ST 3012

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3012

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 14^th July 2019

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Some nice surface readings in this Dada Sunday offering.   However, I did seem to be doing quite a lot of removing a letter from the end of something. The SW corner took the longest to sort out.

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Across

1a    Not much on the bird table? Stone the crows! (6)
CRUMBS – The solution,  which is as is the definition, an euphemistic interjection of surprise or dismay, is an expression I use a lot in front of the grandchildren.  It could also imply  that there isn’t much left on the bird table

4a    Second small animal in capital city (6)
MOSCOW – MO (second) S (small) COW (animal)

8a    Mixture of it with a rum is sweet (8)
TIRAMISU – A mixture of IT A RUM IS gives us a dessert where rum is one of the ingredients

10a    Couple of shockers, one’s a mistake (6)
BOOBOO – Two lots of BOO (something said to shock)

11a    Weapon confiscated by the peerage (4)
EPEE – Lurking in (confiscated by) thE PEErage

12a    Voracious broadcasting of banalities (10)
INSATIABLE – An anagram (broadcasting) of BANALITIES

13a    Washington writer, capital US composer! (6,6)
IRVING BERLIN – The surname of Washington IRVING the writer followed by BERLIN (capital)

16a    Tough — as a jumbo, perhaps? (5-7)
THICK-SKINNED – An elephant could literally be described as this

20a    Good story about a very old urn, abridged (10)
FAVOURABLE – FABLE (story) ‘about’ A (from the clue) V (very) O (old) and UR (abridged tells us to leave the N off URN)

21a    Unnecessarily criticise swimmer (4)
CARP – Double definition, the swimmer being a fish

22a    Band in detailed rug containing first of roses (6)
TROUPE – De-tail or remove one of the E’s at the end of TOUPEE (rug being a slang term for this) and insert the R that is the first letter of Roses

23a    Stress in rigging of same ship (8)
EMPHASIS – An anagram (rigging) of SAME SHIP

24a    Not much to eat? This is sad to see (6)
WEEPIE – A WEE PIE wouldn’t give you much to eat

25a    Journalist taking part in foxtrot I deliberately knocked over (6)
EDITOR – Rare to see this journalist in full in a solution but he’s found in reverse (knocked over) in foxtROT I DEliberately

Down

1d    Sailing boats, cutters (8)
CLIPPERS – Double definition

2d    Employment centre in busy period (5)
USAGE – The ‘centre’ of bUSy followed by AGE (period)

3d    Very hot grease in house, finally wiped (7)
BOILING – OIL (grease) into BINGo (house being another word for this, especially when played for money) – finally wiped is what tells you to omit the O at the end

5d    Circling piece, test circles! (7)
ORBITAL – ORAL (test) ‘circles’ BIT (piece)

6d    Old man Morgan wrong to gatecrash party (3-6)
CRO-MAGNON – An anagram (wrong) of MORGAN inserted into (gatecrash) CON (Conservative party)

7d    Confused — like sheep? (6)
WOOLLY – Double definition

9d    Appalling — like an impossible tongue-twister? (11)
UNSPEAKABLE – An impossible tongue-twister would be UNSPEAKABLE

14d    Present reduction all over the shop (9)
INTRODUCTION – An anagram (all over the shop) of REDUCTION

15d    Officially consider row more jovial (8)
HEARTIER – HEAR (officially consider) TIER (row)

17d    Nationality in Ireland (and having gone abroad), as I organised (7)
ISRAELI – An anagram (organised) of IREL (‘and’ having gone) AS I

18d    Coverage of joint record in work at bakery (7)
KNEEPAD – EP (record) in KNEAD (work at bakery)

19d    Grave pub altercation (6)
BARROW – BAR (pub) ROW (altercation)

21d    Boat trade (5)
CRAFT- Double definition

B1