Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30760
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. The puzzle site version of the crossword appeared long after midnight, which was very late here. So, no time for pics today I’m afraid. It was a fun solve.
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 Prize money, wife refused that being declared? (7)
INNINGS: Another word for prize money minus (… refused) the genealogical abbreviation for wife
5a Risk of sovereign giving up third of charities (7)
IMPERIL: A synonym of sovereign minus (giving up) the third letter of CHARITIES
9a Graduate's working for stonecutter (5)
MASON: An abbreviated graduate degree with its ‘S from the clue is followed by working or not off
10a Teach lesson, it's said, on space (9)
ENLIGHTEN: A synonym of a homophone of lesson LESSEN comes after (on, in an across clue) a printer’s space
11a Hairy bird husband feeds dodged about regularly (5,3,2)
TOUCH AND GO: The genealogical abbreviation for husband is inserted in (feeds) a colourful tropical bird, and that’s all followed by the reversal (about) of alternate letters (regularly) of DODGED
12a Area above the ankle - and a little lower! (4)
CALF: A double definition, the first straightforward and the second cryptic
14a Anarchy originally here the aim of London protesters? (5,7)
BLOCK CAPITAL: What the first letter (originally) of Anarchy as it is written here in the clue is an example of
18a Stubborn requiring dwelling's rot to be treated (6-6)
STRONG-WILLED: An anagram (to be treated) of DWELLING’S ROT
21a Voice that's key source of opposition (4)
ALTO: A key on a computer keyboard with the initial letter of (source of) OPPOSITION
22a Extremely entertaining company, young but very mature (10)
PRECOCIOUS: A synonym of extremely containing (entertaining) the abbreviation for company
25a Rude attack (9)
OFFENSIVE: A straightforward double definition
26a Saw band at intervals grow old (5)
ADAGE: Alternate letters (at intervals) of BAND with “grow old”
27a Obscure online film excerpts attracting teens essentially (7)
ECLIPSE: Link together the single letter meaning online or electronic, an informal word for film excerpts, and the centre letter (essentially) of TEENS
28a Complete military training with a US post arranged (4,3)
PASS OUT: An anagram (arranged) of A US POST
Down
1d Convict naval officer after case of insubordination (6)
INMATE: A naval officer comes after the outer letters of (case of) INSUBORDINATION
2d Small number having drink will purchase hot meal (4-2)
NOSH-UP: A two-letter abbreviation (small) for number is followed by a synonym of drink that contains (will purchase) the single letter for hot
3d Casual midday half-hearted conversation across network (10)
NONCHALANT: Another word for midday minus one of its central letters (half-hearted) is followed by an informal word for conversation containing (across) the abbreviation for a type of computer network
4d Film captures European geese in flight (5)
SKEIN: A synonym of film contains (captures) the single letter for European
5d Senseless line in current record, one still unfinished (9)
ILLOGICAL: Putting all the bits in order, concatenate the physics symbol for electric current, the single letter for line, a record or register, the Roman one, and all but the last letter (unfinished) of still or quiet
6d Side each year, say, on the rise (4)
PAGE: An abbreviation for “each year” with the reversal (on the rise, in a down clue) of the abbreviation for “say” or “for example”
7d Goes back on dustcart, Eric claims it's revolting (8)
RETRACTS: DUSTCART ERIC hides the reversal of (claims it’s revolting) the answer
8d Drop fine over incorrect method of rubbish disposal (8)
LANDFILL: Link together drop or arrive, the pencil abbreviation for fine, and another word for incorrect
13d Posh pal endlessly wrestling with scruples (5-5)
UPPER-CLASS: An anagram (wrestling) of SCRUPLES with PAL minus its last letter (endlessly)
15d During election, hard to ignore division and timidity (9)
COWARDICE: In a synonym of election delete (to ignore) the pencil abbreviation for hard and insert (during …) a division or district
16d Avoid eating large round slice of boneless meat (8)
ESCALOPE: Avoid or evade containing (eating) both the clothing abbreviation for large and the round letter
17d Appreciative of good artist playing flute (8)
GRATEFUL: Assemble the single letter for good, the usual abbreviated artist, and an anagram (playing) of FLUTE
19d Caribbean island boat almost got wrecked (6)
TOBAGO: An anagram (wrecked) of BOAT and GOT minus its last letter (almost)
20d Insist upon a banker being heard (6)
ASSERT: A from the clue with an homophone (being heard) of an informal word for a banker or a sure thing
23d Steal piano, overlooked by American Indian (5)
CREEP: The single letter for piano is preceded by (overlooked by) a Native America tribe
24d Group in supermarket turning up to grab bargain (4)
SNIP: The answer is hidden in the reversal of (turning up to grab) GROUP IN SUPERMARKET
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: PANTS + NEIGH + SPECK + TACKLES = PINCE-NEZ SPECTACLES
A proper Friday puzzle, took me absolutely ages, but just wouldn’t let it beat me.
Very clever clueing, had to reverse engineer a couple, and will have to see the hint for 15d as haven’t got a clue how it works.
My two of the day have to be 22a, and my last one in, 14a, brilliant when you finally realise how’s it’s derived.
Many thanks to the setter today, can’t wait to see who it is.
Tough, fair and enjoyable is my take on today’s offering. The brain had to go into overdrive in places and I will admit to using Mr. G. for a couple. I saw the clue for 12a earlier this week in another puzzle but I can’t recall which. 4d took me an age because I had forgotten the particular year in question. 21a had yet another clue for it and, for once, I remembered the key. My COTD is the very neat 14a with its London protesters.
Great Quickie pun.
Thank you, setter for the challenge. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints. As there are no pusskits I offer one.
I hope our members in Spain are all safe.
Just sent your ducks picture to Mrs TC, she loves that sort of thing.
I hope she enjoys them. 😊
Her reply (from the cat) was ‘one for lunch and one for dinner’
Love the picture!
Oof, that was a proper Friday step-up. 11a and 15d were slippery and 14a was supremely arch. I do think 10a is unkind though! Thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Hi Alpers
I’m curious…..why do you feel 10a is unkind?
It may just be me. But it’s just quite (I think) an unusual homophone method that you don’t often see. Not that it doesn’t work – it categorically does. But some might call it Yoda-ish. Whatever that means!
Hmm, interesting.
I was asking as it’s not often you call something ‘unkind’.
Ha! It’s in no way a criticism. More a mark of grudging respect!
Gotcha.
Hi Tom – going back to yesterday’s comments concerning “barely”, I wonder where you would stand on this, a clue in yesterday’s Times puzzle?
Emperor in tears, intermittently missing Old Dominion (5)
I suspect many solvers were in my position: checkers in place (N_R_A) and figuring the definition was Emperor. Even so I thought the answer, Nerva, a bit mean – an obscure Roman emperor (16 month rule from Sept 96AD), with wordplay requiring an abbreviation of a US state (VA) that has been clued only by its nickname, a nickname not overly well known over here!
On balance, I felt that removing letters from a synonym is pretty gentle treatment by the setter!
That clue is completely ridiculous and is only for the best of the best of the best. It’s in another universe and so can’t be compared to any normal clue.
I know all the US state nicknames (some of them have more than one) and knowing that you need to abbreviate the state that has Dominion as its nickname for a hugely obscure emperor is an absolute nonsense. This is why I don’t do The Times.
You have overshot with your choice to underscore your point from yesterday.
I still stand by it. ‘Barely’ (or ‘barley’ as Jose likes to call it) as an indicator for removing the outside letters of a synonym is one too far. If the word was in the clue then no problem. I mentioned yesterday that it doesn’t help that it could also be an indicator for removing the last letter.
It’s like the clue from a month or so back in the Telegraph Toughie that had a lurker in an expression that’s not in the clue. These are for The Times and nowhere else.
Tom, I was going to reply on this yesterday but thought better of it – now I can’t resist. I’m not keen on “barely” (spelled correctly) as an indicator to remove a last letter – barely means just/only just/by a very small margin. It doesn’t necessarily/definitively suggest an actual shortfall has occured (which would be required). The other “barely”, or nakedly (BRB), means (in cryptic clue parlance) without outer covering and is a good indicator to remove the first and last letters of a word. Also, if any doubt still existed, there is also another indicator to show it couldn’t possibly be just removing the last letter – the enumeration. Over to you if you want the last say.
One of the dictionaries has one of its definitions as ‘not quite’….eg barely old enough.
But, we’re drifting from the point as I only said ‘It could be argued’. It was an afterthought.
Taking away the outside letters from a synonym is very hard as a few said yesterday.
Al a yourself: Fairy nuff. Onwards! :-)
I would not say ridiculous, Tom, let alone restricting it to those rarefied heights – DT Friday Toughie territory as it stands, a little easier if you change Old Dominion to Virginia, which keeps a smooth surface, allowing a biffed answer and recourse to Mr G for confirmation.
But the point I was clearly failing to make, for which I apologise, was that with NER a given, this clue too required you to think of something (in this case Old Dominion = Virginia) and then do something to it (use the abbreviation). This element of the clue was deeply obscure, as was the overall answer, but the principle is the same.
In today’s DT back pager at 10a we have to find a homophone of a word in the clue, and then a synonym of that homophone – a type of “double operation” that does seem to be fairly standard in DT back pagers. I know you didn’t like the “barely” instruction, but “bare” does usually mean naked / stripped off, in which case you are removing first & last [cf. topless / bottomless / endless], and barely from bare is absolutely fair, even if another interpretation would be “not quite”, requiring the last letter to be docked. It’s all exercise for the Little Grey Cells!
Hi MG
Firstly, you are quite right about the Times clue. I take back ‘ridiculous’ and replace it with….TOTALLY ridiculous.
I do not agree, and nor does SL8 (see post 13), that it is fairly standard for a DT back pager. It is very hard.
We’re nowhere near singing from the same hymn sheet. So, let’s move on.
😊 Roger that!
Good man.
What’s next?
Oh yes, I need to untwist my knickers.
I’m a simple soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, convoluted analysis is misunderstood.
Nice one, Pipsy Popsy Doodles!
For my first solving of a puzzle in almost two weeks this was quite challenging, but still very enjoyable, but probably not as challenging as whatever was going on, or not going on, in Telegraph Towers that caused the delay in publishing the puzzle on-line – 3.5*/4*
I suspect that this might be the work of the ‘smooth’ member of the Friday triumvirate but I am not confident enough to risk any of my shiny new King Charles Loonies.
Candidates for favourite – 14a, 3d, and 20d – and thew winner is 14a.
Thanks to Silvanus, or whomsoever if it is not he, and thanks to Mr K.
And, this puzzled Kitty joins me in wondering whatever was going on, or not going on, in Telegraph Towers:
No flippin’ kidding!
Another crossy this week that pushed me though not as far as the other two. It showcased perfectly so many different techniques.
My LOI was 22a which took an age. Good clue, though.
So many to choose from for the spoils but I’ll go with 11a as it creates a great scene, 15d for its timing and 17d for its neatness.
Many thanks to the setter and Mr K.
3*/4*
Found this much easier than most Fridays but still tricky. Thx for the hints to explain my answers to 6d,20d and 22a (not a synonym that would have occurred to me). Got 24d from the definition as I totally missed the lurker indicator (setters are getting very cute with these of late). However, all in all an enjoyable Friday for a change.
***/****
A solid Friday puzzle without much sparkle, though it did contain a couple of polished gems with 14a my clear favourite with 4d in second place. The linked pair of 20d and 22a held out the longest, despite what should have been a host of helpful checkers in the latter, mostly because of the unusual synonym for “extremely”. 3.5*/2.5*
A cracker, one of those “glance at the top, sod that & start at the bottom” puzzles, from which point it was remarkably smooth sailing in a northerly and approximately clockwise direction, finishing with 8d. Remembered the space, so 10a caused no problems, and thought some of the clever clueing and misdirection quite perfect for a Friday. I know they were different but it always comes as a surprise to see repetition on the DT back page (in this case of ‘film’) – The Times is generally much more careless / care-free about such matters. Parsing 15d was very satisfying.
Honours to COTD 14a (lovely penny drop moment on the way north), 11a (I was talking Guinness adverts to someone last evening and the bird came readily to mind) and 22a (great surface, super clue) with runners-up 1a and 21a. Many thanks to the setter – I’ll put my fiver on Silvanus since ’twas not he yesterday – and to MrK
Final words to one of the all-time football greats, Arsene Wenger, so appropriate when the Elgar challenge beckons: “If you do not believe you can do it then you have no chance at all.”
Ha, good to see you tripling down on your football references. Mischief-maker!
“When the seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think the sardines will be thrown into the sea.”
Discuss.
It was a right cantonata and no mistake. 😊
Your response has been far subtler than that kung-fu kick. Restrained but to the point!
Sardines and Portugal a perfect combination.
So maybe Eric will be happy with our new manager!
It’s certainly going to be a fresh start for United, but I hope for Amorim’s sake he is given the time – and that some of your prima donnas discover what pride, effort, and commitment really mean.
Totally agree.
Another vote for 14a as COTD – very clever. Half a lifetime spent working with computers helped with 3d. Needed a couple of hints to explain parsings – keep forgetting about printer’s notation.
An excellent puzzle to complete a week of entertainment.
Much cooler here in NE Scotland now we are in November.
Thanks to the setter and Mr K.
That was a lot oof fun with the South being particularly acquiescent. I think 4d is new to me so my thanks to MrG for help there. 2d always jars. Bunged in 15d as I stupidly overlooked election synonym and likewise for 20d banker. Cross with myself for not recognising clever Quickie pun. Thank you Mysteryone and MrK.
A fine Friday-level puzzle which I really enjoyed – thanks to our setter and Mr K.
I had ticks for 11a, 22a and 20d with my favourite being the clever 14a.
Not often I manage a Friday Xword but found this to be both doable and enjoyable. COTD most definitely 14A ****/****
Very challenging to complete but rewarding all the same.
5*/4*
10a doesn’t work for me as I was looking for a homophone of lesson.
Will go with 14a as favourite today
Thanks to blogger and setter
Hi Slate
I don’t know if you saw the discussion yesterday about the ‘barely’ clue but your comment backs it up.
To me, for the DT backpager (BP), asking you to think of a synonym for a homophone of ‘lesson’ is one too far.
It’s an excellent technique for The Times or a tough Telegraph toughie but not a BP.
Friday’s crosswords, like today’s, really tests the solvers which I embrace but 10a will discourage too many people. Even ALP, an extremely accomplished solver, called it unkind.
It’s all a balancing act which is very difficult for a setter to get right, week in, week out.
A good step up in difficulty that was both welcome and enjoyable. Like others, I needed some reverse engineering to get the parsing straight on a couple, but everything was fair and above board and very gettable from the excellent wordplay. I will have to be unoriginal and go for the brilliant 14a as my COTD too.
Many thanks to our Friday setter and Mr K.
Think I have to go along with those who have attributed this one to Mr Smooth, just 2d that didn’t really feel like his style. Plenty of humour and a lot of ticks awarded, 1,11&25a plus 3&4d fighting it out for the honours.
Thanks to Silvanus for a Friday delight and to Mr K for the review – sorry that Telegraph Towers didn’t play ball when it came to the timing of publication, none of your pusskits could get a look in!
Hi everyone, and Happy Friday!
I’m relatively new to cryptic crosswords, so pardon my ignorance but… for 5d, if the clues are “line in”, then shouldn’t the answer contain “LI” rather than “IL”? How would one know to reverse those two letters (other than the fact that ‘LILOGICAL’ is obviously not a word!)?
& a happy Friday to you too, FurFluff! Never ask forgiveness for ignorance: one of the many reasons this site is so very special is that over the years it has given so many of us the tools and confidence to learn how to tackle cryptics. In 5d the wordplay is “line in current record, one still unfinished”. I is the current and LOG the record, so you are being instructed to insert the L (line) between the two. As you rightly imply, there is no reversal indicator in the clue, so you need to look for other instructions.
It’s a messy clue.
Line is L
In current which is usually i as in electric current and log for record.
Followed by one which is another i and still unfinished cal(m)
So I L Log I cal.
Not one of my favourites!!
Hope that helps
FF, 5d. There’s no reversing involved in the word-play:
Line (L) in current (I) record (LOG) = I (L) LOG + one (I) + still (CALM) unfinished = CAL: I(L)LOG + I + CAL.
Good luck with your puzzling journey!
This word isn’t an easy one to clue, but I did my best :-)
and very well you did it too – a tad convoluted but not messy in the least imho.
A great clue as far as I was concerned, just need to work through it logically (and know a bit about lectrik)
Thanks so much to everyone who responded. It was a bit of a Homer Simpson ‘D’oh!’ moment when I read the explanation!
Wishing you all a wonderful, sunny weekend.
My word, talk about a curate’s thingy! Amazed to be able to write in answers from the top and then come to a screeching halt! Thinking cap on, then a bit of Mr G, and finally Mr K for the last parsings!
Have seen a similar thing to 14a recently.
Liked the 18a anagram. Needed Mr K to convince me of the synonym for side in 6d, and to help parsing 15d.
I’m going for 16d as fave as that’s what I had for lunch, yum!
Many thanks to Mr Whomsoever Setter and Mr K for the help.
Another puzzle that took some teasing out, but got there in the end after some pondering and a visit or two to the hints, if nothing else to convince me of various parsings. 12a made me smile, but 14a must be cotd for the pdm. Thanks to setter and Mr K.
Many thanks to Mr K and to everyone solving and commenting.
I was interested to read the exchanges about 10a. I suspect, although I don’t know for sure, that the Editor feels that such a construction is fine for a Friday puzzle but perhaps not for a Monday or Tuesday one. I’ve never seen “unkind” used as a term of respect, even grudging respect, before, so that’s a first for me ;-)
Personally, I would use “barely” only as an instruction to delete outside letters, once again the discussion made for interesting reading.
May I wish everyone a good weekend.
Lovely puzzle, Silvanus. Many thanks.
Even Brian liked it!!
My favourite? The delightfully simple 12a.
Thanks to Mr K.
Thank you, silvanus for a great puzzle and for popping in. 👍
I was expecting a real Friday tussle but going this surprisingly doable. I needed a hint for 22a and 15d but the rest I was able to cope with. I assume you declare innings, I am not familiar with that but it must be so. My favourite is the hairy bird at 11a. Many thanks to our Setter and Mr. Kay. Have a good weekend everyone, I feel so sad for those people in Spain, not a good time for them. Not to mention all the other trouble spots in the world.
Tough but appropriately so for a Friday and as ever very satisfying to complete. I needed the hints to parse 3 (6,15 and 20 d). 14 a was my favourite and 22 a my last in as I just was looking in all the wrong places until I had all the checkers.
Many thanks to Silvanus and to Mr K for the hints.
Thoughts and best wishes to all our Spanish friends, I hope you stay safe and to Merusa for a speedy recovery and return home.
A splendid Friday puzzle – that’s 3 really top-notch ones we’ve had on the trot. Great clues, a decent challenge and an enjoyable solve. Favourite: 10a, a tricky but fair Friday-level clue. 3.5*/4.5*.
Terrific puzzle – as Jose says the 3rd belter on the bounce & my fav of the week thus far. The grid fill (on a distinctly colder 1st tee) took me into *** time but sorting out the whys for a few took a bit longer (10a + 3&15d). Ticks in abundance so from a strong field of contenders 11&14a + 15d are the podium picks.
Thanks to Silvanus & to Mr K.
I got off to a flying start with 1A and then stumbled about filling in the odd answer here and there (with two little bits of E help) until lo and behold, it was finished.
Very enjoyable and my favourites were 12A and 14A.
Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K.
Interesting that a lot found this difficult, I’ve been pretty much ‘off the pace’ all week but found this fairly straightforward and enjoyable. Favourite was 11a. Thanks to Silvanus and Mr. K.
Pleasantly surprised to find a Friday puzzle that I could actually do without too many hints. Even more surprised to see that it is by none other than Silvanus, with whom I am rarely on wavelength. Could things be looking up? We’re currently 4 hours behind the UK (until Sunday) so the on line puzzle was already there when I sat down to print it. Perhaps the DT was debating if this one was tough enough? Happily it was fun from start to finish. Thanks Silvanus, and to Mr K.
Some clever clues to say the least. The anarchists take the biscuit but for sheer brevity 6d is brilliant. Thank you Silvanus and Mr K
A great puzzle for me although I didn’t help myself by putting ABBA (well it is a group and it is a reverse (and forward) lurker) for 24d. Once I had 25a it made more sense.
Top picks were 11a, 10a and 20d.
Thanks to Mr K and Silvanus.
For whatever reason this puzzle was really late showing up when all the rest of the puzzles were refreshed. At least 3 hours later, so very late getting this done.
Found this at least 3* with only 2.5* for enjoyment.
Favourites 14a, 13d & 23d with winner 23d
Thanks to setter and Mr K.
Splendid way to round off the week. Thank you Silvanus and Mr K.
Loved 11a.
Can’t think why answer to 22a looks strange when written in capital letters. Is it just me?
Did it make you think of Supercallifragilisticexpialidocious?! You have to say it loud enough, mind!
Wasn’t there a famous footy headline when Inverness Caledonian Thistle turned Celtic over in a cup game that read Super Cally Go Ballistic Celtic Are Atrocious.
Try working that one into a clue.
A Friday that was not impossible for me for a change. That despite it being a dnf due to 4d and 6d. For 6d my brain had decided on edge and couldn’t get past that.
Needed the hints to parse several – 10a, 15d and 20d. Never heard of banker being a cert before.
Thanks to all.
That was a top puzzle. Plenty of head scratching.
You’ve changed your alias so this needed moderation. Both versions of your alias will work fom now on.
Good evening
I see from the comments above that today’s crozzie came courtesy of the Brain of Silvanus; I can’t say I’m surprised! Just the right mixture of witticisms and misdirection, with a couple of slight hiccups: last to fall was 10a, which took a bit of thinking about, and 15d, the parsing of which eluded me, so I am grateful to Mr K for the explanation.
COTD: 11a & 3d tie.
Thanks again, Mr K, and thank you Silvanus.
Left side went in quickly, right side took ages! Thanks Silvanus for a testing solve and Mr K for the explanation to 15d which I couldn’t parse.
4*/4* ….
liked 14A “Anarchy originally here the aim of London protesters ? (5,7)”