Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31118
Hints and Tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty *** Enjoyment ****
May I take this opportunity to wish everyone a Very Happy Christmas.
I know that today can be a mad rush to get everything ready for the big day but I hope that you’ll have time between wrapping the last-minute present and preparing the sprouts to tackle this entertaining puzzle and let us know your thoughts on it. I enjoyed it a lot – many thanks to our setter.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and indicator words (e.g. anagram indicators) are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons.
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Across
1a Player whose skills are on the slide? (10)
TROMBONIST: cryptic definition of a musician in the brass section of an orchestra.
6a Picking up slipper, cry weakly (4)
MEWL: this verb to cry weakly (like a kitten, say) sounds like (picking up) a type of backless slipper.
9a Sup tea Lucy mashed as a cold remedy (10)
EUCALYPTUS: an anagram (mashed) of SUP TEA LUCY.
10a Strictly’s first celebrity turned wide boy (4)
SPIV: the first letter of Strictly and the reversal (turned) of the abbreviation for a celebrity.
12a Reform a law intended to protect the country (6)
MALAWI: this landlocked African country is hidden (to protect) in the clue.
13a Watering holes visited by my posh, noble lady (8)
BARONESS: establishments for which the term watering holes may be used facetiously contain (visited by) the word posh people may use instead of ‘my’ (e.g. one has one’s dinner at eight pm).
15a Greek character probing dictionary uncovered nice classical notes (7,5)
CHAMBER MUSIC: the twelfth letter of the Greek alphabet goes inside (probing) the dictionary that we know on this site as the BRB. Finish with the central (uncovered) letters of ‘nice’.
18a Brutal bomb he detonated, one full of gas (12)
BLABBERMOUTH: an anagram (detonated) of BRUTAL BOMB HE.
21a Make a run for it carrying large old slice of 24 Across? (8)
ESCALOPE: a verb to make a run for it contains (carrying) abbreviations for large and old.
22a Shiny metal taps in front of church (6)
CHROME: the abbreviations found on bathroom taps precede the city that’s used as a metonym for the world’s largest Christian church.
24a Young animal’s meat for sale – that’s heartless (4)
VEAL: start with an adjective meaning ‘for sale’ or ‘can be bribed’ and remove its central letter (heartless).
25a Did it bring illumination to Aladdin? (6,4)
SPIRIT LAMP: cryptic definition with illumination meaning both light and enlightenment.
26a Estimate cost (4)
RATE: double definition.
27a Jealous dad runs Treasury after clearing out political group (5,5)
GREEN PARTY: string together the colour associated with jealousy, an affectionate word for one’s dad, the cricket abbreviation for runs and the outer letters (after clearing out) of Treasury.
Down
1d Playing Hamlet, tragic role in film (6)
THELMA: an anagram (playing) of HAMLET.
2d Secret force regularly freed religious sect (6)
OCCULT: drop regular letters from ‘force’ and add a religious sect or faction.
3d Wobbly teeth wobble when punched by left, unfairly so? (5,3,4)
BELOW THE BELT: an anagram (wobbly) of TEETH WOBBLE into which the abbreviation for left is inserted (punched).
4d Soft leather article topped with downy covering (4)
NAPA: an indefinite article is preceded (topped, in a down clue) by the sort of downy covering found on a snooker table.
5d Banger starts to disturb our good little pet (7,3)
SAUSAGE DOG: the food known as a banger and the starting letters of three words in the clue.
7d Beginning to edit first of Sunday papers over a coffee (8)
ESPRESSO: assemble the beginning letter of espresso, the first letter of Sunday, a word for papers or print media and the cricket abbreviation for over.
8d With aching heart, silk is upset after getting nothing in court (8)
LOVESICK: reverse (upset, in a down clue) the letters following the name of a ‘silk’ (senior barrister) and IS then place that after the word used for ‘nothing’ on a tennis court.
11d Attic work of literature (4,2,3,3)
ROOM AT THE TOP: double definition, the second a novel by John Braine.
14d Last bit of clue: prepare my fancy surface smoother! (5,5)
EMERY PAPER: the last letter of clue followed by an anagram (fancy) of PREPARE MY.
16d Spectator, or another weekly publication (8)
OBSERVER: double definition, the other weekly publication is a Sunday newspaper.
17d Young Simpson collecting daily table of data (3,5)
BAR CHART: Homer’s eldest child contains (collecting) a daily cleaner.
19d Second husband broadcast quality material (6)
MOHAIR: glue together an abbreviated word for a second or short time, the genealogical abbreviation for husband and a verb to broadcast.
20d Went over terms of fiscal policy in a thorough manner (6)
DEEPLY: reverse a verb meaning went in the lavatorial sense (Jane’s favourite word) and append the terminating letters of fiscal policy.
23d Burl Ives oddly partial to this cheese? (4)
BRIE: the odd letters of Burl Ives.
For my podium I’ve plumped for 1a, 13a and 8d. Which one(s) floated your boat?
The Quick Crossword pun: MASH + AREA + MORE = MA CHERIE AMOUR
This was a satisfying solve and reminded me of the offerings from Anthony Plumb but I don’t suppose it is from the professor. Plenty to like and a few smiles were raised such as the player on the slide at 1a and the watering holes at 13a. In fact, there were so many I liked it is difficult to pick a favourite. However, because it took a long time for realisation to arrive, I will make the shiny metal taps at 22a my COTD.
Thank you, setter for the Christmas Eve fun. Thank you, Colonel for the hints.
My only gripe is the lack of Christmas themed clues and Gazza mentioned this yesterday. I hope it has nothing to do with being “woke”.
A very Merry Christmas to everyone on the blog especially the village elders who keep it going and the hard-working bloggers who give of their time freely. You are all appreciated.
Sorry – thank you Gazza for the hints and I forgot to say I thought the Quickie pun was great.
I second that Steve. Well said
Oooo, 11:01 vs 11:01.
Close, but no festive stogie, King Con.
2 1 to ‘The Cow’ going into the Christmas Break (we hate ‘Xmas’)
Weihnachtswaffenstillstand🤣
Ich stimme zu. Wir haben alle Besseres am Weihnachtstag zu tun. 😊
Very good, gentlemen.
That monster word by you Conor typifies this bonkers language.
It is tremendous laziness by them, adding words to words which we do but not to this level.
Highly entertaining.
Compound words can be a killer to pronounce…………
That has brought back some memories from my working days. My company was a supplier of coatings for food cans and we needed to comply with the regulations contained in a document with the pithy title of: kunststoffeimlebensmittelwerke. I think this translates to something like “plastics in food production factories”.
Perfect translation!
Outstanding.
Putting these words together must be such a hoot.
It’squiteeasy. 😀
Agreed, I was wondering about the lack of Christmas clues. I’ve been hearing from friends about “Christmas” going missing…
Good morning. Like yesterday`s puzzle, the across clues were few and far between on the initial pass; down clues were considerably easier. Nevertheless, I found this quite testing and it took a minute longer than I like. 6a is a new word for me and LOI . CoTD is 5d hotly followed by 21a. Many thanks to the setter and Gazza for the hints. Merry Christmas everybody.
2*/3*. I found the bottom half significantly harder than the top, particularly as I spent too long trying to parse 21a having wrongly assumed that “make a run for it” led to “elope”.
With a couple of exceptions, I enjoyed the solve.
I don’t think that the word in 24a whose heart needs to be removed is synonymous with “for sale” unless it is qualified by corruptness.
Also, the first word of 27a should be “envious”. Despite what Chambers has to say about it, jealousy and envy are not the same thing.
Thanks to the setter and to Gazza.
Merry Christmas to one and all.
Me too with elope.
This was a pleasant surprise as I expected a puzzle jam-packed with Christmassy-type clues. Instead, we have this very thoughtful and enjoyable crossword that was full of excellent clues and some clever misdirection. For a favourite, I went for 20d.
Many thanks to our setter and Gazza. Have a good one everybody, and I very much echo Steve’s thoughts in his final paragraph.
I sailed through most of this but the parsing of shiny metal and terms of fiscal policy was beyond me. Thanks to Gazza and setter and a Happy Christmas to everyone.
Another straightforward one to fill in, with the parsing more tricky. Particularly 20D! Thanks Gazza. Favourite was 3D.
** / ***
The SE took this into 2* time. Enjoyed this after a dawn trip to the butchers and supermarket and back home before any madness starts.
Liked the shiny taps and the one full of gas.
Many thanks to Gazza for confirming some parsing and the setter.
Merry Christmas everyone!
This crossword was enjoyable but had aufficient tricky clues to be a challenge. I liked the player on the sliide ar 1a, the 9a anagram of the cold cure and the geographical clue at 12a. However, my COTD was the one full of gas at 18a. Thnks to the compiler, to Gazza for the hints and a Merry Christmas to one and all.
I did wonder whether TDS65 would splutter a bit over 15a. Not a festive offering for today but hey ho. No real favourite today either, so festive felicitations to compiler, Gazza and everyone.
A pleasant solve and I needed Gazza’s help parsing 24a.
Top picks for me were 17d, 1a and 22a. I also liked the Quickie Pun.
Thanks to Gazza (great cartoons as usual) and the setter.
I’m hoping to attempt tomorrow’s offering but I will wish everyone a happy Christmas now. May your Christmas “lights” shine brightly.
This took a bit of teasing out but I got there in the end.
I biffed 20d and, having seen the parsing, I’m not surprised. Goodness me! That is impossible. I also had to biff 6a and 4d.
9a is a brute to spell and this is how I remember it: luckily this Aussie plant was grown in Europe and California because of how useful it was and EU and Cal begin the word.
I thought the setter had got 8d wrong as I assumed we had to upset the letters of ‘silk’. But, it wasn’t to be. I still have QC in my head for a silk. 12a reminds me of a neat anagram that I spotted which I’m sure setters have seen before: The Law & Wealth. So…Break the law for riches (or something like that)
My podium is 18a (nice anagram and great word), 27a and 8d.
MT to Hudson (?) and Gazza and thank you both for your efforts this year. It is hugely appreciated,
3*/4*
Oh, ‘so called’ needs to be inserted between ‘probing’ and ‘dictionary’ in 15a.
Nice, very enjoyable puzzle with some terrific PDMs. As often some of the four letter clues were tricky. I couldn’t parse 20d so thank you Gazza for that. Slight grumble as we had ‘weed’ earlier in the week and how ‘peed’. Though I know they amuse some I find this vulgarisms a bit childish and irritating – why stop there as there is a wide choice of ‘hilarious’ cruder terms if setters want to go down that route? Apologies for the moan and thanks to the setter for what notwithstanding 20d was a top rank puzzle.
Totally agree !
A very enjoyable Wednesday not too challenging challenge which might or might not be a Twmbarlwm production so Half Crowns, Toonies, and Loonies staying at the back of my sock drawer – 1.5*/4*
Standout favourite – 15a – as far as I can recall the first time I have ‘seen’ The Crimson Tome as part of an answer!
Thanks to Twmbarlwm, or whomsoever if it is not he, and Gazza.
An excellent puzzle. Am only thankful it wasn’t yours truly tasked with writing the hints as the best I came up with (d’oh) at 22a, having thought CH was church, was the Romans apparently invented taps. 8d was another slow parse as I keep forgetting they’re no longer QCs. 4d & 6a were the last 2 grid entries in & both head scratches – not sure I was familiar with either the soft leather or the verb. Anyway a plethora of ticks – 1,13,15,18&27a plus 11,17&20d particular likes. Don’t care for the Stevie Wonder song but loved the pun.
Thanks to the setter & to Gazza – top cartoons as per.
Ps Sticky’s Toughie in t’other place very gettable & worth a gander.
I agree, the Toughie is worthy of a look.
Thanks, I will print it up.
Thanks, Huntsman — ditto on 22a, 8d, and 4d, so you’ve saved me typing up my notes. Good it wasn’t me hinting today either. And thanks, Gazza, for the help.
And thank you to the setter. I enjoyed this a lot, even though I didn’t manage to finish it. My favourite clue was 17d with the young Simpsons. Merry Christmas, everybody.
I’d been hoping for a bit of festive joy in today’s puzzle, not the butchery of young animals and yet more lavatorial humour – a merry Christmas indeed…..
At least there was a nod to panto season which puts the lamplighter at the top of my tree where he’s joined by the 1a slider and the polished bathroom fittings. Aladdin also wins today’s prize for best cartoon – hope he gets his crock of gold in time to finish off his Christmas shopping!
Thanks to our bah humbug setter and a very merry Christmas to all those who contribute in whatever capacity to this little community.
Like some others, I was waiting for the explanations for 8d and 20d. Thank you for unpicking. I don’t think I would ever have got there on my own. Enjoyed the puzzle though. Is it just me, or is there a generous number of the checkers that are beautiful consonants today?
Thank you to the setter and to Gazza. Happy Christmas to everyone
A rare dnf, as I failed on 6a.
I actually found the toughie considerably easier than this today.
Many thanks to the setter and to Gazza, Merry Christmas to you both.
I am usually a couple of days behind doing the crossword so don’t usually comment. For me a really enjoyable solve. Favourites were 1a and 20d.
Welcome to the blog, Hedgie.
Welcome from me, as well, Hedgie. Don’t let the fact that you are a couple of days late bother you – post anyway because it will be read. Look forward to hearing from you. 😊👍
Welcome and keep posting
Like others, I didn’t know the word at 6a and missed the reference to the somewhat basic term used in 20d, so thank you Gazza for the hints. Otherwise an enjoyable, non-seasonal offering from our setter.
Podium for me are 1a, 15a and 17d, but COTD goes to 27a.
2*/3*
I believe the 6a word is usually quoted as ‘xxxxing and puking’. Delightful thought. Someone will know from whence that expression comes ?🤔
Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man
Ah yes, “xxxxing and puking in The Nurse’s Arms.” I’ve often wondered where that pub is.
‘From whence’, Day Zee?
Do me the courtesy of hanging your head, would yer.
No ideas about the etymology of 6a, btw. I had to biff it as I’d forgotten the word.
Re your post further down…I know George is having a rotten time but he’s very lucky to have you.
Oxford has “whence (also ‘from whence’)” so, illogical as it seems, either is allowed — and Daisygirl doesn’t have to hang anything!
I’ve lost all respect for dictionaries over the last few years. So, I’m not surprised by them anymore.
No one in their right mind would say ‘From whence’.
Day Zee is so good with words and is hanging her head, trust me.
Beat by 20d today, also had to guess a few and then work backwards to see the why of it.
Happy Christmas to all that post here, and of course the setters and hinters, always great fun to read all the comments.
Just a quick unlurk to thank all the setters an bloggers for their work throughout the year and to wish them all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, not forgetting all the commenters, which is one of the reasons I very rarely unlurk, as everything interesting has usually already been said!I
Happy times all of you.
Unlurker
For me, this was set at about the same degree of difficulty as the toughie
I like 18a, it is a fine old fashioned word we don’t hear said much these days.
The banger which disturbed the pet in 5d and the aching heart in 8d also got my ticks.
My thanks to our setter and Gazza.
Have a cool Yule, y’all!
An enjoyable solve with 8d and 20d needing some explanation as to the parsing. I tried for far too long to make an anagram for 8d. I liked 1a once the penny dropped.
Many thanks to the setter and to Gazza for the hints.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish our setters, bloggers, all commenters and lurkers a very happy Christmas.
Like others the slipper at 6a was the last to come to mind, irritating as Mama Bee won’t wear those kind of backless slippers, so she has a sheepskin pair from Ugg to open tomorrow.
Thanks to Gazza and setter and may I wish everyone here a very merry Christmas, be they Sloggers, Betters, regulars or lurkers.
I hope Mama Bee doesn’t read this blog, SJB and finds out what she is getting for Christmas. 😊
A light and gentle challenge pre 6am, with a most welcome lack of references to tomorrow!
Honours went to 22a, 23d & 8d
Many thanks to the setter and Gazza, with a merry Christmas to all setters, bloggers and commenters.
Tricky today in places. 20d LOI and COTD once the penny dropped on went. Could not parse 22a although my answer is correct. I tried to add a synonym of taps onto the Ch of church.
3*/4*
MT to Setter and Gazza.
At least I wasn’t alone with those taps 🤔
I did too!
Bottom right last two in but had to parse 22a🙄
3d 5d 11d nice clues!
Tricky in parts but a pleasure to solve.
The Toughie is well worth a visit today and is easier than this one IMO.
I spent ages trying to solve 6d, my LOI. I see that I am not alone on this.
Thank you setter and Gazza.
Season’s greetings to all.
For those who do the puzzle on-line, I have already done a blog for tomorrow’s back-pager, which was kindly issued early by our friends in the DT crossword team. It will be published tomorrow at the usual time of 11.00, giving you plenty of time to open your presents first.
I thought there was never a paper on Christmas Day. Am I wrong? Or are you talking on line stuff. Thats not fair!😢
No paper tomorrow. On-line only.
Don’t shoot the messenger.
Happy Christmas!
My parents started a tradition of not opening Christmas presents from under the tree until after the big lunch, and not until that was all cleared away. We did open our stockings from Father Christmas in the morning though. My Mum said it was so she would be able to sit down and enjoy the fun. We’ve followed that tradition and our now grown up children have instilled it in our grandchildren.
2.5* / 4* an excellent Xmas eve puzzle with plenty of misdirection and humour. Needed a couple of parsings explained and tried to fit tobogganist into 1a! , but apart from that no problems. Top three out of many possibles are the 1a slider, eco party at 27a and the 18a full of gas anagram
Thanks and merry Xmas to setter and Gazza
For a Wednesday puzzle I found this relatively straightforward with a few grey cells needing a little work.
2*/4* for me
Favourites include 1a, 9a, 15a, 25a, 5d & 11d — with winner 15a
Smiles for 15a, 5d & 23d
Likely won’t get to Xmas Day puzzle until later in the week or next week, so Happy Christmas to all readers on the blog, all the setters and all the bloggers that provide the hints.
For this puzzle thanks to the setter & Gazza
A nice midweek backpager ideal for a busy day
Seasons greetings and thanks to the setter and Gazza
Needed the hints to parse 8d and 30d but apart from those plain sailing. Favourite was 11d. Thanks to the setter and Gazza.
30d ?
Here’s a question that I found entertaining at this week’s pub quiz:
What four word Google search was the most popular last Christmas @ 6am?
Anyone care to venture a guess?
Has he been?
Four words??
Has he been yet?
Ah, yes. Thanks RD. 👍
I went down that route too thinking it had to be.
The answer is ‘How to cook turkey’.
According to the Google on-line tracker, they will be asking that in China round about now
I got further with this Wednesday crossword than usually and thought it was well constructed. Glad there was an absence of seasonal nonsense.
I will be keeping a wide distance between revellers and myself until the end of what is called the festive season. Thank goodness second daughter and family are not given to festive raucousness and other such breaches of good manners.
A Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year to all on this blog. All means commenters, hinters and lurkers.
What a highly amusing post, Corks!
You put the Scrooge to shame then finish off wishing everyone a Happy Christmas.
I wish there was a font with shaky letters as I’m still giggling as I type. Very funny.
Albert Finney was unlucky to come up against George C Scott in Patton that year for the Oscar as he was outstanding.
I’ve just seen that he didn’t even get nominated and the film lost money!
Bizarre.
Thanks TDS 65 ; a look at the TV schedules for the coming week is all that is needed to understand my dissatisfaction with the season. In fact I think the TV schedules through the year are enough for despair.
Hope you have enjoyed Christmas Day and will continue so into next year.
Thank you Corks. I had a goodie. I hope you did too and you have a splendid New Year.
Spent four hours in Addenbrookes this morning with George’s head. (and the rest of his body as well). The good news is they scraped out all the cancer but the bad news is that the bone is still exposed – the size of £2 coin. And I have to dress it over Christmas, back again on New Years Eve! Oh Joy. Lovely to see the staff all wearing Christmas hats and tinsel crowns. They are all angels in my opinion. Nice to get home and guzzle – I particularly liked the Greek Character and Lucy’s mashed tea. I suddenly have a feeling that mewling and puking might be Chaucer or Shakespeare in which case it goes back a long way. TDS will know. As I don’t think we get a paper tomorrow and I don’t guzzle on line, may I say an enormous thankyou to the wonderful Setters and tireless Hinters- as Dame Edna would say – I love you all.This site helps to keep me sane. Have a good Christmas everyone.
A Merry Christmas to you as well DG. Although I haven’t commented much over recent months, I do read the blog most days. Yours and Brian’s are my favourites, but they’re all interesting, witty or amusing. I’ll try and make it to a birthday bash hopefully and meet lots of new people! 🎄🎄🎄
Poor George, but at least he seems to be on the mend now. Here’s hoping you both manage to enjoy Christmas despite your additional nursing duties.
I hope you have as happy a Christmas as is possible with your responsibilities with George. Will you have any help to see you through and give you time to rest? Am thinking of both of you and wishing all that can be good to be for you and George.
20 Down – quite impossible! Otherwise fair enough. Happy Christmas to all.
Thanks to the Setter and Gazza for the hints. Merry Christmas to all! Best wishes from Gary and Val.
Another very enjoyable crossword for me, though the weak crying took me ages to figure out/remember from schooldays.
Favourites 1a and 1d.
Thanks to today’s setter, to Gazza and to everyone involved with this marvellous blog .
Merry Christmas all!
Many thanks and merry Christmas to one and all !!
After spending too long prepping in the kitchen for tomorrow it was a joy to sit down to this puzzle. Wow, the fifth day in a row when I got close to the finishing post on my own. Wondering if it is because we are moved from years of doing the crosswords at breakfast to solving them instead over lunch? Perhaps my brain works better then 😊. Really enjoyed this one, just stumbling at the 4d leather and the 13a noble lady. Both of which I had but couldn’t parse. Thank you to the setter and Gazza. Happy Christmas to one and all.
An enjoyable solve with 1a my favourite. Last one in was 6a.
I don’t normally comment as I am VERY far behind but thought I would do the Christmas Eve puzzle on the right day. Will probably do the same tomorrow, then on Boxing Day it will be back to 1st December for me.
Have a great Christmas everyone.
When I cracked 1a at first reading I knew I was off to a good start. A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle.
In response to Gazza’s plea, I do read the blog everyday, comment occasionally but probably long after everyone’s gone home. I always search for the now rare comments by Brian. Greatly missed.
3*/4* ….
liked 8D “With aching heart, silk is upset after getting nothing in court (8)” ..
enjoyed the cartoons in the blog.