Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3300
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 19th January 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Another Sunday Prize Puzzle from Dada; this one had six anagrams and two A (from the clue)
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Underwear on a leg twisted – problems to solve? (7)
ALGEBRA – BRA (underwear) goes on or after an anagram (twisted) of A LEG
5a Panel, Tory one (7)
CONSOLE – CON (Conservative, Tory) SOLE (one)
9a The letter I fancied I redrafted (8,7)
DEFINITE ARTICLE – An anagram (redrafted) of LETTER I FANCIED I
10a Unusual memoir a renegade’s penned (4)
RARE – Hidden (penned) in memoiR A REnegade
11a Scraps in a stew for cooking (5)
WASTE – An anagram (for cooking) of A STEW
12a Exquisite penalty (4)
FINE – Double definition
15a He has sliced through a pie, basically (2,5)
AT HEART – HE (from the clue) sliced through or inserted into A (from the clue) TART (a pie)
16a Fixing of latrine conditional (7)
RELIANT – An anagram (fixing) of LATRINE
17a Pretty skirts and stuff as nightwear (7)
PYJAMAS – The ‘skirts’ of PrettY, JAM (stuff) AS (from the clue)
19a Clobber something on the beach with a cudgel, initially (7)
SHELLAC – A US informal verb meaning to defeat decisively – SHELL (something on the beach) A (from the clue) C (the initial letter of Cudgel
21a 27 Across, those on green suits, primarily (4)
TOGS – Like the solution to 27a, a slang term for clothing – the primary letters of Those On Green Suits
22a I for one promise help at the centre (5)
VOWEL – VOW (promise) and the letters at the centre of hELp
23a Drink first of margaritas in club (4)
TEAM – TEA (drink) and the first letter of Margaritas
26a Is that a joke? Try a different cracker! (4,3,5,3)
PULL THE OTHER ONE – An expression of surprise that something was a joke sounds like you need to try a different Christmas cracker
27a Clothing manufacturer’s back in the commercials (7)
THREADS – R (the back of manufactureR) inserted into THE ADS (the commercials)
28a Love affair with Latin and English church (7)
ROMANCE – ROMAN (Latin) CE (Church of England)
Down
1d Country with two rivers in Oman, oddly (7)
ANDORRA – AND (with) and R R (two rivers) inserted into the odd letters of OmAn
2d Attack when one’s vulnerable – in that vein? (2,3,3,7)
GO FOR THE JUGULAR – Figuratively to attack someone at the place liable to cause greatest harm, for example literally in the large vein at the side of the neck
3d Nonsense in bed? (4)
BUNK – Informal nonsense or a bed
4d Draw a chart finally on plot of land (7)
ATTRACT – A (from the clue) T (the final letter of charT, TRACT (plot of land)
5d Wheel around old ship (7)
COASTER – CASTER (wheel) goes around O (old)
6d Upturned school register (4)
NOTE – A reversal (upturned) of ETON school
7d Low low point reached after swimming in ocean, not very often (4,2,1,4,4)
ONCE IN A BLUE MOON – An anagram (swimming) of IN OCEAN followed by BLUE (low, miserable) MOO (low) and N (compass point)
8d Always time in New York for biggest challenge? (7)
EVEREST – EVER (always) EST (Eastern Standard Time)
13d Pub goodness, nuts! (5)
BARMY – BAR (pub) MY (goodness)
14d Nap with strips raised (5)
SLEEP – A reversal (raised) of PEELS (strips)
17d Beat bread with butter (3-1-3)
PIT-A-PAT – PITA (bread) PAT (butter)
18d Those who demonstrate washing devices (7)
SHOWERS – Double definition
19d Tree: saw used for top (7)
SWEATER – An anagram (used) of TREE SAW
20d Roll up wrapping for each present (7)
COMPERE – COME (roll up being an informal way of saying arrive) ‘wrapping’ PER (for each)
24d Volcano located in Vietnam (4)
ETNA – Found in ViETNAm
25d Religious education in the morning papers (4)
REAM – RE (Religious Education) AM (morning)