Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3281 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where we have been alternating between late Summer and, too soon, early Autumn – shorts one day, long trousers the next!
For those of you who been enjoying reading Iona Whishaw’s tales of Lane Winslow the next, 12th, book in the series, The Cost of a Hostage, is scheduled to be published in April next year.
For me, and I stress for me, Dada reasonably friendly – one long ‘un, six anagrams (one partial), two lurkers (one reversed), and one homophone all in an asymmetric 29 clues; with 14.5 hints, plus a bonus 0.5 of a hint, ‘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 – 14a, 17a, 2d, 3d, and 7d.
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
8a Attendants confined to secure unit erroneously turned over (7)
The reversed lurker to start (confined to . . . turned over) found in three words ‘sandwiched’ by the indicator.
10a Put down the whole thing, a fruit (7)
Three part Lego – a three letter past tense synonym of put down, another three letter synonym of the whole thing, and A from the clue.
12a Out of the ark, go east (5)
A synonym of go and the single letter for East.
17a Mouse falling off girl (9,6)
We have seen this expression before – a single word for falling off (as in reducing in size?) and guess a girl (the illustration should help).
24a Yellow lines everywhere, motorists often narked originally (5)
Dada’s favourite clue construction but not in its usual location – first letters (originally) of five words in the clue.
26a Islander in rain, sad unfortunately (9)
An anagram (unfortunately) of IN RAIN, SAD.
28a Old politician we found gathering everyone in around Post Office (7)
A Russian doll clue – WE from the clue containing (gathering . . . in) a synonym of everyone itself containing (around) the abbreviation for Post Office.
Down
1d Sauce bottles right at the double (6)
A sauce (usually used to dress pasta or flavour soup) contains (bottles) the single letter for Right.
2d More sexy am I when in control? (8)
AM I from the clue inserted into (when in) a synonym of control (directionally?).
7d Footwear worn by a decision maker – here without it? (8)
A from the clue and the abbreviated form of a whistle blowing decision maker inserted into (worn by) a type of footwear.
9d English or Irish poet removing cap takes lunch (4)
Guess an English poet or, indeed, an Irish one, but not related (as far as I know) and remove the first letter (removing cap) of either of the last names.
15d Mammal with icy beard, did you say? (10)
The homophone (did you say) of how one might describe an icy beard in terms of its location and the effect of the ice.
18d Sweet in lounge I try (8)
A synonym of lounge, I from the clue, and a (Dada) synonym of try.
20d Negligent in relation to blunder (6)
Reduce ‘in relation to’ to the two letters borrowed from Latin and a synonym of blunder.
25d Season in which Trotsky arose? (4)
Trotsky’s first name reversed (in which . . . arose).
Quick Crossword Pun:
WOOD + JUNO + WIT = WOULD YOU KNOW IT
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All-round entertainer, from The Goon Show to presenting television shows incorporating hymns and other devotional songs, Sir Harry Secombe CBE was born on this day in 1921. As a singer, he scored his biggest hit single in 1967 with his version of This Is My Song, written by Charlie Chaplin, which peaked at number 2 in the Top Ten in March 1967 while a recording by Petula Clark, which had hit number 1 in February, was still in the Top Ten:
An enjoyable guzzle again today with sufficient to tax my grey matter.
Loved the quickie pun.
Top picks for me were 14a, 17a, 1d and 2d.
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
My brain having been in zombie mode this morning, Dada’s puzzle was just the medicine to kickstart it into a semblance of normal service. Reasonably gentle, enough to force the cogwheels out of their inaction, and a good selection of ticks and smiles by the end. Honours board features 7a, 12a, 17a, with runners-up 11a & 15d.
Many thanks to Senf and Dada
A typical offering from Dada and very enjoyable. I’m not sure about the parsing of 7d, though. I get the decision maker part but the rest eludes me. I nearly entered the wrong fruit at 10a but refrained from doing so until I had more checkers. The mammal with the icy beard at 15d raised a smile but my COTD is the correct profile of the king at 3d.
Thank you, Dada for the challenge. Thank you, Senf for the hints.
Pouring rain here in The Marches so indoor chores today.
I’ve just seen the hint for 7d. I was down the wrong path completely. Still the answer is correct.
A very enjoyable Sunday morning puzzle, completed at a gentle trot.
Quite a lot of anagrams, (not a complaint though, as without them, I often get bogged down).
COTD, in line with pretty well everyone else, 3D 7D, 15D and 17A (my favourite)
Came for help from the blog for my last two, and on reading the preamble, saw that there was a reverse lurker, scurried back, and sure enough, that was it.
So I got a hint, even there was no hint for that clue!
Last one in 17D. No idea why. Ironically the penny hadn’t dropped.
Thank you Dada and Senf.
This one took me quite a while to complete.
My last three in took as long as the rest of the puzzle. Once I got 17a, 18d and 7d quickly followed.
Many thanks to Dada; 4*/4*
Really enjoyed the puzzle this morning, solved in one of my quicker times but no less enjoyable for that, so thanks to Dada for the work-out.
My thanks to you too Senf, not just for the hints (thankfully not needed today, but enjoyed nonetheless), but mostly for taking me in your Time Machine back to 1967 with the sublime voice of Harry Secombe. Absolutely wonderful, I felt I had my beloved mother right here next to me. She was a huge fan. Thank you.
Harry Secombe lived near us in Cheam when I was a girl – he was much loved locally.
It was a tricky enough puzzle to give my brain a workout and quite difficult to get into. It got easier as the checkers went in and the plethora of cleverly misdirected clues made it an enjoyable guzzle. The besof these was17a, 4d was a clever anagram and7d a great lego clue. Thanks to Dada for an entertaining SPP and to Senf for the hints.
2.5*/3*. Not too tough and reasonably entertaining.
The definition for 7d doesn’t really work for me.
I see that the BRB describes 3d as US slang. On this occasion I disagree!
12a was my favourite.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf.
Hallelujah!!
🙂
3*/2*
I always find this setter a little hit or miss and today no exception, although on the easier end of his spectrum today. I’m not a fan of clues where the wordplay contains part of the answer. Hope thats vague enough to avoid the naughty step!
15d my favourite.
Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Agree with you on that. It’s a load of cobblers (wink wink).
This was a pleasant enough puzzle without hitting the heights – thanks to Dada and Senf.
The clues I liked best were 14a, 7d and 9d.
Dada in a more benign mood and very enjoyable for all that. Best clue for me was def 17a, very much a smiler😀.
For once didn’t need the hints but thx anyway.
Thx too to Dada for ending what for me at least was a very enjoyable weeks puzzles with the Toughie firmly chained up.
***/****
Found this rather more ‘quirky’ in places than our reviewer seems to have done but it certainly woke up the grey cells on an overcast Autumn day.
Top two for me were 3&15d
Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the review and video clip – Mr Secombe had a wonderful voice but I kept waiting for him break into ‘Goon-speak’ whenever I listened to him!
I agree about Harry Secombe’s voice, what a pleasure to hear it again.
For me most of this was lovely, I enjoyed the clever anagrams, and also particularly clues where you think it’s definitely an anagram and then find out it’s not. I came unstuck on a couple and needed the hints (a spelling mistake on my part did not help). 7d is very clever now I understand it.I rather liked 15d!
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints
Got ’em all bar 17d, haven’t got the foggiest, don’t suppose anyone can even hint with it being a prize puzzle an all, oh well…………
A double def. The first an adjective, the second a noun…
Ta, thought it was, but still in’t dark, mental block on this one.
Often, in financial news, the pound . . . .
Ta, got it now, obvious when you know it.
Very enjoyable Sunday fare from Dada with a pleasing mix of clues. 15d raised a smile though I’m sure I have seen a similar clue before. Last in was 7d, my COTD once the penny dropped! Thanks to Dada and Senf
Another vote for 7d. Had the answer before I realised how clever the clue was.
A reasonably gentle Dada today. Once I got 7d sorted and a completely wrong piece of footwear out of my mind, the rest fell into place. Cotd is the witty 15d. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Slow off the mark which made me think this was going to be a killer but, in fact, not so as once underway it gradually fell to but with 17a and NW in general holding things up a bit. Not keen on abbreviations for solutions – wont mention where. IMHO 7d doesn’t really ring true. 14a and 15d were joint amusing Favs. Thank you Dada and Senf for another masterly pairing.
Like Chris R 7d the last in (eventually) for me also – it took longer than the remainder of the puzzle (completed at a gallop) for the penny to drop. I succumbed to impatience & glanced at what was underlined in Senf’s hint without reading it so can’t claim an entirely unaided finish. Pleasant enough but am inclined to agree with Gazza’s view that it wasn’t vintage Dada – his Graun prize puzzle yesterday has me beat too.
Thanks to D&S
I’d have thought Paul’s theme yesterday would have been right up your street.
It’s due a look at again tonight
Having not done a puzzle for over two weeks whilst away, I found this a bit chewy in places (probably me), with 7d, like others, holding me up as I had problems parsing it. 3d edged the top spot.
Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Another nice offering this week from Dada without his personal thesaurus and minimal quirkiness. Just a nice Sunday, (or Saturday night), solve.
1.5*/4.5* for me
Favourites include 19a, 24a, 28a, 15d & 25d — with winner 28a.
Laughs from 11a, 3d & 22d
Thanks to Dada & Senf
A relatively “easy” Dada Sunday crossword – most Sunday’s beat me totally and that’s using hints too.
As usual the number of anagrams has helped a lot.
Quite a number have a lot of “yes, but why” (and a still have a couple so will have to carry on thinking!
I liked 14 and 27a and 9 and 15d.
Our younger Lamb has always been called Mouse (not that she is) so my favourite is 17a.
With thanks to Dada for the “doable” Sunday crossword and to Senf.
Mainly straightforward with some that required a little more thought but quite enjoyable on the whole. Favourite was 3d. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Definitely a friendlier Dada for me, most enjoyable. I can’t pretend it’s all my own work as I needed ehelp in the NW to get going again, I would never have got 2d otherwise. I needed Senf’s help to know the “why” of 7d. Good stuff, I have lots of likes along the way, but 3d was a winner, smile for 15d and 14a, and I’m so glad I paid attention in history lessons for 28a.
Thank you Dada, that’s more like it, and Senf for his unravelling some for me.
7d also my LOI, very clever. The mouse held me up a bit too. Altogether an enjoyable guzzle. Well, would you believe it, quietly finishing our seafood platter here in Aldeburgh when much noise started up. Hundreds of police bikes and cars all flashing and sirens going. Hurried to the roadside, more and more motor bikes and cars. What is going on? The Tour of Britain. The actual cyclists shot by us in a millisecond (I’ve the video to prove it), at least 5 times more police than cyclists! They had to negotiate a very sharp bend just beyond us and whose car was parked just the other side, ours! Fortunately no accidents. If I knew how to post the video I would as the noise was immense. Sorry to deviate, thanks for the guzzle and the hints which I did not need today
I am deeply envious of the seafood platter, never mind the excitement of the T of B!
Where were you? White Lion, Brasserie Bleue, or Mill Inn? No wonder they whizzed by – it was the end of a sprint, I assume from Thorpe. I’ve just looked up the route and that bit is all the local roads remember so well – Sax, Leiston, Aldringham, Knodishall, Thorpe, Aldeburgh, Snape…And on Crabbe street my first memories are of a summer staying in Swiss Cottage just by the Moot Hall in 1950/51 or so….
llThoe
I’ll reply when I see you later!
This was like a stuck door. You wiggle the keys round, and give it a few kicks until it opens. I was off to a slow start, but once I got a foothold it began to make sense, although I was tempted to give up at first. COTD to 15d, but a few laughs along the way from some misdirections or just my jumping to unfounded conclusions. Thanks to Dada and to Senf, definitely needed a few hints today to keep going.
The excellent mouse clue takes top position whilst the Irish poet is bottom simply because I had to read his stuff in school and found it so dreary 😞 thank you Dada and Senf
I found this one quite difficult to get into at first although once I got started in the south , things fell into place although it took me longer than normal to complete. Someone else referred to Dada as ‘hit or miss’ and actually I sort of agree with that for me , however I have to say I do enjoy the challenge he always presents and I feel very satisfied at having completed today’s. Loved the mouse clue – one of my last in, and of course all very ‘obvious’ once the penny drops. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
My favourite was also 3d (“king’s profile”). Thank you to Dada for the puzzle, which I neither whizzed through nor found stretching me, but apparently was at exactly my current level! And thank you to Senf for hosting us all.
PS: Does anybody live in Denmark? I mean, obviously lots of people live in Denmark — but do any of the lovely folk who hang around this blog?
Nice puzzle . I liked 17a, 2d, 9d, 18a. I still don’t quite see why 7d, even figuratively – worked it out by elimination really. Lol. Every other clue fine.
Does anybody live in Denmark! I love it. You have made me smile for the first time today and I do hope someone pops up for you. I finished the guzzle- probably the only thing I shall write in my diary today – it has not been a good one. But the guzzle helped. Many thanks to the setter and Senf.
Oh dear – sounds as if you’ve had a bad day, DG – I hope it gets better, possibly after a G&T? If that doesn’t work then you obviously need another, or a little :rose:
Oh Daisy, so sorry you’ve had a bad day. Do as Sister Kath says, have a G&T, and then another …
I hope you feel better soon, DG. If two G&Ts don’t work have another and make it strong! ❤️
Glad to make you smile. Hope you have a restorative night and tomorrow is a better day for you.
Good puzzle – favourite 15d.