ST 3311 (Hints) – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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ST 3311 (Hints)

by Senf  

Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3311 (Hints)

Hints and tips by Senf

A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where the meteorologists are trying to convince us that by this time next week we will be basking in +19 degrees!  However, they have yet to make any predictions about pigs being able to fly!

For me, and I stress for me, Dada as quirky as he can get with his personal thesaurus on his desk, I had the Dalwhinnie on mine.  Two long uns, five anagrams (one partial), two lurkers (one reversed), and no homophones, all in a slightly asymmetric 28 clues; with a somewhat generous 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues.  And, remember, my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!

Candidates for favourite – 12a (probably an oldie but goodie), 15a, 23a, 5d, 16d, and 18d.

As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.

Don’t forget to follow the instructions in RED at the bottom of the hints and the blog’s  Comment Etiquette – Big Dave’s Crossword Blog!

Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also”. Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious.

A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions.

Some hints follow:

Across

7a Cold: most ice melting on the surface (8)
The single letter for Cold (on a tap?) and an anagram (melting) of MOST ICE.

12a Financial concern about king mucking about> (6,8)
A (6,7) phrase equivalent to financial concern containing (about) the designator for King in chess.

15a One or two cafe workers, though no corkers! (1,3)
What is left when the letters for CORKERS are removed from (though no) cAFE Workers.

20a Error in data entry I spied, not small – row of figures to look at? (8,6)
An anagram (error in) DATA ENTRY I sPIED with the S removed (not small).

23a Adorable skill of dog in park? (8)
A double definition – the second might be a skill shown by a dog when being exercised in a park?

25a Devil appearing like an animal (6)
A synonym of devil (when describing a small child?) and a (1,2) phrase borrowed from our neighbours across the Channel equivalent to appearing like an.

28a African billionaire gladly provided backing, to some extent (8)
The reversed lurker (provided backing to some extent) found in two words in the clue.

Down

1d European staff (4)
A double definition – the first is our favourite four letter European.

3d Nasty cold consuming kid at first (4)
A three letter synonym of cold containing (consuming) the initial letter (at first) of Kid.

5d Calm as a silent dove, you might say, bearing north (8)
A (3,4) phrase that might describe (you might say) a silent dove containing (bearing) the single letter for NORTH.

8d Unlikely youth will lose out over old cry of the hunt (5-2)
A synonym of unlikely (when applied to a story?), YoutH with the interior letters removed (will lose out) all placed before (over) the single letter for Old.

13d Store lacking in commodities originally overwhelmed by shoplifting, say? (3-7)
The initial letters (originally) of Lacking In Commodities contained (overwhelmed) by what shoplifting is an example of (say).

16d Awful, heartless war made a deep impression (8)
WaR with the A removed (heartless) and a single word term for made a deep impression (on a trophy?).

24d Great being around a source of provocation (4)
A term, that some may not agree with, for a great being containing (around) A from the clue.

26d Idle thinker (4)
It took a while to convince myself that this is a double definition and I am still not certain – but, if one uses one’s {the answer} is that being a thinker?

Quick Crossword Pun:

TREE + COLT + ART = TREACLE TART

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Seasons in the Sun is an English-language adaptation of the 1961 Belgian song Le Moribond by singer-songwriter Jacques Brel, with lyrics translated/rewritten in 1963 by singer-poet Rod McKuen and further modified by born and raised in Winnipeg, Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer Terry Jacks. It became a worldwide hit, from Australia to Zimbabwe, for Terry Jacks reaching number one for four weeks on this day in 1974:

36 comments on “ST 3311 (Hints)”

  1. A most enjoyable and gentle start to a beautiful warm Sunday morning – setter, presumably Dada, in a benign mood, I thought. Plenty of smiles throughout at some great surfaces and witty constructions. Ticks everywhere, so will limit to 20a, 25a & 26d (I just wish there had been a sufficiently famous thinker to be known simply as ‘Eric’) with runner-up 28a for the silk-smooth surface.

    Many thanks to Dada, and of course also to Senf

  2. A bit of a curates egg for me. Half of the puzzle was reasonably straightforward, the other half took a bit more teasing out. I thought 5d was excellent along with 23a and these are on my podium with 8d in top spot. Thanks to Dada and Senf.

  3. 2*/3*. A pleasant diversion for a sunny Sunday morning before getting outside to do some gardening.

    I didn’t know the required meaning of “hack” in 6d, and 4d took me longer than it should have. (Why, oh why, do so many people nowadays use the dreadful howler “should of”?)

    Thanks to Dada and to Senf.

    1. I think, bizarrely, that should of is a corruption of a badly (or hastily)
      enunciated should’ve. But I agree, it’s almost as bad as bad as Haitch!

  4. Many thanks to Dada for a most enjoyable puzzle.
    I was a little slow on the uptake for 15a (no corkers), which made it my favourite.
    I also liked 23a, 4d, and 5d.

  5. Dada’s on top form today with a fairly gentle and witty puzzle – thanks to him and Senf.
    I liked 15a, 25a, 28a and 26d with my favourite being 5d.

  6. A really enjoyable puzzle with not a single questionable clue. A bit too tricky for me as I needed help for the last 3-4 clues. 9d last in and could only parse with the help of Senf. Too many great clues to single any out. 12a made me laugh the most though the answer had appeared fairly recently I think – I wish I could remember how it was clued before. Thank you Dada and Senf

  8. I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle with lots of smiles. I was slow to get going though and thought it would be too tricky for me but once I got a toe-hold it came together. LOI was 24d.

    Top picks for me were 25a, 18d, 19a, 2d and 5d.

    Thanks to Senf and Dada.

  9. Our setter was being quirky with a vengeance as far as I was concerned and it’s just as well I didn’t have any pressing commitments this morning.
    Plenty of ticks on my sheet after I’d filled the grid with top honours going to 15a & 5d.

    Thanks to Dada for the quirks and to Senf for the hints and the music – really couldn’t have named the singer who turned it into a hit!

  10. For me, and I stress for me (© Senf), this was an enjoyable guzzle to solve, in that at first glance it was a ‘Waaaahhh’, but solving each glue slowly but surely gave sufficient checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues (also © Senf).

    Took me a while to parse 2d but I geddit now. Good glue, indeed.

    Yesterday we had luncheon at The Drummond in Albury before 2d-ing on a lovely walk around and beyond the village. so cheery seeing all the trees becoming greener, almost by the day.

    Thanks to Da-doo-ron-ron and The Meteorologically Challenged Man From Manitoba.

  11. Dada on top form today – not too tricky & very enjoyable. Plenty of likes incl 12,15&25a plus 5,6,8,16&18d.
    Thanks as ever to D&S.
    Ps The poster for Bryan Singer’s wonderful The Usual Suspects must be the most iconic 20a in film.

  12. I found the south more tricky than the north with several there needing a lot of head scratching. It did not help that an accidental spelling error crept in and held me up for ages. I really liked 8d and several of the anagrams.

    Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints.

  13. I thought this Dada was about the middle of his spectrum, not as friendly as some and as normal, with Dada at the helm and agreeing with Senf’s comments, plenty of quirkiness as well as his personal thesaurus well thumbed through to my way of thinking.

    2*/3.5*

    Favourites 12a, 19a, 20a, 2d & 21d — with winner 12a

    Thanks to Dada & Senf

  14. What a ghastly couple of days. Losing passport on Friday and getting involved in huge accident in A3 yesterday on way to Portsmouth. Stuck for hours and worried would miss boat but loads in same predicament. So now in v foggy conditions in Bay of Biscay. Brain so mangled still have 4 to do and can’t solve even with the hints. Disappointing as ages since dnf, but there we go. Thanks to CS for trying!

      2. Oh dear, hope things improve and you have a good trip. At least you have something to occupy your mind!

  15. I’ll share the curates egg posted above please! Started off at a gallop, then slowed, now a 2x DNF!
    Needed the hint to get 5d and to parse 8d.
    Loved 12a, 15a and 20a.
    Don’t like 26d if the answer is according to the hint – and that was my best guess too.

    Welcome any hint for 19a and 18d if they can be supplied to put me out of my misery without banging anyone’s head on the naughty step!!!

    Thanks anyway to Dada and Senf.

      1. Thank you so much! Got there with 19a despite no help from the ‘characters’ in my Gravatar! I have answer(s) now for 18d but still not happy with them. Thanks again though.

  16. Enjoyed today’s offering, last in 26d. I think (😊) the second word in the clue and the answer are mere colloquial synonyms so not much thinking required … once the light comes on!
    My cotd was 2d.
    Thanks to stter and senf.

  17. Great fun, gentle and full of wit and charm, perfect for a sunny Sunday afternoon. The simple yet elegant 15a was my top pick.

    Many thanks to Dada and Senf.

  18. 2.5* / 4* Enjoyed this puzzle with a good mix of clues, only one I can’t quit parse is 4d .

    Thanks to setter and Senf

    1. 4d – definition is Middle Eastern, the reversal (up) of all of guess a country, which happens to be in the Middle East, which contains (holding) the two letter abbreviation for the Territorials (when they were known by that name).

  19. Off at a gallop with almost r&w in the North but the lower half was a completely different kettle of fish and dnf prior to seeking some electronic help. Thanks Dada and Senf.

  20. We weren’t keen on 3d though got it straight away but thought the rest were really good. Favourite was 5d. Thanks to Dada and Senf.

  21. Found this benign on the left and tougher on the right. Not sure what the definition is in 18d, but I can’t make the answer fit. Otherwise a very enjoyable challenge today, with COTD shared by 12a and 23a, with 23a just edging into first place. Thanks to Dada and the ever helpful Senf.

    1. 18d – a definition by example (say) of small plane and as Huntsman wrote in Comment 15 ‘ the wee plane isn’t airborne.’

  22. A great puzzle solved whilst sat in the sun in my garden. Agree that Dada was indeed in a quirky mood today. I spent ages on my last one in 5d – the silent doves. Took me a while for the penny to drop. Realised too I got 4d wrong. Just checked it on Danword having submitted. Never mind. Lots of fun and enjoyment. Thanks to Dada and Senf.

  23. A very pleasant guzzle to finish a nice, relaxing sunny day. No cooking either, as DD2 came over with a dish of ‘leftovers’ from last nights dinner party which just needs heating up. ☺️ I really liked 18d and 20a made me laugh. 24d was my last one in. Many thanks to my friend Senf and also to Dada for the cranial exercise.

  25. Late on parade again although I finished the guzzle by 5 a.m. i felt like I was on wavelength straightaway and thoroughly enjoyed this absorbing crossword with just the right number of headscratchers. I liked the 7a and 5d Lego clues, the 4d geographical clue and the anagram at 20a. Thabks to Dada for a lovely guzzle and to Senf (for the hints(it sounds like your weather forecaster are speaking with forked tongue again, Senf)

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