Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31087
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***/****
Distinctly nippy in these parts but it’s sunny & dry so looks like the last chance for a decent walk before the forecast rains tomorrow.
I’m sure most will make much lighter work of today’s AP puzzle than I made of it. I usually solve the puzzle shortly before midnight so that all I then have to do is get up & write the blog. Unfortunately for whatever reason the puzzles were not loaded onto the app until early this morning, which I could have done without after a lousy night’s kip. Added into the mix a fire alarm went off at about 8am in our small block of 6 apartments so 30 mins of mild panic & investigation ensued. Still none the wiser as to why but I’m fairly confident I’m not in danger of being burnt to a crisp 🤞.
I thought today’s dose of Plumbing as enjoyable as ever. Maybe a tad trickier than usual but we’ll see what others make of it.
Error free hints last week but I fear it’s odds against a repeat performance this.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
Across
1a I clear up sloshed rum (8)
PECULIAR: an anagram (sloshed) of I CLEAR UP.
5a Book reviews (6)
JUDGES: straightforward double definition, the first being the 7th book of the Old Testament.
9a Something that’s made Conservative response less cold (8)
CREATION: the single letter for Conservative + a synonym for response omitting (less) the single letter for Cold.
10a A snappy sort of crossword clue (6)
ACROSS: A from the clue + a synonym for snappy/bad tempered.
12a Introspective after wife’s last kiss, dear? (9)
EXPENSIVE: A synonym for introspective/thoughtful is preceded by (after) the final letter (last) of wifE + the letter that may be used for a kiss.
13a Mention sunshine on the radio (5)
RAISE: a homophone (on the radio) of another term for sunshine.
14a Tickling female dog with no lead (4)
ITCH: the term for a female dog less the first letter (no lead).
16a Dad secures eastern bats for very little money (7)
PEANUTS: insert (secures) the single letter for Eastern into another informal term for dad then append a synonym for bats/insane.
19a Stalks of plant rot (7)
RHUBARB: a double definition with the latter in the context of codswallop.
21a Criticises photograph taken backwards (4)
PANS: reverse (taken backwards) a term for a photograph.
24a Call papa perfect (5)
PHONE: Papa (NATO phonetic alphabet) + a verb synonym of perfect/refine.
25a Communicates explicit extremes of emotions (9)
EXPRESSES: a synonym for explicit/clear-cut + the outer letters (extremes) of EmotionS.
27a Pirates duck inside ship (6)
STEALS: insert (inside) a species of duck between the usual two letter ship prefix.
28a Badly mutilate key (8)
ULTIMATE: an anagram (badly) of MUTILATE.
29a Various newspaper conclusions in tabloid appear silly (6)
SUNDRY: a popular newspaper/rag + the final letter (conclusions) of the last 3 words of the clue.
30a The woman’s interrupting precocious child? Most arrogant (8)
BRASHEST: insert (interrupting) an indefinite article + a third-person, singular, feminine pronoun + the possessive ‘s into a synonym for a precocious child. Thanks to Karen for highlighting the error.
Down
1d Voted for drunk student getting expelled (6)
PICKED: remove (getting expelled) the usual single letter for student/Learner from one of the many informal synonyms for drunk.
2d Speech about sounds of birds (6)
CHEEPS: an anagram (about) of SPEECH.
3d Language picked up in Italy, to an extent (5)
LATIN: hidden in reverse (picked up in a down clue to an extent).
4d Sailor with oldish daughter ignored ban (7)
ABOLISH: the usual two letter merchant ship rank abbreviation for a sailor/seaman proficient in various deck duties followed by an OL[d]ISH in the clue omitting (ignored) the single letter for Daughter.
6d Tune in car playing? Not sure (9)
UNCERTAIN: an anagram (playing) of TUNE IN CAR.
7d Is our goal avoiding a wicked wizard? (8)
GLORIOUS: another anagram (wicked) of IS OUR GO[a]L without (avoiding) A in the wordplay. A wholly appropriate adjective for my favourite course & festival meeting.
8d South American writer’s ending in essence showing excitement (8)
SUSPENSE: South + the usual two letter abbreviation for American + writing implements + the final letter (ending in) of essencE.
11d Coming over, look in castle tower (4)
KEEP: reverse (coming over in a down clue) a verb synonym for look/glance at.
15d Tense French composer heads out of Lyon, escaping rude tourist (9)
TRAVELLER: the single letter for Tense followed by an ice skating duo’s favourite French barman then append the 1st letter (heads out of) the final 3 words before the definition.
17d Offers for models (8)
PROPOSES: the usual preposition/adverb used to indicate for/in favour of + a verb synonym for models/sits.
18d Swede, perhaps, with no herb served up, eating legume (8)
EUROPEAN: think of a legume that can be garden, minted or mushy which is then inserted (eating) into a full reversal (served up in a down clue) of a herb used in herbal medicine & NO from the wordplay. The herb was unfamiliar to me – it’s the bitter strong-scented lobed leaves of a perennial evergreen shrub that are used.
20d Insect on top of fellow’s food (4)
BEEF: a buzzing insect + Fellow (top of).
21d In tree, around third of squirrels (7)
POPULAR: place a fast-growing deciduous tree around the 3rd letter of sqUirrels.
22d Large car’s electronic flap (6)
ESTATE: the single letter for Electronic + a nounal synonym for flap/panic.
23d Small coin found underneath a bank (6)
ASCENT: Small + a coin preceded by (underneath in a down clue) A from the clue. The definition has a topographical context.
26d Old mint is regularly dropping leaves (5)
EXITS: the usual two letter prefix for old/former followed by the alternate letters (regularly dropping) of mInT iS.
Please tell us which clues ticked your boxes.
Today’s Quick Crossword pun: EYE + LOVE + MANN = ISLE OF MAN
In honour of the pun I’ll leave you with a tune about the place by a terrific player who hails from the island. I’m very much looking forward to seeing him playing The Blues Festival at The 229 club in January & especially as Rory Gallagher’s old bass player is with him.
This didn’t feel like the Professor to me but I am no doubt wrong. I found it harder than usual having solved only a few after the first pass. Unusually for a Tuesday I had to use Mr. G. for a couple so it’s a DNF for me today. I did like dad getting eastern bats at 16a and that is my COTD.
Thank you, Mr. Plumb but you certainly foxed me today. Maybe my mind is dwelling on my flu jab this afternoon. I hope it doesn’t have the same effect as the covid one, which gave me the worst headache I have ever had. Thank you, Hintsman for the hunts.
I agree with Steve. Tricky. Top end **. 21d was clever and I wasted about 5 mins trying to fit a third of squirrels into an answer before I clocked it. 19a was my second favourite. A two cup problem pour moi. Many thanks Huntsman and our setter.
Defiantly a bit trickier than many a Tuesday of late.
The north went in rapidly but I found several of the southern clues slower to untangle, so my podium consists of 29a, 21d and 22d.
My thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
Good morning. I have been doing The DT X word since my mid teens, for 40 years! I have never been able to work out who the setter is and I don`t think I ever will! Nevertheless, I enoy them all equally, but only if I can solve them…….in a quick fashion. Today`s offering was geat fun and completed fairly quickly. 10a is for the cruciverbalist! 19, 21, 24 and 27a, 1d, 8, 11, 17, 20 and 21d are all contenders for a place on the podium with 19a being my CoTD; strange pick for me as Boris J springs to mind when I hear this and I suddenly feel nauseaus! Thank you for the review and to the setter for the entertainment.
I thought that all except the SE were straightforward, but that part took as long as the rest put together. Foolishly I had 26D as “omits” even though it doesn’t parse, and that slowed things down.
You’re not alone with ‘omits’, however long I stared at it, I still saw the alternate letters of ‘ mint is’ as M I T S, funny how the mind wants to see something that is plainly not there…..
A slower solve than yesterday with a couple that required some cogitation.
My tick went to 5a, as I had to go through the alphabet mentally to get the first letter.
Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.
You & me too with the first letter. I swear I could hear Brian chuntering about biblical references
I had to work for this one which was a joy to solve as there was lots of precise cluing with some neat constructions.
I spent waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long on 2d, not spotting it was an anagram, even though I had the first and third checkers. Another one that took me into the next time zone was 5a (my LOI). I knew it was a book from the Old Testament but I just couldn’t get it.
I love the expression in 16a for being potless and haven’t heard of the herb.
My podium is 4d (when you see words like oldish, you know something’s up). 7d and 15d (nice construction).
MT to the prof and Hoots!
3*/4*
This was 2*/4* Tuesday fun for me with 6a, 19a, 29a. 1d 15d & 17d my top picks.
I didn’t know the herb in 18d but it couldn’t be anything else.
Many thanks to the setter and to Hintsman.
The NW corner took as long to solve as the other three segments with 2d somewhat embarrassingly being my last one in. A stiffer challenge than a regular Tuesday but good fun to solve. I has several candidates for a top spot, with my winner being 19a.
My thanks to AP and The Hintsman.
I certainly hope that whatever the extremely frustrating overnight problem was at Telegraph Towers it is not repeated tonight – Gazza might wake up tomorrow to an e-mail asking him to substitute at short notice!
Once again, Mr Plumb appears to have upped the ante but it might have been as a result of solving in the early morning – 2.5*/3.5*
Candidates for favourite – 5a, 24a, and 1d – and the winner is 24a.
Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.
I found this to be a little trickier than some Tuesdays but once I got a few in it all progressed at a good pace. It’s sunny and dry here, and quite chilly so I’ll be wrapping up warm for my dog walking this afternoon. Thanks to Huntsman and setter.
Came across a few teasers in the SE which threw me a bit off track but a second cup of coffee came to the rescue. Today’s rosettes were handed out to 24&29a plus 1&17d.
Thanks to our setter – presumably Mr Plumb, and to Huntsman for the review – hope your sleep doesn’t get disturbed again tonight!
2.5* / 4* A good challenge, couldn’t see the new to me herb or the book at 5a for ages. Favourites include the aforementioned book at 5a, stalks at 19a (my dad put manure on his, I preferred custard!) and the Swede at 18d
Thanks to setter and Huntsman
I’m with those who thought this a little trickier than we usually get on a Tuesday. I enjoyed it – thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
My boxes were ticked by 9a, 24a and 22d (and the neat Quickie Pun).
Thanks to the Setter and Huntsman. Bit harder than usual for a Tuesday. Resorted to a few hints before it gets dark! COTD 30a. LOI 26d.
I needed a couple of nudges on this puzzle to get me over the line. Other than that, an enjoyable solve that at times made me wonder whether this truly was an AP production. My podium today comprises 27a, 1d and 4d in top spot. Thanks to AP (or whomever) and Huntsman.
I did wonder why you were commenting gone midnight, and now I know why.
Bottom half was a little bit trickier but when I sorted out the Plumbing it went easier.
Count me among the OMITS crew along with Quits and Flits.
Thanks to Andy outside in his Jim jams and the Plumber too.
Very enjoyable, last one in 26d , couldn’t shake omits out of my head . Liked the rhubarb clue and unlike others it evokes warm memories . Thanks to all .
This was not the most fun puzzle to review as I was not able to view it until 5 hours after the expected posting time. What the heck is up at Telegraph Towers … bloody awful recently. Even when it was posted, I was unable to print it for the next hour. Good grief!!!
Anyway …
It seemed a little more tricky than a normal AP puzzle this week to me, but maybe it was the wait to get at the puzzle that tainted it for me.
2.5*/3.5*
Favourites 1a, 5a, 10a, 14a, 28a, 2d & 11d — with winner 14a but it could have been any of them.
Thanks to AP & Huntsman.
This did not feel like a Mr Plumb, decidedly more difficult than most recent Tuesdays, with some strange and convoluted clues. Did finish, but needed several hints, sometimes to justify my answers. Somewhat enjoyed, but no warm and fuzzy feeling today. Thanks to setter and Huntsman.
Like others I did not think this was typically Tuesday fodder with a few that held out a lot longer than normal. I got there in the end and rather enjoyed the battle, there were some well disguised anagrams. I had 7d as a favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints.
Unusually for a Tuesday this was a really joyless slog with several tenuous synonyms and IMHO silly anagram indicators. SE was stickiest quadrant. Took a while for “In” in 21d to ring a bell so I could fully parse the answer. Thank you setter and Hintsman.
Not typically tuesdayish but tricky today. Struggled with the parsing of several although the answers were apparent.
Thanks to huntsman and ?setter – not sure its a Plumb production but I nearly always get this wrong.
Very enjoyable, and I loved the image created by 15D. VMT to the Prof and to Huntsman.
More tricky than usual for me too particularly in the south. No real favourite but if pushed I’d go with 15d. Thanks to the setter and Huntsman.
Old guys football today so started late. After feeling slightly smug after yesterday’s offering was certainly brought back down to earth today. Had to resort to Huntsman’s hints to finish although I was completely misdirected on a couple of the clues, the Swede especially, made worse because I have seen very similar clues previously. Also my knowledge of the Old Testament was found wanting. COTD for me 21d, I thought that was very good.
Thank you to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints.
We don’t understand 30A? Where is the indefinite article?
Hi Karen,
Apologies for the late reply. Answer – there isn’t one. Thanks for pointing the error out. I’ll amend the hint accordingly.
Thank you!
All going so well until the leaves clue, which quite simply I got wrong. Thanks compiler and Huntsman …who despite all the tech problems managed to provide illustrations as well as hints
Glad it wasn’t just me who found this trickier than the recent ‘usual’ Tuesday offering. 2/3 went in fine , and then I slowed down with the last 1/3. Some nice clues I thought. My last one in was 5A. I went through the alphabet once and missed it. Then on the second pass I got it – not an obvious ‘book’ so a great clue I thought. Thanks to the setter and Huntsman.
Interesting that many felt this didn’t have the feel of an Anthony Plumb puzzle. It did to me but I guess we’ll never know as he never pops in to claim ownership.
As predicted the hints weren’t error free but I’ll settle for 1slip. Thanks to all who passed comment.
The quick grid is not the usual one mr plumb uses
Thanks for that Cephas – shows you what I know.
3*/4* ….
liked 12A “Introspective after wife’s last kiss, dear? (9)”