Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3236
A full review by crypticsue
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This puzzle was published on 29th October 2023
BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ***
Dada in very friendly mode even allowing for the extra moment it took me to solve 14d. It isn’t until you type the review that you realise that he’s used A (from the clue) five times!
7d certainly resulted in divided opinions on the day – I was one of those who loved it
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Broadcast very lively sport (11)
SHOWJUMPING – SHOW (broadcast) JUMPING (very lively)
9a Extraordinary in alien territory? (3,2,4,5)
OUT OF THIS WORLD – In alien territory perhaps
11a Part of shoe, circle cut at the front (4)
HEEL – wHEEL (circle) ‘cut’ at the front
12a Brilliant sting (5)
SMART – Double definition
13a That chap has got on at this point (4)
HERE – HE (that chap) RE (on the subject of)
16a TV star, yet almost ridiculous caricature (8)
TRAVESTY – An anagram (ridiculous) of TV STAR YEt (almost telling you to omit the final letter)
17a Touching action by nurses with last of patients (6)
CARESS – CARES (nurses) with S (the last letter of patientS)
19a Musician, tinker (6)
FIDDLE – Double definition
20a Jab, rare cure for impresario (8)
PRODUCER – PROD (jab) and an anagram (rare) of CURE
22a Goddess in Greek, I never retreated (4)
NIKE – Hidden in reverse (retreated) in GreEK I Never
23a A win for a second time (5)
AGAIN – A (from the clue) GAIN (win)
24a Trainee attached to a republic (4)
CUBA – CUB (trainee) ‘attached’ to A (from the clue)
27a Venus observed at night in folk tale? (8,6)
SLEEPING BEAUTY – a BEAUTY (Venus) seen at night SLEEPING
28a Gifted student appearing in a flash? (6,5)
BRIGHT SPARK – A person with many good ideas or a description of a flash
Down
2d Pain in the leg as hideous snake winds round me from below (10,4)
HOUSEMAIDS KNEE – An anagram (winds) of HIDEOUS SNAKE goes round a reversal (from below) of ME
3d Which person has come to a stop? (4)
WHOA – WHO (which person) A (from the clue)
4d Best team, until beaten after losing lead in Newcastle (8)
ULTMATE – An anagram (beaten) of TEAM UnTIL without the ‘lead’ in Newcastle
5d Monastery earlier unknown (6)
PRIORY – PRIOR (earlier) Y (mathematical unknown)
6d Fresh information, current affairs, ultimately (4)
NEWS – NEW (current) S (the ultimate letter of affairS)
7d Film mee? (5,9)
BRIEF ENCOUNTER – MEE is a truncated (BRIEF) meet (ENCOUNTER)
8d Hostile butcher arrived, alas (11)
ADVERSARIAL – An anagram (butcher) of ARRIVED ALAS
10d Shot over angle’s defended in exciting climax (5,6)
PHOTO FINISH – PHOT (shot) O (over) FISH (angle), the latter defended IN (from the clue)
14d Flatten a guy (5)
FELLA – FELL (flatten) A (from the clue)
15d Problem initially with a Far Eastern animal (5)
PANDA – P (the initial letter of Problem) AND (with) A (from the clue)
18d Fur a bit messy on tail of unkempt animal (5,3)
FRUIT BAT – An anagram (messy) of FUR A BIT goes on (in a Down solution) the ‘tail’ of unkempT
21d Something warming for Christmas decoration that’s put up, for example on top (6)
EGGNOG – A reversal (that’s put up) of GONG (medal, decoration) with EG (for example) being put on ‘top’
25d Pole cracks up (4)
SPAR – A reversal (up) of RAPS (cracks)
26d Theatrical party (4)
CAMP – Double definition
Thanks CS. Couldn’t parse 7d, so well done. For 10d, I figured photo was the shot and this was over finish. As you say, a benign Dada, but enjoyable.