ST 3314 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3314

A full review by crypticsue

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

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

Across

1a           Rough path, by the sound of it? (6)
COARSE – A homophone (by the sound of it) of COURSE (path)

4a           Sent back, some tyres aren’t rubber (6)
ERASER – Hidden in reverse (sent back) in tyRES AREnt

8a           Supposed delay as we part, I’m confused (4,4)
TIME WARP – An anagram (confused) of WE PART IM

10a         Finally getting thin – unlikely if this! (6)
GREEDY – The final letter of Getting and REEDY (thin)

11a         Child from Paisley, say, in small bed (4)
SCOT – S (small) COT (bed)

12a         Funny old character, lecturer with nothing on funny lad (6,4)
DONALD DUCK – DON (lecturer), an anagram (funny) of LAD and DUCK (nothing on a scoresheet)

13a         Particular car contract? (4,2,6)
HARD TO PLEASE – HARD TOP (car) LEASE (contract)

16a         Leicester cop working for feared force? (6,6)
SECRET POLICE – An anagram (working) of LEICESTER COP

20a         Hundred behind king in dance (10)
CHARLESTON – TON (hundred) goes behind King CHARLES

21a         Small stones in bottle (4)
GRIT – Double definition, bottle referring to courage or firmness of resolve

22a         Criminal gang with allure (6)
BANDIT – BAND (gang) with IT (allure)

23a         Water dropping in river, in a new season abroad (8)
RAINFALL – R (river), an anagram (new) of IN A, and FALL (season abroad, eg in the USA)

24a         Easily irritated by score in outskirts of territory (6)
TETCHY – ETCH (score) in the ‘outskirts’ of TerritorY

25a         Where “T” is for “treacle tart“, we hear? (6)
AFTERS – My favourite clue – T is found AFTER S in the alphabet

Down

1d           Tom, say, welcomes familiar film director, gossip (8)
CHITCHAT – CAT (Tom, say) ‘welcomes’ HITCH, a familiar way of referring to Alfred Hitchcock

2d           Spy a toff (5)
AGENT – A (from the clue) GENT (toff)

3d           Blighter, boy having stolen a medal (2-3-2)
SO-AND-SO – SON (boy) having ‘stolen’ A (from the clue) DSO (Distinguished Service Order, medal)

5d           Magnificent dresses in Algeria embroidered (7)
REGALIA – An anagram (embroidered) of ALGERIA

6d           Progress quickly and efficiently in plant (9)
SPEEDWELL – SPEED (progress quickly) WELL (efficiently)

7d           Lower cue for screwing at bottom of snooker ball (6)
REDUCE – The second three-letter ‘anagram’ – screwing CUE goes after (at the bottom of) RED (snooker ball)

9d           Garage worker, one having defeated jury? (5,6)
PANEL BEATER – PANEL (jury) BEATER (one having defeated)

14d         Shame record tired out (9)
DISCREDIT – DISC (record) and an anagram (out) of TIRED

15d         Mythological hero observing rise in wizards (8)
ACHILLES – HILL (rise) in ACES (wizards)

17d         Cat – or rat, did you say? (7)
CHEETAH – A homophone (did you say) of CHEATER (rat)

18d         Pope in power referring to argument (7)
PONTIFF – P (power) ON (referring to) TIFF (argument)

19d         Foil wrapping on roast: what gets cooked first (6)
THWART – An anagram (gets cooked) of WHAT goes before (first) the outside letters (wrapping) of RoasT

21d         Fumble from manager shortly (5)
GAFFE – A truncated (shortly) GAFFEr (manager)