Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30923 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club (hosted by Gazza)
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Crypticsue is having a day off so it’s down to me to provide a few hints for the Saturday Prize Puzzle.
I don’t think there’s much doubt about the identity of today’s setter and he’s given us a very entertaining puzzle. I especially liked 23a and 11d.
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.
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A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions.
Across
1a City bank taken in by criminal owners (3,7)
A verb to bank or slope is contained in an anagram (criminal) of OWNERS.
10a Imagined a Parisian coming in for one flat (9)
Start with a verb meaning imagined or visualised then replace the Roman one with one of the French words for ‘a’.
15a/17d Sumptuously rich cake left each tooth black, ruined with decay (5,2,9)
This is an anagram indicated by ruined. Be aware that the fodder includes left and black as abbreviations only.
18a Shopper consumed by MDMA and booze: mistake (7)
A shopper or informer is contained in the abbreviation for MDMA or Ecstasy and an alcoholic spirit.
23a Agree to accept blame? Nothing’s impossible! (2,3,2)
A verb to agree (by making a gesture rather than speaking) contains what you carry when taking the blame. Finish with the letter that resembles nothing or zero.
28a Create fuss: work as set-builder? (4,1,5)
This could mean to design the setting for part of a stage or film production.
Down
2d Non-speaking part broadcast? Feel elated! (4,2,3)
A way to describe a small non-speaking part for an actor (4-2) and a verb to broadcast.
3d Loony drinks French tea – with curled lemon? (5,3,5)
Assemble the word for a set of drinks for all the members of a group, the French word for tea and a curled piece of lemon used to flavour a drink.
4d One Brontë admits exercising without effect (7)
One of the Brontë sisters contains an abbreviation for exercising (on a parade ground, say).
11d That six-grand Terry Gilliam film? (6,7)
What is the slang word for £500 and how many of them would you need to make £6,000?
19d Buddhist figure – bloke a boy follows around (7)
Start with a synonym for bloke then reverse A and a synonym for boy.
20d Revolution about working in spiralling wind (7)
A synonym of revolution or rotation contains an adverb meaning working or functioning.
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The Quick Crossword pun: PLANES + AILING = PLAIN SAILING
A satisfying challenge from the portal opener in the Big Apple. It took a while to get into but once I had a few checkers it began to fall into place. Spent many a happy time in 25a, which is a wonderful place to be. I’ve not heard of the Terry Gilliam film so had to check my answer. I took the advice of others and ignored the linked clue until sufficient checkers showed the way. My COTD is the tea with curled lemon at 3d.
Thank you, NYDK for the fun challenge. Thank you, Gazza for the hints.
It’s a beautiful, sunny day in The Marches so I feel a trip to the tip coming on.
Not being au fait with Terry Gilliam’s films I had to look it up. The resultant roar of laughter when the answer dawned on me made Mrs P jump. This was a puzzle full of wit and humour with the odd head scratch to make it all the more enjoyable. Picking a podium is tough from so many but I’ll add to 11d, the excellent 7d and 3d in top spot. Thanks to NYDK and Gazza.
This was on the money for a Saturday crossy: some good anagrams, a couple of multi-word howdy doodies, a bit of gentle GK and lots of straightforward but beautifully crafted constructions.
I liked ‘shopper’ and, even though I’ve got the answer, I can’t work out how the second half relates to model.
My podium is 15a/17d, 8d and 11d (nicely done)
MT to the Rood Bonk and Gazzeroony.
2*/4*
Think of model as an intransitive verb.
Ah, gotcha.
Thanking you, GZ.
2*/4*. This was a very enjoyable diversion to start the weekend. 19d was new word for me, which may provoke a convocation of Terence’s List Committee.
My podium comprises 15a/17d, 23a & 3d.
Many thanks presumably to NYDK and also to Gazza.
This puzzle was a lot easier than trying to talk to the French estate agents who are tasked with selling our house. Given that I mangle the French language something in English feels less like murder. Several ticks , especially 10 and 16 across and 2 down. Although I got 23 across it took Gazza to explain just how good it was. Thankyou also to our setter for a lively / lovely diversion.
You should have offered them un tasse de thé…
A lovely puzzle on a beautiful day. 3d my favourite but so many entertaining clues particularly the anagrams.
Many thanks to NYDK and to Gazza for the hints.
An enjoyable SPP and most surprisingly for me, my first one in was the linked clue, 15a/17d,no doubt because of my love of good food. STrangely enough I rememberedcwatching the Terry Gilliam film too. Given that film clues and linked clues are usually the most difficult ones for me, a good start. I also liked the geographical anagram at 1a. Thanks to the compiler and to Gazza for the hints.
It can be none other than NYDK for today’s SPP.
Superb stuff here, and I particularly enjoyed the 15 17 warning to cake lovers, or indeed abusers, such as myself. The £6000 clue also I found very original and satisfying. I will now book a dental check-up.
Thanks NYDK for the fun, and many thanks Gazza for the excellent blog.
I am not sure why but many of the clues took some ‘teasing out’ to determine the answers and then I had a spelling error in the second half of the multi – how did I manage that? But, good fun as usual from NYDK.
Candidates for favourite – 10a, 18a, 2d, and 4d – and the winner is 2d.
Thanks to NYDK and Gazza.
Ah! At last, the white smoke billows from the chimney indicating that the committee has approved 21a for THE LIST. Welcome to you 21a – you sound like you should be a Brazilian footballer from the 1970s. “21a overlaps, passes the ball to Jairzinho; he crosses and… Pele fires the ball into the roof of the net! 1-0 to Brazil.”
Tricky guzzle. A bit of a ‘Waaahhh!’ to begin with but I rather enjoy guzzles where I bash away at it. One glue is solved and then I thrash my way through to the next one and so on until only an obscure movie or a Brazilian defender is left.
Thanks to NYDK and PC Security’s most able deputy (hope Sue is ok).
If 21a as a Brazilian footballer makes the list what nationality would 19d be who doesn’t? 😃
Nelson was South African …
I’ll bet you are familiar with the singular word for 21a?
Great puzzle. I thought it was relatively gentle until suddenly it wasn’t and the last 10
clues took some thought. The cotton material was completely new to me and I was also beaten by the Parisian flat. But some lovely clues and as often I liked all the linked ones. Thank you NYDK and Gaza
Some good laughs and a couple of unknowns (11&19d) to keep me on my toes. Stand-out favourite was 3d with the pack hard on its heels.
Thanks to NYDK presumably and to Gazza for the hints and funny bits.
Very enjoyable with just the right amount of head scratching without doing too much damage to the scalp.
Loved 3 & 11d and the devious 10a and have to admit needing Gazza’s assistance to parse 23a
Thanks to him and NYDK
Brilliant. Loved it. I just had to research the film which I did not know. 8d is my favourite. I am sending you all a fragrant bouquet from my garden. Throughout May I pick these ephemeral beauties – I make up small bouquets to hand out to old ladies at Coffee Stop. Every year they are received with pleasure, so I hope you can imagine the smell. Many thanks to Setter & Gazza and if you lived round the corner, CeeSue the first bunch would have gone to you 😊
What a lovely gesture. 🌹
Wish I could visit that coffee shop Daisy. I carried lilies of the valley in my wedding bouquet almost 59 years ago, and they were also embroidered on my wedding dress. Most beautiful scent. Won’t grow here of course.
Oh you are so lucky to be able to grow them. I’ve tried several times in various parts of the garden but they refuse to grow. I buy actual plants too to give me more of a fighting chance. Oh well. I love the fact that you give posies of them away, the fragrance is divine.
We too can’t get them to grow well in the ground, having been given some. But they DO do well in pots, and come back every year……
Most enjoyable guzzle. Thought 11d was clever, although I hadn’t heard of the film.
Thanks to NYDK and Gaza
I’ll be late commenting (if at all) for a while as me and Mrs TC are scuba diving in sunny (very) Bonaire, we have a printer in the villa though, so at least I can still do the puzzle.
Brilliant fun throughout today, with not a duff clue to be seen.
Good luck to our friends over the pond (but not really from my outlook for the next fortnight) with the why of 11d, I’ll bet you a hog to a pony they have to look it up.
Off now as the sea beckons……
Aha! Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao known as The ABC islands, and the ‘Friendly Islands’.
To say I’m well jel, Officer Dibble, is an understatement.
Can you see the mainland of Venezuela as I know it’s not far away or it’s not that close?
Either way….happy holidays!
I went to Venezuela, on business, in 2014, a somewhat surreal experience I don’t think I would want to go again. Worst airport I have flown into and out of – three and a half hours from check-in to reaching the gate for the return flight which was almost fully boarded when I got there – give me Heathrow any day (except when a transformer station has blown up and caught fire in Hayes!).
Duly noted, S.
You’d clearly go Caracus in that airport.
Oh, come on?
No, too far away, but we could when we were on the
island or Margarita once, if memory serves.
Off to dive at salt pier tomorrow, quite shallow, but with shoals of barracudas, so I’ll smear Mrs TC’s wetsuit with tuna oil, and see if she gets bit…..
How marvellous.
Another NYDK puzzle but only one multi word clue this week .. more’s the pity for that. Despite that it was an enjoyable solve.
2*/4* for me
Favourites 23a, 28a, 3d, 4d & 24d —with winner 28a … but was almost 24d, but smiles for both of them.
Thanks NYDK & Gazza
Oh dear I beg to differ. I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy this at all and had to rely on numerous prompts once I had manGed the NE. Comes to something when we have to rely on French tea as a 3d component. I suppose 13a is check out. Thank you setter and Gazza.
Isn’t it funny the different ways in which we perceive the guzzles! It keeps us on our toes and stops us (or me certainly) from being complacent. 😊
Not done a crossword for three days and it showed. We didn’t know the film and tended to solve the crossword in clumps. Favourite was the aforementioned film. Thanks to NYD and Gazza
Two days.
After happily getting Wordle in 2 today, I found this quite hard work, but did finish, albeit with help, and immensely relieved that there was only one linked clue. But better than I usually do with an NYDK production, so feeling positive, so thank you. Thanks also to Gazza who earns POTD for 18a which gave us both a big laugh.
I got Wordle in two as well, BL. My start word was “steak”
Wordled in 5! But still got 100% solve😇. Unfortunately forgotten to do it a couple of times so my ‘streak’ is not massive?
I tend to rush Wordle because I want to get to Spelling Bee so I fluff up one or two. My streak changes on a regular basis.
I’m 100% pss rate on Wordle. Like the new pope and his brother, my 14 year old grandson and I compete. He has the same start word every day but I have whatever 5 letter word comes into my head. Despite this we usually do it in the same number of lines. Mainly between three and four. Today we both picked the wrong first letter to get it in 4. On to the Xword I have four to go none of which are hinted.
Exactly what I did WW. Kept getting the first letter wrong but did manage it on the 4th attempt. My average is only 98% 🙁
I’m like you, mostly whatever word pops into my head, but I do have 3 or 4 also that I use regularly. Elder daughter thinks I am nuts for not using the same word every day…
Mine was a favourite – raise.
No prizes for guessing my pick here – the 11d clue was far better than the film. 19d needed Mr G’s confirmation but otherwise straightforward. 10a,15a/17d&3d other particular likes.
Thanks to Donny & to Gazza.
2*/4* Probably the best of the week, kept thinking that’ll be clue of the day, then another etc etc.
I’ll go for 3d Loony, 16a new converts and the impossible 23a as favourites
Thanks to Gaza for coming off the subs bench and NYDK
It took me a while to get into this puzzle and then I took a scattergun approach.
I had to check on the film and 19d was new to me but fairly clued.
Top picks for me were 24d, 11d and 18a.
Thanks to Gazza and NYDK.
I solved this before breakfast, then have been out parenting for most of the day. This fell into place for me more straightforwardly than NY Doorknob puzzles often do, with everything parsed nicely as well — though I had to check that 5d is actually a word and means what it needed to.
My top few were the 10a Parisian flat, the 2d non-speaking part, and the 4d Brontë. I was listening to Sounds of the 60s on Radio 2 while solving, and the news bulletin mentioned Dua Lipa just as I read the clue for 9a!
Thank you to NY Doorknob and Gazza, and I hope that CrypticSue enjoyed her day off.