ST 3154

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3154

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This puzzle was published on 3^rd April 2022

BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***

A nice friendly Sunday cryptic with some great surface readings

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Across

7a    Rubbish retained includes last of festering trash (9)
DENIGRATE – An anagram (trash)of RETAINED including the last letter of festerinG

8a    Partner on the cuddly side, starter pushed away (5)
HUBBY – The starter of CHUBBY (on the cuddly side) is pushed away

10a    Heavy drinker, cleaner (6)
SPONGE – Double definition, the first one an informal term for a drunkard

11a    Singer finding it in first piece of music? (8)
BARITONE – IT (from the clue) in BAR ONE (first piece of music?)

12a    Weakly fearful, respond to stamp on toe, perhaps? (6)
YELLOW – To respond to a stamp on the toe one might YELL OW

14a    Country certainly not welcoming king (6)
NORWAY – NO WAY (certainly not) ‘welcoming’ R (Rex, king)

16a    Charity always losing money, solvent initially (4)
ALMS – The initial letters of Always Losing Money Solvent

17a    Ludicrous
item for training infants (5)
POTTY – Double definition

18a    Followers of doctrine, group embracing leader in cult (4)
SECT – SET (group) ’embracing’ C (the leader of Cult)

19a    Heap provided for mountainous plateau (6)
MASSIF – MASS (heap) IF (provided)

21a    Werewolf‘s big mistake? (6)
HOWLER – A description of a werewolf or an informal term for a big mistake

24a    Pond-life drinking weak bubbly (8)
FROTHING – FROG (pond life) ‘drinking’ THIN (weak)

26a    Cashier, one relating story (6)
TELLER – A cashier in a bank or someone telling a story

27a    Guide in argus, here (5)
USHER – Hidden in argUS HERe

28a    Call gent’s idea stupid (9)
DESIGNATE – An anagram (stupid) of GENTS IDEA

Down

1d    Sad little pony, disheartened (5)
WEEPY – WEE (little) PY (the outside – disheartened – letters of PonY)

2d    Big woman unfortunately teasing small (8)
GIANTESS – An anagram (unfortunately) of TEASING followed by S (small)

3d    Gold mine for author (6)
ORWELL – OR (the heraldic term for gold) WELL (mine)

4d    Soaring nocturnal creatures attack (4)
STAB – A reversal (soaring in a Down solution) of BATS (nocturnal creatures)

5d    Pat
goat? (6)
BUTTER – A small amount of butter or an informal description of a goat

6d    A trip from Chelsea to Bath? Great deal! (9)
ABUNDANCE – A (from the clue) BUN DANCE (trip from Chelsea to Bath – both of which gave their name to a type of bun)

9d    Ending in gob, hot, warming drink (6)
BRANDY – B (the ending in goB) RANDY (hot)

13d    She casts spells, and round cauldrons primarily (5)
WITCH – WITH (and) goes round the primary letter of Cauldrons

15d    Bird, alas: sort forced to carry burdens for a start (9)
ALBATROSS – An anagram (forced0 of ALAS SORT into which is inserted (to carry) B (the letter that starts Burdens)

17d    Advertising blurb in flier (6)
PUFFIN – PUFF (advertising blurb) IN (from the clue)

18d    Expanding trade in which wife invested (8)
SWELLING – SELLING (trade) in which W (wife) is ‘invested’

20d    Model, easy catch! (6)
SITTER – Double definition

22d    Fashionable way gin served? (4,2)
WITH IT – Gin is often served with IT (Italian Vermouth)

23d    Insignificant — like domesticated animal? (5)
PETTY – Like a domesticated pet?

25d    Old
horse (4)
GREY – A sixth and final double definition – an adjective meaning old or a grey coloured horse