Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31099
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** Enjoyment ***
After a thoroughly miserable day yesterday the sun is shining here in Harpenden so I might actually walk up to Harpenden golf club for a lunch with a friend without fear of getting soaked.
I assume today’s enjoyable puzzle is an Anthony Plumb production though some of the clues were wordier than is the norm for him. I found it reasonably straightforward & a brisk grid fill so wouldn’t expect it to present much difficulty to most solvers.
As ever there are an assortment of tunes/clips to accompany the (hopefully correct for a change) wordplay analysis.
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 Half of comic’s not much to look at, editor moaned (10)
COMPLAINED: 50% (half) of com[ic’s] + a synonym for not much to look at followed by the usual abbreviation for editor.
6d Almost round fruit (4)
PLUM: a truncated (almost) synonym for round/rotund.
10a Grumpy alien comes back somewhere filthy (5)
TESTY: reverse (comes back) our usual film alien then append mucky quarters that is home sweet home for some.
11a Hairy armpit not vital (9)
IMPORTANT: an anagram (hairy) of ARMPIT NOT. I await Tom’s verdict on the indicator with interest.
12a Drop of French cider emptied with no difficulty (8)
DECREASE: of in French + CideR (emptied) + (with) a noun for no difficulty.
13a Oscar swaps with adult in Polynesian country dance (5)
TANGO: think of a country in Oceania then switch the position of its two vowels – Oscar (NATO alphabet) & Adult.
15a Bags Sally put inside toboggan (7)
LUGGAGE: insert (put inside) an informal term for sally/quip into a one or two person racing sled.
17a Upset if skull’s polished (7)
SKILFUL: an anagram (upset) of IF SKULLS.
19a Withdraw cash (7)
SCRATCH: a double definition – to withdraw from a sporting event for example & an informal term for money.
21a Investigates wheezes after exercises (7)
PERUSES: a synonym for wheezes/subterfuges follows (after) the usual two letter abbreviation for exercises.
22a Terrific coat worn by soldier (5)
MAGIC: place an American soldier inside of (worn by) an abbreviation of a type of lightweight raincoat.
24a Bend in tall grass appeared again (8)
RETURNED: a tall slender-leaved plant goes around a synonym for bend/curve.
27a So drunk her feet wrapped around old Republican (9)
THEREFORE: an anagram (drunk) of HER FEET goes around the single letter abbreviations for Old & Republican.
28a Allow promotional film, possibly by US university (5)
ADMIT: the abbreviated terms for a promo & for a private research university in Cambridge, USA.
29a Spot – she regularly squeezes it (4)
SITE: the alternate letters (regularly) of S[h]E go around (squeezes) IT in the clue.
30a Biscuit, drink then small sleep (6,4)
BRANDY SNAP: an alcoholic tipple + Small + forty winks.
Down
1d Looking up some railway ticket for London? (4)
CITY: hidden in reverse (up/some).
2d Scrape green bananas for courier (9)
MESSENGER: a synonym for scrape as in jam/pickle followed by an anagram (bananas) of GREEN.
3d Musician removes soft blanket (5)
LAYER: delete (removes) the musical letter for soft from a term for a musician.
4d Take off tie – I’m at Barking (7)
IMITATE: an anagram (barking) of TIE I’M AT.
5d Fast old ram (7)
EXPRESS: the usual prefix for old/former + a synonym for ram/pack.
7d Discover king and queen at last (5)
LEARN: A tragic Shakespearean monarch + queeN (at last).
8d Wave, perhaps, left European ship frozen (10)
MOTIONLESS: a verb meaning to wave/gesture followed by the single letters for Left & European then append the usual ship prefix.
9d Fairly short tops from independent emporium rated more attractive (8)
PRETTIER: truncate a synonym for fairly/somewhat then append the 1st letters (tops from) the 3 words that precede the definition.
14d Schoolfellows from China supporting kind son (10)
CLASSMATES: another term for china/pal in Cockney rhyming slang supports (goes under in a down clue) a synonym for kind/category. Append the single letter for Son to finish.
16d Joined American and chatted nonsensically (8)
ATTACHED: American + an anagram (nonsensically) of CHATTED.
18a One trying to catch trout maybe initially found in type of tank (9)
FISHERMAN: the 1st letters (initially) of Found & In followed by the name we Brits gave to the M4 tank that the Americans gave us in the war – different models were named after Civil War generals. Another excuse to play this gorgeous song.
20d Where you might find ship’s hold (7)
HARBOUR: straightforward double definition.
21d Sales pitch ahead of new model (7)
PATTERN: the term for a sales pitch + New.
23d Hotel resident conjectured for the audience (5)
GUEST: a homophone (for the audience) of a synonym for conjectured.
25d Show last bit of chemistry set (5)
READY: show as in display/indicate + the final letter (last bit of) chemistrY.
26d Check spare tyre’s turned up (4)
STOP: reverse (turned up/down clue) an informal term for spare tyres/stomachs.
I’ll plump for 12a as my pick of the clues. Please tell us which clues ticked your boxes.
Today’s Quick Crossword pun: HON + KEY + DORY = HUNKY DORY
As the pun is also the title of David Bowie’s 4th album we’ll finish with a great track of it
I struggled to get going with today’s offering from the professor but I am a bit tired after a restless night. Once I got going, it proved to be the usual Tuesday delight. I solved 19a from the checkers but I don’t understand what the answer has to do with cash. No doubt Hintsman will enlighten me. I liked the terrific coat at 22a and the small sleep at 30a. My COTD is the half comic at 1a.
Many thanks, Mr. Plumb for an enjoyable tussle. Thank you, Hintsman for the hunts.
As Andy says in the hint it is an informal term for money, as in “Let’s see what we can ******* together”
A thing i had to do to pay £9.25 for some godawful lager.
Thanks, SJB. It’s a term I have never encountered before so one lives and one learns. 👍
I have never heard of it either. It is not in my thesaurus, so a bung in. Cannot imagine me ever using it!
I do the think Daisy the myna bird knows that either, but then again she doesn’t need money.
That has to become DG’s avatar! 🤣
Nor me re 19a.
A straightforward Tuesday at */*** with an easy rhythm and five anagrams. No stand outs although 7d was good. Haven’t read Huntsman’s hints yet but hadn’t heard of scratch for cash before. Thank you Huntsman and our setter.
Quite easy today. I have never heard the answer to 19a in relaton to money before also 22d was a bit baffling.
Good morning. This was great fun as it was a read and fill from the outset, with zero hold ups. When the across clues went in, I peeked at the timer, and thought, like yesterday, a new record was possible. Sadly not, but still pleased. Favourite clues are 1a, the Gallic Apple Libation at 12, and the baggage at 15a. For the down clues, the stillness of 8d, the angler at 18, and 23 down. Thank you to Huntsman and Setter for their efforts.
An enjoyable solve from the prof that flowed from the off.
I too haven’t heard of 19a though ‘to 19a a living’ makes sense. The synonym for sally has also been noted. For some reason, I really like 21a as a word.
My podium is 11a, 27a (both fun) and 29a (for its neatness).
MT to AP and Hoots!
1*/4*
A simple solve to get back into the swing of things after a few days walking in the Lakes. The money synonym was new to me too. Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman. It’s good to be reminded what good music Elton has made at both ends of his career. His concerts at Vicarage Road have provided some great memories. Off to see my youngest in Oxford later. His favourite album of all time is the quickie pun and I would struggle to disagree.
Your comment prompted me to listen to the album all of the way through for the first time in a while (which I don’t do nearly enough of having built up artist playlists from streaming). Think I’d just give Ziggy the edge but it’s right up there. Think I may revisit/revise my playlist & have a Bowie phase.
I’d rate this 5* for enjoyment today, based on it being the first one I’ve ever managed to complete unassisted !
Welcome to the blog, DC.
Welcome from me, as well, DC. I do hope we hear from you again and congratulations on your first unaided solve. Great feeling, isn’t it? 😊
Huge congrats, Washington.
Completing a crossword for the first time is such a thrill as it takes years to achieve.
To quote Hilda Ogden….the (crossword) world is your lobster.
Don’t you mean Arthur Daley (in Minder)?
Still makes me smile – what a character for George Cole to get to play. Large VAT Dave & put it on the slate…
We loved George. He was also fab in St Trinian’s.
Congrats & well done from me too. Hopefully the first of many & be sure to let us know
Welcome, and yes finishing unaided is marvelous.
Welcome DC. Onwards and upwards ! Hope to see you again soon.
Good fun as expected on a Tuesday with just the synonym used in 25d not really working for me. Top two positions went to 1&30a.
Many thanks to Mr Plumb and thanks also to Huntsman for the review.
I suspect that the Telegraph Puzzles App is having a wobble as my time was shown as 58 seconds upon completion. I am quite good, but not that good. That surprise aside, this was business as usual for a sunny Tuesday, fun to solve with 18d my favourite.
Many thanks to Mr P and The Hintsman.
* / ***
Enjoyed this as usual. Very smooth clues. Synonyms for money and Sally were new to me but the answers were obvious enough to go in straight away. Whole puzzle was pretty much read and write for a 1* time. Ticks went to the 1d London Railway ticket, the 29a squeezed spot and the 18d trout catcher.
Many thanks to AP (I presume) and Huntsman.
1*/4*. Typically Tuesdayish – light and great fun.
Many thanks to AP for the puzzle, to Hintsman for the review, and to Senf for the apt vocabulary.
I wish to associate myself with the comments of my learned friend, RD.
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
TY setter and Huntsman. I trust your lunch at Harpenden GC was enjoyable.
Another in the ‘never heard that term for money’ camp. But a lovely puzzle as ever on a Tuesday. Always admire the humourous surfaces – just such a skilled setter.
Thanks to them and to Huntsman for the review
Reasonably gentle and straightforward apart from a couple in the SE that needed a crumpet scratch or three. I’ll award cotd to 21a. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.
Thanks to AP and Huntsman. We found this puzzle about as easy as it gets. Which is refreshing as we don’t want to struggle everyday! COTD 19d. LOI 5d. Also 19a we hadn’t heard that term used in this clues context.
A Typically Tuesday puzzle for this week I thought. Lots of good clues along with a few head scratchers that gave pause for thought.
2*/3.5*
Favourites 1a, 10a, 11a, 22a & 20d — with top two being 22a & 20d
10a made me chuckle as did 26d
Thanks to AP & Huntsman
I really enjoyed this, just the thing to lift our spirits after a sad visit to DD2 on Sunday and her 66th birthday yesterday. Nobbut a lass! A very smart guzzle, 12 and 24a were brilliant and I liked 7d and also the pun, which is a phrase my grandfather would use. Many thanks to AP (so I am told) and to the Hintsman.
Oh, Tom – why do we say hunky dory anyway? You will know.
That one is beyond me.
I’ve just looked it up and hunky is from the Dutch for home but dory is an unknown jobbie;
It’s a great saying as is tickety boo which I do know. It, allegedly, derives from the Hindi ”Thik hai babu” meaning ”It”s alright, sir.”
I thought huis was Dutch for house! I picked up a certain amount of Afrikaans in SA but I’m probably wrong.
Hi M
Huis is indeed Dutch for house.
It stems from the Middle Dutch honc/honk which is a home, base or place of refuge.
1* / 3.5* Found this to be a similar level to yesterday’s with no real hold ups, apart from the cash / money meaning.
Top three today are 27a good misdirection, frozen at 8d and the angler at 18d
Thanks to setter + Huntsman
An enjoyable Tuesday diversion. Thanks to the setter and Huntsman for the hints. I’ve seen the term for cash in puzzles many times before. It is in the BRB but not in Collins. A couple of American dictionaries label it US slang. The British concept of a sled being a toboggan always rankles — in Canada these are distinctly different conveyances. A sled has runners, a toboggan does not.
My mate, who’s a Londoner, always uses the term & is the only person I’ve ever heard use it so I’ve always assumed (clearly wrongly) it’s a Cockney thing
I struggled today, seemingly no one else did! In 22a I immediately put in great. Which I was sure was correct. I am sure Daisy ( we are both of the same vintage, )and I both knew that men in the war wore greatcoats. Better luck tomorrow. Thank you to the setter and to Huntsman.
So enjoyable, with just the perfect mix of instant recognition and those that took a little more thought. All plain sailing except for 19a which was a new use of a word for me and LI. COTD shared by 12a and 18d. Thanks much to setter and Huntsman, just glad I needed hardly any hints. So not feeling as stupid as I undoubtedly will later this week 😊.
The usual Tuesday fun, solved with few holdups. I had heard of the term for money but waited until I solved 20d before completing the answer.
1*/4.5*
I am docking half a star for the use of hairy as an anagram indicator though.
Thanks to PP and Huntsman
Very enjoyable, with just a few head-related 19as (including that one itself, the second sense being a vague recollection from Crosswords Past). The 25a Sally was new to me.
Thanks to our Setter and Huntsman for the Blog.
Very enjoyable with just 2 new synonyms to check out after I finished, sally and the cash, but it seems I was not alone. It took me a bit longer than usual to get into than some weeks. No specific favourite today.
Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints,
Tuesday is usually my Fav day of the cruciverbal week but not so today. I enjoyed yesterday but today took a while to get into however once underway it was nearly a cakewalk. Once again a corny AI near the beginning. Should know when the Chinese penny occurs yet again as per 14d. Didn’t suss 26d bung-in. Thank you MrP and Hintsman.
Why have I gone into moderation yet again I wonder?
I’ve rescued you from moderation – you misspelled your email address (which I’ve corrected).
Friendly and entertaining puzzle, with the tank at 18D my favourite. VMT to the Prof and to Huntsman.
A gentle solve again for a Tuesday that was also very enjoyable. My last one in was 25d which was obvious with all the checkers in place. I tend to glaze over when I see the word ‘set’ , as it’s the dictionary word with the most definitions which I’m sure many of you know too . Thanks to the setter and Huntsman