*Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30784
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Over here today (Thursday) is Thanksgiving, which meant it was very late by the time I was able to download and hint this nice puzzle. So, no time for pics I’m afraid. I hope to do better next week.
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 Senior ministers, cunning men in a tactical game (11)
ARCHBISHOPS: A synonym of cunning with some men who move diagonally in a tactical board game
7a Insult unsettled touring English opener? (7)
UTENSIL: An anagram (unsettled) of INSULT containing (touring) the single letter for English
8a Visiting Honolulu, feel good about showing happiness (7)
GLEEFUL: The answer is hidden in the reversal of (visiting … about) HONOLULU FEEL GOOD
10a I would love Hollywood perhaps, and seek adoration (8)
IDOLATRY: Link together a contraction for “I would”, the letter representing a love score in tennis, where Hollywood is located, and a synonym of seek
11a Tough, sturdy signage that falls down occasionally (6)
TRYING: Alternate letters of (that falls down occasionally) of STURDY SIGNAGE
13a 'Pay attention,' the man had announced (4)
HEED: A homophone (announced) of a contraction that could mean “the man had”
14a Rewrite for re-editing, taking in new part (10)
INGREDIENT: An anagram (rewrite for) of RE-EDITING containing (taking in) the single letter for new
16a He clues 'Bee' cryptically: 'It's yellow with streaks' (4,6)
BLUE CHEESE: An anagram (cryptically) of HE CLUES BEE
18a Price is about right? Certainly, if it's this (4)
FREE: The wordplay directs us to price or charge containing (about) the single letter for right. The entire clue can serve as a definition
21a Start with what's necessary to outwit champion (6)
TWITCH: The answer is hidden in (with what’s necessary to) OUTWIT CHAMPION
22a Radical son in tears (8)
SWEEPING: The genealogical abbreviation for son is followed by “in tears”
24a Doctor with single tube of blood attended by vehicle (5-2)
DRIVE-IN: Join together an abbreviation for doctor, the letter that can represent a single, and a blood vessel
25a Tons moved - rest in van (7)
TRANSIT: Follow the single letter for tons with synonyms of moved and rest
26a Mathematician with pipe sent outside of university building (11)
SUMMERHOUSE: A mathematician who does addition is followed by a flexible pipe containing (outside of) the single letter for university
Down
1d Striking article, really going into pronouns (7)
AWESOME: A grammatical article is followed by really or very placed between two pronouns
2d One that's agreed to share the bill in coffee shop runs (2-4)
CO-STAR: A chain of coffee shops with the cricket abbreviation for runs
3d Member of a ropey team that plays for the church (10)
BELLRINGER: A cryptic definition of a group that use ropes to make music in church
4d Story of a rabbit getting comeuppance (4)
SAGA: A from the clue and rabbit or chat, all reversed (getting comeuppance, in a down clue)
5d Cancel extra trip (8)
OVERRIDE: Synonymms of extra and trip
6d Do scruffier manoeuvres, having lost both rooks (7)
SUFFICE: An anagram (manoeuvres) of SCRUFFIER minus (having lost) both copies of the chess abbreviation for rook
7d A Parisian in Hello! snapped by top journalist, 18 (11)
UNINHIBITED: Cement together “a” in French, IN from the clue, a short form of hello, a synonym of snapped, and an abbreviation for the top journalist at a newspaper, perhaps
9d Blonde speaker's delay is insignificant (11)
LIGHTWEIGHT: Blonde or not dark with a homophone (speaker’s) of a word meaning delay
12d One's time is nearly at hand (10)
WRISTWATCH: A cryptic definition of a device that tells time
15d Unusual ceramic container for Eastern sweet delight (3,5)
ICE CREAM: An anagram (unusual) of CERAMIC that’s containing (container for) the single letter for eastern
17d Hooks up or loosens laces maybe, if entering for tango (7)
UNIFIES: In a word that could mean “loosens laces” IF replaces (enters for) the letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by tango
19d Put out again about one's appeal (7)
REISSUE: Put together about or concerning, the Roman one with its ‘S from the clue, and a synonym of appeal
20d Starters for dinner everyone just ate voraciously - usual familiar experience? (4,2)
DEJA VU: Initial letters of (starters for) the next six words in the clue
23d After getting up, small number will go to church (4)
ONCE: The reversal (getting up) of a short form of number is followed by the abbreviation for the Church of England
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: ITS + COUGH + EAT + THYME = IT’S COFFEE TIME
A real Friday test I thought. It took me ages to get going and I’m afraid I had to have some electronic help to get over the finish line.
Favourite was the ropey team member at 3D.
Thanks to the setter for making me work hard and Mr K for the hints. Here’s a puss for you all.
Great pic – Mr K would approve
A fitting end to the week, I found this less challenging than yesterday with a plethora of cleverly worded clues with smooth surfaces, some lovely PDMs and minimal GK required. So many ticks on my paper it’s difficult to choose a favourite but I think the maths professor in the garden at 26a takes the top spot with the clergy and campanologists at 1a and 3d sharing the podium. Thanks to our setter and Mr K.
A very enjoyable puzzle towards the ‘gentle’ end of the Friday spectrum. If it is the work of a member of the Friday Triumvirate my money is on Zandio, 2.5*/4*
Candidates for favourite – 8a, 13a, 3d, 12d (an oldie but goodie?), and 17d – and the winner is 3d.
Thanks to Zandio, or whomsoever if it is not he, and thanks to Mr K.
A kitty enjoying Thanksgiving, I wonder if it is ready for Black Friday:
Zandio? No wonder I struggled so.
I found this tough and needed help to get over the line. I cannot say it was “nice” as Mr. K. described it but I got there. I don’t get 7d even with the hint. Does “bit” mean “snapped”? I did get 1a immediately and that is my COTD.
Thank you, setter for the challenge, which I’m afraid I was not up to. Still, it is Friday. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints and here is a pusskit wonder what he has to do to get a drink round here. 😊
Some lateral thinking required on snapped/bit? From the BRB:
Snap – to speak harshly in sudden irritation
Bite – To speak harshly against (archaic)
Nicely done, you Loonie, you.
He snapped/bit my head off.
I assume that is not an indication of my metal state!
Of course not!
Ahem
Thanks, guys. 👍
And that cat is “wondering”!
This was excellent and perfect for a Friday. Lots of well-crafted clues with plenty of fab surfaces.
My first answer was wrong, putting in stopover for 5d which I thought fitted very nicely until I got the splendid 1a.
Tres difficile to pick three for the silverware but I’ll go with 1a, 3d (great fun) and 7d for its construction and surface.
Many thanks to the super setter and Mr K.
3*/5*
I could find rhe answers to all the clues by finding the definition, using the checkers and exercising guesswork. However, some of the parsing was uttwrly baffling so I look forward to getting some enlightenment from Mr K’s hints. It was a long slog and there was some satisfaction in finishing rhe puzzle but it wasn’t the most enjoyable crossword I’ve ever done. 7a was a good anagram and 21a a good lego clue but the complex lego clue at 7d was my favourite
A nice puzzle with no GK, so that gets a big thumbs up from me.
The one I stared the longest at was the lurker at 21a.
Many thanks to today’s setter. 2*/4.5*
2*/3.5*. This was an enjoyable puzzle which I found lighter than usual for a Friday back-pager.
“With what’s necessary to” seems a bit long-winded and clumsy as a lurker indicator in 21a.
I can’t argue with TDS65’s podium choices @5: 1a, 3d & 7d.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.
Agreed re 21a, came here for some help with that as my last one in. I still don’t understand how “what’s necessary to” indicates a lurker. What’s essential, or central, or maybe even vital, I could understand. But ‘necessary’ is a bit of a stretch in my mind
I found this about right for a Friday, with some tricky parsing and the odd leap of faith to get over the line. Going over it again, I don’t think it was particularly testing, it just needed some careful reading of the clues rather than a quick scan which is often enough. For favourites, I will select 3 and 7d.
Many thanks to our Friday setter and Mr K.
An excellent Friday-level puzzle (with a namecheck for SJB at 16a?) – thanks to the setter and Mr K.
My rosettes are pinned to 8a, 24a, 2d, 3d and 9d.
I did laugh at the name check and as a cheese lover too I was chuffed
There is a barge on the canal at little Venice that is a cheese themed restaurant I hope to visit over the birthday bash weekend
Back got the crossword for the final push
Never really got into my stride with this one so it turned into something of a slog to get across the finish line. I did enjoy 1&22a plus 4d although I was initially concerned for our favourite rabbit when I read the clue for that one!
Thanks to Zandio, I presume, and to Mr K for the review. Pleased to see that others filled in for him on the feline front.
I enjoyed this Friday test. LOI 21a – I agree with RD as to the word play indicating a lurker
However, lots to like with 1a, 2d, 3d and 12d my favourites with 12d the winner as they’re a hobby of mine
4*/4*
Thanks to all
A suitably testing puzzle for a Friday. I got stuck for ideas in the South and needed MrK to give me a nudge for 26a. I got fixated in trying to find a mathematician that might fit, but as soon as I saw the hint it unlocked the remainder without too much further trouble. My podium comprises 10a, 24a and 9d in top spot. Thanks to compiler and Mr K.
Some mixed reviews above, which I found a bit surprising. I loved it.
Smooth surface reads throughout and perhaps on the lighter side for a Friday puzzle?
I was racking my brains to see if I could come up with a mathematician of that name at 26a before the penny dropped.
My favourite clue? I had hoped that you weren’t going to ask me that question. If pushed, I would probably go with the cryptic definitions at 3d and 12d.
Please pop in and identify yourself, clever setter.
Thank you, Mr K, for interrupting your Thanksgiving celebrations to enlighten us.
I think it has been another good guzzling week, George had already filled in 1a and 3d by the time I got back from the farm shop with apples for the week. We are lucky to have 8 bells in our tower and a keen team of campanologists. Our two oldest bells are 1615 and 1616. I went looking for an Ancient Greek at 26a and spent a little time on 21a as I thought the champion was ‘ace’. Many thanks to the Setter and to Mr Kay. I think I got away with my defamation of Juice without Bits earlier in the week! 🤭
I did the same with ‘ace’.
A steady solve for me rather than cantering effortlessly to the line but no less enjoyable for that. No parsing issues today. Another vote for 3d as favourite. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K.
A testing puzzle for me with spot on clueing.
Favourite was 26a followed by 1a and 25a for the synonyms.
going for a 4/4 thanks setter.
Another tricky Friday puzzle again this week as far as I am concerned. A few clues that the parsing is unfathomable to my brain. For this reason, I agree with Senf that it is likely Zandio.
2.5*/3*
Favourites 13a, 16a, 3d & 12d — with winner 3d
12d made me chuckle as did 18a
Thanks to Zandio & Mr K.
A seasonal picture of Charlie the cat – he’s been gone for nearly a decade but as you can see he did like to do the Saturday GK Crossword while wondering whether he might like a mince pie
Hummmm, had those pies been left in such close vicinity to my three spaniels, there wouldn’t even have been time to take the picture! Even (handsome) Charlie seems to be thinking about it … or is he just mulling over 1D?
I am sure Charlie wouldn’t have been waiting if they had been mice pies.
Groan!
Some lovely clues and, for me, some brain manglers but I managed to finish it which is always a plus.
Top picks for me were 26a, 2d and 3d.
Thanks to Mr K and the setter.
Having done the crossword earlier this morning I thought “gosh, that’s the toughest back pager we’ve had for a while, but what a superb lurker, equally one of the best for a while”. Came in here, saw Mr K’s rating and first words of 1a, and realised I’d done a totally different crossword, not even the Elgar Toughie. Ho hum!
But this was an absolute cracker of a Friday DT back pager: chewiest of the week, plenty of exercise for the LGCs, chuckles aplenty, and ticks galore. Podium to 21a 24a & 8a, with runners-up 7d, 9d, 12d & 17d.
Thank you setter, and thank you also Mr K
That one was HARD, yes, I’m shouting! I did, with a huge struggle, complete the north, but south needed lots of help from Mr. K and a DNF with 17d. It’s Friday, what did I expect? I did like several, though, 20d, 24a and 7d amused, but 1a and 3d were outstanding.
Thank you setter, “who dat?” as they say in Noo Orleens. I reely, reely needed you today Mr. K, so bushels of thanks.
I tried to watch tele and do this at the same time. I had to abandon the drama and concentrate on this “melodrama ‘
Finished but was very challenging. SE corner last to fall. Particularly liked 24 and 26 .
Thanks to all. Ps
Got 2d correct but needed the hint, grrr my knowledge of coffee is nil I haven’t touched a drop for nearly 40 years. No excuse though
Fran, IMHO the stuff produced by the shop in 2d bears very little relationship to coffee.
RD, IMHO it’s marginally better than some of the “stuff” produced by its competitors! ☕️
An extremely fine Friday challenge which I found a little easier than yesterday. I needed to check the parsing of a couple, one of which was my own fault for missing the answer in the clue, due to the digital layout I missed 18 at the end of 7d so could not see what my answer referred to. There were some magnificent well disguised anagrams but I had 3d as my favourite today. 26a was last in as I wracked my brain for every mathematician I knew before I realised what was needed.
Many thanks to the setter for the fun and to Mr K for the hints
I missed the “18” as well, huge penny drop moment when I twigged.
As I said earlier this Bee with turophile tendencies loved 16a
12d was a bit of a poser- for some inexplicable reason (and it fitted the checkers I had at the time) I had crosswords for 12d (what could be nearer to hand when solving?)
Here is another bunch of kiities
Oops forgot to thank MrK and Zandio – I guess I know who to expect on Sunday
Good afternoon
First of all, on checking back yesterday’s comments, I incorrectly attributed yesterday’s crozzie to the Mind Of Zandio; it was, I now see, a Silvanus production. I am prepared, though, to put a couple of bob on today’s grid being the work of the MoZ (and I must disagree with our esteemed blogger Mr K: a fourser today, definitely!)
It took ages to find a way in; I had thought that not even my Lucky Green Pen could save me. I had to go out after getting 25% of the way through and come back in and crack on. Thankfully I got ’em all, but I must confess to having entered UNINHABITED at 7d, which would explain why I couldn’t parse the bloomin thing!
An excellent crozzie today. COTD: a tie between 1a and 26a; the best of a superb bunch.
Many thanks to the MoZ (presumably) and, of course, to Mr K.
Phew, what a relief after yesterday. Thoroughly enjoyed the workout from start to finish. Is this really Zandio today? Only asking because I can rarely get on his wavelength, but today everything just made sense. Sorry Kath, but I have a three way tie for COTD, 15a, 26a and 12d. LI was 17 d and I’m not sure if I’m right. Thanks to setter (?) and Mr K for giving up some of his turkey day for us. Son in law cooked as usual for us, always grateful for that delicious meal.
Hello all, compiler here. Thanks very much for taking the time to solve, analyse and discuss. Greatly appreciated.
Hats off to the man with the sideways mind! Loved it.
Thank you for your hard work, Zandio and for popping in. You beat me – again but I think I’m getting the hang of your offerings albeit slowly.
Nice puzzle! Several head scratchers but all very fair. Really enjoyed the solve.
Phew, that was a tussle but such fun all the way through to finish. N beat S to it. Last in was 21a as I don’t readily equate it with start. A couple where it seems to me there is no actual reference to the solution only the means to it (2d and 26a). Thank you Zandio and MrK.
Forgot to mention trio of Favs – 24a, 9d and 12d.
I always need lots of “electronic help” (well, mostly). Just delighted to finish without resorting to the hints (but often need to look at a few for the parsing). I liked 3d which I got immediately and 2d which I needed Mr K to explain. Thanks to Mr K, setter and all for the lovely cat pics.
Took me the best part of the day to crack this one, but looking back on it, it should have clicked much earlier. Thanks to all who did the heavy lifting for Mr K with the cat pics. 🦇
Hello, infrequent commenter here. I found today’s puzzle a steady solve, unlike yesterday’s that I still have a tricky one to solve, I haven’t looked at yesterday’s hints but am hoping for inspiration. Back to today’s puzzle my favourite was 16a and loi 1d. Might I ask if anyone has had success in getting their renewal quote for the digital newspaper subscription reduced
Tricky tricky. Needed lots of help today. Thank you Mr K!
Posting so rarely i shamefully neglected to offer thanks to Mr K and Zandio
Unfortunately 1d threw me so the NW took ages but Mr K finally came to the rescue. Thank you Zandio for a tough but fair challenge – really liked the cheesy anagram
A slow solve for me. Really struggled to gain a foothold for some reason & the solve extended well beyond usual back page time. Very enjoyable nevertheless. 3d my fav.
Thanks to Z&K
Thank you to Zandio for the enjoyment; I also liked the clues that everybody else mentioned. This was a slow start for me, but things sped up towards the end. Thank you to Mr K for explaining 25a, whose parsing beat me.
4*/4* …
liked 3D “Member of a ropey team that plays for the church (10)”