The Sunday Crossword No 3341 Sunday 19 Jan 2025

ACROSS

1   Verse collection: Dante’s Inferno at beginning, trying to grapple with evil and ending in Paradiso? (6,7) DIVINE TRILOGY {Da...s}{In...o}{TRYING+EVIL+p...sO}* Semi&lit

8   Slug, source of illumination? (4) LAMP [DD]

9   Dictator books senior businesspeople for help with what to say (5,5) IDIOT BOARD {IDI}{OT}{BOARD}

10 Oats and nuts, never ending: I’ll see … um, on reflection … (6) MUESLI {ILl}{SEe}{UM}<=

11 A laundry refitted in approx. 709 hours (5,3) LUNAR DAY*

12 … diner order – #coffee? (4,5) HASH BROWN {HASH}{BROWN}

14 Purportedly ‘everlasting’ ringlets, manmade primarily! (4) PERM Acrostic &lit

15 On the spur of the moment, a simple card game (4) SNAP [DD]

16 Abstract, see? Yes (9) PRECISELY {PRECIS}{ELY}

20 Baddies at home, inhabiting country houses (8) VILLAINS {VILLA{IN}S}

21 Donkey attacked by bird, noisily, in side (6) ASPECT (~ ass pecked)

23 Regressively spoils lad getting AI initially providing support for musician (5,5) PIANO STOOL {LOOT}{SON}AI}{Pr...g}<=

24 Somewhat nouveau, where Iris is found (4) UVEA [T]

25 The old ready for 3d info stored digitally? (10,3) THREE PENNY BIT {THREE}{PENNY}{BIT}

DOWN

1   Blood count? (7) DRACULA [CD]

2   Victor, denied entrance, opens wide and inhales a cloud of nicotine (5) VAPES {V}{gAPES}

3   More likely to inquire about one that’s less quiet (7) NOISIER {NO{1}SIER}

4   You get at least 66 points playing a quiz here (6-4,5) TRIPLE-WORD SCORE {In Scrabble Q=10, U=1, I=1, Z=10 so {(10+1+1+10)x3}=66} [GK]

5   Yorkshireman’s ultimately mean (6) INTEND {IN T'END}

6   Reconsidered when decapitated, would roses suggest this description? (9) ODOURLESS {wOULD+ROSES}* Semi&lit

7   Flipping Everyman’s installing malfunctioning radar as onboard support (7) YARDARM {MY<=} over {RADAR}*

13 Cape with cruise ship following star (9) HEADLINER {HEAD}{LINER}

15 Way up in the Alps? (3,4) SKI LIFT [CD]

17 Some sketch a plinth displaying cinematic icon (7) CHAPLIN [T]

18 Extremely frilly elastic pants (7) LACIEST*

19 Time to put into circulation paper for those suffering (6) TISSUE {T}{ISSUE} 

22 Lead 16 (5) PLUMB [DD]

Reference List

Books = OT, See = ELY, Penny = D, Victor = V, Time = T