ST 3001

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3001

A full review by gnomethang

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This puzzle was published on 28^th April 2019

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

Morning All!

Particularly straightforward, mainly because of so many repetitive clue types.

Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.

Across

1a           How to make a hole in finger (5)
DIGIT – How do you make a hole, you DIG IT

4a           Journey embraced by supporter, young man (9)
STRIPLING – TRIP (journey) ‘embraced’ by SLING (supporter)

9a           Wine lover three sheets to the wind, wild beast (9)
WOLVERINE – An anagram (three sheets to the wind) of WINE LOVER

10a        Amount of liquid in pail I trebled (5)
LITRE – Lurking in paiL I TREbled

11a        On the throne, expecting to lose head (7)
REGNANT – Lose the head or first letter from pREGNANT (expecting)

12a        Looking retrospectively, some ignore talent in the future (5,2)
LATER ON – Lurking in reverse (looking retrospectively) in some of igNORE TALent

13a        Tall and spindly: describing bunch of hoodlums arguably? (6)
GANGLY – Arguably a homophone of a word describing a bunch of hoodlums – GANG-LY

15a        Switch choices occasionally (2,3,3)
ON AND OFF – You can choose to have a switch ON AND [or] OFF

18a        Shot at close distance, stray being caught — animal kept as pet? (8)
TERRAPIN – TAP IN (shot at close distance) ERR (stray) being caught or inserted

20a        Skin of ostrich expensive, alas (2,4)
OH DEAR – The outer letters (skin) of OstricH plus DEAR (expensive)

23a        Slight delay at the centre, mailer claims (7)
SLENDER – L (the centre letter of delay) claimed by or inserted into SENDER (mailer)

24a        Artist in front colours in an arc (7)
RAINBOW – RA (artist) IN (from the clue) BOW (front)

26a        Reportedly wreck lift (5)
RAISE – A homophone (reportedly) of RAZE (wreck)

27a        Pulse to feel: gal dizzy (9)
FLAGEOLET – An anagram (dizzy) of TO FEEL GAL

28a        Daisy’s passed on in my brother’s house (9)
MONASTERY – ASTER (daisy) goes after (passed) ON (from the clue), the result then inserted into MY (from the clue)

29a        Agitation involving a part of flight (5)
STAIR – STIR (agitation) ‘involving’ A (from the clue)

Down

1d           Feathers OK, complete (9)
DOWNRIGHT – DOWN (feathers) OK (right)

2d           Prison camp shut up, insiders in full confined (5)
GULAG – GAG (shut up) into which is inserted (confined) the inside letters of fULl

3d           Part of body perhaps painted by girl in work (7)
TOENAIL – ENA (girl) inserted into TOIL (work)

4d           Resolved on this religion (6)
SHINTO – An anagram (resolved) of ON THIS

5d           White dress featuring blurred lines (8)
RIESLING – RIG (dress) ‘featuring’ an anagram (blurred) of LINES

6d           Group of cyclists exercise: large number working (7)
PELOTON – PE (exercise) LOT (large number) ON (working)

7d           Muscle in sport I need, cut off! (9)
INTERPOSE – Cut the final letter of NEEd and then an anagram (off) of SPORT I NEE will provide your solution

8d           Raw facts about religious study (5)
GREEN – GEN (facts) ‘about’ RE (religious study)

14d        European anger, I now suspect (9)
NORWEGIAN – An anagram (suspect) of ANGER I NOW

16d        Two classical elements in whisky (9)
FIREWATER – Two classical elements – FIRE and WATER

17d        Arm frailer when broken: one pinned (3,5)
AIR RIFLE – An anagram (when broken) of FRAILER into which is inserted (pinned) I (one)

19d        Deal with a day shift? (7)
ADDRESS – A (from the clue) D (day) DRESS (shift)

21d        Woman succeeding? (7)
HEIRESS – A cryptic definition

22d        Boring, boring organ stops (6)
DREARY – EAR (organ) ‘stops’ DRY (boring)

23d        Ending on motorways, hundred sheep get lost! (5)
SCRAM – S (the ending on motorwayS) C (Roman numeral for 100) RAM (sheep)

25d        Welsh lake consuming small wood (5)

BALSA – BALA (Welsh lake) ‘consuming’ S (small)