Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3273
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 14th July 2024
BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ***
Definitely a ‘start with the Downs Day’ and even that didn’t help that much. Seven anagrams and four appearances of A (from the clue)
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Across
8a Frequent painter, so awful (9)
PATRONISE – An anagram (awful) of PAINTER SO
10a Work ethic originally backfiring for poet (5)
ELIOT – A reversal (backfiring) of TOIL (work) and E (Ethic ‘originally’)
11a This bridge term applied to snooker (9,6)
CROSSWORD PUZZLE – CROSS (bridge) WORD (term) PUZZLE (snooker)
12a Opening of movie in colour, a strength (7)
STAMINA – M (the opening of Movie) inserted in STAIN (colour) and followed with A (from the clue)
13a Run a bit in struggle to survive (3,4)
RAT RACE – R (cricket abbreviation for Run) A (from the clue) TRACE (bit)
15a Spray I sell, ten per cent off (6,9)
INSECT REPELLENT – An anagram (off) of I SELL TEN PER CENT
19a Raise a glass claiming premier job in government, highest post (7)
TOPMAST – TOAST (raise a glass) claiming PM (Prime Minister, premier job in government)
22a Fight breaking out in court (7)
RUCTION – An anagram (breaking out) of IN COURT
24a A tasty right hook, perhaps? (7,8)
KNUCKLE SANDWICH – A cryptic definition of a blow with the fist
26a Award zero mark (5)
OSCAR – O (zero) SCAR (mark)
27a Master of literary hall, he’s rector, surprisingly (9)
ROCHESTER – An anagram (surprisingly) of HES RECTOR – the owner of Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre
Down
1d Classic English photo (4)
EPIC – E (English) PIC (photo)
2d First of branches is on a terribly small tree (6)
BONSAI – B (the first letter of Branches) and an anagram (terribly) of IS ON A
3d Road in US risky for old lizard (8)
DINOSAUR – An anagram (risky) of ROAD IN US
4d Delicate currency (6)
TENDER – Double definition – the first an adjective, the second a noun
5d Victim in truthful denial (8)
REBUTTAL – BUTT (victim) in REAL (truthful)
6d Round dish inscribed with a square (6)
PIAZZA – PIZZA (round dish) ‘inscribed’ with A (from the clue)
7d Mark alongside eye, lashes initially out of fashion (4)
STYE – The original letter of Lashes removed from STYlE (fashion)
9d Month in class coming up for hard workers (7)
TROJANS – JAN (month) inserted into a reversal (coming up) of SORT (class)
12d Author, ready flier (5)
SWIFT – The author of Gulliver’s Travels, ready in the sense of prompt, and a type of bird (flier)
14d Corroded school, according to report? (5)
EATEN – A homophone (according to report) of ETON school
16d Biscuits, wonderful things (8)
CRACKERS – Biscuits or informal wonderful things
17d Standard weapon in speech (8)
PARLANCE – PAR (standard) LANCE (weapon)
18d For the few different titles, one written in (7)
ELITIST – An anagram (different) of TITLES with I (Roman numeral for one) ‘written in’
20d Drink’s squeezed in a belly (6)
PAUNCH – A (from the clue) squeezed into PUNCH (drink)
21d Coherent statement way removed from the story (6)
THEORY – ST (street, way) removed from THE stORY
23d Something to chew over has come together in club (6)
CUDGEL – CUD (something to chew) GEL (come together)
24d Tangle in muck? No thanks! (4)
KNOT – Hidden in mucK NO Thanks
25d Animal heads off hopping, as rabbit essentially (4)
HARE – The heads off Hopping As Rabbit Essentially