Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3318
A full review by crypticsue
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on 25th May 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Another anagram filled Sunday Prize Puzzle which didn’t take long to solve or explain for the purposes of this blog post
Please let us know what you thought
Across
1a Shoot past defender – and fail (8)
BACKFIRE – FIRE (shoot() goes after (past) BACK (defender)
5a Doubly short country dance (3-3)
CHA-CHA – Truncate (short) the country of CHAd twice (doubly)
9a An air of romance? (8)
SERENADE – a cryptic definition of a song (air) sung in the evening, especially one with a romantic theme
10a Maximum sum to spread thinly, initially (6)
UTMOST – An anagram (spread) of SUM TO followed by the initial letter of Thinly
12a Judge has purpose for rubbish (6)
REFUSE – REF (referee, judge) USE (purpose)
13a Rail is secured by ribbing (8)
BANISTER – IS (from the clue) ‘secured by’ BANTER (ribbing)
15a US city right to screen Spielberg film (7)
DETROIT – DROIT (right) to ‘screen’ ET (Spielberg film)
16a Friends hit back (4)
PALS – A reversal (back) of SLAP (hit)
20a Scottish or Irish dance, where punk loses heart (4)
REEL – Remove the ‘heart’ from REbEL (punk)
21a Top diner on show, empty! (7)
SWEATER – EATER (diner) goes on or after the outside (empty) letters of ShoW
25a Cross harbour for entry document (8)
PASSPORT – PASS (cross) PORT (harbour)
26a Passage of water without deviation, did you say? (6)
STRAIT – A homophone (did you say) of STRAIGHT (without deviation)
28a Bright coat on colonel always (6)
CLEVER – The outside letters (coat) on ColoneL and EVER (always)
29a Igloo man built in landlocked country (8)
MONGOLIA – An anagram (built) of IGLOO MAN
30a Character, one leasing out property (6)
LETTER – Double definition
31a Ocean drifters, large number on piece of wood (8)
PLANKTON – TON (large number) goes on or after PLANK (piece of wood)
Down
1d Restaurant where relative eats is on end of list (6)
BISTRO – BRO (brother, relative) ‘eats’ IS (from the clue) and the letter at the end of lisT
2d Bottle in diner filled with a liqueur, finally (6)
CARAFE – CAFÉ (diner) ‘filled’ with A (from the clue) and the final letter of liqueuR
3d Bit of fish I disposed of no more (8)
FINISHED – FIN (bit of fish) I (from the clue) SHED (disposed of)
4d Journey into Jaipur I described (4)
RIDE – Hidden in the last three words of the clue
6d Gas or wind in thermal? (3,3)
HOT AIR – Empty talk or wind in a thermal
7d European art a con, I gathered (8)
CROATIAN – An anagram (gathered) of ART A CON I
8d Star Trek is as silly! (8)
ASTERISK – An anagram (silly) of TREK IS AS
11d Most important city, excellent (7)
CAPITAL – Double definition
14d Those who sketch nudes won’t have them! (7)
DRAWERS – People who sketch; nudes wouldn’t wear this, or any other, type of clothing
17d Very hot April, Oct different (8)
TROPICAL – An anagram (different) of APRIL OCT
18d Footballer set off, most dishevelled (8)
MESSIEST – MESSI (footballer) and an anagram (off) of SET
19d Hat on peg changed shape (8)
HEPTAGON – An anagram (changed) of HAT ON PEG
22d Bubble perhaps, where skin of soap present (6)
SPHERE – The ‘skin’ of SoaP HERE (present)
23d Elegant steps taken when everyone boards punt (6)
BALLET – ALL (everyone) ‘boards’ BET (punt)
24d Stress in tsar after revolution (6)
STRAIN – An anagram (after revolution) of IN TSAR
27d Mere pub game! (4)
POOL – A body of water (mere) or a pub game