Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3287
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 20th October 2024
BD Rating –Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
A typical Dada Sunday puzzle, albeit with one fault which wasn’t picked up in any test solving or editing
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Playing of requiems interrupted by a very short note (10)
SEMIQUAVER – An anagram (playing) of REQUIEMS ‘interrupted’ by A (from the clue) and V (very)
6a Plan to record backing (4)
PLOT – A reversal (backing) of TO (from the clue) and LP (record)
9a Cash: silver promptly returned (5)
WONGA – A reversal (returned) of AG (the chemical symbol for silver) and NOW (promptly)
10a Speak about one with spirit in spring (9)
ORIGINATE – ORATE (speak) goes ‘about) I (Roman numeral for one) and GIN (spirit)
12a Ready to go? (6-7)
TOILET-TRAINED – A cryptic definition
14a Fanatic in power, tsarina distraught (8)
PARTISAN – P (power) and an anagram (distraught) of TSARINA
15a Capital on river east of Bristol, ultimately (6)
LONDON – ON (from the clue) and DON (river) go ‘east’ of the ultimate letter of BristoL
17a Some perisher, a scallywag! (6)
RASCAL – Hidden in perisheR A SCALlywag
19a Sticky food ladies stuck on second (8)
MOLASSES – LASSES (ladies) stuck on MO (second)
21a Run without deviation, even (8,5)
STRAIGHT FLUSH – STRAIGHT (without deviation) and FLUSH (even)
24a African water discovered in Angola, Kenya as amazing? (4,5)
LAKE NYASA – Dada intended this to be a lurcker – it could be found in angoLA KENYA AS Amazing but if you look carefully this gives you two As – the fault could have been remedied by having Kenya’s rather than Kenya as – I did check before scheduling this review and the clue remains as it was published on the Sunday ☹
25a Drop a little lower? (5)
CALVE – A cryptic definition, a lower being a cow
26a Pen, one gripped by relative (4)
BIRO – I (Roman numeral for one) ‘gripped’ by BRO (brother, relative)
27a Drunken lads rating battle (10)
STALINGRAD – An anagram (drunken) of LADS RATING
Down
1d News broadcast stitched together (4)
SEWN – An anagram (broadcast) of NEWS
2d Chap outside new church (7)
MINISTER – MISTER (chap) ‘outside’ N (new)
3d Masters, say, in condition (13)
QUALIFICATION – The clue shows two different definitions of the solution
4d Poorly, brave OAP better than expected (5,3)
ABOVE PAR – An anagram (poorly) of BRAVE OAP
5d Live with team in cricket match after opener dismissed (5)
EXIST – XI (eleven, team) in tEST (cricket match) without the first letter (opener dismissed)
7d Medal finally won, picked up (7)
LEARNED – The final letter of medaL and EARNED (won)
8d Fashion tip in cutting hair (10)
TRENDINESS – END (tip) and IN (from the clue) ‘cutting’ TRESS (hair)
11d Old American dancer is dancing round Canada! (7,6)
ISADORA DUNCAN – IS (from the clue) and an anagram (dancing) of ROUND CANADA
13d Tantrums arising over card for players’ association (6,4)
SPORTS CLUB – A reversal (arising) of STROPS over CLUB (playing card)
16d Party whip upstanding given introduction of lady, dimpled little thing (4,4)
GOLF BALL – LAB (Labour Party) and FLOG (whip) reversed (upstanding) into which is inserted the L that ‘introduces’ Lady
18d Attacker, one walking out? (7)
STRIKER – Double definition
20d Switzerland toured by stellar student (7)
SCHOLAR – CH (Switzerland) ‘toured’ by SOLAR (stellar)
22d Try heading for town centre (5)
HEART – HEAR (try) T (heading for Town)
23d Cardinal’s shut in a study (4)
READ – A (from the clue) shut in RED (cardinal)