Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3312
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** – Enjoyment ***
Another average Dada Sunday Prize Puzzle – six anagrams and four “from the clue,” with a couple of ‘old friends’ in 15a and 25d
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Voice, one after a little music with it! (8)
BARITONE – ONE (from the clue) goes after BAR (a little music) and IT (from the clue)
5a Patch up sharp pain (6)
STITCH – Double definition
10a I concede no oven used, fine to eat – this then? (11,4)
CONVENIENCE FOOD – An anagram (used) of I CONCEDE NO OVEN into which is inserted (to eat) F (fine)
11a A harp played I see for old king (7)
PHARAOH – An anagram (played) of A HARP followed by OH (I see)
12a Form with jargon on, nothing less (7)
PATTERN – PATTER (jargon) and oN (without the O – nothing less)
13a Wild cold-blooded animal’s caged always (8)
FEVERISH – FISH (cold-blooded animal) ‘caged’ EVER (always)
15a King lives away with the fairies! (5)
ELVIS – An anagram (away with the fairies) of LIVES
18a Topmost vertebra finally shortened (5)
ATLAST – The first cervical vertebrae supporting the skull – truncate (shortened) AT LASt (finally)
20a A role alongside group, separate (3,5)
SET APART- A (from the clue) PART (role) goes alongside SET (group)
23a Look behind sink, degree document! (7)
DIPLOMA – LO (look) goes behind DIP (sink), MA (degree) being added at the end
25a Observe sheet for amount lost? (7)
SEEPAGE – SEE (observe) PAGE (sheet)
26a Russian music fan with melodious sounds impressed by beauty (10,5)
NUTCRACKER SUITE – NUT (fan) with a homophone (sounds) of SWEET into which is inserted (impressed by) CRACKER (informal term for beauty or something exceptionally good)
27a Bigger drink about right (6)
LARGER – LAGER (drink) goes ‘about’ R (right)
28a Stop being admitted to general bank (8)
GRADIENT – DIE (stop) admitted to GRANT (a Union army general in the American Civil War)
Down
1d Muscles in bodybuilder initially cooler, I must add (6)
BICEPS – B (bodybuilder initially) ICE (cooler) PS (I must add)
2d Scribbled label beneath jewellery item remind you of anything? (4,1,4)
RING A BELL – An anagram (scribbled) of LABEL goes beneath (in a Down solution) RING (jewellery item)
3a Topic about South Africa no different (3,4)
THE SAME – THEME (topic) goes about SA (South Africa)
4d Trotter’s cry never heard? (5)
NEIGH – This trotter isn’t a pig’s foot, it is a horse that is trained to trot in harness racing. A homophone (heard) of NAY (never)
6d Type of table where settler settled (7)
TRESTLE – An anagram (settled) of SETTLER
7d For starters, taunt relatives often visiting empty store (5)
TROVE – The ‘starters’ of Taunt Relatives Often Visiting Empty
8d Spanish man is in skirt enjoying life’s excesses! (8)
HEDONISM – DON (Spanish man) and IS (from the clue) inserted in HEM (skirt)
9d Game’s sexy photo (8)
SNAPSHOT – SNAPS (game’s) HOT (sexy)
14d Trendy position, for example (8)
INSTANCE – IN (trendy) STANCE (position)
16d Flexible rates vile, unfortunately (9)
VERSATILE – An anagram (unfortunately) of RATES VILE
17d Crimson key (8)
CARDINAL – A deep scarlet colour or an adjective meaning of fundamental importance (key)
19d Son with bravery wiping out a plague (7)
SCOURGE – S (son) with COURaGE ‘wiping out’ the A
21d Chuffed first of prisoners let out (7)
PLEASED – P (first letter of Prisoners) LEASED (let out)
22d Walk away from barren place (6)
DESERT – Double definition
24d A little twerp, a terrible dad (5)
PATER – Hidden in twerP A TERrible
25d Fruit under small piece of asparagus (5)
SPEAR – I’d just picked the first of this year’s asparagus before I solved the crossword and encountered this very old friend of the crossword solver. PEAR (fruit) goes under S (small)