Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 2982
A full review by crypticsue
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment ****
Although for some mad reason I find it helps to look at Dada’s Sunday clues with my head slightly on one side (literally thinking laterally!), I will say that, once solved, they are extremely easy to explain.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Two animals — requirement for four or six, perhaps? (7,3)
CRICKET BAT – CRICKET and BAT (two animals)
6a Cheerless poet in retrospect (4)
DRAB – A reversal (in retrospect) of BARD (poet)
10a Singular instrument needing strings slackened? (5)
SHARP – Too high in pitch so needing the strings of a musical instrument slackened
11a Lovely job of a police officer (9)
ARRESTING – Strikingly lovely or the job of a policeman
12a Marvellous thing, might one be blown away by it? (8)
DYNAMITE – The second double definition clue in a row, but both with great surface readings
13a Girl — Frenchman going after one (5)
IRENE – RENE (Frenchman) going after I (one)
15a Tester of water temperature gulping drink, this food’s hot (7)
TOASTIE – My favourite clue – the tester of water temperature is a TOE into which should be inserted (gulping) ASTI (drink)
17a Captain, delicate winger? (7)
SKIPPER – It is obviously the day for double definitions – a captain of a vessel or the name of a butterfly (delicate winger)
19a Make a bundle tilt inside container (5,2)
CLEAN UP – LEAN (tilt) inside CUP (container)
21a Miss married to small man from Italy (7)
SIGNORE – IGNORE ‘married to’ S (Small)
22a Salute remedy after cutting oxygen (5)
SALVO – Truncate a SALVe (remedy after cutting) and add the chemical symbol for Oxygen
24a Issue certificate, ultimately leading to job (8)
EMISSION – E (certificate ultimately) MISSION (job)
27a Country houses one’s making somewhere in Asia (9)
INDONESIA – INDIA (country) ‘houses’ ONES (from the clue)
28a Part of oven on, extra switches for gas (5)
XENON – A reversal (switches) of part of ovEN ON EXtra
29a Family business (4)
LINE – Another double definition
30a A shift in roles leaving only odd characters in high spirits (10)
ARCHANGELS – A (from the clue) followed by CHANGE (shift) inserted into the odd letters of RoLeS
Down
1d Everything forgotten by diva with first of high notes, perhaps? (4)
CASH – Omit ALL (everything forgotten) from the operatic diva Maria CALLAS and add the first letter of High
2d Where customs officers may search, whatever happens (2,3,4)
IN ANY CASE – Whatever happens customs officers are permitted to search in any case they like
3d Greek letter, a couple of pages in the spirit of an Egyptian (5)
KAPPA – A (from the clue) P P (a couple of pages) inserted into KA (an ancient Egyptian spirit)
4d Butcher I meet at 4pm perhaps? (7)
TEATIME – An anagram (butcher) of I MEET AT
5d Close door at the end, blocking various aisles (7)
AIRLESS – The R at the end of dooR ‘blocking’ an anagram (various) of AISLES
7d Jack beams when speaking? (5)
RAISE – Jack here being a verb rather than a Christian name or a sailor – a homophone (when speaking) of RAYS (beams)
8d Generous sack filled with rubbish I gather (3-7)
BIG-HEARTED – BED (sack) ‘filled with’ an anagram (rubbish) of I GATHER
9d Cold-blooded killer I call ambitious! (8)
ASPIRING – ASP (cold-blooded killer reptile) I (from the clue) RING (call)
14d Merchandise as yet not shifting (5-5)
STOCK-STILL – STOCK (merchandise) STILL (as yet)
16d Dancing as sign of being home from beach holiday? (8)
TANGOING – TAN GOING (sign of being home from a beach holiday)
18d It, for example, starts to consume everything, say (9)
PRONOUNCE – It is an example of a PRONOUN which should be followed by the ‘starts’ to Consume and Everything
20d One trying to make others happy, suffering relapse (7)
PLEASER – An anagram (suffering) of RELAPSE
21d Following drive, a companion leaves (7)
SPINACH – SPIN (drive) followed by A (from the clue) CH (Companion of Honour)
23d With lead shot, gun finally loaded (5)
LADEN – An anagram (shot) of LEAD followed by N (gun finally)
25d Old German instrument working (5)
SAXON – SAX (instrument) ON (working)
26a Burden lies with you and me? (4)
ONUS – ON US (with you and me)
Thanks for the review, Sue. It’s hard to see what I find so difficult about Dada’s puzzles after reading the review. Maybe it’s like the Ray-T crosswords that just take a lot of getting used to.
Agreed. They are almost like those one way puzzles in cryptography – easy one way, but impossible the other.
Mrs T thinks Dada’s are like jigsaws, more “does this piece fit?” And not “find the piece”.
Mr T
5*/1*……
although I did like 9D (cold-blooded killer I call ambitious!) and 16D (dancing as sign of being home from beach holiday?).