Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3350 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where Boxing Week (when did that become a thing?) sales, some of which started before Christmas, are still in progress!
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada quirkily friendly again with, unless I miscounted, seven anagrams (three partials), two lurkers, and one homophone in a somewhat asymmetric 29 clues; with 15 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!
If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
Candidates for favourite – 26a, 28a, 4d, 7d, and 8d.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the what I very subjectively perceive to be the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.
Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also”. Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions.
Some hints follow:
Across
1a Proposal – behave listlessly about it being rejected (6)
A single word equivalent to behave listlessly containing (about) the reversal (being rejected) of IT from the clue.
9a Stress clutching side for old puffer? (5,5)
The word that is a synonym of stress (but only in crosswordland!) containing a synonym of side (in a game involving two sides?).
11a Former minister, boring goody-goody (8)
The abbreviated form of the honorific for a C of E minister inserted into a synonym of goody-goody.
12a Number Ten’s leader left before end of May (6)
The first letter (‘s leader) of Ten, a verbal synonym of left, all placed before the last letter (end) of MaY.
15a Big and hot (8)
A double definition, using Dada’s personal thesaurus – the first is in relation to amount, size, or quantity.
18a Arm other ranks in film and be prepared (8)
The abbreviated form of Other Ranks inserted into (in) an anagram (prepared) of FILM and BE.
26a Shift capital letter, finally, in flier (10)
A verbal synonym of shift, the capital city of a Baltic nation, and the last letter (finally) of letteR.
28a Great unwashed get washed! (6)
Another double definition using Dada’s personal thesaurus – the second is a total body wash while standing.
Down
2d Route slightly altered, most remote (5)
An anagram that isn’t! ROUTE slightly altered by moving one letter.
5d He has widget a bit askew – why was that necessary? (5,3,3,4)
An anagram (askew – in Chambers’ list of 1,400 plus) of HE HAS A WIDGET A BIT – although, to be grammatically correct, the enumeration of the first ‘word’ should be (4’1).
6d One pursuing jewellery thief initially alert? (8)
ONE from the clue placed after (pursuing) all of an item of jewellery and the first letter (initially) of Thief.
8d Occasionally it seems different with order maintained (9)
Not alternate selection of letters – an anagram (different) of IT SEEMS containing (with . . . maintained) the abbreviation for an order recognising distinguished service in a number of fields.
14d Love in effect in a regular supply (9)
A verbal synonym of effect inserted into (in) A from the clue and a single word equivalent to regular supply.
20d Some bread products used in Barnet after half of baps (6)
Cockney rhyming slang time – products that can be used on that which is represented by two words, in Cockney, the first of which is Barnet placed after half of BAps.
24d A card cut by first of players quickly (5)
A from the clue and an honour card containing (cut by) the first letter of Players.
Quick Crossword Pun:
MANGLE + WERE + SAUL = MANGELWURZEL
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If all else fails there is always Atkins/Knopfler or Strauss/Plant and I have chosen the former with, as a result of Shabbo’s announcement of his ‘elevation’ on Thursday, the perhaps prescient There’ll Be Some Changes Made, a track from their collaborative Neck and Neck album (the audio and video do not really match!):
I found Dada to be on his quirky side today necessitating more thought. I got over the line eventually but found it to be a struggle. However, it was an enjoyable tussle and I liked the old puffer at 9a and the sleepless Italian city at 21a. My COTD is the bread in Barnet at 20d because of the great clang when the penny dropped.
Thank you, Dada for the Sunday challenge. Thank you, Colonel for the hints.
I liked the Quickie pun and the first word took me back to my childhood and Monday washing day when Mum would use one.
Very quirky today. Was unaware of the informal definition at 28a so that was LOI in a rather frustrating end to an overall enjoyable challenge.
3*/4*
21a, 3d and 20d favourites today for the sudden realisations!
Thanks to Dada and Senf.
A reasonably friendly Dada today requiring only a couple of crumpet scratches. I, too, liked 5a and the trek in the capital city, but they were beaten to my podium by 11a, 6d and 20d, a real gem. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Just read the opening paragraph of Senf’s review & thought you’ve gotta be kidding as I thought this belonged in the setter’s Paul envelope. It was only when scrolling down to 1a that I realised I’d done the Light Toughie 🤔
The grid-fill was easier than the parsing, even the anagrams needed careful study of the fodder.
This was a nice solve with no real hiccups though 28a took longer than it should of (it has to be the most frequent boo-boo going).
I like the use of ‘slightly’ in 2d and 16d is a contender for joining the S&O Club (Serengeti & Orchestra)
My podium is 12a, 3d and 4d.
MT to Radio and Senf.
2*/4*
P.S What a brilliant word the pun is! How have I never heard of it?
Change that club to The AA (Anagram Association)
How can I forget the founding member….nevertheless!
You’ve never heard of a mangelwurzel! My flabber is well and truly gasted. As our resident etymologist, I have to say Tom: disappointing.
An extremely fair comment.
I am a disgrace when it comes to the Fs: flora, fauna and feathers.
I’m with you there. And wasn’t he a character in a children’s book or TV program? Tom …… 🤭
It’s how the scarecrow Worzel Gummidge got his name
Well, I never. Thank you, CS.
Even though Troughton gave him a good run, Pertwee was THE Doctor Who.
It’s not up for discussion.
Baker can strangle his jelly babies, one by one, with his ridiculously long scarf.
As a city person, I think, you won’t come across them in any greengrocers or vegetable section of the supermarket of your choice. They are fed to the livestock out in the fields during winter so the fields get well manured and turned over. Now to catch up with the Archers.
Thank you, Corks.
You must be gutted that the Yuletide is over as you haven’t got anyone to spread joy to.
My wife is used to the lack of merry gentlemen so is never disappointed and people don’t disappear after the season of good will to all of us. There is always an opportunity to spread good will and I never let it pass. So here’s to 2026 for you TDS and all the lovely people, well I am sure they are, who visit Big Dave’s crossword blog.
Now that was very pleasant of me so I can now forget pleasantries for the rest of the year.
Love it!
I really enjoyed this puzzle but didn’t find it easy. LOI was 7d as I didn’t understand the draught part until I investigated further.
Lots of ticks on my page so it’s hard to pick from them but I’ll plump for 6d, 20d, 3d and 5a.
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
I see rhat this SPP is dividing opinion. I found Dadacpretty quirky and rhe clues reuired considerable cogitation. Nevertheless, I finished it in the end and founed it an enjoyable challenge. I liked the geographical clues at 16d 21a and 23a and the 22d lurker. However, the big anagram phrase at 5d was my COTD. Tbanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints
This was a bit too quirky for me with some stretched definitions and fewer penny drop moments than usual. I limped towards the end and gave up with a couple of clues unsolved. 5d and 26d were my favourites. For fun I put 5d onto Chat GPT and it came up with a similar but incorrect answer. Thank you as always Dada and Senf.
Dada certainly quirky today from my point of view with several bits of parsing taking a while to sort out. My ticks went to 12a plus 3,5&20d.
Thanks to our Sunday compiler and to Senf for the hints and music – not one of Mr Knopfler’s finest performances as he seemed to be more of a backing artist.
An entertaining puzzle – thanks to Dada and Senf.
28a always makes me think of Terry-Thomas.
My ticks went to 5a, 11a and 6d.
Definitely quirky but very satisfying to have completed. 28a was last in and a bit of a guess hoping that it fitted the bill and 1a took me a while. I liked 20d and 26a.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints.
Many seemed to find this easy, but not me, I found it pretty tough!
Last in was 28a, and still can’t see why 7d works, maybe someone can hint without a cat and bag moment?
My clue of the day was 20d, brilliant!
7d – A definition by example indicated by ‘?’ at the end of the clue. Then, assuming you have an answer you should try an e-search on draught (from the clue) and your answer.
Ta, never heard the term before, ah well, we live and learn….
That was fun with just enough food for thought. However I do agree wholeheartedly about Dada using a personal thesaurus e.g. for 15a and 28a and, yes, the enumeration for 5d is iffy. Can’t really parse 20d after half of baps. Thanks Dada and Senf.
Barnet, cockney rhyming
Just like I wrote in the hints!
Sorry for repeating, should have just referred to your very eloquent hints.
Like Tom last in 28a proved a bit of a crumpet scratch (I thought of Terry Thomas too) but otherwise reasonably straightforward though I did feel the need to confirm draught post solve. Plenty of likes – 5,11&12a along with 3,6&20d my picks.
Thanks to D&S – love that Chet & Mark tune.
2*/4*. This was a very enjoyable Sunday opener for 2026.
28a was my favourite joined on the podium by 12a & 20d.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf.
Likewise I found this fairly easy going for a SPP with the W going in quickly and the SE requiring more thought. Once 5d was massaged the remainder followed, but like others needed to reverse parse 20d which was my LOI and also COTD.
2*/4*
My appreciation to Dada and Senf.
I rather liked 7d , last one in and my cotd .It reminded me of yesteryear at my local brewery on the first day of may when the carts were decked in bunting.Enuff said .I thought this a tussle but very enjoyable . 15 and 18 occupy the podium . Thanks to all
I have to disagree with Senf’s intro regarding the difficulty of this Dada offering. For me I found this somewhat difficult and not very friendly to plough through. Quirky and plenty of personal thesaurus definitely at hand IMHO.
3*/3*
Favourites 9a, 10a, 12a, 27a & 5d — with winners 9a & 5d
Thanks to Dada for this brain mangler & Senf for blog/hints
Nicely tricky and most enjoyable to solve. Some of the parsing took a bit of lateral thinking but I got there in the end. 20d was my top clue this afternoon.
Many thanks to Dada and Senf.
Quirky, quirky, very very quirky and far too quirky for me to get into the last third of the clues. Some interesting clues but was too busy trying to untangle the various entanglements to recognise quality..
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
HNY!
As others have said – found this quirky, toughie, head-scratchy etc but, as always, an enjoyable challenge from Mr D.
My LOI also 7D…Mrs H had to explain the ‘draught’ to me to understand the parsing🤷🏼♂️
Fave clue today was 15A – said in proper Cornish!😜
Thanks to Senf for the blog ‘n hints.
Cheers!
Prizes for the most cryptic. Lego™ solutions (charades) with a twist of semantics
4d Concept
7d Draught
28a Get washed
21a Italian city
Great parsing, Colonel. Many thanks to you and Dada
Well I enjoyed everything except 5a and 7d neither of which were in the hints although, dear Senf, you did give a hint at 12 but I am still stuck. I shall have to go away and think about it. I can only think of one word for the first 3 letter word of 5. I’m completely behind today, G asleep so I have skipped lunch Oh my goodness the penny has just dropped. Of course. It must be the cold numbing my brain. Very clever. Have faith, Steve – I might get a pen for you yet. Many thanks to Messrs Setter and Senf. Draught indeed!
You’ll kick yourself but it’s a number beginning with T and ending in Y (I am just repeating the hint). There’s only one number with 6 letters that fits (I think)
One member of the group who meet at the village store every morning asked me today if I had my glasses with me. I replied that I had and he gave me a letter. “Dear Kevin, congratulations on winning the Daily Telegraph pen”. He didn’t, however, have the pen with him so I still believe it to be a myth. Then he told me it was his second win in three years. More than that, they were both for the EV.
Me? Fifty years of submitting with nothing to show for it. 😡
😊
Fifty years or so Steve has brough me a pack of DT playing cards and two pens. Keep entering, your day will come!
I also had a pack of cards once and then the famous pens – but in those days I was sending the completed guzxle in by post every week and could probably have bought myself dozens of pens with all the postage money. At least now submitting on line doesn’t cost us! I do tend to show off occasionally- can you believe that?!
There’s the rub, DG – “Pens”. I wonder if you have a special way of submitting your guzzles that you win so many? Maybe you wait until just before the deadline so you will be at the top of the pile?
I must get into the attic and draw the pentangle again. I am now convinced, more than ever, only Dark Arts will summon The Mythical. 👺
🤣🤣
Pretty tricky and very enjoyable. Went to the local council tip mid-solve but no need for any ‘flags on the play today’ ☺!
Ticks went to the 11a former minister, the 26a flier and double tick for the clue of the day to the 21a Italian city.
Many thanks to Dada and Senf
I thought this was a lovely puzzle (other than 28A). Several candidates for podium and COTD, but I’m happy with the recommendations of Alfiepops above.
A little tricky in places but not too much so. Still all done and parsed. No outstanding favourite but several candidates, we’ll go with 26a. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Tough for me. Needed a few of Senf’s excellent hints before getting to the end .
Favourite 21a.
Thanks to Dada and to the lovely Senf.
Son and daughter-in-law safely delivered to Edinburgh airport, Mr Meringue safely home again…..but….their flight was delayed by nearly 2 hours. Snow in Oslo …..not a huge surprise….
Fortunately their connection there is also delayed but only by 1 hour, so I suspect they are, as I type, running through Oslo airport, fighting with immigration officials and customs men.
The joys of winter travel.
Does anyone submit their solutions in the hope of winning a pen and notebook these days ?
Welcome back to the blog. Your comment went into moderation as you used a different alias – both should work from now on.
To answer your question yes they do and we have some winners amongst us.
But, what did you think of the puzzle?
There are blog members who claim to have won a pen but I refer you to post 23#, Timmo. I take the philosophical stance of Reverend Berkley who believed if he could not see something it did not exist. 😊
Welcome to the blog and please keep commenting. 👍
I don’t comment often normally as I don’t usually get around to the crossword until later in the week but I think I have 5 telegraph pens now and a selection of unused notepads. I thought this was a kind crossword today, steady to complete. My favourite clue was 26a. Last one in was 7d like a few others. I didn’t need the hints but I do enjoy reading what others comment.
Five, GP? I suspect AI is involved and I don’t mean TDS65’s definition of AI. 😊
All in a very lucky 3 year period over 8 years ago. My parents have been doing the Saturday crossword for probably 40 to 50 years with no joy. I don’t think I will get so fortunate again.
2* / 3.5* A most enjoyable challenge with minimal holdups and plenty of humour. My favourites include 20d bread, 12a number (great misdirection) and the unwashed at 28a
Thanks to setter and Senf
A fireside with dog on sofa solve for me this evening being busy earlier in the day . As yesterday’s I did wonder if it was going to be really hard. But having started , I picked them off one by one. Learned a few things along the way too. Really enjoyable and satisfying solve. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Finished this one again so seem to be on a roll now.
Thanks to this blog for showing me the way!
Some clever misdirection sent my solve time into **** territory hence this late post. Terrific challenge with 6d as my favourite