Sunday Cryptic No 3328
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 3rd August 2025
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Across
1a Approximate shape for plain brick? (5,7)
ROUGH DIAMOND – ROUGH (approximate) DIAMOND (shape)
9a Series of events held on ground, dude entering (9)
DECATHLON – An anagram (ground) of HELD ON into which is inserted (entering) CAT (like dude, slang for a man)
10a Asian isn’t rich as Qatari is, for starters (5)
IRAQI – The ‘starters’ of Isn’t Rich As Qatari Is
11a They are, almost entirely, shockingly crude (6)
EARTHY – An anagram (shockingly) of almost all of THEY ARe
12a Canal I’ve rediscovered in European city (8)
VALENCIA – An anagram (rediscovered) of CANAL IVE
13a Player of records – one of those put on for a special occasion? (6)
DEEJAY – This player of records can be abbreviated to DJ; the same abbreviation can also refer to a dinner jacket worn on special occasions
15a Put on edge, item found in handbag? (8)
LIPSTICK – STICK (put) goes on or after LIP (edge)
18a Allow New York Liberal back – in one of its boroughs? (8)
BROOKLYN – BROOK (allow, bear or enjoy) and a reversal (back) of NY (New York) and L (Liberal)
19a African republic in old money? (6)
GUINEA – An African republic or an old coin
21a Wisdom required in a business district after slump (8)
SAGACITY – A CITY (a business district) goes after SAG (slump)
23a Listener’s noticed a crawler on the web? (6)
SPIDER – A homophone (listener’s) SPIED A
26a Chance totally gone where header missed (5)
LOTTO – Remove the first letter (header missed) from bLOTTO (slang for helplessly drunk)
27a Brainy, smooth sucker (9)
QUICKSAND – QUICK (clever, brainy) and SAND (verb meaning to smooth)
28a Excess rage in barking canine (12)
INTEMPERANCE – TEMPER (rage) inserted into an anagram (barking) of CANINE
Down
1d He dared to sprinkle ginger (7)
REDHEAD – An anagram (to sprinkle) of HE DARED
2d Sore, a little painful, certainly (5)
ULCER – Hidden in the last two words of the clue
3d Plan finance for car (9)
HATCHBACK – HATCH (plan) BACK (finance)
4d Unused, odd parts of mild clue redundant (4)
IDLE – The odd letters in mIlD cLuE are unused
5d Spoil clothes also in orange (8)
MANDARIN – MAR (spoil) ‘clothes’ AND (also), IN (from the clue) being added at the end
6d Sound coming from hooter when one pinched (5)
NOISE – NOSE (hooter) ‘pinching’ the Roman numeral for one
7d Warrant contains everything rewritten (8)
SANCTION – An anagram (rewritten) of CONTAINS
8d Seize boy after good day (6)
HIJACK – JACK (boy) goes after HI (a greeting like good day)
14d Third and fourth in field on opening stretch (8)
ELONGATE – The third and fourth letters in fiELd, ON (from the clue) GATE (opening)
16d Game, beefcake with hot rod? (4,5)
STUD POKER – STUD (beefcake attractive muscly man) with POKER (rod)
17d Fascination lost, “yikes” did you say? (8)
MYSTIQUE – Homophones (did you say) of MISSED (lost) EEK (yikes!)
18d Commotion as vehicle tilted in and out? (6)
BUSTLE – BUS (vehicle) and the odd letters (in and out)of TiLtEd
20d Cut off a part of the nose (7)
ABRIDGE – A (from the clue) BRIDGE (part of the nose)
22d “Coco” originally, short name – for him? (5)
CLOWN – C (the original letter of Coco), LOW (short) N (name)
24d Initially dump water – down here? (5)
DRAIN – The initial letter of Dump and RAIN (water)
25d Some scoundrel, I’m pretty loose (4)
LIMP- Hidden in scoundreL IM Pretty