Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3339 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where it is cooling down and the red scarf has been very much in evidence. It is getting close to the time when the black coat will have to come out of the closet!
For me, and I stress for me,© much better than last Sunday but not much value for money with only 27 clues. Three longish ones, 7 anagrams (4 partials), 1 lurker reversed, and no homophones; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid, you should/might be able to get the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues.
If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
Candidates for favourite – 11a, 16a, 23a, 2d, 14d, and 21d.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the what I very subjectively perceive to be the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.
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
1a Carpenter in fast-food outlet? (6)
It’s always good to get the brain going with a simple to solve double definition – the first is a soubriquet.
10a New day in which wine knocked back (6)
Guess the abbreviated form of one of the days of the week and insert (in) the reversal (knocked back) of one of the generic terms for wine.
13a Blade in France Viking used (7,5)
An anagram (used) of FRANCE VIKING.
16a Quick exchange – of swordsmanship? (3,3,6)
A term relating to the use of a sword which can be equally applied to rapid exchanges in an argument.
20a Executed and taken away (7,3)
A double definition – the first might apply to the completion of a task.
23a Stop in top gear? (8)
Almost, but not quite, another double definition – a (4,4) synonymic term for stop that might apply when driving and the car behind you lights up like a Christmas tree as the occupant(s) of said car wish to have a conversation with you can be reduced to a single (8) word for an item of top gear.
25a Turn lid on yoghurt, opening jar (6)
The first letter (lid on) of Yoghurt inserted into a synonym of a verbal synonym of jar.
Down
1d Heather left after council cleared out office (8)
All of one of the other names for heather and the single letter for Left placed after CounciL with the interior letters deleted (cleared out).
3d Most of urn, it filling pot – proper sort? (7)
All of URn with the last letter deleted (most of) and IT from the clue inserted into (filling) a type of pot – not the recreational pharmaceutical type!
7d Always wily, head scratched in unusual manner (6)
A poetical(?) synonym of always, perhaps written as (1’2), and wILY with the W deleted (head scratched).
9d Cock with hen is stirred up for poultry dish! (7,4)
Careful selection of words from the clue required – an anagram (stirred) of COCK and (with) HEN IS followed by UP from the clue.
14d Nasty clothes are mostly second-hand (9)
A synonym of nasty contains (clothes) ARe with the last letter deleted (mostly).
18d Youngster needs partner to the utmost degree (7)
A synonym of youngster, often combined with tiny, and a synonym of partner.
21d Smell in a capital city, according to those who live there? (5)
A from the clue and the name of a capital city as spelt by its inhabitants (according to those who live there).
Quick Crossword Pun:
POLICE + TURNOVER = PLEASE TURN OVER – Hmm, unless anyone has any better suggestions.
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I had heard of this group but I was surprised to find out that they were British. Formed in Manchester in 1971, soul group Sweet Sensation came to prominence after appearing on the ITV talent show New Faces. They are probably best known for their only Number One hit, Sad Sweet Dreamer, which reached that position for one week on this day in 1974:
Overall a fairly benign Dada today, with the odd crumpet scratch on a couple of parsings, but that was probably me being dense or muzzy headed after an excellent dinner at our son’s home last night. Podium places go to 16a, 9d and 5d with honorable mentions to 12a and 21d. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
After severely depleting my reserve stock of old backpagers and toughies whilst cruising the Aegean, it’s good to be back on the terra firma of current puzzles.
I found this one to be enjoyable and entertaining, though the discharge referenced in 12a did induce a wince this Sunday morning.
Not sure if the AI police on this site will investigate the one used in 21a, but what do I know. It may well already have already been questioned and released without charge.
My COTD is 14d, a jumble sale reference, with a designer label surface.
I’ve marked several excellent clues from the many I liked whilst on my travels and shall summon up my inner TDS (morning, Tom) and drop one or two in on this site now and then to share with others
In the meantime, there’s so many jobs to crack on with at home, starting with the lawns…
Nice to hear from you, Frankie Dubs and good to see The Lions in the top six. They just can’t seem to get to the next level, can they. A torturous team to follow.
Splash as an AI? Oh, perleeeeeeasse.
It’s always been the same, Tom.
When watching them, we travel with hope, never expectation.
In Fools And Horses, grandad predicted they’d win the FA Cup.
We got to the final in ’04, which led to a trip to Budapest but since then excluding a couple of play-off wins, the letters FA sum up all we have won. Still, I reckon this season…
This time next year, Rodders…..
Love the FA comment!
Having knocked us out of the Carabao Cup I was most surprised when we (Sky Blues) gubbed you 4-0 at The Den a few weeks ago.Had quite forgotten your FA Cup final appearance. Ours was 87 + we were cruelly denied the opportunity of getting a likely walloping by Pep’s mob when VAR ruled out our winner as offside by a toenail having come back from 3-0 down to Man Utd.
Your team really took us apart, Huntsman, the scoreline was fully justified, we were lucky to get nil. You’ve got some top players. Wright, Simms, Asante and Sakamoto have all impressed me either this season or last.
We made the trip to your gaff last December and had a few jars with some of your boys in a cracking pub which surprisingly let us in. Had a great couple of hours with them, ending in handshakes all round.
Cov will go up this season, lean on me.
My rating is 2*/2.5* for a reasonably enjoyable not too difficult puzzle with 12a, 23a & 1d on my podium.
I can’t make any sense at all out of the surface for 3d.
Regarding the Quickie Pun – (a) it is dreadful, and (b) is the second word really a cake?
Thanks to Dada and Senf.
P.S. Mrs RD and I went to see Paul Zerdin at our local theatre yesterday evening. What an absolutely wonderful show from a supremely talented performer.
Regarding the pun:
(a) Yes, it’s dreadful and, as I have commented before, overall Dada is not the best of punners.
(b) The second word is not a cake. The Crimson Tome and that unimpeachable source Wikipedia agree that it is a small pie.
I found this very enjoyable, the north east caused the most head scratching although now I am not sure why. It might have helped if I hadn’t accidentally put in a wrong letter in one of the answers, which is easily done when solving digitally.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints.
I made things difficult for myself by writing in the wrong answer to 3d, which hd me up in the NEcorner. The mistakespotted and corrected, I soon finished off this SPP. I liked the cryptic definitions at 15a and 16d abd the Lego clues at 14d and 18d. Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints.
Quite a mixed bag today with everything from the easy to the head-scratching with a few ‘well I suppose so’ moments thrown in for good measure. Podium places handed out to 12&23a plus 14d.
Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints – like you, I remember Sweet Sensations but had always assumed the band members were American.
Enjoyable puzzle from Dada – thanks to him and Senf.
I tried (in vain) to think of a word starting polyst… for the Quickie Pun so I suppose that Senf’s suggestion must be correct but it’s not great.
My ticks went to 12a, 23a and 15d with a double-tick for 14d.
This all fell into place quite quickly with the grey cells not being put through it.
I spent far too long trying to get an anagram of ‘clothes ar’ in 14d.
My podium is 12a (nice construction), 1d and 14d.
MT to Radio and Senf.
2*/3*
I did most of the toughie at a lazy breakfast whilst G was reading the main paper so now tackling this over lunch, it has all fallen into place except for 21a. Can it really be that easy? What am I not seeing? Frankimillwall ( I suppose that is a footbally reference?) refers to A I which doesn’t really help. Oh for goodness sake! I’ ve just fallen in. Sometimes the simplest ones are the hardest to get. All good. I’m going for 25a as my favourite as it is a nice word and I like yoghurt. Raining here in Cambridge, might have to curl up on the sofa. Many thanks to the Setter and my man in the Red Scarf.
DG and any others who might be at least a little confused – AI has been ‘developed’ as an abbreviation for Anagram Indicator, not Artificial Intelligence, in this instance. At least it is better than, to quote BD in Comment Etiquette 13, one of those dreadful portmanteau words which I won’t repeat here or anywhere else.
Apologies for the confusion, Daisy.
I got told off for using rekrul a few months back and have since desisted. AI however has been widely used by multiple contributors on this site, so I assume it passes muster.
Nothing wrong with AI as shorthand for Anagram Indicator as far as I am concerned. It beats the ‘dreadful portmanteau word’ by a country mile!
Sorry but AI to me is that dreadful new-fangled stuff that’s reportedly going to take over everyone’s jobs – and doubtless going to make a complete ‘horlicks’ of everything!
Rekrul isn’t portmanteau, Senf.
It’s just lurker spelt backwards to indicate a, well..
I was referring to the ‘dreadful portmanteau’ word for Anagram Indicator.
Fair enough, it is awful.
I enjoyed this but my brain felt a bit mangled at times.
Top picks for me were 23a, 12a and 14d.
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
Have also done today’s toughie which I don’t usually attempt but it was very enjoyable today and worth a try.
For me, and I stress for me (© Senf), this guzzle produced just the right kind of wrangle for my level. As so often my last one in was a little one; despite having checking letters I still had to do the alphabet thing.
These days, whenever I catch a cold it immediately becomes bronchitis which is a nuisance, but after having suffered for two weeks I am sufficently recovered as we are (most unusually) going to two gigs, on successive nights at the same venue. Cough sweets at the ready.
Thanks to Da-doo-ron-ron and, unpacking the blankets, The Man From Manitoba
To see?
For me, I thought Dada was quite unfriendly this week as this puzzle seemed at the difficult end of his spectrum.
Definitely quirky and plentiful use of his personal thesaurus IMHO.
3*/3.5*
Favourites 10a, 23a, 5d, 9d & 19d — with winner 23a
Smiles for 1a, an old chestnut, 11a, 7d & 19d
Thanks to Dada for the brain ache & Senf for blog/hints
Found dada pretty gentle this week. Nothing held out for too long. The NE in general being the last to fall. I’ll have a podium today as three clues got the big ticks: the 12a effluent, 14d nasty clothes and 15d lack of grammar!
Many thanks to dada and Senf.
Jolly good!
Cantered through this one with the odd smile and a couple of Mehs, but overall a very satisfying completion.
I too spent far too long on 14D trying to solve an anagram of clothes & ar….great mis-direction by Mr D – definitely a ‘Doh’ moment when the penny dropped!
Thanks, as ever, to Senf for the blog ‘n hints👍
Cheers!
A middling kind of thing today. Enjoyable 20, 13 and 16 linked if you like gore ?and on my list for a gong but 5 is my winner . Thanks to all .
2.5*/ 3.5* I found this quite tricky and got stuck for a while on 14d and 25a for some reason. Some nice clues though including the aforementioned turn at 25a, cleaner at 12a and the simple but effective 21a
Thanks to setter and Senf
Completed this one without any help. Strange because the Monday and Tuesday puzzle, that so many said was easy, I couldn’t finish unaided. Perhaps it was because I had plenty of time on a wet afternoon watching the women’s cricket.
Thank you to Senf and the Setter
Nothing held us up for too long and all parsed so happy days. Favourite was 15d. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Not a big fan of the grid today, and much evidence of Dada Quirkiness especially in the pun. Thanks to Dada and Senf, my own hat and scarf 🧣 is out of the wardrobe too today.
Zandio recommended the Toughie today along with some contributions by Samuel (CL). He is much more generous at 30 clues and not as tricky as his Friday backpager.
Perfectly enjoyable though didn’t think it top drawer Dada & not a patch on yesterday’s prize puzzle. 14d my pick of the clues with podium spots for 16&23a.
Thanks to D&S
Found this enjoyable and chewy in places and got totally stumped at 25a my last one in so appreciated the hint – got it finally. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
I was relieved to find a friendlier Dada this week, albeit I did need help to finish. But that is down to me as I really should have figured out the remaining answers on my own, they weren’t rocket science. COTD to 12a despite being my LI. I had completely forgotten the 23a term having not heard it for 40+ years on this side of the pond, but luckily Peter helped me out. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Here’s hoping Steve Cowell is doing ok.
Enjoyable and not too challenging although I struggled with 4a and 5d and LOI 25a.
14d and 23a favourites today.
Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Oh dear, I fear I am becoming increasingly old fogeyish but find myself more and more out of kilter with setters’ thinkimg these days. However, by fair means or foul I did finally sort this out. Splashed in 21a plus shabby in 6d and duplicitous in 17d all jar for me as indeed does the well used wine in 10a. My apologies for being ungracious but thanks anyway Dada and Senf.