ST 3336 (Full Review)

Sunday Telegraph No 3336

A full review by crypticsue

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This puzzle was published on 28^th September 2025

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

 

Across

1a           Vicissitudes – of a rollercoaster ride? (3,3,5)
UPS AND DOWNS – What a rollercoaster ride is famous for

9a           Various lines with a tag put in binder (10,4)
INSULATING TAPE – An anagram (various) of LINES with A TAG PUT IN

11a         Horse tethered by caballero, a nag (4)
ROAN – Hidden in (tethered by) caballeRO A Nag

12a         Legally binding, almost everything in film (5)
VALID – ALl (almost everything) in VID (film)

13a         Test of reading ancient literature, originally (4)
ORAL – The original letters of Of Reading Ancient Literature

16a         Story one acted out (8)
ANECDOTE – An anagram (out) of ONE ACTED

17a         Note – one’s played (6)
RECORD – Double definition

19a         Storm – is that electrical? (6)
CHARGE – And another.   The first one is a verb

20a         A demonic, warped entertainer (8)
COMEDIAN – An anagram (warped) of A DEMONIC

22a         Tongue rolling over universal medicine briefly (4)
URDU – A reversal (rolling over) of U (universal) and DRUg (medicine ‘briefly’)

23a         Agree with friend on conclusion of project (5)
TALLY – ALLY (friend) goes on or after the ‘conclusion’ of projecT

24a         Lip bitten by worried gentleman (4)
EDGE – Hidden in (bitten by) worriED GEntleman

27a         Unstable nation, something of a split country? (6,8)
BANANA REPUBLIC – The ‘split’ being a reference to the famous dish with ice cream

28a         Spotlight something to spend on the theatre (6,5)
CENTRE STAGE – CENT (something to spend) RE (on the subject of) STAGE (theatre)

Down

2d           Result of flipping ungainly drop? (7,7)
PANCAKE LANDING – The result of flipping a pancake is also used to describe an ungainly drop from the sky

3d           Fever indistinct, brow wiped (4)
AGUE – Wipe the ‘brow’ of vAGUE (indistinct)

4d           Sparkler in a tin made to shake (8)
DIAMANTE – An anagram (to shake) of IN A TIN MADE

5d           Birth at home after transfer set up (6)
ORIGIN – IN (at home) goes after a reversal (set up) of GIRO (bank transfer)

6d           Shaved piece, close (4)
NIGH – The inside letters (shaved) of kNIGHt (chess piece)

7d           Average boy after song enters playing instrument (4,2,8)
FAIR TO MIDDLING – TOM (boy) goes after AIR (song) enters FIDDLING (playing instrument)

8d           Bend clearly awkward for manipulator of abs (5,6)
BELLY DANCER – An anagram (awkward) of BEND CLEARLY

10d         Money I say remains on the table? (11)
BREADCRUMBS – BREAD (money) CRUMS (I say!)

14d         Odd letters only, and man goes for proverb (5)
ADAGE – The odd letters of AnD mAn GoEs

15d         Five entertained by dance party (5)
REVEL – V (Roman numeral for five) ‘entertained’ by REEL (dance)

18d         Escallop cooked in crumble (8)
COLLAPSE – An anagram (cooked) of ESCALLOP

21d         Bird surviving wife, both with wings clipped (6)
PARROT – Katherine PARR (the only one of Henry VIII’s wives to survive him) and bOTh with its ‘wings clipped’

25d         Joint leader in kart, even after taking a spin (4)
KNEE – The ‘leader’ in Kart and a reversal (after taking a spin) of EEN (even)

26d         Article though for neighbour (4)
ABUT – A (indefinite article) BUT (though)