Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30816
Hints and tips by Smylers
Greetings from Ottawa, where the weather has been pretty much as expected, and the locals have been out creating entries for the animal snow sculpture competition.
Hang on, that doesn’t seem right …
I’m not Falcon, and this is Ilkley, where we encountered the delightful snow creatures above in the park after church yesterday, and I’m here because Falcon’s off playing hookey. (Hmmm, that doesn’t seem quite right either — but it was definitely something that sounded like that.)
Happy New Year to everybody in the Big Dave community, and welcome to today’s crossword. In the hints below, definitions are underlined and the rest is wordplay. This crossword felt a little different to me, so it may not be the work of our regular Monday setter. Do comment below with how you found it. Comments from new folk especially welcome — there’s an etiquette guide to help everybody fit in.
There was a comment last week listing ‘penny dropping’ among phrases often used on the site. Let’s avoid saying that today: it’s January 6th, so if you have a sudden moment of realization while solving this puzzle, the appropriate term to use is ‘epiphany’.
Falcon will be hinting the next couple of Mondays; I’ll be back in 3 weeks, immediately after this website’s Birthday Bash in London, where I’m looking forward to meeting people in person. Do come along — everybody reading this is invited.
Across
1a A container with a type of meat, brought back for His Highness? (8)
MAHARAJA: Bring back all of the following, by writing them from right to left: the first A from the clue; a container, for instance one found on a breakfast table; the second A from the clue; and a type of meat.
5a Eats fast and makes snide comments (6)
SCOFFS: Double definitions can sometimes be quite hard to hint; beyond underlining both definitions, there isn’t much else to say.
9a A solicitor’s livelihood, perhaps, that makes for perfection? (8)
PRACTICE: The term used to describe the offices where soliticitors (and other professionals) earn their livelihood is also what can be done to get perfect at something.
10a Part of description needed for cast (6)
SCRIPT: The answer here is not an adjective meaning ‘needed for cast’, but rather a noun of which that description is true. The word required is literally part of ‘description’.
12a Paint Mr James maybe, returning to nature (9)
DISTEMPER: This was a word that I didn’t know was a type of paint. It’s formed by taking the first name of a famous Mr James (an actor), returning that in the sense of sending it back(wards), and ending with another word for somebody’s nature.
13a Victor going topless? That’s part of the target! (5)
INNER: ‘Victor’ in cryptic crosswords very often is using the Nato alphabet to indicate the letter V. But not today, where we want another word that means ‘victor’, then to make it go topless by chopping a bit off the top of it. Except that leaves us with a 6-letter word with each letter missing a bit — so instead, pretend this is a down clue and instead chop off the entire first letter.
14a Join, with an objection? (4)
ABUT: The wordplay is a phrase meaning ‘an objection’, often in the sense of a spoken caveat.
16a Agrees to change Sierra’s lubricants (7)
GREASES: Here we do want the Nato alphabet: change the order of the letters in ‘agrees’ and follow with the letter represented by ‘Sierra’.
19a Character of the first noted individual? (7)
PERSONA: Think of a word for an individual (as in a human being). Now imagine you’ve got a row of them and you were labelling them in order — how might you describe the first one?
21a Show a prisoner in the mirror, perhaps (4)
GALA: Take the A from the clue and after it write one of the usual crossword words for ‘prisoner’. Look at that in a mirror and all the letters will be backwards. But ignore that and see that the letters in that order spell out the answer.
24a Figures made from silicone snap (5)
CONES: This answer isn’t a synonym for ‘figures’ but items in the category of figures (in a particular context). We can make it from consecutive letters in the clue’s last 2 words.
25a Lame storm possibly becoming a danger to shipping? (9)
MAELSTROM: Find another possible arrangement of the letters in the first 2 words in the clue.
27a Being eaten by human? I’m alarmed (6)
ANIMAL: The definition is a noun. The answer has been eaten by the last 3 words in the clue.
28a Abrupt request after dinner for proof of identity? (8)
PASSPORT: This is one of those clues where you need to guess the answer first then see how the wordplay works: think of a word that meets the definition and has the required number of letters, then see how it could be split into a two-word phrase which is an abrupt version of a request somebody could make at the end of a dinner party.
29a Empty one’s lungs: no longer fit and well (6)
EXHALE: Follow a prefix meaning ‘no longer’ with an adjecive meaning ‘fit and well’.
30a Occasional table, kind of? (8)
PERIODIC: A double definition in which the second is the name of a well-known table in the sense of a grid of information.
Down
1d Brooded on the last of useless vehicles (6)
MOPEDS: Follow another term for ‘brooded’ with the last letter of ‘useless’.
2d Listen to someone totally vacant in black car? (6)
HEARSE: Start with another word for ‘listen’ then make ‘someone’ totally vacant by removing all its inside letters.
3d Concerning neckwear – knot again (5)
RETIE: Follow the usual abbreviation for ‘concerning’ with an item worn round the neck.
4d Flag best raised to get a lot of money (7)
JACKPOT: Start with a word for a flag, especially on ships. End with a word that means ‘best’, raised so that it’s going up the grid.
Click the image to read the full comic strip (and see the character’s name), from Corr in 1970.
6d Joyce regularly served up unusual Chilean red (9)
COCHINEAL: Start with some letters taken from ‘Joyce’ at regular intervals, and follow with an unusual arrangement of the letters in ‘Chilean’ — unusual for an anagram, because it only involves swapping 2 letters.
7d Show head justice (8)
FAIRNESS: Follow a type of show, one which might be held in a field, with another word for ‘head’ as in a headland.
8d Agitated star: is it this writer? (8)
SATIRIST: Agitate the letters of the following 3 words until they spell out the answer.
Pic credit: Raph_PH
11d Amphibian confused for good (4)
FROG: Confuse the word ‘for’ by writing its letters in a (slightly) different order, and end with the abbreviation for ‘good’.
15d Reserves unlikely retail outlet (9)
BOOKSTALL: Begin with a synonym for ‘reserves’ as a verb. End with a word that can mean ‘unlikely’, for instance describing a story that’s unlikely to be true.
17d Clever chap gathering speed – it started with rockets (5,3)
SPACE AGE: A word for a clever chap or wise person gathers a word for speed, by surrounding it.
18d Display that’s a bit like a trademark? (8)
BRANDISH: The definition is a verb. Think of what a trademark signifies then add a suffix meaning ‘a bit like’.
20d High point for Wile E. Coyote’s supplier? (4)
ACME: Two definitions, the second being the name often seen on products used by Wile E Coyote in Looney Tunes cartoons. Mweep mweep!
21d Danger to blow up first of explosives – with this? (7)
GRENADE: This is something else Wile E Coyote tried to use on Roadrunner. Blow up ‘danger’ so its letters are in a different order, and end with the first letter of ‘explosives’. The definition refers back to the rest of the clue, which cleverly describes the answer as well as the wordplay.
22d Fellow from a senior service, elderly (6)
ARNOLD: The answer is a man’s name. Enter in turn: the A from the clue; a usual abbreviation for one of the armed services; and a word meaning ‘elderly’.
23d Time to get drunk in the City? It’ll make you sick! (6)
EMETIC: ‘Time’ gets drunk and its letters end up in a different order. That’s placed inside the usual 2-letter postcode for the City of London.
26d Food gives us hiccups, to some extent (5)
SUSHI: Find the extent of this answer spelt out elsewhere in the clue.
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:
OAK + LAH + HOMER = OKLAHOMA!
I was defeated by 1a today. I had the correct meat but when it comes to containers I can’t get past tins and cans. I had to use electrons and kicked myself when I saw the required container. That aside, I thought the guzzle was slightly tougher than usual for a Monday but enjoyable, nevertheless. I have several contenders for the top spot but the one that stands above all others, for me, is the abrupt request at 28a. It took me a while to suss out what was going on and I laughed out loud when it dawned on me.
Thank you, setter (Robyn?) for the fun challenge. Thank you, Smylers for the hints, which I will now read.
2 “lols” for me: 19a and the aforementioned 28a. Found this the right level of tricky for a Monday. Thank you and HNY Setter and Smylers for the delightful hints and narrative.
Spot on for a cold Shropshire morning. This may have been over fairly quickly but it was the usual Monday delight that we have come to expect. Like my Salopian neighbour at #1, 28a was the clue that had me laughing and that became my favourite. Great fun.
My thanks to our setter and Smylers.
Trickiest Monday for several weeks, I thought. Perhaps that’s more down to an easy streak over the past few weeks, rather than this one being especially knobbly. That said, I was annoyingly beaten by the SW corner with the crossing pair of 19a and 18d. My COTD was 1a, mostly because it’s just a splendid word! ***/***
Solved a good number of clues on the first pass, but then it got a little bit tougher than usual for Monday. Very enjoyable nevertheless. 1a, 28a and 30a are on my podium today. Thank you to the setter and Smylers for the hints.
I found this a bit tougher than the usual Monday guzzle, particularly the NW corner, which didn’t yield until I had a lot of checkers in. I liked the anagrams at 6d and 25a and the cryptic definition at 28a. Thanks to the compiler and to Smylers for the hints
I agree with those above, definitely tougher/trickier than Monday puzzles usually are which resulted in a drop in enjoyment – 2.5*/3*
Smiles for 14a, 29a, and 30a.
Thanks to presumably Robyn and to Smylers.
For me this was a puzzle of two halves. I couldn’t get started in the NW ( never good when 1a eludes me) so moved across to the east where both north and south went in speedily. Grinding to a complete halt I didn’t get going again until 4d became my epiphany – I’m listening!- and the NW fell leaving just the SW which took as long as all the rest. On reflection, I’m not sure why. A thoroughly enjoyable start to the week. 1a became favourite with podium places for 19a and 28a. Thanks to Robyn and Smylers.
Thank you, Mhids — a gold star for you! ⭐
On the whole, reasonably straightforward.
The “high point” of 20d gave me the solution straight away, but the Wile E… bit meant nothing to me. Many thanks to the setter and to Smylers (as you mentioned, it’s epiphany today – here in Spain it feels very much like their equivalent of our Christmas Day).
Pretty tough for a Monday, I got caught in the SE corner for a bit but got there in the end.
I drove a 2d for over a year as my daily driving car in my late teens, it was 4 litres, and really drank the petrol, here’s a picture of the same model
I took the whole football team to an away match in it once, great fun.
My two favourites today were 6d and 29a many thanks to our setter today.
A tad trickier than we’ve come to expect on a Monday & maybe not as much fun though still an enjoyable solve.12a made me think of the boys’ disappointment when the campsite didn’t turn out to be the nudist camp that they’d bargained on.
Thanks to the setter (Robyn presumably) & to Smylers for his usual comprehensive review
A bit trickier than we’re used to on a Monday but really enjoyable – thanks to our setter and Smylers.
20d was pretty obvious from the checkers but I’d no idea about the cartoon character’s supplier and needed Google assistance to find out about it – rather specialised GK I thought.
Ticks from me for 19a, 28a, 30a, 4d and 18d (I bet that’s Kath’s favourite clue).
After watching Looney Tunes cartoons as a child, I was familiar with the supplier of seemingly everything — like a zany Morton’s for Toontown — years before I knew the ‘peak’ meaning. 1988’s question-mark-less Who Framed Roger Rabbit features the murder of Marvin 20d, owner of 20d Corp, with scenes set in the 20d factory and warehouse and several products making appearances.
Which reminds me, I’m still meaning to read Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, the book it was loosely adapted from (and which is correctly punctuated with a question mark), but an online synopsis makes it sound like 20d was only added in the film.
Quite right, Gazza!
I thought it should be pretty universal GK.
No, Looney Tunes is Warner Bros knowledge! Woody Woodpecker was produced by Universal, though …
(Sorry.)
Sailed through the East but West was a different story however my epiphany eventually dawned and I made it. 18d not too clever. 23d a new one on me. Thank you Robyn for a lot of fun and Smylers for being on hand in case of need.
Well, you’re the latest (so far) to attribute my puzzle to Robyn – probably because I’ve not appeared for a few months…However, our Editor tells me that I’ll be getting another appearance quite soon (I’ve had a few Saturdays more recently, whereas earlier last year I had quite a few Mondays – so who knows?). I’m surprised that some of you hadn’t heard of Wile E Coyote’s equipment suppplier…But all new knowledge is good, eh?
Ha, it was you! Thank you for dropping in and confirming. I’m pleased I mentioned this “may not be the work of our regular Monday setter” — but I now wish I’d been bold enough to say I thought it was by X-Type (or at least “This feels more like X-Type than Robyn to me”, which is something which technically can’t be wrong).
After the several weeks of commenters mainly thanking “Robyn(?)”, I did notice a couple today without the question mark.
Thank you for the puzzle, and great to hear we’ll be getting another of yous soon. And do come and see us if London is a place you can get to.
A great puzzle, X-Type. Thank you for it and pleased to hear you will be supplying us with more soon.
My apologies I was sheeplike and plumped for Robyn. Thank you for setting us a traditionally enjoyable exercise. Hope to see you again soon.
Perhaps a little less humorous than we’ve come to expect on a Monday although the Quickie pun raised a smile. The clever chap eluded me for a while but no problems to report elsewhere. Podium places going to 1,19&29a.
Thanks to our setter, Robyn? and to Smylers for the review.
Loved this puzzle – lots of laugh out load moments and a few penn…ahem.. epiphanies!
Too many fabulous clues to pick a favourite. Great start to the week.
Thanks to the setter and smylers for the witty hints
Ah. It’s an X-type production. This certainly took some work to complete and at one point I stepped away to try and reset my thoughts. It worked. 1a was the last to fall thanks to the checkers. All in all great fun, and the sun has just broken through the gloom. 12a is my cotd. Thanks to X-type and Smylers.
Trickier than the usual Monday fare but nothing made me reach for the hints – but -and – I’m probably wrong, it didn’t have the feel of a Robyn production?
**/***
Thanks to setter and Smylers
I’m not good at recognising setters but I do tend to recognise Robyn’s work so glad I was proved right for a change.
Thanks then to X-Type
I found this trickier than a usual Monday. I took one look at 1a and decided to start at the bottom of the grid and work upwards.
I had to ask my partner to think of some famous Mr James and he came up with the winner.
LOI was 4d.
Top picks for me were 15d, 17d and 6d.
Thanks to Smylers whose blog is always a joy to read and X-Type for the workout.
In Bideford where we lived for some years there was a hearse seen regularly on the surrounding roads and typical of teh 70s it had the names in the wind screen : His and Hearse.
As for Wily Coyote who is he? I didn’t have a television at home or in the flats I live in. My wife and i thought we had better get one when buying something in the local electrial store we looked round to find our three children sitting on the floor watching one. We just had to get one. I wish we hadn’t. It’s the curse of the brain.
I am glad I’m not the only one not to have heard of the bizarre Wile E. Coyote!
Out of interest, have either of you heard of Roadrunner (the character)? The original cartoons were made between 1949 and 1980 (and continued to be broadcast well after then), so while admittedly specialist knowledge, they cover a wider timespan than many cultural references encountered in crosswords.
What about Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd? Presumably you know Bugs Bunny? Perfectly reasonable not to know them — I’m just intrigued as to how widespread they are.
I’ve heard of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck but none of the others you mention. I know nothing at all about them except that presumably one is a cartoon rabbit and the other a cartoon duck.
Bugs Bunny, Daffodils and Elmer Gantry and Elmer the Elephant but not the other oner mentioned.
Very widespread. Funnily enough Roadrunner has recently appeared on Facebook – amazing how many of the said products go wrong and how many different ways there are for Wile E to plummet
I’ve heard of all of them, Smylers not forgetting Sylvester and Tweetie Pie. If you turn Donald Duck upside down you get Trump.
3*/3*. This was much harder than any Monday puzzle in 2024 and certainly didn’t feel like a Robyn composition to me. It was good fun, although 20d was a complete mystery to me and I needed Google’s help to unravel it. I also thought that 3d was rather same-sidey.
Many thanks to the setter and to Smylers.
Ah! Having now read the other comments, I see that I was correct about this not being a Robyn production.
Thanks therefore to X-Type.
Thought this was going to be a doddle. But way trickier than usual Monday offerings, which isn’t a bad thing. 23d a new word for me and for some reason 30a last in. Thanks to X-Type, I’m hopeless at setter spotting
Slightly trickier than usual but good fun – COTD 20d – one of my favourite cartoons.
Thanks to setter and to Smylers for standing in for an ice hookey playing Falcon
I think Falcon has actually been supervising some others, rather than actually playing himself. Apologies for any misleading in the intro, where clarity suffered for the sake of the gag.
A normal sort of Monday offering, with a couple of zingers thrown in this week, at least for me.
1.5*/3.5*
Favourites 5a, 21a, 30a, 7d, 15d & 22d — with winner 30a
Smiles from 7d, 15d & 22d
Thanks to X-Type & Smylers
Today I tried the Cryptic, the Quickie and that weird Cross Atlantic and they were all tough!
The DT crossword dept must still be grumpy following a New Year hangover. All three were below standard and not to my taste at all.
Hoping for a better selection tomorrow
Thx for the hints
****/*
Enjoyed this – it took my mind of the flipping computer which is driving me mad. I think there’s a good chance of someone else winning the mythical this week as I cannot work out how to attach a scan -, or a file! Nightmare. As soon as I got 1d I got 1a, everything else fell into place nicely and I agree with others that 30a was outstanding. Many thanks to X-Type and to Smylers. And more thanks to Smylers and Senf and RD for Little Venice directions. I feel silly being apprehensive but it is such a long time since I scuttled round the underground with gay abandon. As I typed that I had a sudden flash of seeing people sleeping in the underground during the blitz. Memories, eh!
Hi DG, perhaps you didn’t see my travel tip which avoids the Tube?
You must live near Stansted and there is a National Express coach that goes directly to Paddington.
Thanks for the suggestion but to get to Stansted I’d have to either go into trumpington to get a coach to Stansted or drive there and have to park the car etc etc. I think I can cope with the train!
Hello DG!
I hope you have a lovely time at Little Venice – trust me – you will!
Remember that I’m the one who was born with no sense of direction at all and even I didn’t get lost once!!
🥰
Trickier than recent Mondays but fun nonetheless. I enjoyed cracking the whole thing but particularly liked 1a once I had my epiphany with 6d in close second as I like the word!
Many thanks to X Type and to Smylers for the hints.
This was a step up from the usual Monday fayre which was therefore satisfying to solve.
Lots of nice surfaces though 3d didn’t test the grey cells that much.
I loved Wile E; such a legend.
My podium is 1a, 28a and 23d (a new word for me).
Many thanks to X Type and Smylers.
3*/3*
Tricky or what – I really didn’t know what to make of this one at all!
Thanks to X-Type for the crossword and to Smylers for the other bits.
As others have said – difficult for a Monday and not who with have come to expect but very enjoyable non the less
3*/4*
28a my favourite today
And a trip down memory lane with the Coyote!
Thanks to all
Probably because I’m so rusty, but I found this tricky for a Monday, particularly in the SW. I managed on my own up to there then had to go in for a hint, finally DNF with 15d and had to reveal the answer. I only got 1a when 4d fell. I hope everyone got 20d? I call that GK that everyone should know. Fave was 28a, but 20d and 6d pleased.
Thank you setter, and your help much appreciated Smylers.
To be honest, I have no idea what 20d is/was – it was a total bung in.
Hear, hear DG
The NW slowed me down and the Coyote supplier was also not known to me but it had to be.
I didn’t find this too taxing.
Thanks to XType and Smylers.
Cracking puzzle Gromit, Thanks to X-type. If I wasn’t late to the blog I would have assumed a Robyn too, especially as he had Sunday off to allow Dada to appear in the Toughie as well as the (inside) backpage.
Thanks to Smylers for the blog and plugging the Birthday Bash. I will be doing a revised post about it after the review of the Elgar Double Toughie (nudge nudge😉)
Crikey you were up for that gig. I looked at it for 15mins then retreated in haste – had the feel of being asked to climb Everest in flip-flops 😀
Cryptic Sue is doing the review and I am eternally grateful as I have a couple or eight un-parsed, but the perimeter message will be useful for travellers to the venue 😉
Patience is a virtue.
As Mr K said when he published the crossword, the review will be here on Wednesday
Hard going for me but all the clues were fair although with the old American cartoons you either know it or you don’t! Thank you X type and the always entertaining Smylers
A lot tougher than yesterday’s Dada or anything else last week! Like some others, I got badly stuck in the NW corner….all fair enough and an enjoyable challenge BUT if the difficulty level ramps up from here (isn’t that the idea?) I shall certainly be in DNF territory by Wednesday…..
I’m in the tricky for Monday camp, and had to succumb to looking at a few hints to keep going. Some of the answers I had in the margin but was not 100% they were correct until then. I failed miserably with 1a taking completely the wrong fork in the road. Thanks to XType and Smylers.
Very proud right now of grandson and his heavy metal band Chained Saint who played at the Whisky A Go Go on Sunset Strip in Hollywood, CA on January 3rd. Not bad for 4 young lads from South Florida. Plus they’ve already cut their first album.
Now there’s a venue with a history.
I’ve just listened to Corrupt to the Core & Animosity on Spotify while out walking & see that they’re racking up listeners
Congrats to all the young men, Liz, I’ll bet they’re chuffed to the core!
Just watched them on Yew Toob. The Whisky A Go Go? good for them. No wonder you feel proud, DG.
Not me – BL!!
Oops! 🤭
Nice easy listening!!!
Good luck to them
Definitely not music to go to sleep by 😊. I believe the actual term is heavy thrash metal – but it’s all way beyond me.
My mind this morning was just like my front drive,, frozen,,. I couldn’t get to grips with the North West corner until I gave in and looked at the hint for 1a. A did not finish ( without help) for me. I can’t think when that last happened on a Monday. Thanks to all.
A little trickier than a normal Monday 🤔 ***/*** Favourites 9a & 28a and 1d 😃 Thanks to the Compiler and to Smylers
As others I found this very tricky, at least the NW corner.
I find it fascinating that what I consider household names (Wile E Coyote, bugs bunny et al) were unknown to many, but 12a was hardly mentioned. A weird name for a type of paint. Is anthrax also a type of paint?
Anyway, really enjoyed the challenge despite needing the hints for 12a.
Thanks to all.
I thought the clues were very inconsistent in their level of difficulty going from obvious to obscure. For 14 a I put in “knot “ which discombobulated me. Ticks for 28 and 30 a. Having to look up the cartoon reference was annoying so for once the puzzle felt below par or perhaps it was just Rosie who was below par.
Another one in the tricky camp particularly in the south West. Got there in the end though, perhaps just not quite on wavelength. Favourite was 30a. Thanks to X-Type and Smylers.
Thanks to Smylers for the blog and for explaining 12a for me. I’ve heard of the paint but couldn’t parse it. Thanks to x-type for an enjoyable solve.
Well between us we knew both parts of it, then!
Thank you for commenting. As somebody who often solves and comments late myself, I appreciate others also doing that.
It looked harder than the usual Monday, but once the trickier ones fell into place we were away! Thanks to the setter and Smyler.
Our favourites 28a and 30a.
Gary and Val.
2*/4* …
liked 28A “Abrupt request after dinner for proof of identity ? (8)”