Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31096
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to a Friday puzzle that felt more straightforward than recent offerings in this slot.
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. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a No promises broken in play on words? (10)
SPOONERISM: An anagram (broken) of NO PROMISES
6a Disco beat (4)
CLUB: Double definition
9a Field half a Spanish football team (5)
REALM: The first half of a top Spanish football team
10a Shut up about everyone's narrow squeak (5,4)
CLOSE CALL: Link together a synonym of shut up (a shop, perhaps), the single letter for about or approximately, and another word for everyone
12a Undying aim to meet Les Dennis at last (7)
ENDLESS: Join together aim or goal, LES from the clue, and the last letter (at last) of DENNIS
13a Hurts to lose a second game (5)
CHESS: A word meaning hurts or yearns minus (to lose) A with the single letter for second
15a Row over Liberal's flattering speech (7)
BLARNEY: An informal word for a row or argument containing (over) the single letter for liberal
17a Roll stuffed with American chicken? (7)
ROASTER: A roll or list containing (stuffed with) the single letter for American
19a Article with more moving proposition (7)
THEOREM: A grammatical article with an anagram (moving) of MORE
21a Official set off conflict with Germany (7)
STEWARD: Cement together an anagram (off) of SET, a serious conflict, and the IVR code for Germany
22a Disrespect groom out having drinks (5)
MOUTH: GROOM OUT HAVING hides (drinks) the answer
24a Waste of time putting appearance first (7)
GARBAGE: Appearance or clothing with time or era
27a Local site prepared for what swingers do (9)
OSCILLATE: An anagram (prepared) of LOCAL SITE
28a Men discussed pretext (5)
GUISE: A homophone (discussed) of an informal word for men
29a Small boat that's found in the Channel (4)
SARK: The single letter for small with a biblical boat
30a Emily Maitlis's old job? See Andrew upsetting king! (10)
NEWSREADER: An anagram (upsetting) of SEE ANDREW is followed by the Latin abbreviation for king
Down
1d Somewhat lesser fellow? (4)
SERF: The wordplay leads us to an answer hidden in (somewhat) LESSER FELLOW. The entire clue can serve as the definition
2d Orange Free State nearly breaks apart, typically (2,7)
ON AVERAGE: An anagram (free) of ORANGE with all but the last letter (nearly) of state or vow inserted (breaks apart)
3d Traveller sensible to avoid capital of Turkmenistan (5)
NOMAD: A (3,3) phrase that could mean sensible minus (to avoid) the first letter (capital) of TURKMENISTAN
4d Mr Astley perhaps yet to perform, in danger of collapse (7)
RICKETY: The first name of 80s singer Mr Astley with an anagram (to perform) of YET
5d Patronise new Spoons, right? (7)
SPONSOR: An anagram (new) of SPOONS with the single letter for right
7d Contract that's illegal - sue on a regular basis (5)
LEASE: Alternate letters (on a regular basis) of ILLEGAL SUE
8d Coping with supporters here? (10)
BALUSTRADE: A cryptic definition of an architectural feature
11d Area that's in a state? (7)
ENCLAVE: A geographical cryptic definition
14d I mess about when drunk or sober (10)
ABSTEMIOUS: An anagram (when drunk) of I MESS ABOUT
16d Close to sea creature, Europeans missing another? (7)
NARWHAL: Another word for close with a very big sea creature, both minus (missing) the single letter for European. The definition refers to the rest of the clue
18d Did deal, netting profit - it's a blow (5,4)
TRADE WIND: Did deal or sold containing (netting) another word for profit
20d Berate friend (1 Across) becoming captain of industry (7)
MAGNATE: Apply the 1 across treatment to a phrase meaning “berate friend”
21d I will stop ogre's screams (7)
SHRIEKS: I from the clue inserted in (will stop) a green animated ogre with his ‘S from the clue
23d Complaint from public - Keir occasionally going missing (5)
ULCER: Alternate letters (occasionally going missing) of PUBLIC KEIR
25d Levy's first to block Mr Postecoglou's view? (5)
ANGLE: The first letter of LEVY inserted in (to block) the first name of his former manager Postecoglou
26d Drop rent (4)
TEAR: A double definition
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: SIN + GAL + MOULT + WHIZZ + KEY = SINGLE MALT WHISKY
Quite tricky: the 6 anagrams and 3 lurker based clues helped. 21d was my favourite although 24a and 30a were excellent and the latter amusing. Thanks Mr K and our setter for this thought provoking Friday fare.
Apart from a couple that needed some teasing out, this was fairly straightforward for a Friday. 30a raised a wry smile and the misdirection in 8d held me up for a while. My podium comprises 1a, 17a and 16d in top spot. Thanks to compiler and Mr K.
Good morning. I found this very gentle for a Friday, but it was a step up from the previous 4 X Words that we have seen this week. 1a was an excellent anagram and is a contender for CoTD. 18d is also on my podium as is the complaint in 23d. 30a gave me the creeps as I hate to read anything about that individual. Parsing was easy enough. All in all a great week for X words, but this one took a little more time than I like! Thanks to Mr k and setter
Goodness me. What a crossword. One for the ages.
I’ve ticked almost every clue. This has to be Silvanus in sublime form.
Getting Les Dennis into a crossword for the parsing of a clue is outstanding and 9a is clever.
Here’s a way to remember that 18d blows from East to West around the centre of the world, i.e The Equator….in the centre of the word (almost) you see EW.
So hard to pick a pody but I’ll go with 10a, 14d and the brilliant 30a.
MMT to Mr Smooth and Mr K.
2*/5*
I forgot to put the hilarious 27a in my top three.
Not me, but thank you for the thought!
You are the standard bearer, Mr S.
Whoever it is has come out with a beaut.
The best puzzle in a long time, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The linked clues at 1a and 20d, 9a, 29a and 16d, all cracker clues. Super fun. Many thanks to our setter and Mr K for the hints.
An unusually straightforward puzzle for a Friday, and with an excessive 9 full or partial anagrams, let alone the celeb-fest, most certainly not to my taste. COTD 3d.
Many thanks but sorry setter, this just didn’t do it for me. Thanks also of course to Mr K.
Hi MG
Are you not a fan of famous people being in crossies?
For those of us that have not lived in the UK for some time (44 years in my case!) and do not follow British TV/football/rugby/cricket or whatever, inclusion of celebrities or other notable people adds a level of frustration and often requires the help of Mr. Google. Having said that, I did enjoy this puzzle immensly and the two “celebrity” clues were easily determined once enough checkers were available.
Thank you Mr. Lancaster and Mr. K.
This is a difficult one, GP.
I understand why we see references to people, places, events etc from this Sceptred Isle because they often conjure up great memories or provoke some fascinating conversations.
About 95% of solvers live on these shores. So, it’s catering for the masses, meaning that the casualties are the 5%.
If you don’t follow British TV/football/rugby/cricket or whatever, it doesn’t really matter where you live does it?
Of course not.
But there are many categories that fall under the General Knowledge heading with some drifting into specialist or obscure knowledge.
It’s always been the case and always will be.
For example, I suck at the Fs: flora, fauna and flighty things but I love to learn. So, I’m a fan.
As I’ve always said, as long as the answer is achievable through the parsing, which a high majority tend to be, then I’m a happy solver.
Very straightforward for a Friday, but good fun.
My ticks were all Across clues: the play on words at 1a, the second defeat at 13a, the warmongering official at 21a, the swingers’ site at 27a and Emily Maitlis’s old job at 30a.
8d puzzled me a bit. I have never seen a handrail referred to as a coping, but Chambers has, so all is well.
Thank you mystery setter and Mr K.
I thought more of stone work for the ‘coping’.
A stone balustrade usually has a stone coping rather than a handrail.
Thanks to you,Jose, and also Due Care. One lives and learns!
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.
The three I ticked were 24a, 3d, and 14d.
I enjoyed this (in spite of my anagram counter reaching nine!) – thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Top clues for me were 12a, 11d, 16d and 20d.
26d doesn’t really work, as RENT is past tense.
Rent can also be a noun.
This was a very worthwhile puzzle for a Friday that was just on the cusp of being quite tricky. It took a while to get into it, but once I followed the instructions it all fell into place very nicely. There were some very smooth surfaces, some clever misdirection and a dash of humour to keep the interest going throughout. Although it was a bit of an anagram fest, it was one, 27a, that became my favourite.
Many thanks to our setter for a great challenge and to Mr K.
Not entirely happy with 22a, I’d have thought if disrespect is the definition, the answer needs the word bad before it.
That apart, there were some humerous clues with no little name dropping in a fairly gentle Friday backpager.
I liked the waste of time in 24a, what singers do in 27a and the sea creature in 16a.
My thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Chambers has the answer as “to declaim or spout”, so perhaps “bad” is not required?
I found this rather a bland slog but did finally make it thanks to a bit of help from MrG with things like 25d and 16d which is a new one on me. Not sure how coping comes into 8d but with all the crossers it had to be. Thank you setter (wonder who?) and MrK.
A, 8d. A stone balustrade’s main components are decorative stone uprights (balusters, or “supporters”) topped with stone copings.
This felt very fresh and had the feeling of the work of a younger setter??
Very gentle for a Friday but so many brilliant clues and oodles of humour and lovely surfaces that conjured up some mad images!
I loved it – particularly 12a for it’s absurdity!
Thank you setter – and Mr K who’s review I shall now read
A decent enough puzzle although not my favourite of the week. Top marks here went to 15a plus 4&21d.
Thanks to our setter – Zandio? and to Mr K for the review.
I loved this one for its breadth of material, and the fact that I could complete it with just a little “cheating”.
I enjoyed researching 25d because I wasn’t aware that it referenced a sport about which I know next to nothing. Even with three checkers and a likely “L”, I was still in the dark!
Thanks to the setter for brightening up a drab Friday morning.
Popping in early to admit to a rare Friday appearance. I’d also best mention that meeting Les Dennis isn’t one of my aims – I was just happily surprised when this wordplay occurred to me!
I enjoyed this X immensely. All five have been belters this week. I expected a stiffer challenge for a Friday, but this was spot on.
Congratulations, Ancestral, on a superb crossword.
I mentioned in my post how brilliant a spot Les Dennis is. If you are the first to use that then pat yourself on the back.
Keep ’em coming.
Tom, would you kindly be a bit more respectful and use Chris’s proper name, there’s a time and place for your matey humour and now isnot one of them. Thank you.
Now I know who the setter is I thank you for today’s exercise and indeed your long-term overseeing of our daily cruciverbal challenges. 💐
Thanks Chris, this was the best puzzle I’ve done for some time.
Thanks for dropping in, Chris.
A very entertaining and enjoyable puzzle – thank you!
Many thanks Chris (if I may be so familiar). You were very kind for a Friday. 25d was the only one for which I had to seek help, it being a footbally clue. I thought he was perhaps President of Greece.
thank you, Mr. Lancaster, very enjoyable.
Thanks too to Mr. K
Loved this puzzle an absolute treat
Thanks
Excellent puzzle, a real Friday treat! I liked 1a because I don’t always like 1a’s.
Many thanks Chris.
We are always honoured by your presence. Your style is unique.
I thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle.
Unsurpringly, my printout is covered in ticks. Top of the pops is the 1a / 20d combination. Very clever! Following closely behind, in no particular order of preference, are these: 6, 9, 13, 15, 17, 28 snd 29a; 2, 16, 18 and 21d.
This is a puzzle to treasure! Many very appreciative thanks to Chris L for this and for all the wonderful entertainment you have given us over many years. I much enjoyed the Quickie too. Excellent pun!
Many appreciative thanks to Mr K for the review.
Rhis week’s Friday guzzle was a fair mix of straightforward clues and brain teasers and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 1a was a cleverly disguised anagram and, though it took me a while to recall the man in question in4d, I enjoyed the reference to the 80s music scene. 19d was a well built geographical clue, as was the cleverly disguised 19a. Thanks to the compiler and to Mr K for the hints
Thanks to the Setter and MrK for the hints. COTD 8d. LOI 11d. For a Friday this was on the easier side and for us more enjoyable than a slog.
2*/4*. This was a very enjoyable puzzle albeit not as challenging as most Fridays. I would be prepared to wager that the setter wasn’t any of the now defunct Friday triumvirate.
4d was my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.
Ah! I’ve just read through the comments and I see I would have won my bet. Many thanks Chris for a fun puzzle.
Cruising nicely all week but got thrashed today. There were 5 not filled in, I had spent my time allocation and the football references had already put me off. That said, it was a fine crossword and I loved 1 across and 20 down being linked. 26 down was brilliant. I could go on with admiration but the sun beckons and I really do not mind being beaten today. Even our setter is a mystery and thanks to Mr. K.
A fine puzzle and a rare CL production on the back page. Not quite as challenging for a Friday and a tad anagram-heavy but still an enjoyable solve. I have ticked a few and will give special mention to 30a and 12a – I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to meet Les Dennis but wouldn’t snub him if he approached me at a dinner party! 2.5*/4*.
Why are some commenters so against anagrams? Recently the number of anagram indicators appears almost unlimited so the first brain exercise is to decide that it is an anagram, and then it has to be worked out. Quite pleased with myself for completing all crossies so far this week, all in ‘reasonable’ time without having to curse the setter. Thank you setters. It does help me to convince myself that old age hasn’t taken over completely yet
Agree with you re anagrams, it’s the double bluff, is it another, can’t be, yes it is!
🙂
Enjoyed this workout although I had to look up Ange and was not convinced by the men in 28a. Man will discuss pretext. But what do I know, I’m just a girl. Thanks for some clever anagrams and thanks to Mr K for the hint on 25d. Have a good weekend everyone!
@Alasdair
Glad you enjoyed it! We have a rough limit of six full anagrams per puzzle, but allow slightly more if there are clues which only partially rely on anagrams. I’d also never edit out a particularly good anagram, so occasionally we do go behind the notional limit. Hope that helps!
For me, I found this Friday puzzle reasonably manageable for the end of the non-work week today. A couple of head scratchers as well as a couple of UK clues/references that those on this side of the pond may not be familiar with.
2.5*/4* for me
Favourites 1a, 9a, 27a, 29a, 30a & 20d — with co-winners 1a/20d as they are related in my mind.
I include a couple of pics that refer to a couple of the answers
Thanks to CL & Mr K.
second pic
Another enjoyable puzzle today and like DG above had to look up the footballer. A few just slotted in and then had to work out why. Its been a good crossie week so thanks to everyone concerned.
Pretty gentle for a Friday but very enjoyable indeed. 27a was my favourite because it conjured up an image of someone with a strimmer preparing a wooded area in readiness for some alfresco hanky-panky. I hope Mr Mountbatten doesn’t do the back-page cryptic (highly unlikely methinks) as he’d wince at the excellent 30a.
Can’t say I’d have come up with garb if required to list synonyms for appearance & I also thought the answer to the 22a lurker on its own another synonym that wouldn’t necessarily have sprung to mind but otherwise no head scratching required.
Thanks to Mr Ed & Mr K
*** / ***
Enjoyable and perhaps a little less tricky than most Fridays. COTD went to the 27a swingers followed by the 1a/20d pairing of the Rev S.
Thanks to Chris L for a rare and appreciated appearance and to Mr K for the blog.
My conviction that ‘dory’ does service as both fish and boat put paid to my completing this otherwise not too difficult puzzle. Good fun though, especially 27 Across.
Excellent Friday puzzle
3*/5*
Almost a DNF as I wrote in Rooster for 17a and almost convinced myself enclose worked for 11d before seeing the error of my ways.
1a, 20d, 27a, 30a and 25d favourites. Loved the spponerism that did not directly reference the Reverend himself.
MT to Mr K and Chris L.
Likewise with trying to justify rooster, but knew it couldn’t be !
A cracker of a Friday puzzle. Slow start but picked up quickly. Maybe I am getting on a bit but newsreaders don’t register as much with me these days – as did the likes of Angela Rippon or Michael Aspel in days of yore. 27a raised a smile, though.
Enjoyed every minute of this even though I am not allowed to say how many, thank you Chris and MrK – last one in was the sea creature.
What an unexpected treat for a Friday, a very entertaining puzzle with some head scratching and a couple where I needed to confirm parsing. I particularly liked 1a and its linked clue.
Many thanks to CL for producing such a well received puzzle and to Mr K for the hints.
Excellent puzzle took me aaaages. I liked 8d. Why do I miss lurkers all the time? Thanks for the (needed) explanations, Mr K, and Mr Lancaster for a one and a half glass puzzle. I always have to look up the sporting clues (unless himself is around) so I’m uaed to that.
I thought this was an outstanding puzzle. I particularly liked 25D and 30A each with a real life story included. Full of other nice clues as well – 20D, 27A, 29A all hilarious. Very many thanks to Mr L and to Mr K.
2* / 4.5* Best puzzle of an excellent week, thoroughly enjoyable, loved the celebs, sport and linked clues.
My particular favourites are Emily Mailis at 30a, Mr Astley at 4d and the 1a anagram.
Many thanks to Mr L and Mr K
Enjoyed today’s puzzle, especially as was able to complete it with only one resort to Google to identify Mr Postecoglou whom I had never heard of!
Favourite was the cheeky 27a
Thanks to the setter and Mr K.
This was a superb puzzle. I get really excited when I parse a clue , and then think ‘that can’t possibly be a word’, in this case the word NARWHAL, and then it Is a word – it really is so satisfying. I also had to look up who Mr P was of 26d . My last in was 29a – spent a long time on that one before the penny dropped. Thanks so much Chris and Mr K.
Great challenge today and pleased to have solved unaided. A relatively easy solve for a Friday.
Thanks to all.
Magnificent — one of my favourite crosswords of recent memory! I found it hard to get into, with very few answers on the first pass, but then it suddenly opened up and I finished surprisingly quickly (though only after looking up who Mr Postecoglou is for 25d). And a wonderful surprise to learn this was one of Chris Lancaster’s, after he’d teased us we might have already seen his final crossword.
My top few included the half football team in 9a, hurting to lose a game in 13a, the Emily Maitlis/Andrew anagram in 30a, “illegal sue” in 7d, and the multiple sea creatures in 16d. Thank you to the setter, and to Mr K.
That was challenging and something of an antidote to the easier puzzles from earlier in the week. That said about 75-80% completed before I had to revert to Mr K’s hints and in a couple of instances the dictionary. The sea creature at 16d was completely new to me as was the American chicken. A couple I had the answer, eg 8d, but had completely misidentified the type of clue and necessary parsing so didn’t enter it!
However, I did enjoy it and there were some enjoyable clues: 1a and the associated 20d; 9a and my COTD 24a.
Speaking of football, driving up to the Etihad in a couple of hours so won’t be starting on the Prize cryptic until much later in the day. And hoping Pep chooses a normal starting eleven rather than the subs bench.
Thank you to the setter and to Mr K for the hints.
3*/4* …
liked 14D “I mess about when drunk or sober (10)”