Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31070
Hints and Tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment ****
A very enjoyable midweek puzzle which is good fun – thanks to our setter.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and indicator words (e.g. anagram indicators) are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons.
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Across
1a Stapler, cryptically, that might help heal fracture? (7,4)
PLASTER CAST: a neat reverse anagram to start – the answer provides an anagram (fodder followed by indicator) for the word STAPLER.
9a Emotion that’s pointless in court (4)
LOVE: double definition, the second the tennis term used to mean having no points.
10a Bigotry online? React furiously (11)
INTOLERANCE: an anagram (furiously) of ONLINE REACT.
11a Regularly eking out difficulty (4)
KNOT: regular letters from the central two words.
14a Sounding horn here in South London (7)
TOOTING: double definition, the second a district in South London.
16a Small, slight timeless plant (7)
SAFFRON: the clothing abbreviation for small followed by a synonym of a slight or insult without the physics abbreviation for time.
17a Cheap-looking Glaswegian vegetable picked up (5)
TATTY: a homophone (picked up) of a Scottish word for a vegetable traditionally served alongside haggis and neeps on Burns night.
18a Singer not having friend over in Silicon Valley city (4)
ALTO: a city in Silicon Valley without its leading synonym for friend and abbreviation for a cricket over.
19a Greek characters reportedly stable, much improved (4)
MEWS: these dwellings based on a converted stable sound like (reportedly) letters from the Greek alphabet.
20a Access system name behind corporate symbol (3,2)
LOG ON: the abbreviation for name follows a corporate symbol.
22a Sharp piece of wire that’s used to fix locks (7)
HAIRPIN: double definition, the first how a sharp bend on a road may be described.
23a Douro city featuring walls of Ionic colonnade (7)
PORTICO: a city in the Douro region of Portugal contains the outer letters (walls) of Ionic.
24a Dead fish seen around lake (4)
COLD: a popular food fish contains the abbreviation for lake.
28a Join viscount periodically somewhere on the East Coast (11)
CONNECTICUT: a synonym of a verb to join followed by the even letters of viscount.
29a Break crisp biscuit (4)
SNAP: I tried hard to make this work as a triple definition but didn’t succeed so I’ve left it as a double definition with the first one a verb.
30a Gosh! OAP Enid Batty is looking great! (2,4,5)
IN GOOD SHAPE: an anagram (batty) of GOSH OAP ENID.
Down
2d New in – large piece of firewood (pine) (4)
LONG: the abbreviation for new is inserted in a piece of firewood (I’m not sure why it’s ‘large’). Pine here is a verb masquerading as a noun.
3d Drunk necking hard liquor measure (4)
SHOT: a habitual drunkard contains (necking, i.e. swallowing) the pencil abbreviation for hard.
4d Polished part of table leg, antique (7)
ELEGANT: hidden (part of) in the clue.
5d Tea time natter (4)
CHAT: stick together an informal word for tea and the physics abbreviation for time.
6d Where to find patient teenager’s excellent horse? (4,3)
SICK BAY: glue together a young person’s slang word for excellent or cool and a word for a reddish brown horse.
7d Resort where Big Ron goes running around end of pier? (6,5)
BOGNOR REGIS: an anagram (running) of BIG RON GOES containing the last letter of pier.
8d Creatures bound to keep dry in High Street premises (7,4)
BETTING SHOP: a synonym for creatures and a verb to bound or jump contain (to keep) the 2-letter abbreviation meaning dry or alcohol-free.
12d Document holder – diplomatic pouch? (7,4)
ATTACHÉ CASE: definition and cryptic definition, the first word of the answer being a junior person on an ambassador’s staff.
13d Allow IT firm to develop base in the Highlands (4,7)
FORT WILLIAM: an anagram (to develop) of ALLOW IT FIRM.
15d Country to talk incessantly (5)
GABON: when split 3,2 the answer can mean to talk endlessly.
16d Knock back fortified wines in fit of temper (5)
STROP: reverse (knock back) fortified wines (from the 23a Douro city?).
20d Call in Col. North to defend the President (7)
LINCOLN: hidden (to defend) in the clue. Colonel Oliver North was heavily involved in the 1980s in a scandal involving the sale of arms to Iran.
21d Saw description of bun in unadorned state (7)
NOTICED: split the answer 3,4 to get the description of an unadorned bun.
25d Open party peacekeepers put on (4)
UNDO: a festive party preceded by (put on, in a down clue) our usual abbreviated peacekeepers.
26d Tripping up? (4)
HIGH: double definition, the first drug-related.
27d Spring to start suddenly (4)
JUMP: double definition, the second meaning to start suddenly or flinch.
Top clues for me were 1a, 6d, 8d and 26d. Which one(s) led the way for you?
The Quick Crossword pun: BRUISE + FOUR + SCYTHE = BRUCE FORSYTH
Good mornibg. I raced through this completing 75% of it in the first pass. However there were a few that held me up and even when I got them, they took time to parse.Standout clues are 1a, a very gentle opener, 9a, 14a, 18a, 20a, 16d, and 15d. Many thanks to Gazza and setter.
Now that I have parsed 6d, I am giving it top marks😂
I found this a tad more difficult than usual for a midweeker but it was all the more enjoyable for the stiffer challenge. i go along with one of our blogger’s choices for favourite, 6d, and my final entry was 26d. Really entertaining.
Many thanks to our setter and Gazza.
When I saw the grid my heart fell as it’s often the four letter answers which are hardest. I shouldn’t have worried though as I went around the edge completing the majority of those first. A lovely puzzle with lots to like.
Top picks for me were 6d, 8d, 18a and 30a.
Thanks to the setter and to Gazza. Loved the cartoons and Wolfie Smith brought back good memories
Huh. I always start with the short ‘uns! I’d agree that short double-definitions can be very tough.
3*/4.5*. This was great fun although I did find the NE corner rather tough. I had a lot of ticks with my crowded podium comprising 1a, 9a, 19a & 26d. Great Quickie pun too.
I made life difficult for myself by confidently entering “leap” as my answer for 27d, which left me puzzling over 28a for quite a while until I realised the error of my ways.
I’ve never heard of the city in 18d so needed Google’s help to understand why my answer was correct.
It’s probably a complete coincidence but there seemed to be a lot of double letters scattered across the grid.
Many thanks to the setter (could it be Karla or Hudson, although the latter is perhaps less likely as he is on Toughie duty today) and to Gazza.
I was another ‘leap’er at 27D which caused me a bit of trouble.
I progressed fairly rapidly through the rest of the puzzle until I was stuck on 19A. I’m ashamed to say I did a ‘reveal’ letter to help me over the line but once I saw the answer, I thought it a very clever clue.
Thanks to the setter and Gazza.
Found this a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde puzzle. About 80% of the answers flew in and then a grinding, screeching halt with four clues left, scattered across the grid. Had to resort to e-help, though I really should have got two of them. Needed Gazza’s wisdom to parse 8d, which was one of the hold-outs. ***/***
Absolutely no idea about 19a so will have to see the hint, how can a four letter word with two letters already in it be so tricky?
Here’s something else that I just can’t fathom, why when I buy a bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice from the supermarket, am I not supposed to have the intelligence to recycle both the bottle and the cap without the two being held together by a bond that two opposing dray horses couldn’t break?
But when I buy a two pint container of milk I’m magically considered to suddenly have the wit and green conscience to manage to get both the cap a lid safely into the recycling bin all on my own?
Where will this all end, maybe we should all have our gloves joined on a piece of string to the sleeves of our coats again just like the first year at primary school.
If anyone can explain the tether thing I’d dearly love to know the thinking behind such lunacy…..
EU directive which producers implemented across Europe to harmonise manufacturing processes. Not sure why milk cartons don’t – perhaps because they’re all locally produced in the UK?
I’ve got used to them now, and don’t really find them an inconvenience. When i recycle, I squish the bottle and put the cap on to reduce the size in our small recycling bin, so separating the bits is not an issue.
Gawd knows how I missed the greek character in 19a, as an electronics engineer (funnily enough working for a company started in the place referred to in 18a in 1939) I used it on a daily basis ordering parts and writing reports, oh well, years ago now…
What fun that was, highly entertaining, it did take me a while to get started however. A few of the 4 word ones needed head scratching but I always find those hardest. I had 6d as a favourite but it was a close run thing.
Many thanks to the setter and to Gazza for the hints.
A fairly quick solve, although a few clues held me up including the rather good 19a. Other favourites were the ailing nag at 6d, the specialist accountant’s premises at 8d and the country at 15d. Thanks very much to the setter and to Gazza.
A very enjoyable not too demanding mid-week challenge. I will go along with RD’s suggestion of the setter being Karla – 2.5*/4*
Candidates for favourite – 14a, 2d, 12d, and 21d – and the winner is 14a.
Should 28a have had an indication of which East Coast? Without checkers, the answer could have been Scarborough.
Thanks to Karla, or whomsoever if it is not he, and to Gazza, especially for the reminder of Citizen Smith.
Agreed on the East Coast indicator. I’m surprised RD didn’t pick up on this.
Struggled with some of the 4 letter clues and had to look up the spelling of 28A. An enjoyable Xword with 6D as my COTD ***/***
It’s interesting your comment re 28a.
I have never pronounced the 6th letter when I say it aloud, and probably never will
No one does, J.
It used to be spelt Cannitticutt, meaning the c you’re referring to wasn’t in the word. So, why would people pronounce it, when it got introduced, as you need to pause when saying it which was never going to happen.
Fair enough!
The only occasion when I’m ever likely to spell it would be in a crossword.
The sixth letter is never pronounced over here. For spelling purposes I just say it as a 7-1-3 letter word.
Loved this puzzle Last one in was 19 across. It’s the short ones that can be so difficult. However it came in the list of ticks along with1 and 20 across and 21 down. Off to exercise class now.” Sound mind in a sound body “ although both a little dicky these days.
Thanks to our cunning setter and Gazza today
As others have already mentioned – I also found the 4 letter double definitions tricky as well as a a fair few others. But all the more enjoyable for the brain work out.
One query tho – I’m fairly sure 16a isn’t a plant – but is the stamen from one?
Thanks to the setter and Gazza for the usual comic images
An excellent quite challenging midweek offering I thought. WIth the added bonus that as a long-term resident of the 14a South London District I had a bit of an unfair advantage! The two nearby clues both related to the Portuguese city felt a bit inelegant in an otherwise top class puzzle. I was defeated by the 19a which was annoying as it is a clever clue. Thank you setter an blogger
A great midweek tester that I thought I’d struggle with due to the 12 four letter rascals.
I’ve never heard of Douro and the parsing of 18a would sit well in an Elgar toughie. As you know, I’m not a fan of setters playing around with synonyms but will give them the green light if it’s the most obvious option. But, using an obscure place in Silicon Valley is madness, I tell you. Madness.
It’s a shame that Enid isn’t Nora’s sister (she had two). But, it’s still a good clue.
The first word of 6d will throw some people. I can’t stand the term though, for some reason, I’m okay with ‘wicked’ from the 1980s.
My podium is 30a (great fun), 5d (neat) and 20d (superb lurker)
MT to the setter and Gazza (top pics!)
3*/4*
More challenging than yesterday’s offering and the grid pretty much completed apart from two or three of the 4-letter clues around the outside. All gave way apart from 19a so had to resort to the hints and a copy of the Greek alphabet. I actually read it as a triple definition – a homophone, and two more straightforward definitions. So a near miss from me today.
Favourites for me today were 16a, 28a and 26d.
Thank you to the setter and to Gazza for the hints.
Mostly straightforward with a few more subtle clues to keep the little grey cells working.
19a was also my LOI.
The stapler at 1a, the timeless plant at 16a and the creatures keeping dry in 8d were my picks.
Thanks to our setter and Gazza.
Couldn’t work up the same amount of enthusiasm for this puzzle as our reviewer has done but perhaps that’s down to what seemed to be a reliance on geographical GK.
Top clues for me were 1&16a plus 6d.
Thanks to our setter and to Gazza for the review – loved the cartoons for 1a&15d, you certainly know where to find them!
Add me to those befuddled by 19a. Even after checking out the alphabet the penny still took an embarrassingly long time to drop & only did so after sneaking a peek at what Gazza had underlined. I’m not sure I’d realised they were converted stables. Otherwise a trouble free solve though did have to check the city in Silicon Valley. A very enjoyable puzzle with 1a & 8d my picks from a fine selection of clues.
Thanks to the setter (Karla seems a good punt) & to Gazza – great pics as per & nice to be reminded of South London’s Popular Front.
Just done the Quickie – cracking pun & a rarely seen pangram too.
A more difficult Wednesday puzzle this week I thought, but maybe just me. Not in the best frame of mind this Tuesday night as I tackle this.
2.5*/3*
Favourites 1a, 14a, 22a, 30a, 2d & 7d — with winners 1a & 14a
Sales for 5d, 15d & 27d along with 14a too.
Thanks to setter and Gazza
Sales ??
I raced through most of this, but then the SE corner and a couple of the pesky four-letter words slowed me up.
If anyone knows who Enid Batty is please shout, otherwise I would humbly suggest that 30a is not a great clue. Sorry setter.
Are there many 8 downs left on the High Street? Good job you retired when you did, Huntsman!
I liked the surface read at 5d, the teen slang at 6d (the concept, not the word!!) and the anagram at 13d.
Like others, I didn’t know the US city at 18a.
CoD was 19a, my last one in.
Thank you setter and Gazza.
Hi Shabbs.
Enid Batty is a made-up name but it obviously conjured up Kathy Staff’s hilarious character which made me smile.
I’m okay with it as we often seen random first names as anagram fodder like ‘Big Ron’ today (I think it’s unlikely the setter is referring to the ex-footy manager).
Reckon over 40 of the shop I used to oversee in Central London have shut down. They’ll be lots more closures too if Rachel from accounts clobbers the industry in the forthcoming budget, as is strongly rumoured – Betfred threatening to shut their entire estate.
Hope the weather in Norfolk better than here 🤞
S, 30a. Pray tell – what’s the problem with using a fictitious name in the surface of a cryptic clue? Surfaces are mere contrivances to carry the cryptic word-play and don’t need to be factual/true. In this case the surface is very smooth and the name is well chosen because the forename is part of the anagram fodder and the surname is the anagram indicator. A fine clue in my book!
And the surname has good misdirection via false capitalistion too.
I was held up by having entered Beta for 19a on the spurious basis of a homophone of much improved. As it was clearly wrong I resorted to Gazza for enlightenment. Very clever clue, so makes my podium along with 3d and 23a. Thanks to compiler and Gazza
Seems I’m on double duty today, so to speak. Don’t think that’s happened before. Thought I’d better confess and let Karla off the hook.
Many thanks for the blog, dear Gazza, and to those who have left a comment.
best wishes to all, Rob/Hudson
Oh well that’s another 10 bob in the bookie’s satchel.
Thanks, Hudson, for popping in and for the splendid puzzle.
Very enjoyable. Like many, raced through and then got stuck on a couple of 4-letter answers: the infamous 19a greek letters, I too wanted to use ‘beta’ and 26d Tripping. Needed Gazza’s hint for the former. Otherwise, so many ticks, can’t mention them all. So I’ll go for a top three of the 1a stapler reverse anagram, the 8d establishment for a lovely construction and the 18a singer. I’ve worked in SV and hence the city name came quickly and I love the construction of not having the friend over. Having picked the three, have to still mention the lovely surface of 13a, it’s so good when a clue reads like a completely normal non-cryptic sentence!
Many thanks to the setter and Gazza
Newish to here – some came on first pass. Others got the answer and just couldn’t work out why which irks me. All in all good fun and I love this website. I’m learning all the time.
Re 28a . It would help, until we do become part of the USA, to be told this is the East Coast of another place not the UK.
Else very enjoyable time in Richmond UK
An excellent midweek puzzle. Wednesdays seem to be a bit more challenging than they used to (a good thing!). Fine clues provided an enjoyable tussle. I’ve never noticed before that the East Coast state had a second C in it! Quite a few ticks and I’ll select 18a and 30a for special mention. 3*/4*.
*Here’s quite possibly the best record ever released in the history of recorded music. And my answer to the stranger is: I don’t know the way to San, but I am called Jose. How did he know my name?:
I was encouraged today by getting 1a straight away but it was a false dawn and didn’t last!
I was held up by some of the 4 letter clues today as many were. However, 18a was one of the easy ones as I spent one Summer in Stanford. Beta came to mind for 19a, I thought the correct answer very clever. Thankyou to setter and hinter. I really liked the cartoons.
Thanks to Hudson and Gazza ( for the hints). As usual we didn’t start this until mid afternoon. Found it straight forward apart from a couple of clues. COTD 8d LOI 19a.
Just finished after a visit to our local garden center. Unlike most above, I found this a bit of a tussle, and needed more hints than I would like. Not sure where cast comes from in 1a, I believe 16a actually comes from the crocus, and never been to a 8d so that didn’t spring to mind. Otherwise enjoyed. Thanks to the setter and Gazza. Now need to get outside and get the winter plants into the soil, including geraniums, begonias, periwinkles, lantana etc. It’s that time of the year here in South Florida, when the weather cools enough for the plants that can’t take the summer heat.