Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31108
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday.
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. Clicking on a picture will enlarge it or display a bonus illustration and a hover (computer) or long press (mobile) might explain more about the picture. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Dispute some rock music parts being recycled? (5,5)
SCRAP METAL: A dispute or argument with a genre of rock music
6a Supermarket perhaps with no parking sign (4)
SHOW: What a supermarket defines by example (perhaps) and the single letter for with, minus the single letter for parking (… no parking)
9a Drink stain can start to irk (7)
MARTINI: Link together another word for stain, a noun synonym of can, and the first letter of (start to) IRK
10a Family member eats lean dairy product (7)
STILTON: A male family member contains (eats) lean or slant
12a All the countries with capitals equalling the French one (6,7)
UNITED NATIONS: The two capital letters abbreviating this organization are also “one” in French
14a Linked with Spain, circle dancing keeps tango thrilling (8)
ELECTRIC: The IVR code for Spain with an anagram (dancing) of CIRCLE that contains (keeps) the letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by Tango
15a One makes less on paper when one's working (6)
ERASER: A cryptic definition of something that may remove mistakes when writing on paper
17a Articulated components of flight goggles (6)
STARES: A homophone (articulated) of a part of a flight linking floors in a building, for example
19a Familiar place name announcing its 'greater peel'? (3,5)
BIG APPLE: A synonym of great and a fruit with peel. Some sources say that a homophone (announcing) of “greater peel” is the wishful justification for the answer
21a Little rooster eating spread I will give dog (6,7)
COCKER SPANIEL: A little rooster containing (eating) both spread or range and I from the clue
24a Go slowly and take in banks of Loire (7)
TRICKLE: “Take in” or fool with the outer letters of (banks of) LOIRE
25a Fired from editing when drunk (7)
IGNITED: An anagram (when drunk) of EDITING
26a Veto daughter, shortly 19, consuming Ecstasy (4)
DENY: The single letter for daughter and the two-letter abbreviation for the city answering 19a are sandwiching (consuming) the single letter for Ecstasy
27a Politician taking on dealer in intoxicating substances (10)
REPUBLICAN: On or concerning with a businessperson selling alcoholic substances
Down
1d Half the house is ringing me up (4)
SEMI: IS containing (ringing) ME, all reversed (up, in a down clue)
2d Overture not very organised - sort out another way (7)
REROUTE: An anagram (organised) of OVERTURE minus (not) the single letter for very
3d Air-kiss, welcoming a popular contemporary followed by bore (4,2,3,4)
PAIN IN THE NECK: An air-kiss or light kiss containing (welcoming) the fusion of A from the clue, a synonym of popular, a synonym of contemporary, and a word that can mean “followed by”
4d Wide-ranging passage from 'Arrivederci, Med' I penned when heading north (8)
EPIDEMIC: The answer is hidden in the reversal (passage from … when heading north, in a down clue) of ARRIVEDERCI MED I PENNED
5d Topless vicar causes offence (5)
ARSON: A type of vicar with their first letter deleted (topless, in a down clue)
7d Say setter put in sexy clues, finally something to chew on (3,4)
HOT DOGS: What setter defines by example (say) is sandwiched by (put in) a synonym of sexy and the last letter (finally) of CLUES
8d Twist broadcast presenting driver's point of view (10)
WINDSCREEN: Synonyms of twist and broadcast
11d Medical worker, a Latino travelling worldwide? (13)
INTERNATIONAL: A student medical worker with A from the clue and an anagram (travelling) of LATINO
13d Abused rep over crop being in seed (10)
PERSECUTED: The reversal (over, in a down clue) of REP is followed by crop or trim inserted in (being in) SEED from the clue
16d Going through Serengeti, ram is unwavering - a course requiring spirit? (8)
TIRAMISU: The answer is hidden in (going through) SERENGETI RAM IS UNWAVERING
18d Move to secure university that offers lots to pick up (7)
AUCTION: A synonym of move containing (to secure) the single letter for university
20d Wise to be well-mannered - scratching bottom, yours truly gets caught (7)
POLITIC: A word meaning well-mannered minus its last letter (scratching bottom, in a down clue) followed by a pronoun the setter would use for themselves and the cricket abbreviation for caught
22d Rude old boy's missed part of act (5)
SCENE: A synonym of (very) rude with the abbreviation for old boy deleted (missed)
23d Eve's first/last sanctuary? (4)
EDEN: The wordplay tells to follow the letter that’s first and last in EVE with a synonym of sanctuary. The entire clue can serve as a definition
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: MARK + BOWLING + AUNTIE + WRECKS = MARC BOLAN AND T. REX
This was exceptionally light for a Friday with no hold ups but 6a needed a few moments to parse. Lots to like but gold stars go to 9a, 18d and 23d. Fun while it lasted. Many thanks to setter and Mr k for the hints.
A bit of a tricky one as befits a Friday. I struggled with it and only had four after the first pass. Lots of great clues but I wouldn’t want to try guessing the setter. I liked the stained drink at 9a and the worker making less on paper at 15a. The lurker at 16d was well hidden and it took an age to spot it. My COTD is the family member at 10a.
Terrific Quickie pun
Thank you, setter, for the Friday challenge. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints.
Got there in the end, but I’m afraid I found it rather a tiresome slog, might just be the grim weather here in Sandhurst today.
Hope others enjoyed it though…..
I thought this was very enjoyable though quite testing. I struggled to pars a few. I always enjoy long clues so they were a bonus for me. Thank you setter and Mr K
3*/1*. I am sorry to say that for me this made a disappointing end to an otherwise excellent week of back-pagers. I hope others will have enjoyed it.
Thanks anyway to the compiler and to Mr K.
Definitely not on this setter’s wavelength today after a fairly easy week for me. Came to the hints very early. 3d I find word for ‘air-kiss’ to be debatable! Would never had associated. Struggling with every clue – perhaps need more coffee
Peck on the cheek – sounds OK to me.
surely on the cheek is contact not air
I suppose the setter has added ‘air’ as it sets the scene more than just ‘kiss’ but, as you say, it isn’t a peck.
It’s a tricky one as ‘a popular contemporary followed by’ representing the nine letters inside ‘peck’ is an excellent effort. Maybe, the setter should have put in brackets ‘Let me off? Pretty please?’
Thank you! I’ve just had a coffee and I am inspired by your comments to not even get this one printed off!
I think I’ll write some Christmas cards instead. 😉
Welcome to the blog
Thank you! I hope I shall be a bit more positive next time…
Agree entirely. Thought I was losing metal capacity after a good week of solving.
Surprisingly gentle for a Friday, but very satisfying nonetheless and because of that, by a short head, wins “best back pager of the week”. Pleased I did not have to write out the parsing of 3d – kudos to Mr K. Some great surfaces and plenty of humour. Good to see Serengeti in the clueing and not the grid!
Many thanks indeed to the setter and to Mr K
Still most enjoyable if a little more difficult
I found it hard to get a start on the knotty clues in rhus crossword. However, after a few checker went in, things bwgan to sort themselves out, althouggh I’ll still have to look up some parsing in Mr K’s excellent hints. I liked the Lego cluue dog at 21a, the lurking pudding at 16d and the4d lurker, using the beoader interpretation of the word in question. Thanks to Mr K for the hints and to the compiler for a proper Friday challenge.
A challenging but rewarding puzzle at the right level of difficulty for a Friday. There were several I couldn’t parse so was grateful for the hints. I’m still struggling with 19A though. I thought “Big A” was a homophone for “Bigger/Greater”, but then couldn’t make the rest of it work as a homophone. But I don’t quite get the alternative explanation from Mr K above either. But this is my only question mark on an otherwise excellent puzzle, so thank you to setter and Mr K.
In 19a, the written surface seems a bit nonsensical but when the clue is pronounced in the customary Crosswordland British accent “greater peel” sounds very much like “great appeal” which makes eminent sense. However, I’m with you on the wordplay. I wonder if “greater peel” is intended to be (in my view, very poor) British homophone of “great apple”.
Interesting, I hadn’t considered “great appeal”, but I’m still not convinced. If “peel” was a synonym of “pull” then it could work as a homophone.
Greater -> Bigger -> “Big A”
Peel -> Pull -> “pple”
But Chambers doesn’t list “pull” as a synonym and it’s probably too convoluted anyway!
I also couldn’t make any sense of the surface reading in 19a.
I didn’t enjoy this one, a bit of slog and some of the clues were too obscure for my taste. There were too many where I was parsing after solving.
A good Friday puzzle – thanks to our setter and Mr K (additional thanks for deciphering the Quickie pun which defeated me).
For my podium I selected 21a, 18d and 20d.
A fair bit of thought needed today, but an enjoyable tussle. A couple of parsings still elude me so I’m off to read Mr K’s hints. Honorable mentions to 19a, 27a and 4d, but I’ll award cotd to 20d. Thanks to compiler and Mr K.
Well, for me, this was a much easier puzzle than yesterday’s.
On top of that I thought this Friday offering was easier than normal. A few tricky clues to manage, but an enjoyable solve.
2.5*/3.5* for me
Favourites today 1a, 10a, 15a, 27a, 5d & 23d — with top two being 1a & 27a
Thanks to setter & Mr K
As with yesterday’s puzzle another pesky 4 letter clue at 6a (d’oh) was last in & considerably delayed the grid fill. I then fell 1 shy on the parsing front where I didn’t even get as far as the air-kiss synonym, which seems tenuous to me. I wouldn’t rank this one among my pick of recent Friday offerings but there was still stuff to like. 27a was my fav. Surprisingly I did twig the ambitious pun – good attempt but the 2nd & 3rd words don’t really work for me.
Thanks to the setter & to Mr K
This was a reasonably gentle challenge, for a Friday, I hasten to add with Tyne & Wear being the last to drop, thanks to cracking 6a, a cracking clue.
12a was nicely done as was the cryptic dooberry in 15a and 7d was fun.
My podium is 6a, 20d and 22d.
MT to Zandio (?) and Mr K.
3*/4*
On the first pass through the across clues I had precisely nothing filled in the grid. However, a good proportion of the downs went in straight away to produce a quickish and enjoyable solve. 12a proved to be my favourite clue.
Many thanks to our Friday setter for the fun, and to Mr K.
Thanks to the setter, and to Mr K for the write-up. 20d was my favourite, although I think the hint above needs a little tweak.
Agreed – just the sort of blip I make all the time writing hints but very rare for Mr K
It’s one thing to solve a puzzle, another to write the hints. You all do an excellent job, and I’m sure if I had to do so, my hints would be riddled with inaccuracies.
I’ve made a few similar faux pas, one fairly recently I recall. I parse the clue correctly while solving the puzzle but later when writing the hints see a certain common construction and automatically bung the usual meaning into the hint forgetting that the setter has used it in a different manner on this occasion.
I agree that the hint for 20d requires a tweak.
Can I have ago – I need the practice:
A word meaning well-mannered minus its last letter (scratching bottom, in a down clue) + a pronoun the setter would use for themslves + an abbreviation for (c)aught.
*Bet I’ve made a mistake!
You’ve got the job. Can you start next Tuesday? 😀
Or next Friday
20d hint now fixed (I had to rewrite them at 2am after a computer glitch and, as Falcon says, it’s easy to slip into autopilot mode and write an incorrect hint when tired}.
Not wild about 6a, the clue tells you to make a nonexistent word and then remove a letter from it. I think the setter went for a nice surface reading ahead of intelligibility.
Generally I found this quite tricky, ****/**
O, 6a. Not really a made-up word. It’s SHOP + W – P (no parking);
After once again falling two weeks behind whilst on holiday in October, I have finally caught up again in time to comment. I liked 21a, although “little” seemed to me to be rather unneccessary. 17a gave me the most trouble, a weĺl constructed clue, almost too cryptic for me! I only got 19a having first solved 26a which gave me an additional clue, still not really able to parse it, though. Crossword accompanies only coffee and lunch so back on track with 15 mins to spare.😀
Solved in fits and starts throughout the morning and can’t say that I derived much enjoyment from it. Pleased to see that others obviously feel differently. 1a gets my vote for being one that did raise a smile.
Thanks to our setter – Zandio, I presume, and also to Mr K for the review.
Not sure what to think of this.
11d is an American term for medical worker. 18d favourite today.
3*/3*
Thanks to setter and Mr K.
I ploughed through this thinking well, it IS Friday but gradually answers revealed themselves to me except for 6a. I thought it had to be and that confirmed 7d. So I have finished, all by my own as DD1 used to say. George is progressing nicely although he cannot have a bath or shower until Wednesday because of the dressing from whence the skin graft was removed. He’s getting a bit fed up with sleeping in his chair as well. So he must be getting better! Many thanks to Setter and Mr K / I didn’t need you today as it happens but it is nice to know you are there as a big, warm safety blanket !
Got to this late on my Thursday evening as I was attending a ‘Commanders Holiday Season Reception’ (in less PC times – a Christmas Cocktail Party) at the RCAF Base here in Winnipeg which was orders of magnitude more enjoyable than solving the puzzle – 4*/1.5*
Smiles for 10a, 21a, 1d, and 18d.
Thanks to Zandio, or whomsoever if it is not he, and thanks to Mr K.
A fine Friday puzzle which I enjoyed very much, but then I ‘ve always been a bit of a maverick. Not one for the purists, I suspect. Mostly good clues provided a reasonable challenge. OK, so the surface of 3d doesn’t make much sense but the word-play is very inventive and peck = light kiss = air kiss is just about acceptable (on a good day) in a cryptic clue. Possibly the work of Z? 3*/4*.
I found this very difficult and there was a lot of guess the answer and reverse engineer the parsing which I failed to do several times. Still i got there in the end. Favourite was 20d. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K.
Simply could not get ‘something to chew on’ but with MrK’s help it all now makes sense. Thank you compiler for an enjoyable challenge not to mention the great quickie pun!
I had dog bone to start sith!
So did I!
Hello, compiler here. Thanks very much for taking the time to solve, analyse and discuss.
Regarding 19a, thanks for the interest. It’s unusual because the homophone is in the clue. Normally we give a synonym or definition that leads to a homophone of the answer, as in 17a. In 19a the idea is that a 19a must have greater peel; at the same time, it is known as the 19a is because of its great appeal. Because it’s unusual, I wasn’t sure that Robyn (who edited the puzzle) would go for it, but in fact it was one of his favourite clues.
My own favourite clue, not just in this puzzle, but that I’ve ever written, is 12a. I never remember clues, but I will remember that one.
So that makes two clues that I can remember, the other being by Dean Mayer (Elkamere in the Telegraph Toughie, and of course Anax in the Big Dave blog). Dean’s clue, which I quoted in The Telegraph Centenary Crossword Collection, was: “Space flight succeeds (9,6)”. Brilliant! The first word begins with D, second word L.
Have a great weekend, and I hope you give the Sunday Toughie a go.
Thank you, Z, for a very enjoyable puzzle. You are right to be proud of 12a as it’s very clever.
I’m giving it my utmost to crack Deano’s delight to no avail.
Care to put me and others out of our misery?
Departure lounge?
Excellent work, G.
It is, indeed, a great clue.
I thought it might be ‘Discovery Landed’.
Re 12a, “NY-based organisation shortly becoming French one? (6,7)” from DT 29192 was also pretty good.
It is indeed.
Very nice of Mr K to say that the old clue, which I wrote in 2019, was also a good one. (I didn’t realise I had used the “French one” idea before.) But the new clue knocks it into a cocked hat, imho, because all three elements appear to mean something different at first sight. All the best.
Thank you, Zandio. It’s good to get the definitive explanation of 19A. 12A is indeed very elegant, as was the rest of the puzzle. Still scratching my head over the space flight clue though.
It is a clue and solution I remember well as Big Dave and I shared the blogging of this Toughie and he initially told me my thoughts on the parsing were wrong but eventually had to admit I was right
Thanks. “Space flight succeeds” was in Toughie 842. Anax’s comment on it in the blog is amusing.
Greater pèel, i.e. more of it! Yes, got it now, thanks Z. Excellent.
Late again but it was the Lit. Group lunch with book to discuss beforehand. This is a classy puzzle today snd I have to throw up my pen in delight at 12 across. Loved 19 across also. There were lots more ticks. Last in was the 4 letter blighter that was 6 across. I was so sure that 27 across was a drug that it was the only gap on the grid. One can become so fixated and miss the sense of the clue so DNF by one.
Thank you Zandio but now I am wondering if I can work out the parting gift of “Space flight succeeds”. 9,6
Thank you also Mr. K
I am in awe of those who found this gentle or easy. Clearly above my pay grade. For me it was a 3d, and reminded me that I really should give Fridays a miss. Would need too many hints to finish, so not my idea of fun. Thanks to setter and Mr K.
Fairly easy for a Friday with most of the clueing spot on. Pencilled in the answer for 19a because I could just about make it work from the clue, but 26a confirmed my suspicion. Couldn’t think of the music genre in 1a, so needed Mr K’s help; maybe ‘some “heavy” rock’ would have guided me better?
I liked the driver’s point of view, but I’ll go with the dog at 21a as favourite of the day.
2*/4*
The Quickie pun had me stumped until the reveal.
Started this one earlier, then life and Elgar on the other channel ensured a late completion.
Fairly light for a Friday backpager I thought. LOI was 6a which wouldn’t be out of place in a toughie.
My thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Great Friday puzzle, flowed really well but at the same time made you work, which makes a compketed solve more satisfying. Best of the week so far, trumping ydays offering. Thanks to all
I got half way through and then ground to a halt , but after a dog walk and a cup of tea , the rest fell into place, and I did wonder why I struggled earlier as it wasn’t too bad after all. Some nice clues so thanks to Zandio – always a favourite and Mr K.
*** / ****
The NE took this just into 3* time. Lots to like with 19a the pick especially after reading the various comments and Zandio’s confirmation.
Many thanks to Zandio for some enjoyment to take my mind off the day after the night before!!
And thanks to Mr K too.
Rounds of applause for those who found this light or easy.
I was nowhere on a first read through, and prolonged thinking didn’t help. And it was one of those days when the hints left me not much wiser.
Oh well. A faulty wavelength day.
Thanks to Zandio and Mr K.
As the week progresses I tend to reveal the answers and learn. My hat is doffed to those who found this a easy solve.
This drove me mad, and I still don’t understand 7d. I see a synonym for sexy, but it doesn’t sandwich anything, and I can’t see what defines the setter at all.
Welcome to the blog
I think I was being slow. It’s not being sandwiched by a synonym for sexy, it’s sandwiched by a synonym for sexy and the last letter of clues. And I can see what the setter is now.
What I had in mind is that “C sandwiched by A and B” would be ACB. Apologies if that wasn’t clear.
Managed to finish unaided, but it was quite a beastie.
6a and 8d held me up for ages and, once these were in, my loi, 15a was a quick solve.
Thanks to all.
3* / 4* Excellent Friday challenge, favourites include 21a dog, 3d kiss and drivers view at 8d
Thanks to Zandio and Mr K
For a long time i was gazing at a sea of blank spaces then finally it slowly began to reveal answers even I not always parsed. Favourite clue 15 across. Thanks to Zandio and Mr K
Completed in fits and starts with several that I needed the hints to parse. Overall I found it pretty tricky to get started in and I am pleased to have managed to finish. I liked 21a and thought the lurker was very well hidden.
Many thanks to Zandio and to Mr K for the hints.
3*/4* …
liked 8D “Twist broadcast presenting driver’s point of view (10)”
Ooops — I solved this on the day, but it took me longer than Zandio puzzles often do, and I ran out of lunchtime for commenting. I’ve just found a window with some notes I made while solving, and I’m posting this now so that I can close that window and reboot this computer.
This was great fun, with the 27a dealer in intoxicating substances and the 16d course requiring spirit being my favourites (despite the fact I don’t like the taste of alcohol!). I spent some time trying to make 18d work with S as its first letter, for “pick up”.
Thank you to Mr K for the hints, specifically for explaining where the W came from in 6a, though I really should’ve been able to see that myself. (I also made a note about 20d but can no longer make sense of what I wrote!)
Can anybody enlighten why ‘Ecstasy’ has a capital E in the clue for 26a? Is it a trademark‽