Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3214 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
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A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where we are warming up with temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s but with strong winds with gusts between 40 and 50 km/hr.
For me, etc, Dada not so ‘friendly’ again this week – although he gives a generous seven anagrams (one partial), three lurkers, and no homophones, and some knowledge of German or 1980s British TV comedy-dramas required, all in a slightly asymmetric 30 clues; with 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues.
Candidates for favourite – 12a, 25a, 28a, 8d, and 21d.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.
Don’t forget to follow BD’s instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints!
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 Fruit on top surrounds something on dinner table (6)
A three letter term (apparently) equivalent to on top contains (surrounds) something on a dinner table (that a plate is placed on?).
10a Shovel down, finish (6,3)
A double definition – the first might relate to eating hurriedly.
12a Queen embraced by King Edward, say, lying back in hideaway (7)
The regnal cypher of perhaps one of two queens contained (embraced) by an informal synonym of what King Edward may be a type of (say) all reversed (lying back).
18a Save after pass that goes over goalkeeper’s head (8)
A synonym of save (as in except) placed after a type of pass in the round ball game.
20a Silent movie’s second animated film (5)
A synonym of silent (as in without the power of speech) and the second letter of mOvie.
23a Server in trouble gutted, nurse has claimed (7)
TroublE with the interior letters removed (gutted) contained (has claimed) by a nounal synonym of nurse.
28a Partial coincidence of two girls found somewhere in north-western Europe (8)
One for Rabbit Dave – guess two girls’ names and overlap them (partial coincidence) for a region of a country in NW Europe (one of the girl’s names is also the title of an opera that is an oldie but goodie).
29a Jittery, abandoned gelding’s caught (2,4)
A lurker (caught) found in two words in the clue.
Down
1d Better money for chief execs, say (3,5)
A three letter verbal synonym of better and an informal synonym of money.
6d A discredited name arising, southern French writer (5)
A from the clue and a three letter term for a discredited name (his or her name is . . . ) all reversed followed by the single letter for Southern.
8d Fool with first of dynamics in tune (6)
The first letter of Dynamics followed by a (2,3) term equivalent to in tune.
9d County rebel oddly given under a month to reform (14)
An anagram (to reform) of the odd letters of ReBeL and (given) UNDER A MONTH.
21d Arm waving, one entering sea — fabulous swimmer? (7)
An anagram (waving, well move one letter) of ARM and the Roman numeral for one all inserted into the abbreviated name of the ninth largest sea (according to Wikipedia).
22d West London area taking one on board — director’s call? (6)
An area of West London (within the London Borough of Ealing) containing (taking . . . on board) the Roman numeral for one (Oops – repetition in successive clues!).
24d Show up carrying drink, initially — wine (5)
A three letter synonym of show (on TV?) reversed (up) containing (carrying) a two letter abbreviated (initially) form of a drink (with or without bits).
Quick Crossword Pun:
PEAT + SIR + REAR = PIZZERIA
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To honour the passing of the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, from the 24/7 World Tour concert at the ‘original’ Wembley Stadium in July 2000 – it must have been one the last pre-demolition events – We Don’t Need Another Hero from the soundtrack of the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome which Ms Turner also starred in:
I found Dada fairly friendly. Thanks to him and Send
If you have time today our Coot has his debut nationally published crossword in today’s Independent
Not done the crossword yet but thank you Dave et al once again for my birthday bannner … love it👍🏻🥰
Happy birthday Mary
Many happy returns, Mary. Hope you have a lovely birthday.
Have a very, very happy birthday Mary. You’ve disappeared on us again. How’s the pooch doing? Part beagle if I remember correctly.
Very enjoyable. Mostly straightforward but with a little sting in the tail and a couple where the setter needs a little artistic licence.
28a is clever but my podium is 12(lol the King Edward synonym) &18a plus 24d.
Many thanks to Dada and Senf.
Good fun as usual from this setter – thanks to Dada and Senf.
I thought that 10a was a bit “same-both-sidey”.
For my podium I’ve selected 4a, 12a and 18a.
Penblwydd hapus to Mary.
I thought this was going to be quite tricky but it went in fairly smoothly till I was just left with 8d and 24d. When they both ‘clicked’ I thought they were brilliant. Thanks to all – now back to scrubbing the grout on the kitchen floor with The Pink Stuff which is proving excellent but can only manage about one square yard at a time!
On Bank Holiday Sunday? Sounds about as exciting as my day!
One of the ones I did solve was 24d, what does that say about my thought processes?
Another refugee Toughie for me, which I finished with the assistance of guesswork and my crystal ball. I liked 5d, 9d, 19d and COTD by a long mile, the superb 26a. Thanks to Senf for the hints, which helped with 6 and 8d and to Dada for the mental equivalent of a ‘Spin’ session in the gym.
This was good fun but I found it trickier than usual for a Sunday puzzle, particularly in the NW corner.
My top three clues were 12a, 14a & 18a.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf, and a very
Happy Birthday to Mary.
There is an indicated Americanism in today’s Toughie. I am sure that many will find accessible.
Surely 1A three letter term is equivalent to also.
I think it is – my draft review says ‘in addition to’
All done but several put in whilst still head scratching and luckily all fitting in with those around. 28 across lol!
Thanks to Dada for a puzzle that satisfied.
Thought this was going to be one of Dadas really tricky ones but it came together nicely. Some brilliant clues in 2d, 20a and 28a but my fav was 5d.
Dada is one of those setters who I really admire, he/she always has such thoughtful and clever puzzles even when they are too fiendish for me.
Thx to all
***/*****
For me, and I stress for me ⟨™⟩ Senf – this was a guzzle of four quarters. Three of which were reasonably straightforward but I became lost for a while in the fog around Cumbria. This was due to me pondering, for far too long, the parsing of 1a as I couldn’t grasp the ‘on top’ bit.
It was good to learn the update about Robert. I do hope he is improving. Such a lovely man.
Shortly we depart, for the final time this season, to Stamford Bridge. It will be little more than a wake, a service of remembrance, for a football season gone completely awry. All the hopes and expectations of last August dashed in a season that just collapsed into ever greater chaos and despair as the months wore on.
And yet… and yet… Come on Chelsea!
Thanks to Dada and The Man From Manitoba.
Barring a miracle against Spurs, my own Leeds seem doomed. No more than they deserve though for a pretty dire season.
I wish Leeds and Chelsea well today. It could always be worse though; my team Saints, sunk without trace long ago!
Still look at Luton’s promotion for a super story, well done to the Hatters 👍
As a Sky Blues fan the penalty miss was a bitter pill to swallow & I’ve spent the day teeing off Luton fans which hasn’t exactly helped me get over it
Unfortunate that such an important game had to be decided that way but unfortunately, as the saying goes, that kick was high, wide, and handsome.
The League Two playoff has just ended in the same way with Carlisle beating Stockport in the shoot-out (or should it be cr*p shoot) but, at least, one of the Stockport kicks was saved by the ‘keeper.
I wonder what will happen in the League One playoff tomorrow.
Excellent Sunday fare if a bit on the tough side for me. Still, I got there and the trip was most satisfactory with ticks all over the page. I thought the surface in 12a was great and the anagram indicator at xxx w a new one for me. The lurker at xxx was well hidden but my COTD is the very short and sweet 5d.
Many thanks, Dada for the fun challenge Thank you, Senf for the hints. Here in The Marches the temperature is about 10 degrees lower than yours. No wind though so it is very pleasant.
Having the growth on my cheek looked at this afternoon.
Happy Birthday, Mary! Have a wonderful day.
Good luck for the appointment 🤞
Good luck, fingers crossed!
Good luck from me too – I’m sure we’ll all be sitting with our fingers crossed this afternoon.
Hope things went well for you this afternoon Steve. Good that you were able to get an appointment over a Bank Holiday weekend.
Thank you all for your kind thoughts. The consultant is sure the growth is innocent but he’s performing a biopsy in two weeks just to be sure.
Huge relief in the Cowling household.
Thank goodness!
Thought our setter pushed a few boundaries today but I suppose that’s the name of the game.
Top three here were 4&18a plus 24d – one for Terence!
Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints and music – I always think of Ms Turner as being a true Amazon of a woman.
Did you ever get the bottle opener Jane? If not, I can probably send it from here for you.
A most enjoyable Sunday challenge, with enough in it to give the ‘little grey cells’ some good exercise. Few gimmes unless you were in tune, I had thought. My top three were 12a (broad smile), 17d (ditto) and 21d.
3 / 3
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf
Strayed from Toughie land
Most enjoyable struggle, though.
Fully stretched me.
As was a component of 1a!
8d both quirky and brilliant.
Thanks, Dada and Senf.
Like Hrothgar I’m having an enjoyable struggle- well with the ones I’ve got! Still a few to go. I just wanted to say how I laughed out loud at the photo and weed account from Terence yesterday. I went to Chelsea Flower Show last week and weeds are definitely all the rage. Honestly if I’d had my trowel and secateurs I would definitely have used them. At one show garden I was given a paper butterfly impregnated with wild flower seeds and when I asked what they were I was told ‘seeds – just plant them’. Honestly I dread to think what the site will be like when everything’s removed.
We went regularly to Chelsea until it became just too much of a scrum, even on members day. Much preferred Hampton Court.
Hear, hear DG and we lived in a Mews just round the corner so our frontage was frequently used for free parking by Chelsea visitors … grr!
I thought Dada put his personal Thesaurus to good use today, especially in 1a and 14a. I’m with Rabbit Dave with regard to random names and I struggled a little in the SW corner. That said there was plenty to like and today’s podium includes 4a, 19a, 17d and my favourite 8d. Thanks to Dada for the absolute pleasure and Senf for his comments.
Nearly gave up but perseverance paid off. My brain hurt. Enjoyable in a masochistic way. Thank you setter for the challenge.
Loved this ‘cos we (me ‘n MB) cast around and found we had gone clockwise from NE and then we finished. Still don’t understand why so many Thursday and Friday challenges seem to belong to Toughies. But we are novices amongst so many Titans.
Your comment went into moderation as you used a new alias, I am not sure if it is your fourth or fifth I lost count, like all the others it should work from now on.
It is my second alias, tied to my new avatar which I updated yesterday when I was helpfully directed to FAQ 22. If it was my fourth or fifth, somebody has hijacked my alias. I feel admonished. Thanks Senf.
Nobody has stolen your alias as the system relies on a combination of alias and e-mail address. Also, a perhaps odd feature of the system is that a change of avatar is applied to all previous comments made and ‘old’ avatars are not retained.
For the record, I can see that in addition to Wocka,wocka you have used JPS, GreenOps, and an alias that appears to use your first name.
P.S. In my experience serving HM, wocka, wocka, applied to a somewhat larger helicopter.
Can’t seem to get the latest crosswords on my online telegraph subscription. The page is still showing Fridays crosswords. Tried logging out and back in but still showing Fridays. Any help would be much appreciated
On a few occasions recently, when opening the app, I found that the current days edition wasn’t loaded. After a lot of messing around the successful action was to completely delete the app and reinstall it.
Finally got there. I found the north west tricky with 3 clues taking longer than the rest of the puzzle, I am not entirely sure why. I loved 12a which is my favourite, and I struggled to understand my answer to 1a, glad it was not just me.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints.
2/4. Another fine puzzle which was right up my street. From a packed podium my pet clue was 5d. Closely followed by 12a. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Definitely a trickier puzzle from Dada for this week, with a couple of quirky clues thrown in there and a little bit of head scratching to get there in the end.
2.5*/4* for me
Favourites today include 12a, 20a, 9d, 17d & 22d with winner 12a.
Liked the two long down clues too.
Thanks to dada and Senf for hints/blog
Delightful… especially with Tiptree marmy, toast and crumbs in bed.
Mr & Mrs T
Eating in bed winds me up the way OJ bits wind up Terence. I have never seen the pleasure in it, invariably you find something missing from the tray and the crumbs preclude snuggling down again. Big No No.
Chrissie Hynde and UB40 Have other ideas, Daisygirl. 😎
We found this hard in places but got there in the end. Favourite was 5d. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Tricky but fair, I liked 12a & 24a and I am not sure that I understand 4a. Thanks to Messrs Setter & Hinter, Happy Birthday to Mary, Good luck to Steve and get better Robert. Sweetness and light all around!
I’d swap you for understanding 4a for 12a – I don’t have a clue about 12a and others think it’s wonderful!
4a – definition is ‘covered’. Start with a group or set followed by some people who need to collect they’re pensions.
I’ve just bunged in 12a and have no idea why, probably wrong.
For me, 12a was a bung in, followed by my parsing, followed by a big Duh. A very naughty Dada. Doable, though.
I would explain Kath, but I am afraid of the naughty step. I am sending you an email instead!
Hence my reluctance. I would never use that word. Whoops, careful.
I seem to be the only one who found this beyond my ken, but that’s not unusual. I’ve got ten unsolved but I can’t spend any more time on this, my pool exercises beckon! Fave was 5d and one of my first in.
Thank you Dada, and, of course, to Senf for his help with understanding a few!
This was a struggle for me particularly in the SW where I threw in the towel and sought help so I could get out into some gardening. IMHO there were one or two iffy clues e.g. 12a and 6d. 13a parsing makes it my Fav. Thank you Dada and Senf.
I found this one really hard going – it took ages but doesn’t matter so that’s OK.
As soon I saw 5d I knew what I needed (I’m sure others did too) – not much help to me as I’ve never done any German at all – thankfully husband did!
9d was helpful – surely there can’t be as many long county names, can there?
I don’t quite ‘get’ a few answers – maybe they’re wrong!!!
I liked most of the anagrams.
Thanks to Dada for the crossword and to Senf for the hints.
Remembered Vera Lynn at 5d!
Never really on wavelength (a struggle to see the fairly obvious ) which added up to a DNF – or at least it was until I lost patience & sought Senf’s help with LOI 8d & then promptly felt like one. The SW was like swimming in treacle – 28a took an eon, the wordplay at 24d had me all ends up until the penny finally dropped & had to check my German spelling too.I even had the wrong anagram indicator at 15a until I realised my fodder had an extra letter & was in fact the indicator. As ever very enjoyable indeed. Ticks for me – 4,12,15&18a plus 17&24d
Thanks to D&S
A struggle for me too. Needed Senf’s help with parsing 8d and 24d and am still puzzled by 1a.
Thanks to Senf and to Dada.
Anyone care to give me a hint for 2D. I have an answer and it includes ‘ target on the up’ but I just can’t see the rest. I would offer hints in exchange but I haven’t recovered from my time on the naughty step yet.
Insert the letter representing one and a synonym for fired into a reversal of target
Thanks Sue, for some reason I didn’t see the synonym.
Late getting round to this. Good puzzle. Only quibble is that 5d is not usual in Bavaria (or Austria), it’s more North German.