ST 3043

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3043

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This puzzle was published on 16^th February 2020

BD Rating – Difficulty *** – Enjoyment **/***

On the difficult-to-get-going side again – however, if you are fond of a double definition clue, this could be the crossword for you!

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Across

1a    Fruit pulp (6)
SQUASH – Double definition – although the first one is definitely a fruit, the solution to 21a is classified as a vegetable!

5a    Route round town is near? Don’t ask me! (6)
BYPASS – BY (near) PASS (don’t ask me)

10a    Sulphur in proper crystal (5)
PRISM – S (chemical symbol for sulphur) in PRIM (proper)

11a    Vegetable extract on hand (9)
MANGETOUT – GET OUT (extract) on MAN (hand in the sense of worker)

12a    Smaller cut at the front by doctor, one working in theatre (7)
DRESSER – lESSER (smaller ‘cut at the front’) goes after (by) DR (doctor)

13a    Item wrapped up here (7)
PRESENT – Double definition

14a    Note about a balance (9)
REMAINDER – REMINDER (note) goes ‘about’ A (from the clue)

17a    Bit on back of horse — hock, for example? (5)
WHITE – WHIT (bit) goes on the E that is the ‘back’ of horsE – hock being an example of a white wine

18a    Daughter carried by Irishman in old chair (5)
SEDAN – D (daughter) ‘carried by’ SEAN (Irishman)

19a    I approach home properly (2,7)
IN EARNEST – I (from the clue) NEAR (approach) NEST (home)

21a    Waffle, sweetened food (7)
RHUBARB – Another double definition, the first relating to theatrical indistinct background conversation, the second to a type of food that is usually sweetened before you eat it

23a    After refurbishment, a centre put on performance again (2-5)
RE-ENACT – An anagram (after refurbishment) of A CENTRE

25a    Marrying? Dump in future! (9)
COMBINING – BIN (dump) in COMING (future)

26a    Kid drinks last in bottle (5)
TEASE – TEAS (drinks) and the last letter of bottlE

27a    Offending jewellery on sovereign (6)
ERRING – RING (jewellery) goes on or after ER, the regnal cipher of our current Queen

28a    Figure with sore back, delicate (6)
TENDER – TEN (figure) with a reversal (back) of RED (sore)

Down

2d    Pretty? I couldn’t agree more! (5)
QUITE – Another double definition

3d    A door’s opening, calling for entrance (9)
ADMISSION – A (from the clue) D (the ‘opening’ of Door) MISSION (calling)

4d    Run of diamonds for old poet (5)
HOMER – a HOME R (run) is a baseball term for a hit that goes far enough to allow the batter to make a complete circuit of all four bases (a diamond being a baseball field)

5d    Emperor a bit overwhelmed by the hard stuff (9)
BONAPARTE – A PART (a bit) ‘overwhelmed’ by BONE (hard stuff)

6d    Get on someone’s nerves, training the night before (5)
PEEVE – PE (training) EVE (the night before)

7d    Result closer in reorganised game, ultimately (9)
SCORELINE – An anagram (reorganised) of CLOSER IN followed by the ultimate letter of gamE

8d    Rest praised, having ignored a drunk (6)
SPIDER – A rest used in snooker is an anagram (drunk) of PRaISED (ignoring the A)

9d    Girl bagging rubbish for David, say? (6)
STATUE – SUE (girl) ‘bagging’ TAT (rubbish)

15d    Location of two maidens in solstice? (9)
MIDSUMMER – Two M (maidens) can be found in MID SUMMER

16d    Winger coming up with flashy stuff — this skill? (9)
DRIBBLING – A reversal (coming up in a Down clue) of BIRD (winger) followed by BLING (flashy stuff)

17d    Rotten food scoffed by new owner (4-5)
WORM-EATEN – MEAT (food) ‘scoffed’ by an anagram (new) of OWNER

18d    Wood arranged neatly (6)
SPRUCE – Double definition

20d    Rope seen in frigate, the rigging (6)
TETHER – Lurking (seen) in frigaTE THE Rigging

22d    Fighter beginning to back-pedal, one in defence (5)
ALIBI – ALI (the fighter) and the beginning to Back, followed by I (one)

23d    Just politically traditionalistic (5)
RIGHT – Double definition number six!

24d    A portal in marble, for example (5)
AGATE – A (from the clue) GATE (portal)