Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3269 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where the highlight of my week this week, much better than last week, was attending a celebration banquet to mark the centenary of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
For me, and I stress for me, Dada back to being friendly, with nine anagrams (four partials), two lurkers, and one homophone all in a symmetric 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. And, remember, the Naughty Step is OPEN!
Candidates for favourite – 8a, 14a, 26a, 3d, 6d, and 22d.
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 the 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
7a On air, best new singers (9)
An anagram (new) of ON AIR, BEST.
11a Cow behind young horse, not a sheep! (8)
A term for a cow based on sound placed after (behind) a young horse with the letter A deleted.
14a Shade I like, certainly not going outside (6)
I from the clue, and a two letter word equivalent to certainly not containing (going outside) a three letter synonym of like.
19a One or two, say, experiencing effect of anaesthetic? (6)
A double definition – the first is an definition by example (say).
21a Delivery in Tipperary or Kerry (6)
A lurker (in) found in three words in the clue.
26a Coloured stick that’s light stolen by criminal (6)
A term for (propagated) light contained (stolen) by an abbreviated form of a synonym of criminal.
28a Being reckless, forget his prudence! (9)
An anagram (being reckless) of FORGET HIS.
Down
1d Risky reaching for razor then? (5)
A double definition(?) – the illustration should help.
3d A country with capital in Brasilia turning up – South American capital! (6)
The reversal (turning up) of all of A from the clue, a four letter country (just to confuse, in Africa), and (with) the first letter of (capital in) Brasilia.
6d Return what? (4,5)
A double definition – the second is an informal expression for what?
13d Ruby’s brought up near English city (5)
The reversal (brought up) of what ruby can be considered to be an example of chromatically and a synonym of near.
15d Demo supports liberation of a nut, of course (9)
A type of demo (in support of a cause) placed after (supports) an anagram (liberation) of A NUT.
18d Plant in arboretum ultimately secured by elastic, surprisingly (8)
The last letter (ultimately) of arboretuM contained (secured) by an anagram (surprisingly) of ELASTIC.
20d Surface of bread, say – for this? (6)
Not a definition by example – the first letter (surface) of Bread and a synonym of say.
25d One strange name for gas (4)
Oh dear – a three letter anagram (strange) of ONE and the single letter abbreviation for Name.
Quick Crossword Pun:
AUSTEN + POWYS = AUSTIN POWERS
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American singer, bass guitarist, and songwriter Suzy Quatro’s first number one, Can The Can, achieved that honour for one week on this day in 1973. This is a performance from a live concert in Leeds five years ago; it is interesting to note that her and, presumably, the other guitars are connected to WiFi devices on the guitar straps behind their backs:
Some really nice clues from Dada today along with the friendly stuff. 1d and 6d made me smile, but my COTD is a toss-up between 3d and 14a, both beautifully constructed clues that made me think. 11a completes the podium – for me, and I stress for me… Thanks to Dada and Senf – Suzi Q brings back some long forgotten adolescent memories!
1.5*/4*. A gentle but enjoyable Sunday puzzle with 11a my favourite.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf.
Brilliant weekend puzzles this week. Yesterdays was good but todays is just brilliant. So many Dada type clues when he is feeling benevolent. Best clues for me were 9d and 12a and of course the cricketing answer 21a, esp as England have the best proponent in the world at these – Chris Jordan.
Thx to all
**/*****
A gentle, for me, puzzle today with lots of smiles. I even managed the sporty one.
Top picks for me were 11a, 17a, 3d and 20d.
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
For me, and I stress for me, (™ Senf) this was the most enjoyable Dada for some time as it was at my modest level.
A tale from the past: In what seems a lifetime ago, I was twenty years old and working in the music biz as an agent (a very junior one). I was asked to accompany Suzi Quatro and her husband to Luxembourg for an interview with Radio Luxembourg. They were not getting on very well and were barely speaking and I had to find entertainment for them as there was one plane in (9.00am) and one plane out (7.00pm) on LuxAir. We were at a loose end all day. It was the longest day of my life. We took a tour around the city in a horse drawn carriage which used up about half an hour.
Suzi’s husband’s name was Len Tuckey and for a joke I called him Len Tuckey Fried Chicken.
Unsurprisingly, in retrospect, they didn’t ever ask for me to work with them again.
Thanks to Da-doo-ron-ron and The Man From Manitoba
Apropos of nothing really, but I was a sound engineer for many years and the first studio I worked for was where Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman recorded a lot of their hits with Suzi, as well as Sweet and Mud and was coincidentally part owned by Radio Luxembourg
Lovely story. Thank you T.
Good Sunday chuckle, thanks Terence.
Quirky and gentle with a glut of anagrams – thanks to Dada and Senf.
The clues I enjoyed most were 11a, 6d and 17d.
A couple of pauses for thought in the NE but otherwise quite a swift completion, our setter definitely in a more benign frame of mind! Plenty of smiles with ticks going to 17&18a plus 13,15&20d.
Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the review – never did see the appeal in Ms Q but then I wasn’t a ‘rock chick’!
A lovely Sunday puzzle at my sort of level with a great mix of clues and even the sporty one was something I have learnt thanks to the blog.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints.
This was a lovely puzzle and for me pitched at just the right level. The NW was challenging and I was defeated by 1d. Than you D & S
Anyone tried today’s Cross Atlantic? Some answers are entered ,,,wait for it,..backwards! Just wait until Elgar hears about it!
This week Dada was in a much friendlier mood I thought. Much the easier end of his spectrum.
1.5*/4* for me.
Favourites include 19a, 26a, 27a, 5d, 18d & 20d —- with winner 5d
Smiles for many like 11a, 17a, 1d & 6d
Thanks to Dada & Senf for blog/hints
Good morning pocobc – referring back to your comment yesterday about enjoying one of the Rhys Bowen’s ‘stand-alone’ novels, there has also been discussion, from time to time, on BC’s own Iona Whishaw, https://ionawhishaw.ca/ , and her series set in and around Nelson, BC in the second half of the 1940s. If you haven’t read any of them, I can highly recommend them.
Thanks for the info … I’ll check them out.
A pretty straightforward Dada SPP today, alt I had trouble getting into cthe NW corner. I liked the 7a angram , the 2m11a lego clue and the cryptic 12a (shades of Billy Bunter). Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints
A relatively benevolent Dada but no walk in the park, as a few clues needed some extended teasing out. Liked the terrific magician and 1d but spent far too long on solving it. Many good clues but I’ll award top prize to 6d. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Nice gentle one today. 11a amused me. I would have got 10a much quicker if I’d spelt 3d correctly in the first place!
Northern west caused me a bit of trouble also. Like MissT I felt a glow at getting the crickety one. I particularly liked the shade, I have used a lot of that in my time as a textile artist. Ooops, does that qualify for the naughty step? Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Hinter.
We found this more difficult than most but looking back I think we made harder work of it than we should have. Last to complete was the SW. Favourite was 17d. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
What happened here? The fun continues, even more so, and all my own work! The only iffy is 1d, I call that slang, but I don’t care, it was all so good. Like Daisy and MissT, I’m chuffed at getting the crickety offering. Last in was 17a, why? I dunno. I can’t choose a fave, maybe 3d? A lovely city, so high up it’s always cool. I also liked 12a, lovely word.
Thank you Dada, just right for a tiny brain, and Senf, as ever for his explanations.
An anagramfest for sure, but still highly enjoyable and well worth the effort. Of many fine clues, I think 11a was the best ahead of 6d.
Many thanks to Dada and Senf.
Just turned up to say, what a great puzzle! Anagrams were not at all obvious, lots of double definitions too, which I love. Very enjoyable, thank you to the setter.
Now that was the Dada I have come to enjoy. I did get only a few at the first pass (probably because I was awake before the sun this morning), but then it all came together. Nicely clued, and I even managed to figure out the cricket one. Thanks to Dada and Senf. Girls coming over at lunch time today to celebrate Father’s Day which I good, as I feel I might need a nap this afternoon 🥱. Hope all the Dads out there have a lovely day.
All fair and quite straightforward with just enough bite to it. NE slowest quadrant. 20d had to be but I was slow to parse. 26a stolen IMHO is far-fetched. Is 17d really out or is there a typo in the dead tree version I wonder? Thank you Dada for the pleasure and Senf for being faithfully there for us.
If you mean the second word, the puzzles site version says cut
If it’s the second word of the clue you’re referring to my paper reads ‘cut’ and it makes perfect sense!
Rats! I’ve lost my comment!
Try again!
A much easier crossword than for several weeks.
I’m stuck/being dim – in trouble with 2d. I’m sure (ish) it’s right but it’s not an anagram – oh dear!
I liked 14 and 17a and 9 and 20d. My favourite was 6d.
Thanks to Dada for a Sunday “do-able” crossword and thanks to Senf for the hints – apart from 2d.
Kath – 2d is a partial anagram.
Thanks – I’ll have a fiddle around with it – brain not working!
A lovely guzzle again today – the capital city held out the longest. I am puzzled as to why Michael Mosley didn’t take a phone with him, firstly he wouldn’t have got lost and secondly it would have pinpointed his precise position for rescuers. I always take my phone in case one of us has an accident or we get lost (unlikely round here). Anyway thanks to Dada for a relatively straightforward guzzle and to Senf for his hints which I did not need.
Most enjoyable,
Marred by revising
26a after checking
With Senf.
Especially liked
18a and 6d.
Big smile at 1d.
Many thanks Dada
And Senf.
,
Took me a while but then I find that is often the way with Dada. My COTD was 1d because it would be for me.
Can’t say much more because, along with my very efficient gardener, we took advantage of the good weather and spent the whole day sorting a few things out. It’s now starting to take shape after months of rain. I now have to take a trip to the garden centre for shrubs to fill the cleared areas.
Thank you, Dada for a most enjoyable solve. Thank you, Senf for the hints and Suzi. 👍
A day late to comment. A few too many anagrams for my taste but a pleasant enough puzzle though not particularly challenging. 6&13d were my top two.
Thanks to D & S
I haven’t managed to finish this one, even with electronic assistance on the anagrams and Senf’s hints (thank you). This is the first time in a while that’s happened on a Dada puzzle.
After leaving the puzzle overnight and coming back to it this morning, I got most of the remaining clues, but I’ve given up on 8a — a 5-letter word with only 2 crossing letters, neither of them helpful (presuming I’ve got the down answers correct). Well done to Dada: you’ve beaten me this time!
V straightforward!