ST 3182 (full review)

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3182

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 16^th October 2022

BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Definitely a day to ‘start with the Downs’ but once I got going, this Sunday Prize Puzzle didn’t take that long to solve

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Across

1a    Do — or do without hot food? (3,3,7)
CUT THE MUSTARD – An informal expression meaning to make the grade (do) sounds like someone asking for a hot condiment to be removed from their food

9a    An unreal plaything with no strings attached? (3,6)
AIR GUITAR – A cryptic definition of an imaginary guitar

10a    Appropriate cook (5)
POACH – Double definition – a verb meaning to steal (appropriate) or a cooking method

11a    Flipped over say, darkish bug (5)
MIDGE – A reversal (flipped over) of EG (say) DIM (darkish)

12a    Four points indicated by needle, stitched together (4)
SEWN – Four points indicated by a compass needle

13a    Wet dress and muddy pants, first of all (4)
DAMP – The first letters of Dress And Muddy Pants

15a    Film enemy stealing wild goat (7)
FOOTAGE – FOE (enemy) ‘stealing’ an anagram (wild) of GOAT

17a    Word in poem is surprisingly about right (7)
PROMISE – An anagram (surprisingly) of POEM IS ‘about’ the abbreviation for Right

18a    Ex-Wimbledon champ on team (7)
EVERTON – EVERT (Chris the former champion of Wimbledon) ON (from the clue)

20a    Disembowelled — like a chicken? (7)
GUTLESS – Literally disembowelled or scared (like a chicken)

21a    Place it inside sausage’s skin (4)
SITE – IT (from the clue) goes inside the outside letters (skin) of SausagE

22a    Roman goddess requiring month off, originally (4)
JUNO – JUN (month of June) and the original letter of Off

23a    Square in La Paz rebuilt (5)
PLAZA – An anagram (rebuilt) of LA PAZ

26a    Leap over underground chamber (5)
VAULT – Double definition

27a    Athletes winning in second team? (7-2)
RUNNERS-UP – RUNNERS (athletes) UP (winning)

28a    A stepladder designed to get me on board boat (6,7)
PADDLE STEAMER – An anagram (designed) of A STEPLADDER into which is inserted (on board) ME (from the clue)

Down

1d    Political campaign in March, terribly nasty (5,9)
CHARM OFFENSIVE – An anagram (terribly) of MARCH followed by OFFENSIVE (nasty)

2d    Tin not closed, colour wasted (5)
TIRED – The first two (not closed) letters of Tin followed by RED (colour)

3d    Gathering in? (5,5)
HOUSE PARTY – A cryptic definition of a type of gathering

4d    Not entirely uplifting process, it amuses artist (7)
MATISSE – Hidden in reverse (uplifting) in part (not entirely) of procESS IT AMuses

5d    Secure wreck (5,2)
SCREW UP – Double definition

6d    Range observed in clinical psychology (4)
ALPS – Observed in clinicAL PSychology

7d    Exaggerate, performing mad satire (9)
DRAMATISE – An anagram (performing) of MAD SATIRE

8d    Mischievous child, one using cane on swimmer? (14)
WHIPPERSNAPPER – WHIPPER (one using cane) SNAPPER (type of fish, swimmer)

14d    Opening part, representative (10)
MOUTHPIECE – MOUTH (opening) PIECE (part)

16d    Evident getting behind, win at cards (9)
OVERTRUMP – OVERT (evident) RUMP (behind)

19d    Unremarkable Renault taken for a spin (7)
NEUTRAL – An anagram (taken for a spin) of RENAULT

20d    Reason for dregs in coffee pot? (7)
GROUNDS – Double definition

24d    Tea service available, initially wheeled round (5)
ASSAM – A reversal (wheeled around) of MASS (service) and A (the initial letter of available)

25d    Macho man leaving academic research unfinished (4)
STUD – An unfinished STUDy (academic research)