Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31084
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty **** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to another challenging Friday back-page puzzle.
In the hints below most indicators are italicized, and underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions. Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers. In some hints hyperlinks provide additional explanation or background. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Butcher's working as barman (8)
SCHUBERT: An anagram (working) of BUTCHER’S. The definition is whimsical, with “barman” being somebody who expresses themselves with musical bars
5a Sportsperson touched by point from opponent? (6)
FENCER: A cryptic definition of a participant in sport where competitors try to touch their opponent with a pointy weapon
9a Authority over Royal Marine perhaps (8)
COMMANDO: A synonym of authority with the cricket abbreviation for over
10a Ford once knight approached initially to cross English river (6)
SIERRA: The prefix for a knight and the first letter (initially) of APPROACHED are containing (to cross) both the single letter for English and the map abbreviation for river. Ford here would be capitalized even if it didn’t occur at the start of the clue
12a Dumbfounded bridge player interrupts a fight (3-6)
AWE-STRUCK: A from the clue and prison slang for a fight are sandwiching the unabbreviated name assigned to one of the four players in a game of bridge
13a False move to board vessel in retrospect (5)
BOGUS: A move in a board game, for example, is inserted in an underwater vessel, and that’s all reversed (in retrospect)
14a Dead level (4)
FLAT: A straightforward double definition
16a Figure from Burundi Mary plainly upset (7)
PYRAMID: The answer is hidden in (from) the reversal (upset) of BURUNDI MARY PLAINLY
19a Nuclear facility concerning Washington, perhaps (7)
REACTOR: A short word for about or concerning is followed by what Denzel Washington defines by example (perhaps)
21a Author deceived over royalties essentially (4)
DAHL: The reversal (over) of an informal synonym of deceived is followed by the central letter (essentially) of ROYALTIES
24a Creature that sheds skin suppressing hunger (5)
HYENA: The inner letters (… sheds skin) of THAT containing hunger or longing
25a Endlessly urge action to develop site of battle (9)
AGINCOURT: An anagram (to develop) of all but the last letter (endlessly) of URGE with ACTION
27a Aromatic herb's smell meeting with indignation (6)
BORAGE: An abbreviation for the smell resulting from not washing is followed by indignation or anger
28a Regard as perfect current Adele hit one's plugging (8)
IDEALISE: The physics symbol for electrical current is followed by an anagram (hit) of ADELE containing (… plugging) the Roman one with its ‘S from the clue
29a Ditch tool to lose weight after time (6)
TRENCH: An adjustable tool for turning nuts has the single letter for weight deleted (to lose weight), and that all comes after the physics symbol for time
30a Number tucking into chicken shows increase (8)
HEIGHTEN: A number less than ten is inserted in (tucking into) a female chicken
Down
1d Flipping disco occasionally centrepiece of country party (6)
SOCIAL: Alternate letters (occasionally) of DISCO are inserted in the middle of (… centrepiece of) an Asian country, and that’s all reversed (flipping) dIsCo inserted in LAOS, all reversed
2d Pinch picnic basket (6)
HAMPER: Another straightforward double definition
3d Curse when cutting sandwich (5)
BLAST: Another word for “when” inserted in (cutting) a sandwich named with an abbreviation for the three major ingredients
4d Clever to escape formidable stronghold (7)
REDOUBT: Clever or talented is deleted from (to escape) a synonym of formidable
6d Capital burden high, almost ridiculous (9)
EDINBURGH: An anagram (ridiculous) of BURDEN and all but the last letter (almost) of HIGH
7d Character willing to supply gin, maybe (4,4)
CARD GAME: A character or wit is followed by willing or “up for”. The maybe indicates that the definition is by example
8d Around piano regularly rehearse old unknown musical piece (8)
RHAPSODY: Alternate letters (regularly) of REHEARSE OLD containing (around) the single letter for piano, all followed by a letter that can stand for a mathematical unknown
11d Miss captain nation abruptly dropped (4)
SKIP: Another word for captain minus (… dropped) all but the last letter (… abruptly) of a South American nation SKIPPER minus PER[u]
15d Teach girl strangely lacking in energy (9)
LETHARGIC: An anagram (strangely) of TEACH GIRL
17d Ban for former partner dismissed from show (8)
PROHIBIT: For or “in favour of” is followed by show or put on display with a short word for “former partner” deleted (dismissed)
18d Like Sark, typically keeping European happy (8)
CAREFREE: A (3-4) phrase describing transport restrictions on the island of Sark is containing (keeping) the single letter for European
20d Faces of rather exquisite Austrian ladies not made-up (4)
REAL: First letters of (faces of) the next four words in the clue
21d Peter out in wild wind, legitimately (7)
DWINDLE: The answer is hidden in WILD WIND LEGITIMATELY
22d Colony member revealing all of novel criticised reportedly (6)
NUDIST: Homophones (reportedly) of both another word for new and a slang word for criticised homophone of NEW + DISSED
23d Scattered seed primarily cuckoo went to eat, right? (6)
STREWN: The first letter (primarily) of SEED is followed by an anagram (cuckoo) of WENT that contains (to eat) the single letter for right
26d Ringing family before emigrating finally (5)
CLANG: A family or group of related families comes before the last letter (… finally) of EMIGRATING
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: SCOOP + EID + WHO = SCOOBY DOO
4*/5*. I thought I was going to struggle with today’s puzzle. Using my normal approach of starting in the NW and moving clockwise round the grid via the NE and SE, I only had a small handful of answers filled in by the time I reached the SW. Then it all started to come together with PDMs aplenty, and I found myself ticking every clue! Yes, it was a challenge, but a very rewarding one.
Many thanks to the setter (my hunch is Silvanus) and to Mr K.
Having visited Sark, I confidently inked in my answer to 18d which parsed perfectly.
This left my last two, 27a and 29a.
I had all the checkers but just couldn’t solve them, so I went back over the three down clues.
All OK, though something had to be wrong…
Then the PDM.
Sark was not carless! (Although it definitely was when I was there and still is). Aaargh!
This was top entertainment for a Friday with plenty of ticks, including 10a’s Ford once and the creature that sheds skin in 24a.
The character willing in 7d, the piano being played in 8d and the substitution going on in 17d were also to be admired.
Best of all was the colony member revealing all in 22d.
I’ve tightened the chinstrap on my tin hat in anticipation of our regular AI policeman’s disapproval of the one used in 23a…
My thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Whoops 23d, not 23a.
That was a really stiff but ultimately satisfying challenge for a thoroughly soggy Shropshire morning. Some of the parsings took a while to sort out, and I loved 18d once the old penny had hit the floor.
Many thanks to our Friday setter and Mr K.
Good morning. This was very light for a Friday, given that Friday has been quite testing for the last seven or eight weeks. It wasnt quite a read and fill but the time suggested otherwise. Lots to like but 1a was a great opener and 5a was razor sharp. 12a and 30a are also worthy of a mention. In fact this X word was right up my strasse, as we say in Zurich. Many thanks for the review and to the setter. Hoping that tomorrow`s offering will be gentler than last Saturdays!
About as good as it gets on a Friday! RD has probably made a good call on the setter of this challenge. 3.5*/4.5*
Candidates for favourite – 13a, 27a, 3d, 17d, and 22d – and the winner is the ‘double’ homophone of 22d.
Thanks to Silvanus, or whomsoever if it is not he, and thanks to Mr K.
Like YS twigging a number of the whys came well after the answer but the pennies eventually dropped. Unlike our reviewer, who declared it a straightforward DD, pinch wouldn’t have been a synonym that sprang to mind for the answer at 2d & still struggling to think of a sentence where they’d be interchangeable. Anyway a very enjoyable puzzle & appropriately chewy for a Friday. Another early vote for the colony member baring all as the pick of a top quality selection of clues. 4&10d can have the other two podium spots.
Thanks to the setter (Silvanus probably but wouldn’t rule out Zandio) & to Mr K
Ps anyone else mess about working with the wrong fodder at 1a?
I put entirely the wrong answer in for 30a just because it fitted all the checkers. Oops.
Very hard with some help needed, too difficult to be really enjoyable. *****/**
For me this was tough to get into, as one expects on a Friday, and I struggled to parse a few but slowly and surely it all came together. I did need a couple of hints for my last 2, 4d and 18d. I had 1a as my favourite, I initially had the wrong anagram fodder, like Huntsman. As ever a great sense of achievement in managing so much unaided.
Many thanks to the setter and to mr K for the hints.
A really enjoyable Friday-level puzzle – thanks to our setter and Mr K.
I found that a bottom-up approach was best for this one.
My ticks included 24a, 3d, 7d and (my favourite) 22d.
1a & 1d did not spring immediately to mind so I changed focus and started in the SE, which fell swiftly, as did the SW; the NE was only slightly chewier but unlocked by 10a; the challenge lay in the NW where I had been trying to construct an anagram from “as barman” until the penny dropped with a proverbial resounding clang.
Cracking puzzle, a fun accompaniment for the morning coffee. Honours to 24a, 7d & 22d (COTD) with runner-up 20d for the surface.
Many thanks to our setter – I shall go with Silvanus again, having lost my fiver on him yesterday – and to Mr K
Don’t know how many here tackled yesterday’s Times puzzle, but I thought 1d quite brilliant and reminiscent of two or three current DT setters: “Means to devalue company’s reason for producing fewer Teletubbies (6,4)”
Ha, yes. Utterly brilliant. That was Eccles.
I see he uses that name for the Indy & Grauniad – does he ever compile puzzles for the DT?
As Snape he is one of the many setters who graced Rookie Corner and the NTSPP slot before graduating to the nationals.
That’s brilliant!
For those who might be scratching their heads about that Times clue, the answer is a tactic employed by company senior management to repel hostile/unwanted takeover bids. For the cryptic bit, you need to know that one of the Teletubbies, Po, is female.
Cor! This put me through it as ‘Friday toughies’ do. Conor, with one n, was on fire today to find it ‘light’. Chapeau to you, sir!
Today’s AIs (hit and cuckoo) pass muster avec moi (love the ‘tin hat’ comment, Frankie Lion. Very funny)
4d is one that Elgar would be proud of: playing with an extremely difficult synonym to get a not oft used word. I’ll be very impressed if someone didn’t biff this one. Brutal.
I haven’t heard of 27a though it was very gettable (gettable is such a clumsy word that I need to stop using)
My podium is 1a (barman threw me off the scent nicely), 24a (very clever) and 7d.
MT to Silvanus and Mr K.
5*/4*
Ahoy tosser? (anag). How do you know it’s Silv?
It’s got his name written all over it, son.
Love the anagram!
One of yours?
Yes, bit of a fluke really. I quickly noticed ahoy was in there and the tosser then jumped off the page at me. Pity it doesn’t always happen like that.
Thank you Tom. But I want to empasise, for a Friday Back Pager, it was light. And there have been many ocassions over the last couple of months where the back pager has been tougher than the Toughie. I hope I will fare better with tomorrow`s Prize X Word, than last weeks, which I couldn`t and still can`t, finish!
It is funny how the mind works. Also, the grid has a lot to do with it.
Having powered through the east in a heartbeat, I quickly got three or four in the remaining quadrants but then ground to a halt for a good while. But, the minute I got one of the remaining four in each quarter, the rest dropped. So, my time was close to 1 or 2 stars but the gap took it into 5 territory.
This is why I love a tester on a Friday as it’s a challenge that I know I can conquer; it just takes more work….and patience!
Goodness me! Do I love a cryptic crossword or what?????????????????
I’m sure tomorrow’s won’t be as tough as last Saturday’s. Love that you’re still working on it!
Glad you’re ok with cuckoo, Tom.
That’ll be the all clear.
I shall now venture out from my bunker.
Thanks to the Setter and MrK. Struggled with what to us was a tough challenge. Finally resorted to a few hints before it starts to get dark! COTD 12a. LOI 21d. Brains hurt!
I thought this was going to be deadly difficult Friday puzzle, but once I went south I managed 50% on the first pass and then most everything fell into place. Needed Mr K for 1d and 5a, although after the , ‘ oh silly me’ moment, it all fell into place.
Too many likes to pick out a favourite.
***/****
‘Light’? I think not. Solved 33% and called it a day.!
Probably took me as long as the rest of the weeks puzzles combined. Got a toe hold in the south and then had to work my way up north!
A very satisfying solve with some really cunning clues. Thanks to the setter and to MrK who’s words of wisdom I shall now read to see if I missed some parsings.
A cracking Friday tussle – just right for the end of the working week. Great clues, a toughish challenge and a satisfying/entertaining solve. Silv or Z? Not sure. Would Silv present 21a without some indication (maybe a ? would do) that the definition is a def by example? Not that it bothers me at all – I hate gratuitous indicators! Plenty of really good clues today and I’ll pick 19a for special mention. 4*/4.5*.
Why is an indicator needed in 21a? Perhaps I am missing something but I don’t see an example in the clue.
Yes. I’ve got it the wrong way round! Senior moment (again) ..
Another tough Friday puzzle that wasn’t my favourite of the week I’m afraid.
3.5*/3*
Favourites 1a, 16a, 2d, 6d & 11d — with winner 1a
Thanks to Silvanus & Mr K.
I really struggled here today. Maybe the relentless rain is dulling my senses. I thought 17&18d were very clever as was 22d. I got 25a immediately and was feeling quite confident and then seemed to come to a full stop. Many thanks Mr K for your hints which I certainly needed. And thanks to the setter also. I think the only thing I can do now is go and put my feet up and have a snooze. Happy paddling, everyone.
Too good for me today. Of those I managed to complete, I had ticks against 8d, 21a and 18a. Thanks to compiler and Mr K whose hints I’ll now read.
A Friday level puzzle of the highest order – has to be the work of our smooth operator. Counted myself very lucky that I didn’t actually need to know Adele’s hit as I’m ashamed to say that I couldn’t name any of her songs off the top of my head despite doubtless having heard a great many of them – I’m not too well up on Burundi either!
Double podium required today to house my picks – 1&28a plus 3,6,8&18d with the smile-worthy 3d curse perhaps edging in front.
Many thanks to the mighty pen of Silvanus and also to Mr K for the review.
Luckily, I had nothing to do today as I have only just finished this puzzle with great pleasure but really got the brains going
A super puzzle with the barman getting my CoTD vote. Last one in was the country party but did not understand why until MrK explained it. Thank you compiler!
Many thanks to Mr K and to all solvers and commenters.
A good weekend to everyone and see you all again soon.
Thanks for another testing teaser, Silvanus. Very enjoyable.
The expression of your emoji is perfect for your crosswords!
Thank you, I was hoping that someone today would say that they didn’t have a Quick Pun as to a particular answer, but no such luck!
One of my favourite sayings & certainly the case with most of the Elgar Toughie thus far 🤔
Late on parade because of a visit to Theatre Severn to see “A Christmas Carol” performed by just two actors who played all the characters. No props other than a few wooden crates and hats and it was very good. The only problem was, being a morning performance, there were parties of school children. They were quiet throughout the play but most of them, including some teachers, were eating crisps and the rustling of the crisp bags irritated somewhat.
A terrific puzzle today and I solved 1a immediately and I thought “barman” a clever mis-direction. I then solved nothing so went to the theatre. On return, the puzzle began to reveal itself slowly. Not easy by any means and I will admit to needing the hints for a couple. I liked the nuclear facility at 19a, the creature shedding its skin at 24a and the swearing sandwich cutter at 3d. My COTD is the colony member at 22d – good luck if he or she is out in the weather we have here in The Marches.
Thank you, silvanus for a tricky challenge. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints some some which I needed today.
I would say “challenging” is being very polite. Any puzzle that needs 4 detailed explanations has clearly wandered into the realms of toughness, for me anyway. I had hamper, but didn’t write it in as I couldn’t equate it with pinch. I struggled on vainly until I realised time is short and I should just have left this for the clever folks today. In awe of Mr K for being able to solve for us.
What a grind and does anyone know whether there are bicycles on Alderney or Arran ?(18d) I needed help on a few but completed after what seemed like an eternity.Very pleased when the barman finally showed up and I looked carefully at the spelling of Dahl ! .These moments of enlightenments meant the whole of the north collapsed quickly.I will put this down as DNF due to 18d ., nuff said.I particularly liked 12a and 24a . Favourite though was 1a , with 8 and 22 just behind . Thanks to all but particularly Mr.K .
A really excellent Friday puzzle. Take a bow, Silvanus.
1a got us off to a cracking start and that quality of clueing was maintained throughout.
Like others, the NW corner was the last to fall.
Fabulous stuff.
TY Silvanus and Mr K.