Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31114
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. I found today’s grid fill fairly straightforward, but there were a few clues where figuring out the parsing took some time .
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
7a School principal's attractive-looking passport photo? (8)
HEADSHOT: A school principal with their S from the clue is followed by an informal word for attractive-looking. The ? indicates that the definition is by example
8a Plays with Rose maybe, almost securing par to finish (6)
DRAMAS: All but the last letter (almost) of a type of rose containing (securing) the final letter (to finish) of PAR
9a Cassius perhaps put forward to succeed Caesar originally (4)
CLAY: A verb that can mean “put forward” comes after the first letter (originally) of CAESAR
10a Order lovely book backed by everyone in sport (10)
VOLLEYBALL: Join together an anagram (order, as an imperative) of LOVELY, the single letter for book, and a synonym of everyone
11a Garden flower, repeatedly reduced, was the dearest one (6)
COSMOS: A (4,4) phrase that means “was the dearest one” with the final letter deleted from each word (repeatedly reduced)
13a Ennobled business magnate, outwardly embarrassed given sweetener? (7)
SUGARED: The Amstrad founder who is now a Lord is followed by the outer letters (outwardly) of EMBARRASSED
14a Film season Labour leader introduces (7)
FOOTAGE: A season or period comes after the Labor leader in the early 80s
16a Extent of bloomer possibly starts to terrify her (7)
BREADTH: What bloomer can define by example (possibly) with the initial letters (starts to) of TERRIFY and HER
19a Advertise upgrade (7)
PROMOTE: A double definition
20a Thought Rob must admit guilt (6)
MUSING: A word meaning attack with the intention of robbing contains (must admit) a synonym of guilt
21a Indirectly support round of applause (6-4)
SECOND-HAND: Support or back with a round of applause
22a Nameless benefactor's exit point? (4)
DOOR: A word for a benefactor with the single letter for name deleted (name-less)
23a Each holding tears back makes wish (6)
ASPIRE: The abbreviation for each containing a verb synonym of tears, all reversed (back)
24a Creature that all other animals go after? (8)
AARDVARK: A cryptic definition of the creature that in the dictionary is followed by all other animals
Down
1d Prosperous couple eschewing whiskey visiting fine party (4-2-2)
WELL-TO-DO: A word for couple minus (eschewing) the single letter for whiskey is sandwiched by (visiting) a synonym of fine and a usual word for a party
2d Daughter in African country downing port, getting tense (4)
EDGY: The single letter for daughter is inserted in an African country minus (downing) the abbreviation for port
3d Urges uprooting six herbs (6)
CHIVES: A verb meaning urges or pesters with the Roman six contained in it reversed deleted (uprooting six)
4d Draw on some revolting cigarettes I lit up (7)
UTILISE: The answer is hidden in the reversal of (some revolting) CIGARETTES I LIT UP
5d Twice prevent Scotsmen establishing rugby club (10)
BARBARIANS: Two copies of another word for prevent are followed by the plural of a Scottish male first name
6d Pasty-faced old man in retirement departs unwell (6)
PALLID: An informal word for old man or father is followed by the reversal (in retirement) of the fusion of the single letter for departs and another word for unwell
8d Rejecting arson at first, regarded wrecked ship (7)
DREDGER: An anagram (wrecked) of REGARDED minus (rejecting) the first letter of ARSON
12d Regular rite with common changes (10)
METRONOMIC: An anagram (changes) of RITE COMMON
15d Sting, say, regularly behind crooner given grand for turning up (7)
GEORDIE: Alternate letters (regularly) of BEHIND CROONER followed by the single letter for grand, all reversed (for turning up). The say indicates that the definition is by example
17d Indian cooking method using both ends of tomato Ms Day peeled (8)
TANDOORI: A (1,3,1) phrase for the outer letters (both ends of) TOMATO is followed by the first name of singer and actress Ms Day with her outer letters deleted (peeled)
18d Sort of car criminals use? Well, I never! (7)
GETAWAY: The answer split (3,4) can mean “well, I never”
19d Satisfy requests, ending in gratitude (6)
PLEASE: Some serious requests with the later letter (ending in) GRATITUDE
20d Latest way to overcome hernia essentially (6)
MODERN: A way or method is followed by the central letters (essentially) of HERNIA
22d Bird swooped in New York? (4)
DOVE: An American (in New York) word for swooped
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: MINE + HORROR + TEA = MINORITY
A typical Friday offering with the usual curveballs to trip up the unwary. For example, the bloomer in 16a eluded me for ages despite having bought one this morning. With the creature at 24a I tried to fit “rest” in for “all others” until the penny dropped with a crash that woke the village. I have ticks against the Labour leader at 14a and the criminal’s car at 18d. However, my COTD is the creature all others go after at 24a.
Thank you, setter for the Friday challenge. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints.
Sunshine and rainfall are vying with each other here in The Marches and I hope the sun wins because we’ve had enough rain.
Well done!
You were a worthy challenger, Conor. Both posts are timed at 11.01am.
Very gracious of you, but you were first past the post!
Ooooooooo. So close.
You’ll get him, Cons.
I think Steve has written a macro……… unless he reveals his secret weapon….
“Written a macro”? I don’t even know what that means! 😊
If the battle is going to be a photo finish every day, perhaps Mr K can be prevailed upon to add seconds to the posting time!
Only kidding
I should have put real money on you 😊
TGIF. Over the last few weeks, the Friday puzzle has been very light and this was no exception with some excellent clues. 7a is a great opener but my French teacher was considerably more attractive! As for ticks 13, 16, 19, 21 and 22 across, 5, 6, 8 and 18 down are all worthy. As such it is hard to pick a podium and a CoTD but 24a has to be a contender. Many thanks to the setter and the hinter!
This is just early for me; I’ll leave the competitive puzzling to SC and Conor. Just grateful to have finished this Friday teaser, although the Labour leader had me thinking for quite a while
24a is brilliant, but 18d gets my COTD
***/****
*** / ***
Non working day today so earlier on parade. This one flowed nicely but the SW pushed into 3* time. I had a great answer that fitted all the checkers for 14a but the subsequently obvious tweedy labour leader got me to the right answer. Got 17d but couldn’t parse it so thanks to Mr K for that. Needed the hint for 11a even though I did think of that type of dearest. Wouldn’t have parsed it though in a month of any day you like. Is it just me or is that clue a whole different order of difficulty. It was by quite some time my last one in. Ticks went to the 15d Sting, 12d anagram and my COTD was the 24a first animal.
Many thanks to Mr K and the setter.
A pretty straightforward guzzle for a Friday. However a few clues helsd me up for a while. Last one in was the clever missing letter garden flower at 11a. I also liked the sporty anagram at 10a and the clever cryptic animal at 24a. For a wonder, I actually figured out the Lego rugby club at 5d, too. Altogether anvwnjoyable crossword, so rhank you compiler. Thanks also to Mr K for the hints and pictures.
I still don’t ‘get’ 11a
‘Was the dearest one’ is COST MOST. Remove the last letter of each word (repeatedly reduced) to leave the answer.
Thanks. I did get that, but I wasn’t sure it was correct. You have eased my mind.
3*/5*. I was breezing through three quarters of this superbly enjoyable puzzle when I came to a juddering halt in the SW corner which was when the real battle began. Regardless of the marked differences in difficulty, the whole thing was a joy to solve.
I twigged very early on what “Sting, say” referred to in 15d but it ended up being my last one in. I would have struggled with 11a but Mrs RD assures me that we have some in our garden.
I have too many ticks to list them all.
Many thanks to, I would guess, Silvanus and to Mr K.
I think the hint for 3d is not quite correct. The letters from the roman 6 are removed (uprooted) from the verb that means “urges”.
I found this one hard, struggling with the central west. ****/***
With you on 3d, reckon the hint is wrong.
I agree too; it took me some time to parse.
Not sure about the 3d hint. Originally I thought the same as you. But maybe the answer would be an 8-letter word meaning “urges” if a reversal of six (VI) was inserted into it (uprooting six). Up = reversal in a down clue; rooting = embedding (inserting). I think the hint is OK.
Hi J
The iv of the answer has thrown people.
Uprooting means to ‘take out’. So, we take out ‘vi’.
Simples dimples pimples.
Yes, of course. As I said, that’s how I first parsed it and it works fine. But then I read the hint above and it got me thinking. Maybe the setter (is it S?) has used “uprooted” in a very crafy way – as I describe just above. I’m still far from sure. If the hint was wrong I suspect some of the experts/regulars on here would have commented straight away. Maybe it’s a clue that can truly be parsed either way?
*Hopefully, the setter will pop in to let us know.
Anorak and yours truly mentioned it fairly early on this morning. So, there was no need for anyone to mention it again. I wouldn’t have said anything had I seen Anorak’s post but I was compiling mine at the time.
Mr K has made an extremely rare boo-boo.
Indeed, a rare boo-boo. Apparently, the hint has been “fixed” (see below) but even after refreshing two or three times the hint is still wrong on my laptop.
*Incidentally, the clue would aslo work with …. uprooting four herbs.
No, it wouldn’t!
Messy lunch, J?
Hint now fixed.
Cor! This was hard, especially Devon & Cornwall that took me into 5 territory.
This has to be the work of Silvanus with the r_e_k_r_u_l in 15d.
I didn’t finish it as 11a was waaaaaaaaaaaay beyond me. Playing with a not obvious two word expression for ‘the dearest one’ to get something I’ve never heard of. Very Elgaresque.
3d is an eight letter word with vi taken out. It’s a coincidence that vi is in it reversed (another v tough clue….or should that be ‘vi clue’?). I haven’t seen the abbreviation for port before. So, that’s been noted.
My podium is 10a, 24a, and 18d.
MT to the aforementioned and Mr K.
5*/4*
Some clever and amusing misdirections throughout, with Ms Day knocking up some Indian munch in 17d being particularly tasty.
My thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Unlike others certainly didn’t find this either an easy grid fill or parse – Karla’s excellent Toughie a marginally quicker completion. Well worth the crumpet scratching though (2&3d +11a the culprits) with too many ticks to list. 17d was a belter of a clue & my clear fav with podium places for the troublesome ones at 2&3d.
Thanks to the setter (surely a Smooth production) & to Mr K.
Another vote here for Karla’s Toughie – a rewarding solve, surprisingly light for a Friday (I’d say rather more straightforward than today’s back pager), very approachable and well worth having a look at.
A perfect Friday puzzle which, almost certainly, is the work of the smooth operator – ***/*****
Candidates for favourite – 7a, 11a, 24a, 5d, and 22d – and the winner is 24a.
Thanks to Silvanus, or whomsoever if it is not he, and thanks to Mr K.
An excellent puzzle, although one that occupied slightly more of my day than I had intended. Like others, I slowed down considerably in the SW. So many good clues, but I shall elevate the animal at 24a, the Indian food at 17d and 18d’s car to my podium. Thanks very much to the setter and to Mr K.
I agree with Mr K regarding the parsing. Not the easiest crossword of the week, but then it is Friday.
Not one I particularly took a liking to today. Parsing a large part of the issue for me.
3.5*/1.5*
Favourites 5d & 18d
Thanks to setter & Mr K.
We are truly being spoilt this week.
Another very elegant puzzle which was a joy to solve and perfectly pitched for a Friday back-pager IMO.
The sporting references and smooth surfaces suggest that this might be the work of Silvanus, as TDS has already intimated above. Having said that, he set the Toughie yesterday…
Ticks aplenty. I liked the flower at 11a (even though, like RD, I had to consult with the domestic/gardening staff to confirm it), the earth pig at 24a, Sting at 15d (the clip will no doubt brighten up Jane’s day) and the criminals’ car. Special mention to the rugby club obviously but my CoD is Justin Rose at 8a. Brilliant!
I would endorse Huntsman’s comment regarding today’s Toughie by Karla. It is no more difficult than this puzzle and also beautifully written.
Thanks to our setter and Mr K.
A cracking puzzle that’s ideally suited to the Friday slot – thanks to our setter and Mr K.
I particularly liked 7a, 13a, 21a, 5d and 18d.
Seems likely that we have a double dose of the smooth one this week which is just perfect for me. The appearance of Sting was an added bonus!
No real problems encountered today although I was slow to get the required Labour leader – thought it might be ‘L’ – and I wasn’t aware of Sting’s heritage. Top three were probably 7,11&21a with a nod to the criminals’ car.
Thanks to Silvanus for a fun Friday puzzle and to Mr K for the review.
Meant to add that the Quickie pun really amused me.
You & me too Jane re the L & I used to chat to him on the 24 bus from Hampstead back in the day.
We have certainly been blessed recently with some brilliant puzzles straight out of the top drawer, and this was yet another little gem. As always, picking a favourite is somewhat disingenuous but I will go for 11a.
My thanks to, presumably, Silvanus, and most definitely to Mr K.
One of those puzzles where, for me, persistence finally paid off. Like others the SW took some teasing out, but it was all worth the effort. An elegant puzzle to end the non-work week. From the myriad of possible candidates for the podium, the choice has gone to 5d, 17d and 24a. Thanks to compiler and Mr K.
A great Friday puzzle, suitably quite tough for this day. Fine clues provided an enjoyable tussle. Plenty of ticks and at least six could qualify as my favourite so I’ll just mention 5d. 4*/4.5*.
I found this a bit trickier than some with help needed for the parsing of several, but it was very enjoyable and there were lots of clues that amused me. I had 17d as my favourite. 11a held out for ages but then it hit me.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the hints
Hugely enjoyable although i was beaten by 11a. Just never heard of these at all.
18d and 24a favourites today.
Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K.
For 3d i removed vi from chivvies to get chives
Way beyond me, I didn’t have a clue but I did have quite a lot of them, but not all of them. Fun?
Phew, thought I was the only one.
I haven’t actually finished the crossword , barely started, but just dropped in to see who got the first post , SC or Conor. Well done SC ! I didn’t actually twig until their comments yesterday that blog commenting started at 11am . Not sure if I’ll get to finish this today, given it’s rather chewy as Christmas events and a weekend wedding take over so will be out of action shortly. Meanwhile thanks to the setter and Mr K. I’ll definitely be looking at the hints for parsing later at least , as I am scratching my head at a few already.
Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K.
We have not been on form this week! As always we approach the puzzle later in the day than most. Our COTD 24a. LOI 16a.
Perhaps we shall make an earlier start tomorrow when we have a few more grey cells!
Many thanks to Mr K and to all solvers and commenters.
As Tom rightly says, the “uprooting” in 3d was instructing solvers to delete the VI from the synonym for “urges”. No reversing involved!
As this is my final puzzle before Christmas, I’d like to take this opportunity to send festive greetings to everyone, wherever they may be. It’s not my final appearance of 2025, however. Like last year, I have the honour of appearing in the Christmas Day slot (online only as there are no printed newspapers that day), so I hope as many of you as possible will find the time to tackle the puzzle. I can promise plenty of seasonal references!
Thank you for another enjoyable solve, S.
11a gave me all sorts of problems. But, the good thing is, having gone through so much pain, I will never forget the name of this pesky flower!
And thank you for your puzzles of 2025. They are, without fail, beautifully crafted and extremely well thought out.
Have a joyous Crossmas and a parsperous New Year.
Thanks for popping in as ever & have a great Christmas.
In a strong week of puzzles thus far I have you greedily occupying number 1 & 2 slot. I’ve just checked to see who was the last act to achieve that in the UK singles chart (someone called Sabrina apparently) – your puzzles are a darn sight better than her songs…
Thank you for today’s puzzle and all those you have delighted us with throughout the year, silvanus. Along with the rest of Big Dave, I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and all hope for a peaceful New Year.
Just so I can beat Jane to say how nice it is that the seasonal snow is back
Blast! I noticed the snow very early on and meant to comment but forgot! Now snow is on Big Dave, it is, officially, Christmas. 🎅🏻🎅🏻
I hope you are getting better, CS.
Hi Sue,
The snow falling always reminds me of the days when we were able to change the direction of its fall just by moving the ‘mouse’ – silly but very enjoyable Christmas fun. I do hope your recuperation is making good headway and that both you and Mr CS enjoy your festive celebrations.
I am progressing well thank you and still doing all the exercises.
We can’t travel this year which is sad because we will miss the twins first birthday party. At the moment my main concern is whether I’ll be able to cook Christmas dinner as, following the need for a replacement oven element, Mr CS has decided that now is a good time to fix all the other things that need sorting on the cooker
A very enjoyable puzzle for me. I managed most of it unaided so thanks for the clues . However … I’m scratching my head with 20a despite the explanation- can any help this dimwit ?
“Way” is “Mode” The essential (central) part of “heRNia” goes after it. All together it is the “Latest”.
I found this a real battle! Obviously not on the right wavelength today.****/*** for me:(
Good evening,
A first time poster who thinks he should contribute. Have been (nearly always) completing the DT cryptic crossword for 50+ years, following in father’s wake (he would do the DT and Times every morning without lifting his pen). An enjoyable puzzle with 11a proving the most stubborn.
Would like to thank this community for the help parsing some of the clues each month.
Not quite your first post – you posted as ‘Nick Onslow’ last month. Both aliases will work from now on.
Now that you’ve introduced yourself I hope that you’ll become a regular commenter.
Welcome back, NickO. 👍 Please don’t stay away so long next time.
Not on the setters wavelength today.
Liked the rugby team clue.
A dnf due to 8a and 11a. Never heard of either plant.
Also had no idea Sting was a 15d. Must be decades since his music was inflicted on me. Does he even have the accent?
At first this offering seemed easy for a Friday, right until it wasn’t. Enjoyed solving what i could though.
Thanks to all.
I am with David above on this crossword. Needed too many hints for any enjoyment but appreciated the efforts of Mr K and Silvanus and wish them a very happy Christmas.
2.5* / 4* A good test for a Friday, needed MrKs help with a few parsings but got all the answers unaided.
Favourites today are the creature at 24a, the 3d herb and Mr Sumner at 15d
Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K
Ok like others in had the 3d answer but the VI was throwing me.
Clever
Word for urges removing one six
Like
Really liked 24a as it reminded me of Blackadder
Also there’s a lot of words for Sting and I came to that one quite late 😀
That was straightforward to complete but, for me, impossible to parse 9 of my answers. Heartfelt thanks therefore to Mr K for the hints.