Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30778
Hints and tips by Mr K
+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - +
BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to a smooth Friday puzzle.
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 Wimbledon champion describes time in prison (8)
ALCATRAZ: Carlos the Wimbledon champion contains (describes) the physics symbol for time
5a Thrill going around capital city, Rabat, on vacation (6)
TREMOR: The capital city of Italy and the outer letters (on vacation) of RABAT are joined and reversed (going around)
9a Pavlova maybe ran, liable to need whisking (9)
BALLERINA: An anagram (to need whisking) of RAN LIABLE
11a Royal occasion, one north of the Border? (5)
ASCOT: The answer split (1,4) could describe a person living north of the English border
12a Soldiers in battle, regularly decorated (6)
ORNATE: Some usual soldiers with alternate letters (regularly) of IN BATTLE
13a Supplement habit, not cheap initially (8)
ADDITION: A drug habit minus (not) the initial letter of CHEAP
15a Volatile paint? Ridiculous! (13)
TEMPERAMENTAL: A type of paint is followed by ridiculous or crazy
18a Leading opposition MPs in dance show, a bit unusual (6,7)
SHADOW CABINET: An anagram (unusual) of DANCE SHOW A BIT
22a Occasional table? (8)
PERIODIC: A double definition, the second being found in chemistry or physics
23a Trustworthy engineers departing, it's likely (6)
LIABLE: A synonym of trustworthy minus some usual abbreviated engineers (engineers departing)
26a Villain in possession of diamonds, not very exciting? (5)
HEADY: A villain or thug containing (in possession of) the playing card abbreviation for diamonds and minus (not) the single letter for very
27a Clever clogs with studies over penning story (5,4)
SMART ALEC: The reversal (over) of studies intensively containing (penning) a synonym of story
28a Noble deed by daughter (6)
TITLED: The deed to a property, perhaps, with the genealogical abbreviation for daughter
29a Four, say, in spring fairly absent at intervals (8)
BOUNDARY: Spring or leap with alternate letters (at intervals) of FAIRLY
Down
1d SPFL club right to back revolting supporter over swear-word (8)
ARBROATH: Putting the bits in order, join together the reversal (revolting) of a supportive female undergarment, the single letter for right, and another word for swear-word
2d Mark, when writing, detailed dependency (5)
COLON: A dependency or type of foreign territory minus its last letter (de-tailed)
3d Article about inspiring location essentially for entertainment venue (7)
THEATRE: A grammatical article and about or concerning are sandwiching (inspiring) the central letters (essentially) of LOCATION
4d About to tuck into second tart (4)
ACID: The single letter for about or roughly inserted in a second or assistant
6d Pragmatic type of A-lister diversified (7)
REALIST: An anagram (diversified) of A-LISTER
7d Chap receiving bill works for PM (9)
MACMILLAN: A chap or bloke containing (receiving) both an abbreviation that can mean bill and a works or factory
8d Thinking highly of sailor (6)
RATING: A straightforward double definition
10d House and car barely guarded (8)
AUDIENCE: A German car brand with guarded or walled minus its outer letters (barely)
14d Dieter watches them, Erica and Sol performing (8)
CALORIES: An anagram (performing) of ERICA SOL
16d Wicked crime Stan cracked (9)
MISCREANT: An anagram (cracked) of CRIME STAN
17d Time spent inside gallery ultimately flexible (8)
STRETCHY: An informal word for time spend inside a prison with the final letter (ultimately) of GALLERY
19d Assistant giving rise to some notoriety locally? (7)
ACOLYTE: The answer is hidden in the reversal of (giving rise to some, in a down clue) the remainder of the clue
20d Number supporting award for composer (7)
BRITTEN: A number between nine and eleven comes after (supporting, in a down clue) an informal word for the British Phonographic industry’s annual award
21d United, meeting Palace, primarily go to get result (6)
UPSHOT: Join together the single letter for united, the initial letter (primarily) of PALACE, and a go or attempt
24d Close to villa slice up wood (5)
BALSA: The final letter of (close to) VILLA and a thick slice are joined and reversed (up, in a down clue)
25d Reportedly animal fodder running out perhaps in ring (4)
HALO: A homophone (reportedly) of a (3,3) phrase that could mean that the animal fodder is running out
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: TRAY + TAURUS = TRAITOROUS
I’m afraid to say I gave up with today’s offering. I just could not get on wavelength and didn’t understand a lot of clues. Well, it is Friday after all.
Thank you, setter but I wasn’t able to do your guzzle today. All down to me I am sure and others will love it I have no doubt. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints, which I will now read to see where I was going wrong and sort out the parsings. Thank you for the pusskits.
I did think 25d was clever.
I agree Steve, first DNF for ages, frankly far too convoluted for me and did not enjoy at all. Sorry setter, not your fault I’ve got my dim hat on today. Thanks Mr K for the hints.
Agree, above my grade today.
Get thee back to the Toughie page where you belong!
Took two swipes at this one to get it done, last in was 5a, never thought of that word for thrill, but the Dick n Harry lists it, so it must be okay, and I see Arbroath have be promoted early this year.
Great puzzle throughout with many very convoluted clues and a dollop of general knowledge to boot.
My two of the day have to be 29a (I played Sunday cricket for over 30 years, so why this one took so long God only knows) and the wonderful 15a.
Many thanks to our sadist today, great fun (eventually)
Regarding 1d, it seems the SPFL covers all four divisions of professional Scottish football.
A-ha, makes sense now, but when I googled it, it only mentions the premier league, we live and learn……
I can vouch for that although I am a Celtic supporter not a supporter of this smaller town 😊
Yes, I confidently assumed that the P stood for Premier, and having A as the first letter assumed that the answer must be Aberdeen. Many failed attempts at reverse engineering then eventually led me, with Mr Google’s help, to realise it was P for Professional and I needed a team down the coast from my first answer….😩
I forgot to say thank you to Mr K and presumably Mr Smooth. I rather enjoyed the tussle.
…at least you didn’t have too far to travel down the east coast of Scotland.
A nicely challenging puzzle for a Friday. A few anagrams to get things started but I had to use “if in doubt, think cricket” and a little electronic assistance to complete.
At 1d, you have to watch where you stand on a stormy day or you get soaked as there is only a narrow road between the club’s home and the sea.
Thanks to the setter and Mr K for the explanation of 26a.
Gayfield is the coldest football stadium, bar none.
I finished this, but can’t in all honesty say I derived much pleasure in the process.
Thanks to the setter; whether I enjoyed it or not, I still appreciate the time and effort put in.
Tricky one, indeed, and not a lot of joy within it. For 4d, shouldn’t that be ‘aide’? ****/**
4*/5*. This super-smooth, really enjoyable puzzle provided a real challenge to end the week. I started with almost nothing filled in the top half of the grid, but the bottom half enabled me to get a foothold before tracking back to finish off the rest.
Being a life-long cricketer who used to work in the paint industry, my top two were 15a & 29a, although I had a plethora of ticks on my page.
Many thanks surely to Silvanus and also to Mr K.
What a cracker! A properly chewy Friday back pager, but very gettable when the instructions were followed. Tried for far too long to make 15a an anagram, until the light dawned, and could not see the wicked anagram for ages (I still have a mental ? about wicked = answer … Gazza, is it one of those gerund thingummys again?), while having absolutely no interest in tennis 1a was embarrassingly slow to fall. Not certain 1d is entirely fair to most UK solvers, let alone our overseas chums, but it’s a super surface read.
Honours to COTD 15a, joined on the podium by 7d and the excellent 19d; runners-up for those three spots, Tom were 26a, 28a and 14d – another good surface.
Many thanks indeed to the setter – which for my fiver is surely Silvanus – for this great end-of-week puzzle, and to Mr K.
The “wicked” in 16d(?) is just an adjective, isn’t it?
That’s what I thought, also that the answer was just a noun, but I see on checking the BRB that it can also be an adjective, which comes as news to me.
By “just an adjective”, I meant not a “gerund thingummy”. Of course, it’s also a noun!
Gerunds always end with -ing.
But am I right in thinking that not all. –ing words are gerunds?
Yes. Many words can be both a gerund and a present participle. “He is working today” (working is a present participle), “Working makes me tired” (gerund).
Three runners-up? This gets worse!
I couldn’t get my head round one but to whack three at me makes me think that you’re pulling my chain. To call the sixth best clue (or joint fourth, whatever you want to call it) a runner-up is bonkers. Olympians always say that coming fourth is the same as coming last.
Knowing you, you will carry this on to goad me which is exactly what I would do.
Just call them ‘honourable mentions’.
Dave P spot on with his ‘A nicely challenging puzzle for a Friday.’ The SPFL club in 1d and the ‘dual’ homophone in 25d have to indicate this has to the work of the smooth member of the Friday triumvirate and I have two shiny new King Charles Loonies to support that. 3.5*/4.5*
Candidates for favourite – 15a, 22a, 1d, 8d, and 25d – and the winner is 25d.
Thanks to Silvanus, or whomsoever if my Loonies go down the drain, and thanks to Mr K.
This was certainly a challenge today. My problems were not so much with getting the answers but with being able to parse some of them. I was never going to parse 29a. I think a new mantra of ‘ if in doubt think cricket ‘ is in order. 5a and 26a also needed Mr K’s explanation. I didn’t know the tennis player at 1a but with the checkers in and a little lateral thinking the answer could be nothing else. I can’t really choose a favourite today. I did like 15a and the anagram at 18a. Thanks to our setter and MrK.
Most enjoyable and spot on for Friday, although I’m sure a few will find it slightly more challenging than the *** for difficulty allocated by Mr K.
I am also in the Silvanus camp as our setter today. Smooth surfaces and a decent spattering of sport suggest that this is his work.
Like Mustafa, I wasted far to much time trying to make an anagram work in 15a – in my defence the checkers that I had merely encouraged that line of inquiry.
Loads of ticks including 1a, 5a and 22a, with COD awarded to the non-anagram at 15a.
Thank you setter and Mr K.
I liked todays puzzle, although I agree with many of you that it was challenging. Some knowledge of tennis and cricket required. After solving 1a I wondered if it was proXima, so for 29a I kept thinking quandary, although it made no sense, until realising the cricket reference. Subsequently, the penny dropped with a clang for 25d, my COTD. Second and third place go to 10d and 22a. Many thanks to the setter (not proXima I guess) and for the hints.
As Mr K commented, this was another very smooth puzzle, which leads us directly to the author of same. Going somewhat against the flow, I have to say that I found this one marginally easier than his puzzle of last Thursday!
Needless to say, there are plenty of candidates for the top places – if pushed, I would name my top three as 18&22a plus 1d but there were several others hard on their heels. Made a nice change to get a Quickie pun that did exactly what it says on the tin and didn’t rely on guesswork or dubious pronunciation!
Many thanks to Silvanus and to Mr K and his ‘catastrophe’ for the review.
Puzzle of the week for me & by a distance too. Ticks all over the shop but if forced to pick a fav it’d
have to be 15a & amongst a number of others really liked 25d&26a.
Thanks to Silvanus & Mr K whose review I’ll read once my hands have defrosted on a bitter 1st tee
A terrific puzzle – many thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Just some of the clues I liked are 15a, 22a, 26a, 27a and 25d.
Funny thing the memory! I went through a great number of past Wimbledon champions before finally getting the current holder.
A really enjoyable, perfectly pitched Friday back-pager from Silvanus. Many thanks.
Podium places in no particular order go to: 29a, 26a and 13a.
A splendid Friday puzzle, presumably the work of Silvanus. Too many great clues to isolate a favourite. 3.5*/4*.
Hello from a cold and wintery Northumberland. It’s interesting, isn’t it – we normally rate things at the more difficult end of the comments (especially recently when we feel as if we’ve been making steady backwards progress) but on this occasion, although I wouldn’t class it as easy, we didn’t have major problems with most of it. Horses for courses. Anyway, thanks to the setter and for the hints.
Bottom South East corner had three clues I couldn’t parse but I have to say 29a was a “corker ” and 26a not far behind although I did have hay grrr. This plus 5s and 26a held me up for far too long so fatigue took over and I just looked at the hints,
The most difficult Friday for a while , I think.
Thanks to all
Well, that was tough but got there eventually and when i got the answers worked out I appreciated the cleverness of the clues.
****/****
Thanks to setter and Mr K
Well that took a while, and I needed a long walk in the middle to recharge, but I was determined not to give up. I was hindered by a combination of not having heard of the tennis player (poor, I know) and thinking, like others, that the SPFL was the Prem only and that the answer had something to do with Hibs. Oh, and by me not being very good at crosswords, although it was an enjoyable challenge nevertheless. Thanks to the setter and to Mr K for explaining how my various guesses should be parsed.
I can’t claim an unaided finish today as I needed a few nudges from the hints to get me to the finish line. Not being conversant with Scottish football or tennis had me at a disadvantage in the N E, and a couple in the S were equally chewy. That said it was an enjoyable tussle. I’m going for the composer in 20d as my cotd. Thanks to the compiler for the challenge and Mr K for the much needed hints.
I did need a bit of a head clearing walk before the final few in the SE dawned on me. Weather here as crisp as the crossword. I did have to investigoogle Wimbledon champs and paint styles but got there with a smile on my face
I have to agree with Steve C in his first comment. It was another Friday puzzle that for me is a DNF with four answers I just can’t reason why they are, what they are. Not on wavelength today.
3*/2*
Favourites 1a, 15a, 22a & 27a
Thanks to setter & Mr K.
This was a really enjoyable scrap that I won on points with my LOI being the splendid 25d as 29a took a while to fall.
I had to biff 26a as I just couldn’t see it. I should have thought that ‘very’ was there for a reason.
Whenever I see 1d, I think of the 36 nil drubbing they dished out to the Granite City’s Bon Accord in the first round of the 1885/86 Scottish Cup.
Mr Smooth at his fiendish best with lots of beautifully crafted clues makes picking a top 3 tricky but I’ll go with 1a (Becker fits the surface perfectly), 18a and 1d.
Many thanks to Silvanus and Mr K
4*/5*
Many thanks to Mr K for his Hints and Tips (always better with added felines!) and to everyone commenting. Just one small correction to the explanations, which I think answers Anorak’s point at Comment 5, “second” in 4d is in this instance a verb rather than a noun.
Apologies for any confusion caused by “SPFL”. I used the abbreviation purely to shorten the clue as the available print space was running out, paper solvers will notice this more than online solvers would.
I hope that Merusa will like 1a (even if she possibly thought of Boris Becker initially!) and hope her recovery is going well.
May I wish everyone a good weekend.
Thank you, progressing! You were right, 1a was right up my straße.
I knew you would get 1a. Not a tennis fan (last time I watched was when I was in hospital in 1981…).
SPFL? Does anyone remember the final score in this game?
East Fife 4 Forfar 5
SPFL an ‘approved’ abbreviation – it’s in the BRB, with the P correctly shown as Professional.
I thought this was going to be a killer but in the event it all gradually came together with the exception of a couple. 29a and 25d held fire so I had to seek help which in fact produced a Fav pair. Thank you Silvanus and also TVM MrK for being faithfully there for us.
This was pretty tough .. even for a Friday. However with perseverance got there in the end.
Thanks to setter and Mr K for the hints. I needed them to clear up my “guesses”, especially the homophone at 25d .. that was a “groan” when the penny dropped.
Cotd 1d .. as it reminds me of the old Scottish chestnut (and homophone).
“Is your mother in?”
“She’s it Arbroath”
“Oh well I’ll come back when she’s finished”
… work it out!!!!
No problem for me. Mrs. C. comes from Arbroath and we regularly have Smokies delivered from the town.
You may well enjoy this then ….!
Arbroath smokie best enjoyed straight from Spink’s smokehouse while still warm … worth a trip for that alone.
Brilliant! Thanks for that.
Yes, we get the Smokies from Spinks.
I’m salivating like Pavlov’s dog now
Sadly a DNF but I did like the absurdly simple 11a
Nope, not for me today alas. I did finish but only with more hints than I would like, thus very little enjoyment. If only all days could be like yesterday. At the time of writing there are just 2 comments on today’s Toughie, which leads me to believe they are not as popular as the DT would like to think. Or else they are finished by those too clever to need help. I had to Google SPFL meaning, and the Four in 29a was lost on me, as everything I know about cricket has come from these pages, and that wasn’t included. Would never have thought of 5a and tremor, which is certainly not positive like thrill. Thanks to Silvanus and to the ever smart Mr K.
Coming to this late today and after a few minutes I thought I was going to have a rare failure. But I stuck at it and was rewarded with a most absorbing and enjoyable battle, with 1a my final entry and favourite.
Many thanks to Silvanus for the challenge, and to Mr K.
Well, I made very hard work of this puzzle. I’ve never heard of the tennis player, and like others, I only looked at the first division in the SFPL. With no hints available at silly o’clock, I had to sacrifice some electrons to help me out.
I got there in the end and appreciated the effort made by Silvanus to exercise our minds.
****/*** Ta to Silvanus and Mr K for the hints and cats.
Funny, I commented earlier but it’s gone AWOL. Basically I said the north was doable but south was DNF and I needed a lot of help from Mr. K. Fave was 1a.
I thanked Silvanus prettilily, and of course salaamed to Shabbo in appreciation of his help.
I’m sure Shabbo is pleased with your salutation, Merusa but it was Mr K providing the hints. The clue is in the pusskits. 🤣🤣
I’ll take whatever plaudits I can, even if they are unmerited!
Grrrr! What is the matter with my brain these days. Then I just “slid” out of my recliner when getting up, I had to lay on the floor for 15 minutes until three handsome firemen came and hauled me up! I swear they get better looking each time they come!
Cracking crossword to end the week. Last one to fall was the Scottish football club when all the checkers were there. I too was trying to fit Hibs in somehow, then assumed Arbroath had somehow reached the premier league! Clue of the day and week for me is the brilliant 25d. I do love a good homophone and a double one to boot.
Many thanks to Silvanus and of course to the ever helpful Mr K (first time I’ve been able to laugh at a catastrophe!)
Yes, a tough puzzle (but par for the Friday course). Got there in the end with 25d LOI even though I couldn’t parse it. Having read the hint it is of course amusing and (once you see it) obvious, so definitely my COTD….
Some very very clever clues, some good misdirection, and some right stinkers. Battled my way through, and nice to get it done, but belongs in the Toughies…
Hands up all those who at first sight thought that the second word of the answer to 27a was another word beginning with “A”.
Briefly but then I remembered this The Daily Telegraph, sirrah!
Glad to hear that we are on the same wavelength Steve. I thought exactly the same.
Good evening
On several occasions this afty/evening, I have seriously contemplated hoyin’ in the sponge. I am not in the least surprised to find that the fabled Brain Of Silvanus has been at work here, with a Toughie-standard Friday crozzie – a fourser at least, I reckon, despite Mr K’s allocation of 3*.
The parsing of 26a and 2d eluded me, I have to admit. The excellent 15a is COTD.
Many thanks to Silvanus and to Mr K.
A DNF for me with some hints needed and parsing help so thank goodness for Mr K.
Top picks for me were 25d, 15a and 27a.
Thanks to Mr K and Silvanus.
I could only manage this one using much electronic help. Too hard for me and I gather some others. Not much fun but I am glad for those who enjoyed it! Thanks Mr K and Sylvanus.
Loved it , especially 1d, which was a GOL (groan out loud) moment
Thanks to Silvanus and and Mr K
I am afraid I did not have time to do this justice today. I did all but 4 clues in the south but then needed to look at the hints to finish. It was an excellent puzzle with some very entertaining clues. I even managed all the sporty ones which I am proud of!
Many thanks to Silvanus and to Mr K for the hints and pics.
Didn’t particularly enjoy this, a few convoluted clues and League 1 Arbroath suddenly in the Premier League!
Hi CV
The SPFL is the Scottish Professional Football League which includes all four leagues.
Interestingly, 1a was in today’s Times crossword, almost the same wording.
Thanks for that, quite a bizarre coincidence. I said to the Puzzles Editor last week that I was surprised that I hadn’t seen another setter use that particular wordplay before – now they have!
Ex-Rookie Corner compiler Coot used it in The Independent a few weeks ago! I have a feeling he wasn’t the first either. No point in looking a gift horse in the mouth, of course, and the surfaces can always be expressed differently.
Nope – not today. Not only a DNF, but a DNE (Did Not Enjoy) as well. Could not get on wavelength and gave up after a two coffee struggle with only four or five words in the grid. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K anyway.
Only attempted this today (Saturday) as I was out all day yesterday.Thoroughly enjoyed it as it got me scratching my head several times before the penny dropped with 29a being my last clue to solve. 18a and 7d were my stand out clues. Now off to the newsagents to have a go at today’s offering!
Welcome to the blog
Didn’t like it at all. A rare DNF for me
Welcome to the blog
4*/4* ….
liked 18A “Leading opposition MP’s in dance show, a bit unusual (6,7)”
and the wicked cat in the hint to 16D.