Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3351 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where however much snow landed on us during the blizzard that we experienced a week before Christmas is being ‘topped up’ on a regular basis.
I hope that all those who ‘experienced’ Storm Goretti survived the ordeal.
For me, and I stress for me,Ā© Dada very friendly with four long ‘uns, four anagrams (two of the long ‘uns and one partial), two lurkers, and no homophones in a symmetric 28 clues; with 14 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!
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Candidates for favourite ā 10a, 12a, 23a, 3d, 4d, 5d, and 18d.
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
8a Serving of food is here in plate (4)
A lurker (serving of) found in three words in the clue.
10a Feeling about a loin and leg (6)
An intuitive feeling containing A from the clue – the answer may refer to venison.
12a Fine piece for philosophy (8)
A synonym of fine and a piece which is one of two found on a board of 64 squares.
15a Service ending in prayer, shame originally unobserved (7)
Not a last letter selection but the traditional word ending a prayer and a synonym of shame with the first letter deleted (originally unobserved).
23a Member of the clergy fellow put down (8)
A synonym of fellow and a past participle synonym of put down.
25a Heavens opening in downpour, zero pick up coats (2,4)
The letter that represents zero and a synonym of pick up (as in listening) contains (coats) the first letter (opening) of Downpour.
28a Return of hard liquor approaching (4)
The reversal (return) of all of the single letter for Hard and a type of liquor (that is often mixed with tonic).
Down
1d Very strong urge when one has black pocketed in pool (6)
The Roman numeral for one and the single letter for Black contained by (pocketed in) a type of (open-air swimming) pool.
2d The short right disposed of bully (8)
THe with the last letter removed (short), the single letter for Right, and a synonym of disposed of (food?).
3d Be in strong position ā as will dealer? (4,3,3,5)
An idiom that can also describe the dealer before a game (of poker?) is begun.
5d Lessening bloom, wallflower (9,6)
An oldie but goodie ā a synonym of lessening and guess a bloom.
14d Corn in shaved goatee? (3)
What goatee is an example of with the outer letters removed (shaved).
19d Dodgy person keeping scrounging, ultimately? (7)
Some double duty? An anagram (dodgy) of PERSON containing (keeping) the last letter (ultimately) of scrounginG.
24d Listen and hear everything every day, for starters (4)
One of Dadaās favourite constructions ā the first letters (starters) of four words in the clue.
Quick Crossword Pun:
DRUMMER + DAIRYĀ + CAMELĀ = DROMEDARY CAMEL – a little weak using the third word ‘as is’.
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One I think I can blame Big Sister for ā she was 17 and I was 11, almost 12 – and, as I recall she was a fan.Ā The title song from the first of three film musicals featuring Cliff Richard and the Shadows. The film had its World Premiere on December 13, 1961 and the song was at number one for 6 weeks starting on this day in 1962:
I thought Dada was being kind to us today with the four long ones allowing entry to the rest of the puzzle. I had the answer to 8a but couldnāt quite parse it so didnāt enter it. Then, as I was looking again at the clue, it became blindingly obvious! I thought the philosophy at 12a was neat and there was a satisfying clunk as the proverbial fell at 3d. My COTD is the Victorian pickle at 20a.
Thank you, Dada for a most enjoyable puzzle. Thank you, Colonel for the hints.
What a great puzzle, we have been spoilt with some marvellous ones so far this year.
This brought plenty of smiles with my top picks being 20a, 5d, 6d and 10a.
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
My first thought at seeing the grid was, oh dear. But the four long clues nicely opened out the puzzle into a very benign solve to the extent that it’s probably my quickest ever completion of one of Dada’s offerings. So many ticks on my page with honorable mentions to 11a, 28a and 3d, but my podium comprises 1d, 12a and 15a in top spot. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Really enjoyable puzzle – I am usually not a fan of grids where you donāt get many first letters but I thought this was great
A slow start with the across clues but the down clues were much more productive, great fun **/****
2*/4*. I enjoyed this with 20a my favourite.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf.
Dada at his friendliest today with only 10a providing a delay to a fairly rapid solve.
Thanks to he and Senf for the hints – but a lurker and initial letter constructs as subjectively hard clues? I cant believe it!
2*/4*
20a and 18d favourites today.
Assuming that I have correctly identified the clues to which you are referring, I am merely following the instructions given to me by our dear departed leader in The Bridge House on Saturday, January 28th, 2017 which I have followed ever since. In particular, provide hints for 50% of the clues including the first and last in each direction. And, surprisingly, some solvers cannot readily identify lurkers and initial letter constructs.
I have to admit it took a long time for initial letter constructs to sink in.
Ive only just twigged that the first and last clues are always hinted!
We all sometimes stumble over clues that, on a good day, we would ink in right away. What is usually blindingly obvious sometimes isnāt. For my part, I find Senf invariably provides the most helpful hints.
I rarely make any comment, but I really must write to say what a delightfully entertaining puzzle this has been. Quite possibly one of my quicker solves, but very enjoyable – thank you Dada.. Lots of chuckles along the way, with 20a my firm favourite clue, with 3d in second place. No hints needed, but my thanks anyway to Senf.
Be gentle with us next Saturday at the CBS please. At our current rate of deterioration Iām beginning to worry about holding on to an automatic promotion spot.
Hi Huntsman. We or rather I are/am hoping that we can secure enough points to avoid relegation, wherever we can ‘steal’ them, especially as there still is more than just a hint of a points deduction. Cov at home should quite easily take 3 points off us – mind you, Ipswich Town who, for some bizarre reason my younger son and granddaughters follow, surprised us by doing the double over Coventry – goodness knows what happened there, lol. Maybe a draw next weekend will see us both still friends
Apologies to the rest of you good people for a non-crossword related reply.
Wife and I enjoyed this!! Took us back to early married life commuting Chatham to London, she was a fanatic Telegraph Crossworder, due too her Grandfather!!
Anyway really only came on to ask a question!.
Who is the charming RAF ******** (sorry – I had to redact it as it is the answer) pictured for 23 across please?
I.help run the museum in the Control Tower of RAF Martlesham Heath, 1916 until 1970 ish! Our house is alongside the main runway route! Now a Housing Estate and Business Estate with remains of RAF buildings, the Tower was built for the 356th American Air Force fighter group! Sorry for getting carried away!!! Cheers
No indication of when the photograph was taken but it is of former C130 Hercules pilot Flight Lieutenant Alice McDermott of 600 Squadron, RAF Northolt. She is wearing medal ribbons for service in Afghanistan and Iraq and the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
Some ‘bio’ I found:
During a dangerous flight to Kabul, pilot Alice McDermott found herself praying to God for protection. She promised that should she survive, she would embrace the faith she had once had as a child but since lost. After 23 years of service Alice left the RAF and became a church minister, later joining the RAF Reserves as a ******** in 2016.
Very gentle this morning but no less fun than usual. The grid lent itself to a fairly rapid solve with the four long intersecting clues and a sprinkling of very gettable three letter answers. As a fan of the red ball game, I had to go for 20a for my favourite.
Many thanks to Dada and Senf.
A very enjoyable puzzle that didn’t harm too many brain cells. I liked the long anagrams but my favourite was 5D which resulted in a big grin when the penny dropped.
Thanks to Dada for the puzzle and Senf for the hints.
Unlike others, I struggled with this but I always enjoy Dadaās quirky mind and got there in the end..
Good fun – thanks to Dada and Senf.
Highlights for me were 15a, 26a and 18d.
As gentle as it gets for Dada (he must be in a benevolent humour – even his Graun prize puzzle yesterday was gettable) but very enjoyable nevertheless, even if it was all over maybe a bit too quickly. A couple of the whys (15&25a) took some thought & the last 2 in for me (6d&12a) delayed completion somewhat. Thought all 4 of the long āuns good with one of āem, 20a, my favourite. Plenty to like elsewhere too. I see heās given us a Quickie pangram today, which if memory serves is the second time heās done so of late.
Thanks to D&S
Oh! Gentle is it? Kind Dada? Huh! You people know nothing! Nothing!
I intend to complain (in the strongest possible terms, of course) to Mr Lancaster, Sir Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, Diana Ross, and the Dalai Lama. Yes! Don’t try and stop me.
You are all in it together.
Challenging guzzle. No calls from committee members.
Thanks to Da-doo-ron-ron and the splendid Man From Manitoba with his red scarf and (one hopes) some additional blankets.
I found this a tad harder than others and thoroughly enjoyed it with my LOI being 6d which went straight on to the podium for its neatness. Itās also a great word.
I am hopeless āunder the hoodā so hadnāt heard of 11a. Not having the correct first word for 3d for a good while also didnāt help my cause.
Sharing the spoils with 6d are the two outstanding long anagrams running across the middle.
MT to De Do Do Do De and the Manitoban mountie.
3*/4*
I had heard of 11a so got it immediately but have no idea what it is.
Iāve just looked at the meaning again and still have no ideas what it is!
I was so late to the three Top Gear boys as I have no interest in cars.
When I was 17 my father bought me a 1934 double de-clutch Austin 7. It was the same age as me. ( cars were hard to come by so soon after WW2). He was very keen that I should know what went on under the bonnet and I remember spending a whole afternoon being taught about cotter pins. I still do not understand them but at least if they came up in a guzzle I would recognise them!
An excellent story.
Cotter pins? Not a Scooby.
Double de-clutch is so satisfying to say.
I believe we had a couple of cars where you had to double de-clutch. Weāre so old it was still a requirement to do hand signals on the driving test if I remember rightly.
Love it.
I can still remember the terror of being asked to combine hand signals with a hill start
Gosh.
I had it so easy and still failed!
Made more of a meal of this than others seem to have done but the cogs eventually turned the wheel aided in no small part by the required definition of ‘out’ popping into my brain. Podium places handed out to 20&26a plus 18d.
Thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints and music, not to mention the fashions of the ’60s!
I didn’t even notice 8a was a lurker!
Thank you for the hints and thank you to the setter. It was a fun one.
I thought this was going to be trickier than it turned out to be. I started in the south and worked up in the end. Probably my quickest Dada solve ever. Enjoyable too. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Loved the long āuns. A real doddle after the Toughie
Thanks all
Had one of those days where on first glance nothing clicked, then suddenly the lights came on and it all fell into place fairly speedily, especially once the long ones fell. I thought the anagrams were excellent.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints.
I got 3 and 5 down almost straight away and then I could really get started . A lovely puzzle to cheer a miserable , wet day. Thank you.
15a was my last in. It seems from the comments above that I was on my own.
No, me as well!
My last in too! I rarely finish on the day but I liked this a lot with my favourite being 20a – a reminder of my early married days near Henley. Thanks for the hints
Thanks, Senf,
for explaining the photo of the highly admirable person in 23a. I note that clergy (or is it the DT) still don’t always opt for genderless/inclusive names or descriptions! (Pace Huntsperson).
Many thanks to Dada for a lovely puzzle and to Senf’s terrific blog from the frozen wastes.
1.5* / 4* A good steady solve with loads of wit and misdirection, very enjoyable.
The best out of many favourites include last one in, the service at 15a, the 20a big anagram and 10a loin and leg (great word)
Many thanks to Dada and Senf
For me this was a very friendly Dada puzzle this week. Minimal personal thesaurus use and hardly a quirk in site! A nice solve on my Saturday night.
I liked all the 3 letter answers too ā¦ they were good.
2*/4.5* for me
Favourite candidates include 9a, 17a, 20a, 28a ,16d & 18d ā with winner 23a
Thanks to Dada & Senf
Thanks to Senf and Dada. Like others our LOI 15a. Started off well as usual especially with the long clues. Then gradually ground to a halt. Needed a few hints to complete. Enjoyable challenge for a Sunday.
A R&W for the first five across and then passed a couple before picking up speed again. The down clues from the bottom flowed nicely with only 3d and 13a needing some 12a. A very enjoyable Dada treat.
My first exposure to 11a was in 1950 when my father had his motorcycle engine stripped down on the kitchen table!
Many thanks to Dada and Senf.
That must have been about the time I was having cotter pins thrust at me. I had a boyfriend Brian Knight (Brignig) who took a motorbike apart on the kitchen table. Are you still alive I wonder? He became something very big in trains and emigrated to Canada)
Peter used to frequently take his motor bike apart, and then moved on to taking his car engine apart (when he was 17). On one visit I was amazed to see said engine sitting under his motherās kitchen sink š.
Another brilliant Sunday offering from Mr D!
I fair cantered through it having solved the 4 long āuns pretty quickly but still found it thoroughly enjoyable and challenging in a couple of areas. š
My COTD was 20A having had to take that sorry walk enough times in my youth!š
Thanks to Senf as always, with a particular nod of appreciation for the pic and subsequent bio / back story of the charming ladyš«”ā¦a touching reminder of how the lives of those of us who served are often shaped by certain āmomentsā of our chosen career!
Cheers!
Thank you Senf for the Cliff reminder, fond memories alongside the wonderful Helen Shapiro hit I think back in 1961 (walking back to happiness). Back to the puzzle – fun as always with the Victorian pickle as favourite (but sorry Dada not such a great quickie punš„)
Nice, easy solve today. Not too demanding.
Might I suggest that āunionistā in 4d should have capitalised; that would have made it a nice political clue for our friends in Ulster!
This is the eighth different alias that you have used. Please remember that every time you dream up a new alias one of the moderators has to rescue you from moderation.
Apologies for any inconvenience or offence caused.
I shall stick to my most frequently used alias in future.
Regarding your ‘suggestion’:
1. Perhaps our setter is apolitical.
2. You need to refresh your knowledge of Comment Etiquette, particularly Item 8.
** / ****
One of my quicker Dada solves and hugely enjoyable. Bit like yesterday in that almost every clue demanded some thought before confirming. Nicely though, everything parsed once in so no need for the hints but thanks anyway Senf.
Lots of ticks but top two were the 12a fine piece and the 5d wallflower.
Many thanks to Dada and Senf.
25! I need to pay way more 24 to my 12. Took ages for 15 to come to mind.
Thanks to setter for a splendid crossie and to Senf for his comments.
For me, not much progress made on first pass but the pace picked up as more and more checkers slowly appeared. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Regarding 19d, one could view the entire clue as the definition making it an &lit. or all-in-one clue in which case there is not merely “some double duty” involved but total double duty. The latter part of the clue narrows down the specific type of “dodgy person” we are looking for.
Agree with that parsing. I thought it was an excellent &lit, best clue in the puzzle by a country mile.
A very enjoyable puzzle for me today….until for some unknown reason I got stuck on 26a.
Eventually the penny dropped…..senior moment maybe ?
Thanks to Dada and to Senf…..keep warm in Manitoba.
Miserable weather persistent here. Cold drizzly sleety rain. Good job I have crosswords to do.
We didn’t find this as straightforward as some but we did make it hard for ourselves by having the wrong corn for 14d. The rest slowly came together. Favourite was 5d, got with only the ‘E’ as checker. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
We were about to sit down to lunch when DD2 and husband called in on their way back from a week in Saudi Arabia staying with one of Sarahās friends. They raved about it! Delighted to see them of course but it postponed my guzzlework. I was completely taken in by the start of 12a, pencilling in an F for fine, haha, silly me. Thanks Senf, for making that one of your hints because it jiggered me up for 4d as well. 20a was very amusingWhat started out as a probably miserable day has in fact been very enjoyable -many thanks to Dada and my Knight in Shining Armour.
I too thought ā0h dearā at first pass, but then it all came together once the long clues fell into place. A very enjoyable puzzle, and a pleasure to actually finish. COTD to 6d, LOL! Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Pleased to get this done inside [redacted āit’s not ‘the done thing’ to discuss solving times – see Comment Etiquette – Item 6]. Like others, I thought the grid looked ominous at first with those 4 bigguns. LOI was 26A, will name 18A (the achievement) as favourite just ahead of several others. I especially appreciate the many good surfaces here. Thanks to setter and reviewer.
Back to work tomorrow after a 3-week Xmas holiday – one big highlight since 1-Jan has been getting back to doing the DT cryptic regularly and coming on here!
I know it’s tomorrow but I have to comment before retiring because I so surprised myself by completing this fun run after a hopeless start this morning. However a return to it tonight was a different story and it all came together nicely with the smoothest run in the North. 3d Fav. I am a bit tired of silly anagram indicators as per 17a – whatever next? Thank you Dada and Senf and finally goodnight everyone or is it good morning? Actually I’m a veteran night owl anyway.