Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30328
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. I felt that there was a lot of complex and intricate wordplay in this puzzle, which detracted a little from the enjoyment because the solve didn’t flow and a lot of the parsing happened after finding the correct answer. On the other hand, there weren’t any obscurities, which is always a good thing.
In the hints below most indicators are italicized, and underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions. Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers. In some hints hyperlinks provide additional explanation or background. Clicking on a picture will enlarge it or display a bonus illustration and a hover (computer) or long press (mobile) might explain more about the picture. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Flash ring wife is wearing (7)
TWINKLE: Ring a small bell containing (… is wearing) the genealogical abbreviation for wife
9a Shock social event that Tom might bring up? (4-4)
HAIR-BALL: A shock or some tresses with a social event involving dancing. The definition here is a bit cryptic
10a Naked females attending grand party make lasting impression (7)
ENGRAVE: Some females that might be chickens minus their outer letters (naked) are followed by the single letter for grand and a party where (according to the BRB) young people dance to loud music under flashing lights, with possible use of the E drug
11a Baby perhaps could become skilful footballer? (8)
DRIBBLER: What a baby might literally define by example (perhaps)
12a Person around Romeo that's discontented and sullen (6)
BROODY: Another word for person or human containing (around) the outer letters (… that’s discontented) of ROMEO
13a Mock retired university fellows, oddly trendy it's recorded (10)
DOCUMENTED: Concatenate the reversal (retired) of a slang word for mock or fake, the single letter for university, some fellows or chaps, and the odd letters (oddly) of TRENDY
15a Figure Rod will tackle source of bug (4)
CUBE: A snooker rod contains (will tackle) the first letter of (source of) BUG
16a Giving new look to German VIP somehow (9)
REVAMPING: An anagram (somehow) of GERMAN VIP
21a Exam not really taken regularly (4)
ORAL: Alternate letters (taken regularly) of NOT REALLY
22a Wrong turns at the end of country dance (6,4)
TURKEY TROT: The reversal (turns) of a legal wrong comes after (at the end of) the former name of a country in the Middle East
24a Positive aspect in United facing Porto's first team (6)
UPSIDE: Link together the single letter for United, the first letter of PORTO, and a synonym of team
25a Tone of writer covering match (3-5)
PEA-GREEN: A writing instrument containing (covering) match or align
27a Rock legend ultimately I am beside almost whole day (7)
DIAMOND: Assemble the last letter (ultimately) of LEGEND, I AM from the clue, all but the last letter (almost) of whole or undivided, and the single letter for day
28a Surprise when mum bites into crackers (8)
ASTONISH: Synonyms of when and of mum or quiet containing (… bites) an anagram (crackers) of INTO
29a "Wild animal" nothing more than domestic pet reportedly (7)
MEERKAT: Homophones (reportedly) of “nothing more than” and the best domestic pet
Down
2d Drown out American hosting ball? That's strange (8)
WONDROUS: An anagram (out) of DROWN and an abbreviation for American containing (hosting) the ball-shaped letter
3d Comparatively bigoted European right to support new missile (8)
NARROWER: Putting all the bits in order, join together the single letter for new, a missile shot by a bow, the single letter for European, and the single letter for right
4d Sentimental actor declared yen to hug peacemaker (5-5)
LOVEY-DOVEY: A homophone (declared) of a facetious word for actor and the single letter for yen containing (to hug) a peacemaker or notahawk
5d Couple make amends for ignoring crew, having stripped off (4)
PAIR: Fix or “make amends for” minus the inner letters of CREW (ignoring … having stripped off)
6d Singer Engelbert's entertaining over? (6)
TREBLE: The second word of the clue is hiding (entertaining) the reversal (over) of the answer
7d Sulks about everybody having makeshift beds (7)
PALLETS: Sulks or takes offence containing (about) a synonym of everybody
8d Notice one German chap heading north in state (7)
FLORIDA: The fusion of a notice or sign, the Roman one, and a German male name is reversed (heading north, in a down clue)
11d Book with a hundred stories from journalist upset PM (9)
DECAMERON: The reversal (upset) of a usual abbreviated journalist with David the former PM
14d Apply skin cream -- or misuse it stupidly? (10)
MOISTURISE: An anagram (stupidly) of OR MISUSE IT
17d Fine mangos Sam erotically consumes (8)
GOSSAMER: MANGOS SAM EROTICALLY hides (consumes) the answer
18d Adrian is travelling to reach Mediterranean island (8)
SARDINIA: An anagram (travelling) of ADRIAN IS
19d Temporary post working with clothing company (7)
STOPGAP: An anagram (working) of POST is followed by a US clothing company
20d Thickness of loaf maybe that gets cut in half (7)
BREADTH: What loaf defines by example (maybe) with one half (…gets cut in half) of THAT
23d Make mistake with task (6)
ERRAND: “Make mistake” followed by another word for “with”
26d Carefree child's play (4)
EASY: A straightforward double definition
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: EWE + WRACK + WHY = URUGUAY
Very enjoyable and just right for Friday!
9a, 11a, 25 a, all amusing. Dislike 24a in same way I prefer forthcoming to upcoming. But hey who is counting?
Thanks to setter.
And then there is “uptick” … 👎
I hadn’t heard of uptick until it appeared in a crossword quite a while ago. It then seemed to be everywhere,. including on the BBC news!
I can’t stand “back in the day”.
“Upthumb” to that sentiment!
;)
I thought this was very good. The only one I had difficulty with was 7d; I had never heard of the makeshift beds, and although I knew the synonym for sulks, it was not the first word that sprang to my mind.
There was plenty to enjoy here, but my favourite for the smile it elicited was 1a.
Many thanks to the setter, and to Mr K. 2*/4.5*
There’s an old song called Make Me Down A Pallet On Your Floor. There’s a terrific version by Thorbjorn Risager
The Gillian Welch version accompanying the hint is also pretty good 😊
Sorry Mr K – should have read the hints before posting that comment
Gratifying to complete a
Friday’s unaided albeit
in 2.5* time
Some devilish clueing
eg 15 and 28a and 4d.
Loved 27a for its hinted misdirection.
Last in 7d, hardly hear or use the
Synonym of the first word in the clue.
Many thanks to the setter and Mr K.
Like Mr K, I found some of the lego clues in this puzzle rather complicated but there were some jolly goodlurkers, homophones and crytic definirions to compensate. I particularly liked 22a, 29a, 17d and 25a. It was quite an aPproachable guzzLe for a Friday and quite enjoyable. Thanks to the vcompiler and to Mr K for the hints and photos.
nd
For me an excellent puzzle with witty, clever and smooth wordplay construction throughout, something as a wannabe compiler myself I always appreciate and admire.
I have ticks all over the place (the only one I wasn’t overly keen on was 11a, amusing but that description has fallen out of use) but I’ll single out 1&9a plus 6d (a great spot) with top spot going to my last one in, the hilarious 29a.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the top-notch entertainment.
Strange. My COTD’s were 9a and 2d! Chacun à son goût as they rightly say if I’ve got the accents and circumflexes right.
Completely agree with you Stephen about admiring clever wordplay. I thought this had it in spades with 28a being a prime example.
If Mr K says “there was a lot of complex and intricate wordplay” and “the solve didn’t flow and a lot of the parsing happened after finding the correct answer” what hope is there for the average solver? We struggled for 30 minutes, used Dan Word to get us going with a couple of clues and then gave up as we found the clues too convoluted to enjoy. Roll on the weekend and Monday. No criticism of the compiler, simply the crossword editor seems to put Toughies in the Cryptic bracket from Wednesday onwards.
I have to say that this was in no way at all a “Toughie”. It was an eminently approachable and enjoyable mid to late week back-pager that required just a little lateral thinking. Mr K has only rated it 3* for difficulty, I’d say that was about right, certainly nothing more.
Please don’t implore the editor to “dumb down” the puzzles.
Absolutely, Stephen. I believe the Editor is on record as saying that the difficulty level of backpage crosswords increases steadily from Monday through to Friday; this results in the step up from a Friday backpager to a Tuesday Toughie being achievable rather than coming as a shock. Long may this continue to be so!
It would not surprise me were there a guide for DT crossword setters detailing types of clue acceptable for a Toughie but which may not be employed in a backpager. Silvanus for example does not use ‘cycling’ clues in a backpager. I may well be mistaken but Toughies do not seem to require an indication that ‘foreign’ words (including American!) are being sought/used, for example, and the complexity of clueing is found rarely if at all in DT backpagers.
Hi,
Telegraph setters are not given any specific instruction as to the types of clues to choose for Toughies rather than back-page puzzles, it’s generally left up to us to make the judgement. I like to think I can normally get this right, but the Editor did simplify one clue in today’s puzzle in which he felt the wordplay was more suited to a Toughie. It is entirely my choice to limit “cycling” clues to Toughies.
In which case all I can say, Silvanus, is that you – and your setter colleagues – are generally spot-on in your judgement!
Definitely ‘tangled the down’ of the ‘institutional’ solvers. Glad Silvanus set the record straight – seemed a last resort to state “the Editor is on record as saying that the difficulty level of back page crosswords increases steadily from Monday through to Friday”. How would anybody trying to ‘get on onboard’ know such arcane parameters? Perhaps there should be ‘terms and conditions apply’ under the puzzle! Seems that those who have been Big Dave (RIP) ‘members’ for aeons don’t want newbies to rock the boat and spoil the status quo. Fear not, I’ll abandon offering my opinions. However; when the old guard move on, DT may not have too many back page followers. Was nice to be involved for a few months but I’ll ‘fasten my rim’ – zip my lip. But, as I withdraw, it was great to see inputs from BusyLizzie and Steve+in+St+A. I’m not alone.
You appear to have misread my post and Silvanus’s reply. He was addressing only my comment about different clue types/wordplay in Toughies. The increasing difficulty of back pagers through the week is long-established, and not just in the DT.
I’ve only been aware of and contributing to this wonderful site for a short time and the invaluable assistance of all the kind bloggers and contributors has greatly improved my solving abilities and the pleasure gained from crosswords. Stick with it.
I do agree. It was all there to be wrinkled out. A lovely guzzle. Dashing to get ready for the funeral of a lady in the village I have known since we came here. Oh dear.
‘It was …. eminently and approachable … puzzle’ to you StephenLand those who agree with you, but not to those of us who found it way beyond our solving abilities. As a blogger for this site you are the last person who should be making this sort of comment which will drive novices and those with small brains like mine away from this site. Totally disrespectful to Wocka,wocka and others who found this puzzle difficult.
Hear, hear. Corky I happened to find that this puzzle was up my street but there are often Thursday and Friday puzzles tha tleave me beaten and I don’t mind admitting it. You aren’t alone. I and many others have found this site infinitely helpful in many ways in developing solving a skills and there are people reading the vlog, who are at various levels. Some of us will have found it tough and the implication of the unfortunate phrase ‘dumbing down’ was probably highly discouraging
Thank you Corky.
Sorry Corky, grow up. Don’t blame Stephen for your inability to solve this particular puzzle. 2 years ago I could not have solved it but this site has helped me so much. Each puzzle should be a challenge not just an R and R exercise. I am also in my 70’s so not having a dig at ageism! Stay here and stick with it and reap the rewards!😁. (Sorry just found emojis!)
Sorry Manders I have reread my comment several times but cannot find where I blame Stephen L for my inability to solve the crossword. I did point out that one clause in his comment was not helpful. Close reading and parsing of difficult clues would suggest that it is a transferable skill to other textual readings but in this case ….
As for growing up Manders you are not one of my parents, schoolteachers or my wife, so I hope you do not respond to any other misunderstandings you make with such a puerile remark.
I agree that Friday is expected to be more difficult, but to use the phrase “dumb down” is unfortunate. Are you insinuating that the cruciverbalists like me are dumb?
Ditto, really don’t want them dumbed down, embrace the challenge and learn, learn, learn.
This might not present as a Toughie to you, and those who are smart enough to provide the hints and answers, but for many of us this is a bridge too far. But I’ve come to expect this on a Friday, so my hopes are never very high for finishing unaided. However, on a day like today when there is also a ***** Toughie on offer, it is hard to understand why something a tad more doable isn’t available for the more average solver.
Yes roll on the weekend, I thought it was going to be ok (for a Friday) when I had half a dozen clues in. I came to a complete stop and couldn’t find another clue to solve. I reached for Big Dave and the always ever so clear Mr K. There were very few “doh” moments and some answers I had to read more than twice to understand -;so yes very hard today and roll on the weeekend.
Hi Wocka Wocka.
I always get a bit nervous when I turn over Friday’s paper, very much like an exam, as you know it’s going to be tough (I think we can use the term ‘tough’ without it being an official ‘Toughie’). I am an experienced solver but drew a complete blank in the NW corner which is where I entered this labyrinth, feeling very deflated. So, like a killer A Level question, I brushed myself down and moved on to the next corner.
Having tackled these for yonks, I know that all four corners – for me anyway – wouldn’t have the same outcome which is how it turned out. But, I could easily see an average solver or a rookie throwing in the towel. Mr K’s view is only one person’s. If everyone was saying the same as him, then the compiler would have created a dud. Looking at people’s comments, it clearly isn’t the case. For what it’s worth, I thought the wordplay was excellent and solved most of the clues through parsing not biffing.
Opinions are the lubricant of life. It would be a very dry world without them.
Obviously, feel despondent about today’s offering as it does hurt when you can’t get your teeth into it. But, see solving Friday’s crosswords as a target for the month/year (whatever) as, I promise you, the more times you take it on, the more chance you’ll finish it and, when you do, boy, is it satisfying!
Well, that’s been my approach to fiendish Fridays over the years (love the word fiendish)
Very well said.
If it were only Friday, I would put up and shut up.
May I suggest that you use this site to help with answers rather than DanWord when you are stuck. Here you get another chance to solve it yourself by reading the hints and then you have the option of seeing the answer. At least here you have an explanation to the answer.
I frequently use DanWord to complete Saturday’s giant GK and find his the best site for that sort of answer.
Stay with us. Everyone is kind and helpful. This site has certainly helped me over the many years I’ve been using it and now I can do most Fridays. I agree with you that when a crossword is beyond my reach, it is no fun. That’s when I check in here to find out the how and why and then go find something more fun to do.
Good grief it’s only a crossword, I can’t believe all the responses to this post ,get a life people.
We have lives. They are just different to yours.
I did not like this one little bit. I thought the compiler was trying to be clever rather than entertaining. To me it was drudgery and was grateful for Mr K’s hints.
Only managed about a third unaided before having to resort to electronic assistance.
Favourite for me – 29a.
Thanks to the setter for exercising my grey matter and to Mr K for explaining 4d. I stupidly got into my head that Myrna Loy and a bird of peace were involved and therefore was unable to parse it.
I thought that this was a proper Friday-level puzzle with plenty of traps for the unwary. I enjoyed it a lot – many thanks to the compiler and Mr K.
The cream of the clues for me were 9a, 25a, 28a, 29a and 4d.
Excellent Friday fare and, with proXimal last Friday and Zandio two weeks ago, it seems that our esteemed editor has started off another sequence, or is he keeping one going, and today’s setter is the third member of the Friday triumvirate – 2.5*/4.5*
The only minor ‘drawback’ for me was with the Quickie pun. Unless I have missed something, I don’t ‘see’ a ‘CK sound’ becoming a ‘G sound.’
Candidates for favourite – 10a, 15a, 22a, 4d, and 20d – and the winner is 4d.
Thanks to Silvanus, or whomsoever if it is not he, and thanks to Mr K.
Great puzzle – the challenge is meant to increase steadily from Monday through to Friday, and this was at a perfectly pitched difficulty level for a Friday backpager.
A generous helping of anagrams maintained the momentum, with lots of clever wordplay for everyday words rather than basic wordplay for unusual words. Generally smooth surface reads and plenty of humour. Highlights for me were 9a, 22a, 29a, 17d and 23d.
3 / 4
Many thanks to the setter and of course also to MrK
4*/4*. This week’s relatively light sequence of back-pagers has come to abrupt end today with this much more challenging offering.
29a was my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.
Nope, just couldn’t do it today, beaten by three clues in the NW corner, will no doubt kick myself when I read the hints. Nevertheless, a first rate crossword with some brilliant clueing, namely 22a and the simply sublime 9a, fantastic. Many thanks to our setter today, great fun!
NW held out the longest for me too but got there in the end – yes, you will kick yourself!
Well, this was my favourite of the week so far. Thought it was just the job for a Friday. Surprised to see that dance again so soon and yet another shade of green (a couple of old chestnuts too) but, all in all, top work. As MG says, the gradual ramping up of difficulty through the week is generally spot on, and certainly welcome. It would be very boring, surely, if they were always the same?
Definitely a Friday level puzzle, which is exactly what it should be, so a bit more required from the old grey cells. I did have to investigate the book with 100 stories – nobody else has mentioned it so it must be a gap in my personal GK.
Top marks here for 24&29a plus 14&19d. A tie for first place between 29a & 19d.
Many thanks to our setter and to Mr K sans felines for the review.
The book of 100 stories was in a crossword I blogged fairly recently but don’t ask me which one or when
23a in last week’s Toughie 3074 by Robyn (about which Jane commented ‘… learned a couple of new things along the way in the shape of the storybook …’). How soon we forget! :D
Oh dear – I’m hanging my head in shame………..
I remembered that we’ve had it before and I don’t do the Toughie, so must have been a backpager.
Another Friday puzzle with parsing hard to understand and a lot of dissatisfaction with clueing.
Again, maybe my issue. Can’t say it was good solve considering at least 8 clues I couldn’t parse.
For me today 3*/2*
Favourites were hard to find but I selected 11a, 13a, 27a, 6d & 14d — with winner 27a whom wife and I have seen over 20X in our lives. So sad about his current health issues and no more touring. Just a great performer to see.
Thanks to setter for my headache on my Thursday evening in the sunshine in the backgarden, (that was glorious to enjoy however), and to Mr K for hints I didn’t get use as I was too early.
I will review Friday morning.
Very Fridayish, which is as it should be. I found it tough in places with some clues being rather enigmatic but I got there in the end. Putting “morose” in at 12a messed up the NW corner. Why on earth I entered it I cannot imagine as it did not fit the clue. Another case of my putting in the first word that leapt out at me without looking closely at the clue. The clue at 11a could have read “Hudson perhaps…..” when I am about to feed him. Thankfully, I have heard of the book of a hundred stories, which was written by Giovanni Boccaccio between 1349 and 1453. Not bad for an hour and four minute’s work. My COTD is 29a because of the smile it raised.
Thank you to the setter for the fun challenge and thank you, Mr K for the hints, a couple of which I resorted to.
Further to LROK, the following link leads to Glamorgan Golf Club’s obituary for Peter. It is down to Merusa who searched for and found it.
Is it just me, or did our late lamented contributor LROK bear a passing resemblance to Sir Lindsay Hoyle?
Thanks Steve.
Many thanks to Mr K for his Hints and Tips and to everyone commenting. May I wish everyone a great weekend.
May I also thank Bob yesterday who mentioned the segment on Tuesday’s Jeremy Vine Radio 2 show relating to cryptic crosswords, marking the recent death of Roger Squires/Rufus. Without his post, I would never had listened back to this and been pleasantly surprised to discover that fellow compiler Encota (a regular commenter here on Rookie Corner puzzles) was a guest on the programme. I was even more pleasantly surprised to hear Jeremy and his mother struggling with one of my clues from puzzle 30,243 in March – “Redeeming feature of change by Heather around home (6,6)”. The programme is still available on the BBC website, for those able to access it. (The crossword-related section is towards the end of the broadcast).
Thank you for the puzzle, Silvanus and for dropping in. After your recommendation, I will try and overcome my dislike of Mr. Vine and listen to it.
Thanks again for the puzzle and thanks for the nudge on the segment on the Jeremy Vine Show. I was surprised to find that I could access it on-line – Auntie is normally quite parochial in (not) allowing overseas access.
I listened to that part of the Jeremy Vine show and really enjoyed it – thanks indeed. I was rather surprised that he appeared to be quite dim even when the solution(s) were explained to him. Mind you, having said that, I cannot do the quickie puzzle as there are too many answers to most of the clues but my husband can, although he often gets it wrong.
Aha! That old four letter word always springs to mind for we who enjoy semantics to replace the longer seven letter synonym. All then unravels. Every cloud…….
Thanks for popping in S.
A fitting Friday challenge
Very nearly gave up at the start when I solved a mere 3 clues on first read through. So glad I persevered and managed to complete it without help (though very grateful for the hints anyway, Mr K).
Thanks to Sylvanus, thoroughly enjoyed solving this.
A really good, challenging Friday puzzle. Just right for me – toughish for a back-pager, but not quite Toughie difficulty. Great clues and a very enjoyable tussle. Fav: 29a. 4*/4*.
* Quickie pun? Very close but not quite right. But that doesn’t matter – these puns are often just a bit of fun and there’s no obligation to always be exactly precise.
Gave up after only managing three clues in the first look through. Reading Mr K’s parsing convinced me not to bother with puzzle where the clues do not give a clue to me of what they are looking for. At 76 life is too short for such pointless activity and with gardening, reading, cycling, films, and six lovely grandchildren to keep me busy at times I would be drowning in failure to attempt to understand these puzzles as I am to see the Quickie pun.
Phew! I made it but only just.
I initially drew a blank on the NW corner but it all fell into place when I got the hilarious 4d which was hard to parse.
I worked out 11d thinking….surely not. Well, blow me down. What a brilliant word which Terence must be mulling over.
22a is also a new one on me.
So, a great puzzle for new words and terms.
COTD 11d
4*/4*
22a is an old one, TS65. Everybody’s doing it …
Gotta luv a big of Ragtime. Thank you for that, RD.
When I saw the answer, it evoked an image of what you’d get after a dodgy Christmas lunch.
Held up on a couple in the NW with 1a being my LOI for the second day running. Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K.
Left with 1,2,10 and 15 to solve But having put in morose for 12a and the other version of lovey for 4 down I had no chance of finishing. This after motoring along for most of the puzzle . Mose is a person or name , I found out. Still can’t win em all. And the test match kept distracting me. Thanks to all
I have not yet finished this, but continue to make progress, as ever even a read of the comments has helped me already. Firstly I know it is tricky and secondly that there will be some answers I will not know. This does not bother me at all as it is Friday and I am a novice. I thought the whole point of cryptic puzzles (and this site) is that they are meant to be challenging and when you are stuck you can get a hint to get going and hopefully learn something along the way. I have often found that even looking at one or two hints gives enough to make a start. Today I will be pleased that I managed much of it unaided and will learn from the other clues. I agree it is frustrating when Monday is unexpectedly trickier than normal., but it must be very hard to gauge trickiness when there are so many factors at play (wavelength, general knowledge etc) but Friday is meant to be trickier.
It must be an impossible job for the poor setters trying to keep us happy with the opinions they read; too hard, too easy, too much cricket, too little cricket, too much GK, etc etc. I am beginning to feel very sorry for them and hope we don’t scare them off from commenting as that would be a real pity as having them visit the site is part of what makes it special.
I will go back to the crossword now and see if I can manage any more.
I totally agree, MTF. Well said. :good:
Well said you – I agree even though this one is WAY beyond me – I don’t care – it doesn’t matter – this is a crossword and is meant to be fun and it was – I just couldn’t do it! :smile:
Exactly, Kath. I never complain if I cannot solve a puzzle. It’s my fault not the setter’s nor the editor’s.
Spot on MTF
Miss T Fide,
With regard to the “poor setters”, does anyone know how much they get paid?
Not enough, in my opinion! Whatever it is!
I wonder how many papers/subscriptions are sold purely for the crossword!
Last number I heard was around 150 pounds per puzzle.
It’s the only reason I buy the paper!!
This was a decent test for a sunny Friday, with some quite complex and intricate wordplay that needed some teasing out, often via reverse engineering. A real step up in difficulty and nicely compiled. I will pick 29a as my favourite. Simples.
Thanks and congratulations to Silvanus for a good challenge, and to Mr K.
It’s all been said really & from both perspectives. I’m in the super guzzle camp. I found it pretty tricky & can’t really claim a first time correct finish either having initially spelt the sentimental actor incorrectly but soon twigged the error. Picking a fav from so many contenders too difficult so won’t bother trying.
Thanks to Silvanus & to Mr K
This was weird, I found east to be doable though tricky, but I was lost in the west and only solved three on that side. I think they got the puzzles just right this week, starting on Monday, they gradually got harder, as it should be. I haven’t looked it up, but is 25a really a “tone”? Fave was 29a.
Thank you Silvanus. I have a bone to pick with you Mr. K, not a puss in sight? Thanks for unravelling that lot.
Unsurprisingly this was rather a long way beyond me! :phew:
Some Friday crosswords are even more impossible for me – this one was only about half impossible.
(I suspect that like “favourite” “impossible” is a superlative – maybe I’d probably shut up!!)
I did manage to find a few answers so feeling a little bit smug – 1, 9 and 11a.
Thanks to Silvanus for the crossword and to Mr K.
I left the guzzle at 1.45 to go to a funeral and have just come back to look at the top LH corner. Nothing is jumping out at me so I must look at Mr K’s hints – which is what they are there for. Annoying because the other 3/4 just seemed to fall into place with 25a possibly favourite, closely followed by 9a (very funny) and 30&23d. Lots and lots of comments, I don’t think hot weather agrees with crossword solvers! Many thanks to Messrs Sylvanus & Kay.
Yeay! Dunnit! Thanks Mr K.
I did think this quite challenging but just achievable after a hot run up to Great Links Tor on Dartmoor hence the late post. A lot of irritating flies around. The females in 10a and the sulks in 7d rather eluded me on the solve. Thank you for the hints Mr K. More cats please. My favourites as above to SL and thank you the setter and he who hints.
Good evening
What is it with the NW quadrant? That’s twice this week I’ve ploughed through three-quarters of the crozzie, only to come to a juddering halt in the NW! I had to seek e-help for 12a; I was stymied by the “naked females” element of 10a, although I correctly twigged the answer. 4d and 15a elicited groans!!
Many thanks to our compiler and to Mr K
I got about a third done, but it is obvious that to finish I would have to click on more than a handful of hints, and I see little point in that. I expected as such for a Friday, a feast for those who are really master solvers, with this tricky cryptic and an even trickier Toughie available. For those of us not so gifted, we are left hoping for something better tomorrow, and find it rather unkind to describe providing a friendly puzzle as “dumbing down”.
Thank you BusyLizzie, very much in line with my parting contribution earlier in response to the establishment -“this is how it should be and we love it”. I shall continue using the solver’s assistance when necessary – or give up, but I will not comment any further.
Finally completed with some hints. I learnt a new word 11d, some new synonyms 7d and a dance 22a. 9a was my favourite. Like others NW was trickiest and it definitely knocks your confidence if you always start there. All the clues make perfect sense with the hints.
Many thanks to Silvanus and to Mr K for the helpful hints.
I find it dispiriting to see another outbreak of discourtesy and low level bullying in this generally wonderful blog….can I urge those involved to observe the basic rules of good manners….
Indeed, Omar! As my favourite blogger (who shall not be named) once said … it’s only a Crossword!
Although I often find the Friday offering hard, this was particularly difficult. I failed to solve almost all of the west side of the crossword.
Thanks to all.
Once again I have to admit that this was way beyond me. I completed the SE corner and then gave up. Life’s too short to have to seek help for every clue. Thanks to all.
Further to what NJoy says in the replies @6 about the Dan Word site, the reason there are no clue explanations on the site is that there’s no human – ‘Dan’ or otherwise – solving clues there.
It’s an automatic data-mining operation (that also generates ad revenue from visits to its site) that somehow has access to some newspapers’ files.
Thank you for explanation, I should have guessed. Not that I thought Dan was solving everything himself!! As I say very useful for GK.
For me this compiler is like a very talented but slightly lazy school boy that could get straight As but cannot be bothered with every detail. I found it very challenging and enjoyable but did not much like pets for sulks, broody for sullen, narrow for bigoted and easy for carefree. Just my inner pedant I guess
I think you’ll find that every synonym this setter uses is backed up by the BRB and the specific ones you mention are certainly very familiar to me.
Great puzzle. Challenging and, therefore, very satisfying to have completed. Thanks to setter and Mr K.
4*/4* …
liked 1A “Flash ring wife is wearing (7)” ….
for 29A ” “Wild animal” nothing more than domestic pet reportedly (7)” ….I had bearcat … not as neat an answer as the
correct one I suppose.