Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30911 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by crypticsue)
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After a misty start, it looks like we are going to have one of the promised warmer days so once you have solved the crossword, you should have plenty of time to get out in the garden
I am not sure who set this one so will be interested to learn the thoughts of others
Please ask for help if you are stuck on clues I haven’t hinted, but before doing so, please read the comments that appear before yours, so that you are not duplicating questions, and make sure you obey both THE INSTRUCTIONS IN RED at the end 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.
Across
6a Great success of Brown and Green, say, taking to the air first (6,7)
Taking to the air goes first before shades such as Brown and Green
9a Ring for help after boat has capsized? (8)
A ring used to help while waiting for rescue from a capsized boat
11a Out of uniform, samurai possibly one of three soldiers booked? (6)
An anagram (possibly) of SAMuRAI without the letter represented by Uniform in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet produces the name of one of three fictional (booked) soldiers in a French historical adventure
14a First opportunity (7)
The first appearance of a play or exhibition; an opportunity for action or a vacancy
20a Hear about game banning outsiders? Cunning! (8)
Hear (in a court case perhaps) goes about the inside letters (banning outsiders) of a game
26a Lunatic in French river, we hear (6)
IN (from the clue) and a homophone (we hear) of a French river
27a One travelling from pole to pole? (9,4)
A cryptic definition of something carried by a particular type of pole in order to transmit messages
Down
1d Cancel my working for plant (8)
An anagram (working) of CANCEL MY
2d As one on the pitch? (2,6)
In complete agreement or having a sound of the same pitch
6d Tense, but outlook could not be better (6,7)
This grammatical tense sounds like the outlook could not be better
15d Get to island with two different kings (3)
Get to or annoy – the abbreviation for Island and the Latin and chess abbreviations for King
18d Skilled performer not quite in charge (8)
Almost all (not quite) of a performer and the abbreviation for in charge
19d Caught in lacy pants? Doubtful! (7)
The cricket abbreviation for Caught inserted into an anagram (pants) of IN LACY
22d Come out east and join up (6)
The abbreviation for East and a verb meaning to join up
As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT, or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES in your comment. If in doubt, leave it out
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The Quick Crossword pun: LAKE + BUY + KARL + RUSSIA = LAKE BAIKAL, RUSSIA
A particularly disappointing quick pun as only the second and third words are actually punned
Unless I am missing something, I cannot make up my mind between two four letter words which could complete 27a. 🤔
Otherwise an enjoyable puzzle with no standout favourite.
Thanks to setter and CrypticSue.
Dave, I think you’ll find that only one of your two options for 27a is in the BRB.
Thanks. Looks like I picked the correct one and eagerly anticipate the arrival of the Mythical (if my other answers are correct).
You can bet your bottom dollar I picked the wrong one then – no pen 🖋️ this week
Yes. I feel the same way.
1.5*/4*. I enjoyed this light and fun SPP. I am leaning toward NYDK as the author, with a slight concern about the possible mini-Nina in the top row perhaps indicating that this is his final Saturday offering? I hope this is not the case.
6d was my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to CS.
Terence where are you ? (perhaps on your way to Stamford Bridge) – 4d is perhaps worthy of an entry on The List ?
A couple that required some thought, namely 1d and 4d; other than that fairly straightforward.
Thank you to the setter, and to CS. BTW, the hint for 6d contains part of the answer.
Easily done but now corrected
I was totally unconvinced by my answer to 11a, and indeed I was missing the obvious as CS’S hint confirmed. Other than that hiccup, this was an enjoyable and elegant puzzle. Many great clues but I’m going to pick the three letter 15d as cotd from a long list of contenders. Thanks to compiler and CS.
Had to look up the hydrocarbon, but apart from that it was plain sailing all the way…..
Very enjoyable puzzle. Defeated by 4d which didn’t feature in chemistry A-level 40 years ago. I guessed the wrong order for the vowels. Particularly liked 2d, 20a, 25a, 27a but lots of other good clues. Thanks to setter and Cryptic Sue.
Great fun for a Friday evening of SPP solving with no obvious indications as to who the setter might be – 1.5*/4.5*
Candidates for favourite – 6a, 8a, 9a, 23a, 6d, 15d, and 22d – and the winner is 6d.
Thanks to whomsoever and CS.
PS 25a Is normally a single 8 letter word these days (ie not 4-4 as clued)
A pretty steaightforward guzzle with a bit of a scientific theme. I liked the 4 long clues, the cryptic definitions, 9a and 27a, rhe double definition at 9d and rhe 7d anagram. Thanks to CS for the hints and to the compiler
Though Chambers has it only as (4-4), and as that is the ‘bible’ for DT setters, we can have no complaints – indeed there would certainly have been the odd gripe had it been enumerated as (8)!
I really don’t think the setter is at all aware of the actual meaning of the word which is the answer to 17D. It certainly does not mean either “jumble” or “mess”…
Welcome to the blog, DavidH.
How did you like the puzzle?
The setter obviously looked in the BRB where ‘jumble’ is the first definition of the solution
👍
An enjoyable puzzle while it lasted. Had to check 4d was correct as new to me.
Top picks for me were 27a, 23a and 20a.
Thanks to CrypticSue and the setter.
Apart from having to look up the next List contender I thought this was a pretty straightforward guzzle which had enough in it to make it a 2 star rather than 1 for difficulty in my opinion, but certainly 4 for enjoyment
Thanks to Setter’n’Sue
I absolutely loved this. Spot on for a Saturday.
I even got the spelling of 4d, a truly bonkers word, that will never been seen again, using my etymological knowledge which I could explain if anyone is interested.
Not an easy task to pick a pody but I’ll go with the excellent cryptic definition 9a, 23a and 19d.
MT to the setter and she of the crypt.
2*/5*
I’ve now decided I miss the usual NYDK linked clues! 4d didn’t come up in my chemistry studies and 1d was new to me too. 11a also eluded me until CS’s hint – thanks CS! Not totally convinced with that clue even with the answer – what purpose is the word “booked” serving?
Thanks to setter (I hope it’s not ‘ciao’ from NYDK) and crypticsue
Hi AP
Booked, with a question mark, means that this character can be found in a book as well as ‘reserved/ordered’ for the surface.
👍🏻
A perfect Saturday puzzle for me.
Fairly clued.
What’s not to like.
Thanks to the setter and to crypticsue.
We are eagerly awaiting the warmer weather up here…but no sign so far. In fact, I have had to put the heating on……
Once I realised 27a wouldn’t work with one of Mark Knopfler’s finest moments I bunged in the wrong ending, so no 🖋️ for me today.
Otherwise a fine puzzle. I hope the goodbye in row one is just coincidental, but the rest of the perimeter would suggest that Fee Boats has been selected as successor
Thanks to Sue and Compiler
Well that was bright and breezy after the excellent but rather minding bending puzzle of yesterday that I finished this morning having fallen asleep over the last few clues last night. I too wondered about the parsing of 20a but the hint made it clear. Last one in was 4d that I hadn’t heard of so had to google to confirm. Enjoyable solve. Thanks to setter and CS .
Enjoyable Saturday guzzle. I’m also in the camp that had to look up 4d but otherwise not too many problems. Unfortunately, unlike CS’s clearing skies, we still have a rather chilly sea fret over us with the sun trying hard to peep through. Our Lidl were giving away huge boxes of fruit and veg for £1.50 so I got one, nothing wrong with any of it. Thanks to the mystery setter and CS, I’m useless at guessing the setter.
A very enjoyable puzzle with lots of excellent clues. I fear I also may have the wrong ending on 27a but can justify my perfectly reasonable answer! I think I was being a bit too clever as before I hit on the right idea I was thinking about maps. I hope as this one has been hinted I have not said anything worthy of the naughty step, that said I fancy some cake. I did not know 4d so checked after that my guess was correct.
Many thanks to the setter and to CS for the hints.
This puzzle didn’t feel like a NYDK offering. Several words I did not know either this week, but had to be what they were with the cross checking letters.
2*/3.5*
Favourites 8a, 27a, 2d, 15d & 22d — with winner 27a with 8a a close second.
Smiles for 8a, 27a & 15d
Thanks to setter & CS
Perhaps I’m dim, I have an answer to 20a the meaning of which is a word from the clue, but from that I can’t work out what the word that surrounds two letters is.
The definition is cunning. As the hint says, you need a synonym for hear put round a sport without its outside letters
You could write the extent of my knowledge about hydrocarbons on a quarter of a postage stamp with room to spare so 4d was a coin toss as which order the 3rd & 5th went. A subsequent check with Mr G confirmed tails a good call. I’d heard of the flower but hadn’t a scooby what it looks like.Otherwise straightforward & greatly helped by the 4 long ‘uns going in pretty quickly. Top 3 for me – 11&20a + 6d.
Thanks to the setter & to Sue
Lovely puzzle, completed earlier this morning as the sun was peeping over Dartmoor in the east. As for others here the hydrocarbon was new to me, but otherwise it fell into place swiftly. COTD 20a.
Many thanks indeed to the setter – especially for having 28 clues to fill the 28 answers! Thanks also to CS
Best Saturday puzzle for a long while, no annoying linked, multi word clues for a start. Everything well clued, some needing more thought than others, but answers well within reach, even for me. LI was 11a as I went down the wrong fork in the road, and did have to research hydrocarbons for 4d. Otherwise a great start to the weekend. Big thank you to the setter (come back soon 😊), and to CS.
Obviously we hadn’t heard of 4d, who has?, but at least it was an anagram all the rest were pretty straightforward for a Saturday. Lots to like with favourite being 20a, there were other contenders. Thanks to the setter and CS.
Thanks for your kind comments
Thank you for the workout Cephas!
Good to see you again – more like that please
Thanks for popping in. Good to see you again
That was such a lot of Saturday afternoon fun with an initial speedy ride in the North and then the rest gradually coming quite quickly on board. It is such a pleasure to have clues which actually make sense rather than being merely far-fetched word jumbles. Had forgotten 11a so needed prompt otherwise unusually completed on my Jack Jones. Wonder who this kindly setter is but thanks to him/her anyway and I do hope for more similar. Thanks too to CS for being there for us as usual.
An enjoyable puzzle which for me does not come across as a doorknob publication. I’m with TDS today for the podium slots.
Thanks setter and CS.
27a 9,4 there are 2 possibilities for the second word that both fit, depends if you use UK or US origin, though both used commonly.
You were just Martin when you last commented so this required moderation. Both versions will work from now on.
They Walk Like Camels
Message from Mrs TWLC, where is Brian? Hope all is well.
1.5* / 4* An excellent prize puzzle, favourites 1a, 11a and 20a
Thanks to Sue and Cephas
Thank you to Cephas for the crossword and CrypticSue for hosting. I mostly did this as on paper on a train to York for a tour of the minster and afternoon tea, but the plant and the hydrocarbon had to wait till I was home for checking online; in both cases I’d guessed wrongly with the non-crossing letters!
For 27a, I originally put in an answer, then realized that a different middle 5 letters (end of the first word) would be a better term, then as I got down answers, it turned out I’d been right in the first place! 15a is my favourite, for its definition.
General questions about the Telegraph APP:
Are there known problems with “Streaks” disappearing and “fastest times” changing for no apparent reason?
Thanks – I enjoy the blog please keep it up!
It seems to happen when clearing browser cache and cookies, it can be irritating, but I find it better to do the “housekeeping” regularly as my laptop and phone get a bit sluggish if I leave it too long
Nice puzzle. Just right for an early evening in the sun with a 🍺 after a day of toil on the laptop😎
Ps unsure about 15d now I’ve read the hint🤔
The Quick Crossword pun doesn’t half murder the English language.