Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31128
Hints and tips by Falcon
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BD Rating – Difficulty * – Enjoyment ****
Greetings from Ottawa on this twelfth day of Christmas. I hope you were able to concentrate on the puzzle despite the din from the twelve drummers who arrived today – not to mention all the birds, maids, ladies, lords and pipers who preceded them over the past eleven days.
X-Type has given us a gentle exercise with which to ease back into the crossword routine after the recent festivities. He seems to have taken a page out of RayT’s book and given us a puzzle that will appeal to those of us who have not outgrown our schoolboy sense of humour.
In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought of the puzzle.
Across
1a Got sodden tour rearranged (10)
UNDERSTOOD — we start with an anagram (rearranged) of SODDEN TOUR
9a Fuel company next to Keele’s borders (4)
COKE — short form for company and (next to) the initial and final letters (borders) of KEELE
10a Unusually mention ingesting cannabis to become all-powerful (10)
OMNIPOTENT — an anagram (unusually) of MENTION containing (ingesting) a common term for cannabis
11a Part of basic oar seems rough (6)
COARSE — a lurker found in (part of) the three words between the indicator and definition
12a That woman follows long feline (7)
PANTHER — a pronoun signifying “that woman” follows long or yearn
15a Depression first for medical practitioner (7)
DENTIST — a depression or dip in a surface and an alphanumeric representation of first
16a Right times for storms (5)
RAGES — the single letter for right and long times or periods
17a Moist starters of devilled eggs with yellowfin (4)
DEWY — the initial letters (starters) of four words in the clue
18a Reportedly caused domestic (4)
MAID — sounds like (reportedly) caused or created
19a Not in favour of deposing saint once more (5)
AGAIN — a term denoting “not in favour of” with the longer abbreviation for saint removed (deposing)
21a Smooth pilot is pest (7)
SANDFLY — smooth with rough paper and pilot or aviate
22a Control ship’s spar with end of the line (7)
MASTERY — string together a vertical spar on a sailing ship, the final letter (end) of THE, and the abbreviation for a line on which vehicles carrying passengers and freight travel
24a Second examination of alien trapped by garden tool (6)
RETAKE — our ususal cinematic alien contained in (trapped by) a toothed garden tool
27a Sheep tether is badly made (10)
RAMSHACKLE — a male sheep and a wrist or ankle restraint
28a Summit chap explored partly (4)
APEX — a lurker (partly) hiding in the two words separating the definition and indicator
29a Intern idly spreading private grievances (5,5)
DIRTY LINEN — an anagram (spreading) of the first two words of the clue
Down
2d Celebrity male returning east (4)
NAME — a reversal (returning) of a male person and the single letter for east
3d Extract priest caught having carnal knowledge (6)
ELICIT — link together our most popular Old Testament priest, the cricket scorecard symbol for caught, and a euphemism for carnal knowledge or the sex act
4d Wrap up son and parent (7)
SMOTHER — the genealogical abbreviation for son together with his female parent
5d Unlock duck enclosure (4)
OPEN — the usual crickety duck and an enclosure for animals (or even people on occasion)
6d Gets rid of moats (7)
DITCHES — a double definition …
7d Arrange match (10)
COORDINATE — … quickly followed by a second
8d Delay Peter moving time after time (10)
REPEATEDLY — an anagram (moving) of the first two words of the clue
12d Walker randiest, strangely after exercise (10)
PEDESTRIAN — an anagram (strangely) of RANDIEST following (after) an abbreviated period of exercise as at school
13d Occasionally present with article by head of news (3,3,4)
NOW AND THEN — glue together another word for present or at this time, a synonym for with, a definite article, and the initial letter (head) of NEWS
14d Called Yankee lanky (5)
RANGY — called on the telephone and the letter represented by Yankee in radio communication
15d Dug up tough material (5)
DENIM — a reversal (up in a down clue) of dug or extracted from the earth
19d Shifted and hesitated having lost head (7)
ALTERED — hesitated or stumbled with the initial letter deleted (having lost head)
20d Badly behaved thug upset and in denial (7)
NAUGHTY — an anagram (upset) of THUG contained in (in) an archaic word of denial
23d Exercise time first-class church instituted initially (3,3)
TAI CHI — a lego clue where one must piece together the physics symbol for time, the Lloyd’s Shipping Register designation for first class, the map abbreviation for church, and the first letter (initially) of INSTITUTED
25d Revolutionary folder I’m examining featuring Islamic ruler (4)
EMIR — our third lurker of the day, this one reversed (revolutionary) and concealed (featuring) in the three words enclosed by the indicators
26d Rude Conservative (4)
BLUE — we finish with a double definition, the first a synonym of 11a and the second the colour associated with the Conservative Party
Several clues elicited a smile today, but I will single out 3d – if for no other reason than it was my last to solve.
Quickie pun:: CARRY + OAK + KEY = KARAOKE
On This Day …
… in 1965, The Supremes recorded “Stop! In The Name Of Love” at Hitsville U.S.A., the nickname given to Motown’s first headquarters and recording studio in Detroit. Upon its release the following month, the song went straight to the top of the US pop chart and reached Number 3 in Canada and Number 7 in the UK. Soon after, The Supremes embarked on the first Motown revue tour in Europe.
A personal best for me today with this very accessible guzzle. This one should encourage those new to cryptics and it shows a puzzle doesn’t have to be difficult to be enjoyed. I was held up slightly in the south because I couldn’t get Imam out of my mind. However, getting 29a soon dispelled that idea. My COTD is the tethered sheep at 27a.
Thank you, setter for a terrific start to the cruciverbal week. Thank you, Falcon for the hints.
A beautiful frosty day here in The Marches but, at -5, a day to stay indoors.
Well done Steve on your best time. Congratulations
Talking of time, Mr C has taken a decent early lead, in the 2026 ’11:01 Stakes’, going 4 1 up.
You’ve got to get up early to catch, Stevie baby, Cons!
Up early? Had it finished by 0610 CET, that’s 0510 GMT! But I get your point.
Good morning. I didn`t feel as though I raced through this puzzle, but the time suggests otherwise. The South went in quickly but the North seemed to hold me up with 7d being LOI. 12a was amusing and 27a is a word I like. All in all a quick and amusing puzzle. Many thanks to the setter and falcon for the hints
0.5*/4*. Very light but great fun.
Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon.
It is bitterly cold with a very thin and sluppery layer of snow here in South Oxfordshire. Today’s guzzle was very approachable and equally enjoyable. Like Steve, I liked the tethered sheep at 27a, together wirh the anagram of guilty secrets at 29a and the two double meaning clues at 6d and 7d. Rhanks to the compiler and to Falcon for the hints.
Going on nicely until 3 down stumped me and had to go to the hints. Very good clue as it turned out. Favourite was 27 across. Great start to a week where we return to our more routine life. Lots of health classes booked to give the body a jolt after all the jollity.
Thank you setter and Falcon for being there when I needed you.
3D was my last one in – glad it wasn’t just me that got held up by it.
Oh how I long for Mondays and the degree of difficulty edging closer to my beginner level of ability. Usually that means I wrack my brains, tear at my hair, and weep copiously. Yet today was a friendly guzzle which I celebrated by returning to my study after six weeks of it being utilised as a builders’ storage area. Respite will be short lived as although we have two splendid new bathrooms, H has her eye on the kitchen and quotations have already been sought. It never ends.
Thanks to the setter, The Bird Of Prey, and Enzo Fernández.
A very gentle start to the week which will please all-comers.
We like 15d’s emordnilap. Always good fun.
My podium is 27a, 12d and 20d.
MT to X-Type (?) and Falcs.
1*/3*
I don’t think you will find that 15d is one!
Hi M
An emordnilap (palindrome backwards) is a word when written backwards is another word which is the case with 15d.
Ah, but denim is not a palindrome 😁 Radar is, same spelling either way.
Take a look at this…
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/semordnilap
I haven’t the energy to look up Tom’s Wiki- whatever but am certainly with you in believing a palindrome is the same backwards and forwards. Rats live on no evil star and Able was I ere I saw Elba being the two that first come to mind!
A man a plan a canal – Panama!
These are great with my fave being the Panama Canal which is genius.
FOR IDRIS ELBA (Palindrome)
Able sir,
did nobody fit recognise it ties in?
Go, certify — do Bond, Idris Elba!
(not mine Twmbarlwm-mwlrabmwT reposted in on Bluesky)
An outstanding effort!
Big Dave beat us to it 13 years ago;
One I like is….
“Sir, I demand, I am a maid named Iris”.
Nice work, gents.
TDS – your ‘word’ cannot be a word as it is not in The Crimson Tome
Good shout.
I recently found out that irregardless is in all dictionaries!
I have lost all respect for them as they simply record what’s out there. I thought they’d meet regularly to discuss what can or can’t become an entry. It’s just a numbers game.
It’s a matter of time until mischievious appears and why not bung in fink as a variant of think while you’re at it!
If anyone references one of these books to counter what I’m saying, it’ll carry no weight with me.
Irregardless – you gotta be kidding me…
We had this numpty of a line manager back in the day who loved to call interminably long meetings & prattle on about KPIs & strategy. Irregardless & with the best will in the world were 2 things he’d say repeatedly so to make it tolerable we’d go fivers in on how many times he said each (quite a pot if you got both right). He was so thick he never cottoned on to the reason for the groans & just audible expletives when he said irregardless for the umpteenth time wrapping up the meeting & in doing so cost someone a tidy earner.
Great story, Hoots.
It truly is a shocker.
Thought you’d made that word up as I’d never heard of it (mind you that’s not unusual) until I looked it up and there it was….every day a school day as they say, so denim isn’t a palindrome but it is an emordnilap
I was also surprised to discover it’s an actual word.
New to me too Sim. I was thrilled when I thought Tom had slipped up! But he’s absolutely correct.
Oh blimey. Really? I’ve just backed you up Manders.
This thread reminded me of …
What a great emordnilap ‘Not lob’ is!
Here are a couple of goodies….
Stressed
Regal
Drawer
You can call me Mot.
Dare I suggest a “Bon mot”!!!!!
Or given the context of this thread, that’s FAR too cheeky 😂😂😂
Superb, AP!
I’ve been called worse.
The shout of 2026, so far….
Very light but the compiler showed his 22a in providing us with a very neat and pleasing puzzle. Like Conor, 7d was my last in, possibly because I find fairly straight definitions harder than cryptic clues which provide additional help to the solver. Thanks very much to the setter and to Falcon. SITNOL is probably my favourite Supremes song, and there ain’t nothing anyone can do about it.
A return to work, with a nice and easy(ish) introduction. I too noticed the schoolboy humour but it was welcome. Thanks to Falcon and setter.
Now that Christmas is over until… September! I am preparing a post about the upcoming Birthday Bash 31st Jan. More details soon…
Oh dear SJB I am in despair. 31st is G’s 93rd Birthday but even so I was planning to nip down for a couple of hours but now the grandsons rang last night to say they intend coming down. Why oh why was the date changed. And can we not have an extra summer meeting when travel is easier?
That is such a shame, you were a star of the last BB. Family comes first.
I like the idea of a summer get together, maybe a half birthday in July. I’ll see what I can do, but organising a do in London from Yorkshire is difficult.
Why not have it somewhere other than London, Sloops.
That’s a good shout Steve. I can’t make it to London but possibly elsewhere I could.
Something to think about at this year’s do. Maybe a bit north of the smoke. Does Andy’s Golf club have a space? Something near West or East coast mainline, Peterborough, Birmingham, Crewe.
(Just having a “thought shower” as brainstorming is verboten in some schools)
Light and bright for a gentle Monday workout. Whilst the randy walker was a podium contender, it lost out to 15a ( yes, an oldie but a goodie), 10a and 27a. Thanks to X-type and Falcon.
A rapid yet enjoyable solve that has become the norm for a Monday morning. Loads to admire, with 20d my personal favourite.
My thanks to X-Type and Falcon.
A light covering of snow here in NW Hampshire; course closed so no golf today.
As reported, a friendly introduction to the crosswording week with no hold ups moving from checker to checker.
10a, 27a and 29a are my favourites.
Thank you setter and Falcon
0.5*/4*
The Spirit of Rufus continues to provide very enjoyable Monday entertainment which was almost over before it began – 0.5*/4.5*
Candidates for favourite – 16a, 18a, 5d, 19d, and 20d – and the winner is 18a.
Thanks to X-Type and Falcon.
A lovely gentle start to the crossword week – it is absolutely perishing here and we have had a fair bit of snow. Unfortunately I was due to go to Norwich to have a laser guided steroid injection into my shoulder but we are snowed in and am now back on the waiting list of 3 months! About half an hour ago we were visited by 26 partridges who ‘waddled’ at high speed across the lawn when I attempted to take a photo. Anyway, Happy New Year everyone and thanks to the setter and to Falcon.
Oh Manders that’s such rotten luck about your hospital appointment. Nice to hear about the partridges, were they red legged?
More likely Blue in this weather😃🥶
Yes red legged. Probably on the butcher’s slab tomorrow!
Do you have 26 pear trees, Manders?
😂😂
A very enjoyable start to the week for me.
Favourite has to be the sheep tether…..what a great word.
Thanks to the setter and to Falcon.
Very cold here…but thankfully still no snow, despite the chaos just a wee bit north of us.
Indoor games for us.
A lovely gentle puzzle with lots of smiles.
I particularly liked 27a, such a great word, 18a and 3d.
Thanks to Falcon and the setter.
Very enjoyable way to start the week and with just enough bite to stir the old grey cells into action. My favourite was the sheep tether with the badly behaved thug hard on its heels.
Thanks to X-Type, I presume, and to Falcon for the review – the 5d cartoon really amused me.
Loved this. Great fun for my rookie puzzling knowledge. I liked 27s and 29a. So glad I stumbled upon this fantastic blog which is helping me tremendously. Thanks to the setter and Falcon
A lovely puzzle to start the week with 27a my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the hints.
Thank you for the hints. Isn’t 7d a double definition?
As they are ‘connected’ by ellipses the hints for 6d and 7d should be read together.
Doh! Thank you.
* / ****
Very enjoyable and very light start to the week. Almost biffed the wrong type of second exam into 24a but no other hold-ups. I’ll go with the youngster humour for ticks: the 3a carnal knowledge and 12a randiest walker.
Also loved the surfaces of 27a and 29a.
Thanks to X-Type(?) and Falcon.
A gentle solve, it felt anagram heavy at first but was balanced overall. 27A is one of my favourite words.
I’m returning after almost a ten year break (and once on Rookie Corner), you should see a lot of me on here this year, if I can keep it up. Lovely to see BD site going so strongly.
Welcome back, Simon. 👍😊
Thank you Steve 🙂
Great puzzle. I agree with Steve Cowling that
it would be an ideal introduction to the world of cryptic crosswords.
I also agree with Manders about the palindrome. I think what we had here is a word that was reversible. And that’s in my DNA!
HNY to you, CC.
Take a look at this…
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/semordnilap
Thank you. You learn something new every day-but they could have come up with a new word instead of turning one around – but then ………
Ok, you got me.
Good shout.
It was a tad lazy of them but I quite like it as it sounds like a word that the legendary Stanley Unwin would have dreamt up.
Deep joy.
The article you linked to suggests other options, which are probably worth mentioning as they will crop up. Personally, I prefer anadrome, which is, for example, used in Solving Crossword Puzzles for Dummies by Denise Sutherland. According to Wikipedia the word anadrome comes from Greek anádromos (ἀνάδρομος), “running backward”, and can be compared to palíndromos (παλίνδρομος), “running back again” (whence palindrome). Whereas, the reversal of a palindrome is still the same word (or sentence) so intuitively emordnilap seems odd and is possibly a more awkward word to pluralise (does the s go on the beginning or the end – the article’s title suggests the former?!). But I would expect you to go for the Unwinese! 😄
Funnily enough, I was thinking about that overnight, Sparky.
I would go with Stanley’s as we have said before rekruls not srekrul though I like the idea of an Ogredom.
I’m glad there’s another word for it as laziness shouldn’t win the day….even though it has, in this case.
Solved on the platform at St Pancras just before midnight returning (with my ears still ringing) from a terrific Band of Friends gig at the 229 Club as part of their Jan Blues Festival. 7d last in for me too in what was a brisk but very enjoyable solve.
Thanks to the setter & to Falcon.
Ps I was sure this great Rory tune would have been last night’s encore but we got Bullfrog Blues instead.
What a joy that was, and very welcome after a morning of on-line professional development. I also particularly liked the tethered sheep. Thanks to all.
What joy! A crossword completed with minimal help and lots of enjoyment. Thanks to all.
Great Monday guzzle. 1a went in and that is always a good start.i also liked the sheep tether and thought of Steve at 15a. We have about an inch of snow but my car was really iced up. Defrosting the car is Man’s Work but there I was doing the job myself, scraping steps and putting down salt. The sooner G is back on his feet the better. I have to drive him to another appointment this afternoon. Still , the sun is shining so that is a positive. Many thanks to the Setter and Falcon
With this Monday puzzle it’s a good start to the non-work week, now that all the Christmas and New Year festivities are behind us for another year. I’m keeping the outside lights up for a bit still as it brightens the dark, mainly wet evenings as of recent days.
1.5*/4* for me
Favourites 1a, 9a, 27a, 29a & 6d — with winner 27a & 9a the runner up. Just like the word in 27a.
Smiles for 24a, 5d & 12d
Thanks to X-Type & Falcon
Thanks to the Setter and Falcon. Very easy, even for a Monday. No less enjoyable for that. COTD 27a. Finished before it gets dark!
Joining the support for 27A. VMT X-Type & Falcon.
Nice start to a very cold day with a smattering of snow🥶 **/**** Favourites 24a, 27a & 16d thanks to the Falcon and to X- Type 😃 The only one to give me a problem was 29a 😳
Enjoyable puzzle after a taxing day at work with some Black Keys 🎸 to help me on!
1* / 3.5* Gentle yes but nonetheless very enjoyable with plenty of humour.
Favourites today include the tough material at 15d, got at 1a and the beach pest at 21a
Many thanks to Setter and Falcon
A late start for me again. A nice gentle and enjoyable solve. Thanks to setter and Falcon.
A treat to sail smoothly through this mild Twelfth Night enigma which fell to initially in the North but I do have to admit to a prompt for 14d. Let’s see what the rest of the week produces cruciverbally for us perhaps following a customary Tuesday easy ride. Thank you Setter for the fun and Falcon for being on hand.
Started late due to finishing off the decorating in my bathroom so only just finished. But have bagged a few brownie points which should keep me in credit for a few days, a happy wife is a happy life so a friend said to me a few days ago!
As for the puzzle, a straightforward solve without need to refer to the hints or any other resource and in a fairly quick time for me. Like others, I initially had Iman for the Ruler at 25d but a careful rereading of the clue revealed my error. COTD for me was the sheep at 27a.
Thank you to the setter and to Falcon for the hints.
I finished this ages ago but my phone was low so I put it on charge and it didn’t appear to be charging, in fact it was discharging so I turned it off but left it plugged in eventually I went and fetched my laptop and unplugged my phone to charge it only to find the phone charger was warm so I started it up and 100% battery how does that work? Any road up enjoyable puzzle. Favourite was 27a. Thanks to the setter and Falcon.
I solved this unaided and fairly swiftly, but not as fast as some others who have commented: this was nowhere near being a record, unlike last Monday’s (which might have been, had I not simultaneously been blogging it!).
Thank you to the setter and Falcon. My top few included 27a’s sheep tether. Plus some others, but I seem to’ve mislaid the notes I made while solving yesterday.
The 21a pest was new to me.
Love the to’ve contraction, didn’t she write the Moomin books…
Ha-ha!
1*/4* …
liked 21A “Smooth pilot is pest (7)”