Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3075
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 27th September 2020
BD Rating – Difficulty ***/**** – Enjoyment ***
I found parts of this crossword trickier than recent Sundays – the one thing about Dada, though, is that however tricky he makes his clues, they are amongst the easiest for a blogger to explain
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
8a Flag-waver bringing gentle touch to disturbance (7)
PATRIOT – PAT (gentle touch) RIOT (disturbance)
10a An order given to cricket side, etc (3,2,2)
AND SO ON – AN (from the clue) DSO (Distinguished Service Order) ON (cricket side)
11a Cold, with suit removed? (9)
HEARTLESS – Without the card suit HEARTS
12a Channel in Asia is Lebanese (5)
AISLE – Found in AsiA IS LEbanese
13a Herb listening to the enemy, supposedly? (5)
THYME – A homophone (listening) of TIME (the enemy supposedly)
14a Call from player, far from seat (2-5)
NO-TRUMP – NOT (far from) RUMP (seat)
17a Training academy swimmers on the last length? (9,6)
FINISHING SCHOOL – FINISHING (on the last length) SCHOOL (of fish, swimmers)
19a Language observed within fringes of shocking party (7)
SHINDIG – HINDI (language) seen within the ‘fringes’ of ShockinG
21a Admire ends of huge box sent to hotel (5)
EXTOL – The ‘ends’ of hugE boX senT tO hoteL
24a Reported error in puzzle (5)
FLOOR – A reversal of the homophone that perplexed so many a couple of Saturdays ago. Here FLAW (error) sounds like FLOOR (puzzle)
26a Rubbish: flower needing lift (9)
POPPYCOCK – POPPY (flower) needing COCK (lift)
27a Serious actor, one in musical (7)
OLIVIER – I (one) in OLIVER (musical)
28a Before moving prison, daughter pays a visit (5,2)
DROPS IN – D (daughter) goes before an anagram (moving) of PRISON
Down
1d Heightened opportunity for result (6)
UPSHOT – UP (heightened) SHOT (opportunity)
2d Exclamation noted, say, when misbehaving (6,2)
STEADY ON – An anagram (when misbehaving) of NOTED SAY
3d Anxious getting bald? (10)
DISTRESSED – DIS TRESSED (getting bald)
4d Contact admitting crime in cleric’s residence (9)
PARSONAGE – PAGE (contact) ‘admitting’ ARSON (crime)
5d Plan to extract odd bits from middle ear (4)
IDEA – The odd letters of mIdDlE eAr
6d Island not entirely perfect and not entirely close (6)
HONSHU – Not entirely HONe (perfect) and not entirely SHUt (close)
7d Form of protein and mineral ultimately joined forces (8)
INTERPOL – An anagram (form) of PROTEIN followed by the ‘ultimate’ letter of mineraL
9d Outspoken unpleasant type, kicked (4)
TOED – A homophone (outspoken) of TOAD (unpleasant type)
15d Complicated to obey following second fine (7-3)
TICKETY-BOO – An anagram (complicated) of TO OBEY following TICK (second)
16d Painful orbiting in space for country (9)
SINGAPORE – SORE (painful) ‘orbiting’ IN (from the clue) GAP (space)
17d Burgers, not snails? (4,4)
FAST FOOD – A clue to make you smile!
18d Shed you once installed in river (8)
OUTHOUSE – THOU (you once) ‘installed’ in OUSE (river)
20d Dry, like metal? (6)
IRONIC – Like the metal iron? – lots of comments from people disliking this clue on the day of publication – I’ve seen this device several times before so no complaints from me
22d Soft spot man found under belly of feline (6)
LIKING – KING (chess man) found under the middle letters (belly) of feLIne
23d Vegetable, small and sweet (4)
SPUD – S (small) PUD (pudding, sweet)
25d Fulminate in bar (4)
RAIL – Double definition