Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30774
Hints and tips by Smylers
Hello. It’s Monday and today’s crossword doesn’t contain any obscure vocabulary, so hopefully it should be suitable for beginners. If you’re one, then thank you for joining us — nice to have you here. The hints and explanations below are there to be used, with definitions underlined. Press on a clue’s brrr, it’s cold today! blob to reveal its answer.
Thank you for the welcome messages last week; I didn’t want to clutter up the comments by replying to each one separately, but they were all appreciated. And thank you to Big Dave’s resident technical expert Mr K for providing assistance in various matters, including how to add pictures.
Across
1a Vice-president working with ex-president and actor (8,4)
HARRISON FORD: Write in order: the name of the current vice-president of a country that’s known for having vice-presidents; the usual word that indicates ‘working’; and the name of a former president of a country that’s known for having presidents. The answer is the name of a particular actor.
(Watch to the end for the relevance to the clue.)
9a Big guns poorly placed in major road (9)
ARTILLERY: ‘Poorly’ here isn’t an anagram indicator! Instead, take a synonym for ‘poorly’ and place it in a word used for a major road.
10a Very dear domestic animals returning filled with energy (5)
STEEP: Return the generic word for domestic animals by writing it backwards, and insert into it the abbreviation for energy used in scientific formulas.
11a Mean confidence trick by Yankee (6)
STINGY: Place a word for a confidence trick (or indeed for an operation by the police to trap those engaging in confidence tricks) by the letter indicated by ‘Yankee’ in the Nato phonetic alphabet.
12a One might have a close shave with his naked cavorting (8)
SKINHEAD: Cavort the letters of the preceding two words to create a term for a person whose physical appearance might require shaving a particular part of themselves.
(The full short film is available on IPlayer.)
13a Holiday’s ending ahead of schedule annually (6)
YEARLY: Start with the ending letter of ‘holiday’, and follow that with a word meaning ‘ahead of schedule’.
14a Daring feats receiving one low grade then another for learners (8)
STUDENTS: Take a word meaning ‘daring feats’ and make it receive two letters which each separately indicate a low grade at school.
17a Seller being dishonest is giving a response (8)
REPLYING: Start with somebody who’s job is selling things, and follow with a verb meaning ‘being dishonest’.
19a Idiot you heard by church? Exactly! (2,4)
AS SUCH: Write in turn: another word for an idiot; what sounds like ‘you’; and one of the usual abbreviations for ‘church’.
22a Encountered Ernie’s partner eating doughnut very fast (8)
METEORIC: Think of a famous Ernie who has a partner, insert the doughnut-shapped letter in the partner’s name, and write that after a synonym for ‘met’. If that doesn’t work then you want the other duo featuring an Ernie, not the Sesame Street characters. The definition (the second one today to have ‘very’ in it) isn’t a general word for moving speedily, but is used metaphorically in specific contexts.
24a Beetle, maybe a VW Beetle with oddly shabby outside (6)
SCARAB: Identify the odd letters of ‘shabby’ (well, not that there’s anything odd about the letters themselves; the ones in the odd-numbered positions, I mean) and put them outside what a VW Beetle is an example of.
26a Prophetic signs from chaps with outsize clothing (5)
OMENS: Take another word for ‘chaps’ and the abbreviation indicating ‘outsize’, then ‘clothe’ the former with the latter, by writing the abbreviation around the chaps. The abbreviation does also relate to clothing, although that isn’t what ‘clothing’ is doing in the clue.
27a Change to incomes? It might interest this expert (9)
ECONOMIST: Change the order of the letters in the following two words, to generate an expert in the field indicated by the clue as a whole.
28a Jazzy anthem is not including intro from Stevie Wonder (12)
ASTONISHMENT: Make the letters from the following words jazzy by having them dance into a different order, then insert into them the introductory letter from ‘Stevie’. Ignore the capital letters, and indeed ignore that the last two words go together.
Down
1d Listeners extremely avidly following hot gossip (7)
HEARSAY: Think of what are used for listening, and after those put the extreme letteres of ‘avidly’. Make the whole lot follow the letter used to indicate which tap is the hot one.
2d Alcohol content of clarets in amphoras (7)
RETSINA: Among the content of the final 3 words find 7 consecutive letters which spell out a particular alcoholic drink.
3d I’m going to, say, marry in an illicit manner (9)
ILLEGALLY: Write in order: a contracted phrase meaning ‘I’m going to’ (as a declaration of being about to do something, rather than travelling somewhere); what ‘say’ could indicate; and a verb which can mean ‘marry’ in the sense of form a pact with (though is more often encountered as a noun).
4d Frank and Euan disheartened after work (4)
OPEN: Dishearten Euan by removing his middle letters, and put the remaining ones after the usual word for ‘work’.
5d Kylie and fat rogue have fun on a windy day? (3,1,4)
FLY A KITE: Make ‘Kylie’ and ‘fat’ go rogue by writing their letters in a different order. The question mark is part of the definition because the answer is just one example of what you could do on a windy day; other entertainments, such as staying inside and doing a crossword, are also available.
6d Amber perhaps concerned with getting second home (5)
RESIN: Write in order: a term that indicates ‘concerned with’; the abbreviation for ‘second’ (as a unit of time); and the usual word for ‘home’. The ‘perhaps’ here is doing the same job as the question mark in the previous clue, telling us that amber is just one example of the answer.
7d Tin packaging always in British river (6)
SEVERN: Recall the chemical symbol for tin (it’s one of those based on the element’s Latin name) and use it to wrap a word for ‘always’.
8d Tailor passed suit (6)
SPADES: Take the letters of ‘passed’ and tailor them into another word, like the lexical equivalent of the Transformation Challenge round in The Great British Sewing Bee. Specifically it’s a word for a suit, though not the kind that you wear.
15d What’s clutched by childish clot – hair drier, perhaps (9)
DISHCLOTH: Three words in this clue are clutching the consecutive letters that form the answer. The ‘perhaps’ is because the answer could be used for drying, but also for other related activities.
16d Another novel about one flawed protagonist (4-4)
ANTI-HERO: Arrange the letters of ‘another’ in a novel order and place them around the Roman numeral for one. The answer is an unhyphenated 8-letter word in Chambers online.
Especially for those yesterday who said they didn’t know any Taylor Swift songs — well now you do! This was number 1 in the UK 2 years ago this week:
17d Kind of film host brought into lounge, for example (6)
ROMCOM: Think of a term for an event host, and bring them into what lounge is an example of.
18d Club opening in Portsmouth, say (6)
PUTTER: Start with the opening letter of ‘Portsmouth’ and follow with a synonym of ‘say’. In this case ‘say’ doesn’t indicate an example, but simply the process of making words come out of your mouth.
20d Wet weather in western European country and eastern European country (7)
UKRAINE: Take the word for wet weather and put that inside a country found in Western europe. End with the abbreviation for ‘eastern’. The definition is a different European country, one whose subregion of Europe isn’t specified, even if it looks like it is.
21d Environment, to some extent, contained by Panama? (7)
HABITAT: Think of a phrase which means ‘to some extent’ and contain that inside what Panama is an example of. Or, more likely, bung in the answer from the crossing letters and remove the Panama from the outside to discover the phrase. Either way works.
23d Britpop group love the way things are (5)
OASIS: Start with the letter that looks like the digit that indicates love and follow with a phrase describing the way things currently are.
25d Said why old US soldier is a very flexible person (4)
YOGI: Write in order: what ‘why’ sounds like when it’s said out loud; the abbreviation for ‘old’; and a term for a US soldier. (That’s now three definitions with ‘very’ in them!)
Quickie Pun
The first 3 clues in today’s Quick Crossword are italicized, indicating that their answers when read aloud together can be made to sound like another word or phrase. If you want to check, here are the answers and pun:
SHOE + PACE + TREE = choux pastry
Please do leave a comment below. Perhaps say how you found the puzzle, which were your favourite clues, if you’ve encountered 26a‘s clothing abbreviation in real life (I think I’ve only seen specific sizes, such as XL and XXL), whether you think all the ‘very’s add anything to the definitions, how many of the Beano characters from the illustration to 13a you recognize, or any suggestions you have for removing burnt sugar syrup from the bottom of a supposedly nonstick pan? (The latter isn’t anything to do with the crossword, but I’m getting bored at trying to chip it away with a supermarket loyalty card, and it would be nice to have the pan back in use.)
If you’re new, or have been here a while but haven’t commented before, then you’re especially welcome to contribute. There’s an etiquette guide if you’re unsure of what or how.
A gentle puzzle to start the week and most enjoyable. There were plenty of clues to like and it is difficult to pick a favourite. After due deliberation I awarded COTD to an anagram for the first time and that is 8d. It took me quite a while to see the indicator.
Thank you, setter (Robyn?) for the fun. Thank you, Smylers for the hints. If that is an example of Taylor Swift I’m pleased I don’t know any others. 🤣
Great to hear that the Birthday Bash is going ahead. Unfortunately, I don’t think I will be able to make it but I will try.
For the burnt sugar, Smylers repeatedly boil water in the pan.
Very Mondayish and certainly nothing to scare our equine friends. I liked the wordplay for the Stevie Wonder clue, and 7d for the name check for our river.
Many thanks to both our setter and Smylers.
Very enjoyable solve today and loved the clips. Needed to consult the hints for a couple (7D & 25D) to confirm my guesses which both resulted in a doh slap on the forehead.
Thanks for the explanations and to the setter.
Smylers, from your photo I think your exploits with caramelised sugar have removed the non-stick surface from your saucepan. If so it’s a bin job I’m afraid 😕
It isn’t clear from the photo, but the black areas are raised above the original surface of the pan, not where it has been scratched off. Immediately after the ‘incident’ it was pretty much all covered like that, so the lighter coloured areas are progress and I’m not giving up yet!
Dishwasher tablets and boil them in the pan
They should be caustic enough to shift burnt bits (if the cartoon baby on the Fairy Ads is to be believed)
Once a non stick pan no longer lives up to its name it’s safest to discard and replace. Once that surface starts to deteriorate it’s actually not advisable to continue to use, even if you can’t see any damage, and I’m not talking convenience here, but toxicity. Better safe than sorry.
As Steve C wrote, a gentle start to the week and most enjoyable – 1.5*/4.5*
Candidates for favourite – 1a, 17a, and 7d – and the winner is 7d.
Thanks to Robyn(?) and Smylers.
A splendid start to the week that will please most punters.
1a kicked things off nicely with a bit of GK and lots of checkers. The first name happens to be the surname of two more presidents of a nation that a permatanned chappie will make great again……assuming it was previously great, of course.
My podium is 12a, 28a and the neat 8d.
Many thanks to Batman’s wingman and the rookie blogger who is already hitting his straps.
1*/4*
Lovely, gentle Monday fun. 1a’s jolly, tis a great way to clue 27a and 28a’s neat. Many thanks to our setter and Smylers. Very “you” clips!
The top half was a write in then I got distracted; this might sound silly but 22ac my first thought about partner for Ernie was Bert. I liked 1ac, it started me off on a high note.
Not silly at all: read the hint for for 22a and you’ll see I’ve got that Ernie covered!
I did realise in the end, really enjoyed the puzzle and your comments. Keep up the good work
A very enjoyable and gentle start to the week. Lots of Lego type clues, my favourite, and very clever wordplay and appropriate surface reads throughout. Difficult to choose an overall winner today so I’ll let 10a, 22a, 24a and 20d vie for podium places. Thanks to our setter and Smylers.
A typically gentle, very polished, and properly Monday start to the week. Many thanks to the setter (Robyn?) and Smylers – you are settling in very well to your new role!
That really was a cushy job but such a delightful way to kick off the cruciverbal week and I was sorry when the solve ended. Too many goodies to pinpoint any particular Fav(s). Thank you to the fun provider and to Smylers for being there in case of need.
A lovely gentle start to the week – thanks to our setter and Smylers.
I could have picked most of the clues but I’ll go with 9a, 6d and 18d for my podium.
Once again on a Monday, it was a 1*/4* for me which makes a perfect way to start the week.
From a plethora of ticks on my page, I am going to pick 18d as my favourite.
Many thanks to Robyn and to Smylers.
Gentle stuff from our usual Monday setter, presumably – if indeed it is one of his then he has another in this week’s Graun Quiptic slot. No particular favourite but did enjoy the solve for the short time it lasted – if anything found the Quickie puzzle (neat pun) the trickier of the two.
Thanks to Robyn & to Smylers for another excellent review & clips.
Ps have been amusing myself compiling a Richard Hawley playlist – love this tune for 5d
Oh I do like Richard Hawley. Not heard anything of his for a while so thanks for including this.
A gentle start to the week as others have said.
Top picks for me were 7d, 22a and 25d.
Thanks to Smylers and the setter.
Well, that didn’t frighten the horses one bit! Pommette and I started with the first across clue and ended on the last down and simply solved all the clues in order. Something we haven’t done for quite some time! So it’s a <*/**** from me.
Too many good clues to pick a favourite but 1a deserves a mention in dispatches.
Many thanks to the setter and Smylers.
P.S. Regarding the pan, I've heard that boiling bleach can be effective but I've never tried it myself.
But don’t breathe in the fumes!
Probably best to try it outside on a BBQ!
For the burnt on food you could try adding boiling water to bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice or white vinegar and then boil a bit more. At least that’s not poisonous!
What a pleasure to be able to solve most of the clues on my first read through. This was just what I needed to get the week off to a good start. **/***** for me! Thank you to the setter and Smylers for the blog.
Grand Monday fun. 1a and 1d went straight in and set the tone for an enjoyable and relatively swift solve. From the ticks on my page I’m selecting a podium of 24a, 17d and 21d in top spot. Thanks to Robyn and Smylers.
Robyn (surely) being extremely gentle and kind with us this morning, but still being very entertaining, I don’t think there’s a single clue that anyone could complain about – a couple of my favourites were 9a and 22a and as was mentioned earlier the simple but well hidden anagram at 8d
Thanks to Robyn and Smylers – good luck with the pan!
Nice start to the week that although it wasn’t as smooth as The Pommers I got there before coffee was cold
Thanks to Robyn and Smylers
Another very pleasurable Monday puzzle, presumably from Robyn. I rather liked the beetle described by the 22/24a combo and very much enjoyed the Quickie pun.
Thanks to Robyn and to Smylers for the review. Best success I’ve had with a burnt pan has been to cover the base in table salt, add cold water and leave it to soak overnight – might need to be repeated the following night but it worked for me.
A lovely start to the week, too many fun and excellent clues to pick a favourite but I did like 8d and 28a very much.
Many thanks to the setter for the fun and to Smylers for the hints.
For the pan I wonder if adding some white vinegar to the boiling water will work. Whenever I consult anyone about cleaning things white vinegar always features, also less toxic than some other things.
As others have said, a very enjoyable solve today. COTD 12a.
Regarding the pan – whenever I have a pan disaster, I put a dishwasher tablet in it with a third of a pan of water, put a gentle heat under it until it simmers. Keep it simmering for twenty minutes or so, turn off the heat, leave it undisturbed overnight. Usually whatever the offending deposit is just wipes off. Good luck. (But it might be with the sugar syrup, the high heat may have dealt the nonstick coating a death blow….
Thanks goodness that was a straightforward , enjoyable and gentle solve as I needed a confidence boost ! Been away so I didn’t do Sundays’s but I struggled with Saturday’s and will revisit now using hints if I need to finish. Thanks to setter and Smylers.
For me another nice Monday puzzle to start the non-work week. It brought many chuckles and laughs as so many of the answers were uncovered with some great clueing too.
1.5*/4* for me
Favourites include 19a, 22a, 7d, 20d & 23d — with winner 7d
Smiles and laughs from 1a, 14a, 24a & 28a as well as all the favourites.
Thanks to setter (Robyn?) & Smylers
Easy going fun today with lovely musical illustration from Smylers
Finished quite quickly. But didn’t clock 2 parsings; missed the anagram indicator in 8d, and couldn’t parse 3d for the life of me. Also the drier is a Tea Towel. A dishcloth is used for washing and wiping.
Thanks to all
I agree re dishcloth and tea towel.
Proper Monday puzzle, I really enjoyed it 😃 **/**** Favourites 1a, 10a & 18d, 21d 👍 Thanks to Robyn and to Smylers, I enjoyed the music
Hooray, a puzzle that didn’t make me feel as if I’d left my brain in bed. Just as well, as my own imposed restriction of only reading the hints with pictures misfired today, as I already had those solved. Happily I mostly needed hints to verify my answers in a few cases. LI was 28a. Thanks to setter and Smylers.
Good afternoon
Well, consider me out of practice; with no chance of even contemplating crozzies over the last few days, I had almost forgotten what it was like to put pen to grid. Thankfully I’m back in contention with a completed crozzie today.
Many thanks to Robyn (?) and to Smylers.
Here I am house and dog sitting again for daughter no 2, so may be absent for the week. However, today’s crozzie slipped easily into place.
Thank you Robyn and Smylers.
Superb crossword – enjoyed every clue. Thank you Mr Setter; and thank you too to Mr Smylers for an entertaining review. I use either Bi-carb or Baking Powder sprinkled onto a burnt pan with some boiling water – takes only a few minutes to fizz away the burnt bits.
Entry level crossword today, that’s not meant to be a criticism as we need them to encourage new starters and to serve as a measure of how far some of us have come thanks to this blog. I agree with the comment #27. Favourite was 22a. Thanks to the setter and Smylers.
Good start to the week and always enjoy getting 1a at first attempt! Last one in 28a allowed myself to be misled by Stevie Wonder! Many thanks to the setter and Smylers.
Enjoyed reading about Big Dave’s birthday bash being revived and all the tips for removing burnt sugar from Smylers pan. Good luck! But if it’s a non-stick surface . . . .
My subscription is refusing to let me log in this evening, and a friend who also participates daily has just messaged me to say the same.
Clearly all was fine earlier judging by the usual range of comments here.
Is everyone still able to log on satisfactorily this evening…?
Splendid start to the week and a rare unaided finish. Being a golfer liked 18d. 9a and 28a very clever wordplay. Thanks to all involved.
One of my “apropos of nothing” posts.
Hudson ate our dinner this evening. This is him trying to say sorry but I think I will stay angry(ish) with him a bit longer. 😊
Ouch. I’m guessing it was not salad!
Nicely put together puzzle with many clues cleverly phrased. I don’t think 15d is a drier though: more a wetter! Top clue for me was 28a.
Thanks to setter and Smyler.
2*/4* ….
liked 12A ” One might have a close shave with his naked cavorting (8)”