Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30443 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)
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A horrid dark and wet Saturday morning – a perfect day for staying in and solving crosswords, although hopefully things will improve this afternoon when my friend and I have to deliver the parish magazine
Before deciding where to place your bet on the name of today’s setter, you might wish to note that last Saturday, Cephas said that, as he’d set the four previous crosswords, today’s SPP probably wouldn’t be one of ‘his’, although as he also said, probably didn’t mean that it wouldn’t be set by him!
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, an assortment of clues, including some of the more difficult ones, have been selected and hints provided for them.
Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also”. Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions.
Some hints follow.
Across
1a Greek character is out to avenge, first of all (4)
The first letters of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth words of the clue
3a All the runners in line (5)
All the competitors in an event or a special area of knowledge
9a Sort of stew and batter to conclude the order? (6)
A type of stew or an inferior cricketer who would be left to the end of the batting order
10a Disregarding dangers in bay around Kuala Lumpur? (8)
A bay or alcove goes around the abbreviation for Kuala Lumpur
21a Yearly projection from Fremantle retailers (6)
Hidden in the last two words of the clue is something deer grow and then discard annually (yearly)
22a Area in vibrant venue in Bristol needing many workers? (6-9)
The abbreviation for Area inserted into an anagram (vibrant) of VENUE IN BRISTOL
25a Ecstasy in club for pound (4)
The abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy inserted into a club
Down
1d Grass playing well before being cut (9)
A two-word expression meaning playing well and a synonym for before without its last letter (being cut)
4d Back where witch lived? She eschews hotel (7)
The place where a Biblical witch lived and ShE (from the clue) without (eschews) the letter represented by Hotel in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
6d Harvester parked on road? People won’t take this well (4,5)
An implement used to harvest crops (harvester) ‘parked’ on(in a Down solution) an abbreviated road
13d Heavy metal god not entirely covered with hair (9)
Almost all (not entirely) of the Hindu elephant-headed god of wisdom and success ‘covered’ by a large bushy head of hair
16d She’s writer looking run down (7)
The surname of a writer of adventure fiction set in exotic places, including She, can also be an adjective meaning looking run down
17d Shy target one among lovely bunch? (7)
The target of a fairground throwing game, the second part of the clue being a reference to a novelty song of the 1940’s
20d Wartime boffin abandons grand Italian location (5)
The name of a famous WW2 boffin without the abbreviation for Grand
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The Quick Crossword pun: CHILLY + SOURCE = CHILLI SAUCE
Good fun this, with just a couple of pesky four letter answers to hold me up and prevent it from being a fairly rapid solve. Unusually, I really liked the anagram at 22a, but my favourite was 8a.
My thanks to our Saturday setter and CS.
Completed this puzzle and checked my answers by submitting it but not one of my favourites. Had too many question marks some of which were clarified by the hinter. Also not a fan of partial words even when fairly indicated by “not entirely”, “eschews” and “endless”.
On a positive note, there were many good clues such as 6d, 12d and 20d.
We are preparing for more gales tomorrow but today’s football is still on 🙂
Thanks to the setter and crypticsue.
1.5*/3.5*. This puzzle provided a light and fun start to the weekend with the rain clouds gathering.
However hard I try, the required meaning of “batter” in 9a just seems so incongruous to me.
8a was my favourite with a special mention for 22a.
Many thanks to the setter and to CS.
I’m with you all the way regarding 9a, RD.
What’s wrong with batswoman?
Funnily enough, I didn’t get the second half of the aforementioned.
A good pleasant stroll etc. Nicely constructed clues with a couple of blind alleys. 3a foxed me for a good while. An excellent clue. The biblical witch was new to me too.
Good stuff.
My podium is 3a, 13d (a great image) and 6d.
Many thanks to the setter and CS.
TDS65, 9a . I can’t fathom out what your, and RD’s, objection is? CS has clearly indicated that this is a DD clue (so I’m not revealing anything untoward in a Prize puzzle) and each definition is a perfectly reasonable description of the answer. The “batter” is germane in the second definiton and gives the whole surface an integral “food” theme, enhancing its misdirection.
We hate the 21st century term for a male cricketer.
It’s nothing to do with crosswords. The original one, along with batswoman, works for me.
I’m guessing that the third syllable of batswoman made it too much of a mouthful.
It’s rubbish.
Hear! Hear!
Can’t say the subject keeps me awake at night, but I’ve played with female cricketers who insisted on being called batsmen because that’s what the word is. Rather like Chairman. Batter is something we do to Aussies
👏👏👏
AB. Notwithstanding the gender element in cricket, in Crosswordland a batter can simply mean “someone [of either sex] who bats”. Setters use such devices fairly often.
In this sense batter (n) is a gender-neutral term (it is listed in the BRB), so there’s no problem. I suspect the setter used batter because it is also a foodstuff and gives the whole surface an integral “food” theme to introduce some misdirection.
Oh yes, I don’t disagree. Cryptically it works absolutely fine and I love a bit of misdirection (food and cricket, what’s not to like). I think you’ve just found something that really gets Tom’s goat 🤣
To quote the legend that is Droopy…..it makes me mad 😖
Talking of (redacted)
I forgot to give my scores on the doors.
2*/4*
Very enjoyable. A good bit tougher than usual for an SPP for me with one or two clues proving a bit of a parsing head scratch. Am more used to 9a referencing an inferior golfer so that one was last in. 4d was a bung in never having heard of the witch of *****. Fav was 6d which I thought a rather apt surface given the fare they dish up. Ticks also for 8&10a + 12,13&18d.
Thanks to the setter (my 5 bob staying in the pocket) & to CS.
I found this guzzle really difficult to get into. Once I got a start and some checkers went in, things moved faster but I stiill can’t understand some of the parsing. I was quite a difficult crossword, particularly by comparison with otherr SPPs. Definitely not Cephas. The 12d lego clue was good as was the cryptic definition/lego at 6d but the 18d homophone was my COTD. Thanks to CS for the hints (we have had blue skies and sunshine after overnight rain here). Thanks to the compiler, it was definitely a challenge.
I agree with you entirely
13d – I am assuming that the god (not entirely) is missing 2 letters, and not just 1 letter (which seems more common in this type of clue construct) ?
Thanks to the setter for the enjoyable puzzle, and to CS.
Variant spellings – both 6 & 7 letters I think.
Only the one
Thank you both.
Is it just me? Probably is but I found today’s guzzle a little on the tough side. I got there in the end but it took a lot of work from what is left of my brain. Still, it is a prize puzzle so I’m not moaning. Anyway, once I got going it was as enjoyable as the proverbial egg. I liked the harvester on the road and the naval officer who had something at 12d. However, my COTD is the shy bunch because I was led up the garden path for ages by it.
My thanks to the setter for the slightly harder than usual, for me (“and I stress etc”) puzzle. Thank you CS for the hints. The weather in The Marches is the same as yours.
Sent it off for The Mythical. 😳😳
🤞🤞🤞
I found it more than a little on the tough side…🙁
ABSOLUTELY DITTO, NOT THE USUAL SATURDAY FUN, BUT OF COURSE THERE ARE THE USUAL CLEVER CLOGS!
Just right for Saturday morning. Favourite 18d.
Thanks to compiler!
I am with Steve Cowling; definitely somewhat tough although, as usual, on completion difficult to explain why. Not enough T in my T&G perhaps. 3.5*/3*
Candidates for favourite – 8a, 17a, and 12d – and the winner is 12d.
Thanks to whomsoever and CS.
I didn’t kill too many brain cells last night at John Elgar Hendersons’ birthday bash as I only had a problem with 9a, I had a gender-fluid abbreviated batsman in an order similar to the Water Buff(alo)s until CS reminded me of the crickety reference
I have just arrived at phase 2 of the S&B so anticipate even more of a headache tomorrow
Brilliant. I found this very challenging but rewarding. Much head scratching at 6d (and several others) before the light dawned. Thanks to CS for explaining the second part of 9a. 18d and 25a were the last in.
Very tough today as is often the case on a Saturday. 4d would have made more sense if the clue referred [redacted – alternative hint) rather than some obscure witch and I’m afraid that Hindu gods are not something that most people would know.
All in all a poor puzzle, even when completed most of the clues were clumsy.
Not my fav I’m afraid.
****/*
Thx for the much needed hints
Agree
I had the same problems, not my cup of tea.
And me I’m afraid
Only started cryptics two years ago and am now hooked. But in the 2 years, this is one of my absolute favourites for the variety of clues. Delighted to have got this without any help and only here for your comments. Don’t know where I’d heard the witch reference before but I remembered it. Fabulous anagram 22A and some great cryptic references in 8A and 17D. 12D and 13D very clever also but my winner was 6D. What a great start to a Saturday!
Welcome to the blog
Once the cruciverbalists get you, we never let you go!
“One of us, one of us”…
Welcome, Will. 👍
Thanks to you all. I’m as obsessed as you are.
Definitely a long breakfast on my scale of difficulty! And need VS for a couple of parsings. Failed to see the line in 3a and [redacted]. (And batter should be banned outside cookery). On the plus side liked 4d, [redacted] Also 12d and 17a. Inseparable, so sharing the podium!
Many thanks to the setter and especially to Crypticsue.
Apolo[redacted]gies.:-(
Mostly enjoyable. 6d and 22a my favs.
Did about half and gave it up as a bad job, just far too hard today. Did like 8a though, as it reminded me of a happy time when I had a driving job when I had a driving job in the early ’80s .
Solid fun that was plain sailing until, at the death, it wasn’t. Can I really be the only one who absolutely hated 5d? Thanks to Anon, and CS, of course.
I still haven’t solved 5d!
I’m glad I’m not alone! If you’ve got all the checkers there’s only thing it can be. But in a sea of great clues, it stood out like a sore thumb, I thought. What does the surface even mean?!
It’s an architectural order. Verb for to carry out plus adjective meaning creamy with final letter missing.
I’m pretty sure ALP understood both the wordplay & definition. Rather it was the somewhat nonsensical surface that was the issue & I’m inclined to agree it wasn’t the strongest clue.
Spot on, Huntsman! Absolutely.
Thanks. Got it! Worst clue I have seen for a long tine.
Struggling for the word play on 12 down … but the “penny” has just dropped!
About right for a prize puzzle. 6d was my favourite, 9a a bung in.
Thanks to CS and today’s setter.
Not very good at playing “guess the setter” but today felt a little Chalicea-ish. Drinks on me if I’m wrong, as long as everybody likes tap water 😅
Seriously doubt this is Chalicea, she is never this unkind.
As I said I’m no good at this game 😅 Unlike many solvers I struggle with hers so have been trying harder. The sporting references mean you are probably right!
I have just printed this off. I’m filled with trepidation as I often find Saturday’s cryptics pretty tough… I hope there might be plenty of penny dropping moments!
Its raining hard here too at the moment… Bit of a miserable day.
Once I started this I enjoyed it very much and it wasn’t too tough after all. I had many smiles along the way.
My paper is covered in ticks, including 4d (I knew of this witch), 12d, 13d, 16d, 20d and 8a, 10a, 21a … I could go on…
Much appreciation NYDK for this excellent crossword.
I am most grateful to CrypticSue for the hint which explains my answer to 9a. My thanks too to discussion on the blog regarding this. Alas! I needed the hint for 22a. Oh dear!!
Spiffing guzzle. Of course 7 and 10d appeal to my sense of humour but the brilliant 6d and 22a have to draw in top place. And I am sorry, CSue, but we have really warm sunshine and are having lunch with the conservatory door open. It cannot last. Many thanks to the fiendishly clever setter and to CS.
We’ve had about an hour and a half of sunshine perfect for parish magazine delivery. The sky has now gone very black again so we got back in time to avoid what looks like a lot of heavy rain on its way
I wonder if the torrential rain, which only eased an hour ago here in South Devon, is heading your way? If so, take cover!
Excellent puzzle, as I surface this morning following a long period of sustained work. Suffice it to say that when the world wobbles, my phone rings about twice as much as usual. So plenty of coffee, and plenty of chuckles along the way with this lovely offering. 22 can have today’s laurels.
Batter I’m okay with, as we move away from gender-specific nomenclature. It’s also a great opportunity for food jokes, as demo’d here.
Tricky little number today but have finally finished. Have never heard that expression for a batter though. Had a village working party this morning to tidy up one of the lokes so now I have no nails. Am hopeless at guess the setter but thanks to him/her and to CS.
I thought this Saturday puzzle a little more difficult than most these past few Saturdays. When all is said and done, not sure why. One word I did not know in the upper half, but other than that nothing offbeat.
This could be a Cephas offering, but not 100% sure, but nevertheless l will dig out two half-crowns out of my pocket and throw my five bob onto the pile.
3*/3.5* for me.
Favourites include 8a, 15a, 21a, 2d, 6d & 17d — with winner 6d
Smiles elicited from 21a, 2d, 6d & 17d
Thanks to Cephas, I hope, & CS for hints/blog
Haven’t commented recently as I’ve not been able to get to the weekday puzzle until very late, by which time everyone will have disappeared! So here’s a blanket thank you to all the setters and bloggers, without whom I’d be lost.
Thoroughly enjoyed today’s puzzle (not least because I did it with my brain still awake). At first I thought it would be impossible, but I persevered and loved all the clever clues and misdirections. Close to a DNF as I’d convinced myself that ragout could be made to fit 9a, but removing that (and some googling – cricket is not my thing) I finally completed.
Thanks to setter and Crypticsue.
I am with you pah for first thought on the dodgy 9a and in fact that solution would have been more specific for stew.
I have not yet finished as for the second day in a row I am struggling to get momentum. I have done the majority but I am struggling to parse some. As is often the case I am hoping that the mere visit to the blog will inspire me. I will return later to use the hints if I cannot restart. I am pleased to see others have said this is trickier than some.
Many thanks to the setter and to CS whose hints a I am sure I will need later.
Good grief – that was tricky! I have ‘sort of’ finished, if you count that I can’t explain all my answers.
!
Doesn’t feel like Cephas or Chalicea – don’t we occasionally get another Saturday setter? I’ll go for him!!
This has taken me a long time, not that it matters.
It also took me ages trying to work out what the people in CS’s pic were picking
I particularly liked 13 and 17a and 16 and 17d. My favourite was 6 (or possibly 17d).
Thanks to whoever set today’s crossword and to CS for her hints and pics.
I think the setter made a mistake!
Its the clocks that go back and not the days, so this is Saturday not Friday. Or is it me who just struggled?
Good shout 👏👏
Enjoyed this crossword but find the comments about it being harder than previous Saturdays the opposite to what I found. 22a, 4d and 18d my favourites today. End of the half term invasion by daughters and grandchildren over tonight so we will need a few days’ rest before going down to London for the birthday party the third daughter’s youngest daughter next Thursday.
Many thanks to CS and today’s setter for their work in making the Saturday puzzle good fun.
Isn’t there a second quickie pun – Must get a rest. Found the cryptic to be a little harder than typical SPP
Not too difficult for a very wet Saturday afternoon. COTD has to be 8a
A few tricky ones, but got there in the end! Thanks to all for the puzzle, the hints and the comments.
Not on the wavelength at all today. I am finding this much harder than yesterday. I have about half solved and may revisit later.
Thanks to all.
I was trying to make the stew ‘xxxxxx’ and ‘xxxx’ for ‘fit’ in the crossing clue.
Until the penny dropped.
(Please take note of the instructions in red at the bottom of the hints)
So was I!
. . . with ‘xxx’ for ‘fit’ in the crossing clue.
Sorry! I thought a wrong answer would be okay.
Yes. I have never had the correct kind!
Decidedly tricky for a Saturday, very disappointing. I did solve enough to get checkers so a lot of bung ins and ?? along the way. I don’t like the use of just using first letters for an abbreviation at 10a, that could also be an airline. Oh! That kind of “yarn” at 11a. We welcome back the writer and book at 16d, “long time no see”. It’s not all complaints, there was some good stuff, the long ones amused and were first in, but I think fave is 7d.
Thank you setter, may we have something not quite so brain mangling next time. I needed your hints and explanations to understand a lot of this, CS, so many thanks for that.
A good start but took a good while to complete after coming back to it several times. Couldn’t see how the obvious solution to 14d was reached? Challenging and pleased to finish it.
The key thing was easing of international tension as xxxxxxx. I’m a French translator so this clearly helped.
A tough one for me. Last one in 5d. Liked 17d best.
Thanks to the setter and to crypticsue.
Pouring rain here most of the day. Flood alerts but thankfully not flood warnings now.
Tough for a SPP
But got there
Eventually
Too long over 3d.
Very worthwhile challenge.
Thanks setter and CS.
Very tough puzzle, but got there in the end. Many thanks to the setter and CS.
Is that a quickie type cryptic across the top three answers?
It was the Doorknob.
Thanks Sue and all who commented.
Cheers
NYDK
Thoroughly enjoyed this one, Bonny O’Dork 😉
On the wavelength from the off. Have a great weekend and thanks for the challenge 🍻
Nice one, thanks for dropping by!
Had a feeling it wasn’t one by any of the usual SPP gang. Great puzzle & thanks to popping in.
Eventually managed to fathom threequarters but SE hung fire and I needed some nudges to completely parse some plus my GK didn’t run to 13d god and I would quibble over one or two synonyms such as 5d creamy and 18d despondency. 14d has to be but whence cometh the last four letters of it. Fav 7d for its surface. Thank you yet again to Mysteron and CS.
14D is a French word minus the last letter with xxx in the middle.
Merci Will, maintenant je peux fairel l’analyse de l’indice!
Je t’en prie.
Very enjoyable crossword which I found easier than Friday’s cryptic. After a quick glance last night online, I thought that it would be tough, but once printed this evening I found the answers fell into place quite quickly. Favourite was 12d, especially as I like sea faring references.
Like others, I dislike the use of the word batter/s rather than the gender specific terms – perhaps I’m an old fuddy-duddy.
Thanks to NYDK for setting and crypticsue for hinting.
****/*. Simply 22a.
I still can’t figure 23A and 5D was a guess…
Welcome to the blog
23a the definition is bite – ‘finally’ is an instruction to look at the end letters of the rest of the words in the clue
Any chance of a nudge with 5D please???!!
See comment thread 17
Ah, missed that – thanks!
Good Morning, c.15 years lurking and for the first time I’m asking for help. 24a. I know what it should be but I must have one of the checkers wrong. I can’t parse what fits now so would some kind soul give me a steer please?
Thank you.
Welcome to the blog – now you’ve de-lurked I hope you won’t leave it so long to make another comment
24a is a component of explosives -a reversal (returned) of a slang term for money followed by the ‘usual’ on (the subject of)
Thank you. I’ve learned a “new” slang word for money.
Found this hard but got there in the end. So like Senf, difficult to explain why.
Favorite 8a.
Can anyone explain 23a? We think it’s xxxx but why on Earth as only two other words xxxx and xxxx would fit!!!
Welcome to the blog
Have a look at comment thread 46 where I give a very strong hint for 23a
Also please take note of the instructions in red at the bottom of the post about not including right or wrong answers in comments on Prize Puzzles
4*/4* ….
liked 12D “Naval officer has something to go on, gathering men (9)” ..
once the penny dropped, as mentioned by Big Eck in comment 18.