviet policy (8)
GLASNOST – An anagram (-played) of LAST SONG

12a         Cage: put a sock in it! (4,2)
SHUT UP – Put in a cage or an instruction to be quiet, the second part of the clue being an informal way of saying the same

14a         Straw on roof in yonder church (6)
THATCH – THAT (yonder) CH (church)

16a         Loose devil after ladies, primarily (4)
LIMP – IMP (devil) goes after the primary letter of Ladies

17a         Spud sampler spits out last of chips (5)
TATER – TAsTER (sampler) ‘spits out’ the last letter of chipS

18a         Some perks, a key benefit (4)
SAKE – Hidden in some of perkS A KEy

19a         Worker, say, welcoming pro earlier (6)
BEFORE – BEE (worker, say) ‘welcoming’ FOR (pro)

21a         Meeting captive, I’m amazed! (6)
POWWOW – POW (Prisoner of War, captive) WOW (I’m amazed)

24a         Change only soft fabric (8)
CASHMERE – CASH (change) MERE (only)

26a         Hustle elf did, being mischievous (6)
FIDDLE – An anagram (being mischievous) of ELF DID

27a         Goatee perhaps, hairy beast shaved finally (5)
BEARD – BEAR (hairy beast) D (the final letter of shaveD)

28a         New, albeit rotten drink (5,4)
TABLE WINE – An anagram (rotten) of NEW ALBEIT

Down

1d           Link kitchen fitment and end of pipe (5)
UNITE – UNIT (kitchen fitment) E (the end of pipE)

2d           Use axe twice, on the double! (4-4)
CHOP-CHOP – CHOP (use axe) twice

3d           Complain job etc is complicated (6)
OBJECT – An anagram (is complicated) of JOB ETC

4d           Standard base on roof cover (4)
FLAG – The letter at the ‘base’ on rooF and LAG (cover with insulation perhaps)

5d           Things to do, and sorted out after some time (6)
AGENDA – An anagram (sorted out) of AND goes after AGE (time)

6d           Icky paste ruined confection (5,4)
TIPSY CAKE – An anagram (ruined) of ICKY PASTE

9d           Food in pudding for a Yorkshireman cricketer? (6)
BATTER – Something used to make Yorkshire Pudding or a cricketer

13d         Build – or 12 Across? (3,2)
PUT UP – Build or part of an expression with 12a

15d         Guardian angel fears evil criminal (4-5)
LIFE-SAVER – An anagram (criminal) of FEARS EVIL

17d         On a particular subject, sea? (6)
THEMED – THE MED (sea?)

18d         Display feathers for big fight (8)
SHOWDOWN – SHOW (display) DOWN (feathers)

20d         Energy gained in remarkably short rest (6)
OTHERS – E (energy) inserted into (gained) an anagram (remarkably) of SHORT – nice misleading wordplay

22d         Hot air heated breakfast food (6)
WAFFLE Spoken nonsense (hot air) or something heated for breakfast

23d         28 Across, perhaps, put down (5)
PLONK – Originally Australian slang for wine of poor quality or put down heavily

25d         Partially cooked, a macaroni cheese (4)
EDAM – Hidden in part of cookED A Macaroni