Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31136
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***
Good morning from Hampshire, where the winter sun has made a welcome appearance after yesterday’s relentless rain. I found this puzzle to be fairly gentle for a midweek back-pager, and it was my quickest solve of the week so far. 7d and 13d both made it onto my podium today, but my favourite has to be the superb 12a. Many thanks to today’s 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.
Across Clues
1a Goddam PC! Our service includes protection against leaks (4-6)
DAMP COURSE: Hidden in clue (includes).
6a Unpleasant niff from chamberpot no good (4)
PONG: An informal term for a chamber pot is followed by the abbreviation for ‘no good’.
9a Douglas is one to embrace US city stylishness (5)
FLAIR: The name of a type of tree, of which Douglas is an example, is placed around (to embrace) the abbreviation for an American city.
10a She’s found in the depths, depressed with husband, bitter (4,5)
BLUE WHALE: A word that can mean ‘depressed’ is followed by the abbreviations for ‘with’ and ‘husband’, and a variety of beer.
12a EU not kidding about beginning to manipulate our country (6,7)
UNITED KINGDOM: An anagram (about) of EU NOT KIDDING is followed by the initial letter (beginning to) of ‘manipulate’.
14a Finished game of rugby the French declare invalid (8)
OVERRULE: A synonym of ‘finished’ is followed by the abbreviation of one of the forms of rugby football and the French masculine definite article.
15a Remarkable design, all-weather trousers (6)
SIGNAL: Hidden in clue (trousers).
17a Lunch at home following quarrel (6)
TIFFIN: A synonym of ‘quarrel’ is followed by the usual word for ‘at home’.
19a Everyone in that place completely sane (3,5)
ALL THERE: Synonyms of ‘everyone’ and ‘in that place’.
21a Quiet new Ritz Hotel accommodating Lincoln City formerly (4,9)
PORT ELIZABETH: The musical symbol for ‘quiet’ is followed by an anagram (new) of RITZ HOTEL, into which the abbreviated first name of President Lincoln has been inserted (accommodating). This city formally changed its name in 2021.
24a Crooned at Ms Williams, beginning to duet with Mr Sheeran (9)
SERENADED: The first name of the younger of the two tennis-playing Williams sisters is followed by the initial letter (beginning to) of ‘duet’ and the abbreviated first name of a pop star.
25a Prestigious award that comes after November? (5)
OSCAR: This award is also the word that follows November in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
26a Study following Eton’s first Tory PM (4)
EDEN: An informal term for a study or retreat is placed after (following) the initial letter (first) of ‘Eton’.
27a Fresh pear with a garnish of cold cheese (10)
CAERPHILLY: An anagram (fresh) of ‘pear’ is surrounded by (with a garnish of) a synonym of ‘cold’.
Down Clues
1d Handy editor turned up on newspaper (4)
DEFT: The usual abbreviation for ‘editor’ is reversed (turned up) and followed by the two-character abbreviation for a daily newspaper.
2d Certain to support Middle East area bill (7)
MEASURE: A synonym of ‘certain’ is placed underneath (to support) the abbreviation for the Middle East and the letter representing ‘area’. The BRB lists ‘enactment or bill’ amongst the definitions of the answer.
3d Homer delivering a message? (7,6)
CARRIER PIGEON: A cryptic definition.
4d Screen broadcast “Rub me all over!” (8)
UMBRELLA: An anagram (broadcast) of RUB ME is followed by the letters in the word ‘all’ reversed (over).
5d Small friar wedged (5)
STUCK: The abbreviation for ‘small’ is followed by the surname of Robin Hood’s friar.
7d Chap spilling seed starts to damage our nasturtiums continually (2,3,2)
ON AND ON: The first four letters of the answer are the name of a man who, according to the book of Genesis in the King James Version of the Bible, ‘spilled his seed upon the ground’. Follow this with the initial letters (starts to) of ‘damage our nasturtiums’.
8d Old Barnet fishmonger might have this (4,6)
GREY MULLET: A colour that is often used as a synonym for ‘old’ is followed by a much-maligned hairstyle. For anyone not familiar with Cockney rhyming slang, ‘barnet’ is short for ‘Barnet Fair’ (hair).
11d Teddy‘s option, when he and I will get drunk (6-3-4)
WINNIE_THE_POOH: An anagram (will get drunk) of OPTION WHEN HE and I.
13d It’s packed in the Tube for Hampstead Heath, according to cockney! (10)
TOOTHPASTE: A cryptic definition of something that cockneys would use to clean their ‘Hampstead Heath’, or teeth.
16d Hero’s lover carrying old flowering shrub (8)
OLEANDER: The lover of Hero in Greek mythology is placed below (carrying) the abbreviation for ‘old’.
18d Conifer Starmer regularly carried in sack (3,4)
FIR TREE: The alternate letters (regularly) of ‘Starmer’ are inserted into (carried in) a synonym of a verb meaning to sack someone.
20d Having principles, I teach unruly student (7)
ETHICAL: An anagram (unruly) of I TEACH is followed by the usual abbreviation for a student or learner. (There is a spelling mistake in the online version of the clue – I’ve taken the liberty of correcting it here.)
22d Help part of the UK, backing the country (5)
INDIA: A synonym of ‘help’ and the two-character abbreviation for one of the constituent countries of the UK are reversed (backing).
23d River goes into inlet in village on the Thames (4)
BRAY: The abbreviation for ‘river’ is inserted into a synonym for ‘inlet’.
Which clues did you like best? Please let us know in the comments section below.
The Quick Crossword pun: SHAM + PAIN + COCK + TALES = CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS
Good morning. This was very enjoyable with great clues from the outset. I particularly enjoyed 10a, 3d, 5d, 8d, 11d and 13d. As such I can`t select a CoTD but any of the above are worthy. LOI was 4d
It’s winter here in rural Oxfordshire too, my car door lock was f4ozen solid and resisted akl my attempts to get into the driver’s seat for half an hour, until the temperature rose. I found some of the parsing a bit tricky today but it was quite an interesting guzzle. I liked the 1a lurker, the 12a geographical anagram, the 17a lego clue ( lovely word) and my COTD, the clever geographical clue at 21a. Thanks to the compiler and to Deansleighfor the hints.w
Chris, in the past, I have found that if I heat my car key under a flame for a moment or two, then insert it into the lock, defrosting happens quite quickly – hoping that might be of help for another frozen lock occasion. My assumption is based on you having a traditional entry key, of course.
Loved the crossie, btw.
A very manageable mid-weeker with everything parsable from the clues and nothing questionable. Plenty of ticks for 1a,21a,27a, 5d and 8d in particular, but COTD is 3d, which is just brilliant.
Thanks to the setter and Deansleigh
2*/4*
What a fabulous puzzle, thoroughly enjoyable. I was smiling throughout.
Top picks for me were 10a, 5d, 1a, 13d and 3d.
Thanks to Deansleigh and the setter.
I found this at the easier end of the setting spectrum with no hold-ups to speak of. The long’uns helped enormously, and they went in pretty quickly, and the rest followed. Itr was one of these, the excellent 12a, that proved to be my favourite.
Many thanks to our midweek setter and Deansleigh.
Fun – thank you
Great start to a beautiful sunny day. Top of list and my last one in 13 down. Often that is the case because the answer needs teasing out and there is that rewarding moment of recognition. Not good on rhyming slang which the cockney reference might imply but determined not to look it up . Fortunately helped by the checkers at the end and felt like giving our setter a pat on the back.Cunning disguise in 15 across. It might be rated a 1 * but perhaps a tad more difficult. Enjoyment 3 * at least.
Thank you Deansleigh and out setter.
Lots of fun and humour, of which 3d just wins by a nose. Thanks to setter and Deansleigh.
What an excellent, albeit, gentle puzzle from Hudson. The setters are at the top of their game at the moment as I can’t stop giving five stars!
Happy days.
The outstanding lurker (in more ways than one) kicked things off very nicely and it went from there.
21a’s name change has been noted as has the seed-spiller (serious specialist knowledge or what!)
My pody picks (got to keep ‘The Wriggler’ happy) are 12a (of course), 3d and 13d.
MT to the aforementioned and ”G! Headlines” (sorry, a bit rubbish)
2*/5*
Thank you Tom, it’s noted, and you have a popular nickname of mine there, just not so wormy, losing the W and a G 🙂
It’s such a fun surname that’s begging to be played with.
Got there in the end but needed explanations for parsing 7d (non-sensible to a non bible reader)
and 13d
thanks for hints
Bright and sunny just like today’s weather. Could just about make a podium from any three clues, but I’ll settle for 21a as cotd. Thanks to compiler and Deansleigh
Very enjoyable – thanks to our setter and Deansleigh.
The pick of the clues for me were 10a, 15a and 3d.
Just what I needed for my Tuesday evening cruciverbal activity – **/****
Candidates for favourite – 15a, 19a, 25a, and 3d – and the winner is 15a.
Thanks to whomsoever, Hudson perhaps, and Deansleigh.
Great puzzle that I very much enjoyed solving. My favourite clues were 12a (first one in), 25a (superb misdirection), 24a (I love anything musical) and my COTD 3d (which made me laugh out loud). Thanks all.
What a relief to get a ‘Homer’ clue that had nothing to do with that frightful TV series! He can have a place in the medal table along with 10&19a plus 5d. Learnt a new piece of Cockney rhyming slang although doubt I’ll ever need it again – unless it pops up in another crossword.
Thanks to our setter and to Deansleigh for the review.
2*/4*. This was good fun, ideal for a midweek back-pager.
I knew 21a from my cricket history. In the late 19th century, it was the venue for the first Test Match played outside England and Australia. It’s new name is unspellable and unpronounceable!
Many thanks to the setter and to Deansleigh.
You’re not kidding re the new name of Port Elizabeth! It’s said in one of those ‘clicking’ languages that are dreadfully difficult to pronounce. Fortunately. it seems that people still refer to the place as P.E!
** / ****
Finished this in probably a 1* time but added a star for difficulty due to having to check so many parsings. E.g. didn’t know that Douglas was a tree, never heard of the biblical character, didn’t know Hero’s lover and had never heard of this village on the Thames. Hugely enjoyable though and over too quickly!
Ticks went to the 6a unpleasant sniff, the 12a EU manipulation and COTD to the superb Homer in 3d.
Many thanks to Deansleigh and the setter.
There was a very fine Vicar of Bray ……..
Hi Day Zee.
I’ve just found this which is brilliant….
An indolent Vicar of Bray
Let his lovely red roses decay
His wife, more alert
Bought a powerful squirt
And said to her spouse “Let us spray!”
I was reminded of a terrific scene in series 1 of The Crown with King George (superbly played by Jared Harris) being calmed down by Peter Townsend (after a temper tantrum over difficulty with fixing his neckwear) telling him a risqué limerick about a lass called Sally who was fond of the occasional dally. He responds with one about an old countess of Bray that’s far too rude to post here but expect you can find it on You Tube
I remember it well.
Beautifully delivered by Jared who was superb in Chernobyl. To quote Richie Benaud…What a great series that was. Chilling but compulsive viewing. Jessie Buckley was also outstanding.
Thanks for starting this Daisygirl and chipping in Huntsman and TDS. Somehow we got from Bray on Thames to the late, great, Richie Benaud via a Limerick!!!! Methinks a radio gameshow might be in the offing???
A splendid shout, A-Pop.
The fastest grid fill of the week but a couple of whys extended the solve a touch. Tom seems sure it a Hudson production & reckon he’s right + 5* enjoyment for me here too. ✅s aplenty – 12(my fav),24&27a + 7,8,11&13d. I hadn’t even realised 21a had changed its name & though I knew the noun at 7d I wasn’t familiar with the biblical fella it comes from. Having lived for a long time in Hampstead then moved out to Barnet the Heath still has a fairly substantial fair but can’t think of one in Barnet.
Thanks to the setter & Deansleigh
What an enjoyable mid weeker. I did need a while to get on to the right wavelength but once there thoroughly enjoyed it. I nearly missed the lurker in 1a it was so well disguised and had to look up the name change city to see what it had become. I wonder if its new name will ever appear, it certainly has an interesting spelling. 3d is my favourite but it could have been many others,
Many thanks to the setter and to Deansleigh for the hints and explanations
Enjoyable midweek tussle and a step up in difficulty.
3*/4.5*
3* for difficulty as I couldn’t parse 7d, 13d an 6a but the checkers came to my rescue.
3d favourite today
Thanks to setter and Dean
A super crossword slightly spoiled by 6a and 7 down with what I considered to be quite specialised knowledge. – although nobody else seems to mind so I guess it’s just me being curmudgeonly. Thanks to the hinter for explaining those particular parsings.
I agree about 6a. What a random name for a chamberpot. Thankfully I’ve never had to use one.
Am in the 3d camp for favourite, closely followed by 25a. 15a was last one in, I wanted it to be an anagram ie signed but it didn’t make sense and I remembered what to look for when in doubt. I think 6a is a horrid word. My mother always called a chamber pot a Gosunder. Because it did. The first time she visited the Tunbridge Wells side of the Angus family she put Sedlitz powders (an early Beecham Powder thing) in all the gosunders – you can imagine the resulting chaos during the night as everything fizzed up. She was hugely popular with the cousins, grown ups were a bit put out. I Spent the morning with G in Plastic Surgery where they are very pleased with the healing progress, back in 2 weeks. What a wonderful department that is, I cannot speak too highly of them. Nor of course can I speak too highly of our wonderful Setter and Hinter many thanks for the cranial workout. Now you know I am not one to boast, but I did Wordle in TWO this morning 😇. Just thought I’d tell you. G says a lucky fluke.
I had a 50/50 shot at 2 and went for the wrong one.
Curses!
I thought this Wednesday puzzle was trickier than the last few have been. Had to really scratch my head a few times.
2.5*/3* for me today
Favourite candidates include 10a, 12a, 19a, 27a, 5d & 11d — with winner 11d
Thanks to Hudson(?) & Deansleigh
Friendly and fun – just what was required on a busy Wednesday
Many thanks to, I presume, Hudson and Deansleigh
Great fun. Took me far too long to spot the lurker in 15 Across but got there in the end. Am I right in thinking that PG Wodehouse originated the use of ‘trouser’ as a verb?
Thanks to the Setter and Hudson for the hints. Straight forward midweek solve. No real hold ups and it’s still daylight! COTD 11d. LOI 4d
You’re lucky – it’s been twilight all day here!
Community driving duties have made me late on parade again.
A wonderful puzzle for the mid week slot with lots to like giving a slow, steady solve. I don’t think the word at 17a is used a great deal these days. My Christmas tree is often the one at 9a so that caused no problem and I liked the fresh pear and cold cheese at 27a. My COTD is the homer at 3d and I agree with Jane that it is refreshing not to have it associated with The Simpsons – a programme I have never watched.
Thank you, setter for the fun. Thank you, Deansleigh for the hints and I do love the cartoon for 3d because it reflects the situation here in The Marches although I now have Starlink and that has sorted it all out.
Another completion without external help so that was pleasing. Perhaps less tricky than yesterday but on a par with Monday’s offering? Generally a steady solve but got held up in the NE corner, particularly the old fishmonger. You look at a clue and the checking letters for a time without success, leave it for a while then return and hey presto. Never ceases to amaze me how the mind/brain works.
Clues which made me smile were the aforementioned 8d and 9a. Also credit for getting 1a into a hidden.
Thank you to the setter and to Deansleigh for the hints.
Great start to the day -excellent crossword, Wordle in 3, Worldle in 2. A bit like in crosswords when all else fails look for a lurker, in Worldle when all else fails look for a country in Africa. Added to my daily mental workout is a new puzzle, combining letters and numbers, that can be found at gramgrid.net
Duly noted, Lorraine. Thank you.
Slight setter’s mistake.
Tiffin relates to teatime not lunch
Dear Chris,
It’s funny you should say that…I worked with several Indian colleagues in the Middle East in the early 1980s and I always understood from them that tiffin=tea. Unfortunately, the two main dictionaries – Chambers and Collins – both define tiffin as lunch so that’s why the clue reads as it does I’m afraid. If I’d defined it as “tea” there would have been comments about it!
best wishes, Rob/Hudson
Tiffin was always lunch – the midday meal – to me when I was brought up in India in the 40s and 50s. However I gather that the definition varies depending on the part of the country.
PS thank for the puzzle and Deinsleigh for the blog.
In Singapore back in the 1970’s where my husband and I had the delicious Tiffin at the famous Raffles Hotel which was served at lunch time. Cost us a large proportion of our travel budget, but that together with a Singapore Sling each was well worth while.
You were previously ‘antiquated anne’ so the change of alias sent you into moderation. Both will work from now on.
Thanks. I forgot I used that alias. Sorry
Google says it means any light meal, including lunch, so not a mistake 😊.
What a lovely crossword so many great clues it is hard to pick a favourite.
I have now figured out that the stars for difficulty relate roughly to the number of pints of beer it takes me to get somewhere near a complete grid😁 I should say that I rarely if ever manage a 4 star puzzle😴 Many thanks to setter and hinter. Douglas.
What a superb system, me old fir.
A really enjoyable solve with lots of ticks. I was a bit slow to realise that 1a was a lurker and though I got the correct answer for 7d I have to admit to no religious knowledge! Lots of great clues but my heart sank when I saw 13d Cockney expressions and Spoonerisms are my nemesis. I confess to leaving 13d to the end (despite having every checking letter) and consulting the hints! COTD 3d followed by 8d and 27a. Many thanks to the setter and Deansleigh.
Lovely puzzle with lots of laughs, from the superb lurker at top left, to the tasty Welsh cheese at bottom right.
Many thanks to Rob for brilliant entertainment, and to my fellow Hampshire resident for his blog.
Lovely crossie, many thanks to Hudson and also Deansleigh as I did need help for a couple and parsing explanations for a few others.
Thanks. I forgot I used that alias. Sorry
I made hard work of this enjoyable solve.
Needed the hints to parse 6a and 13d. I know a fair amount of cockney rhyming slang but never heard this one.
Thanks to all.
Took me forever to get 3d, but another one ticked off without assistance. Surprised myself by getting 16d easily, then realised that I know the mythical Greeks through Flanders & Swann. I didn’t know before today that PE had joined the ranks of officially deprecated names.
Favourites were 12a, 24a and (once Deansleigh helped me get the joke) 7d.
Thanks to all!
1.5* / 3.5* Thanks to Hudson for a thoroughly enjoyable puzzle and to Deansleigh for a couple of explanations.
Top three clues the terrific lurker in 1a, tasty cheese at 27a and the fishy 8d
21 and 7d were bung ins, I’ll check up on them later. I thought the random village was a little obscure but fairly clued. Apart from those no complaints. I thought 17a was tea but thinking what do I know? I put it in and moved on. I’ll join the 3d for favourite camp. Thanks to Hudson and Deansleigh. Brain fried after the mind numbing quiz and this so the toughie will have to wait until tomorrow.
Got to the crossword and this comment much later than hoped – down to work but also Traitors was just on, any other avid viewers here?!
Wonderful surfaces throughout this puzzle, and educational for me too. My pody picks have a tie for bronze – from gold I’ll go 12A which is a great anagram and reads so, so well; then the remarkable 7D with its spillage! 😒 And a tie between 13D for amusing cockney insight and 27A’s cheese and pear – a lovely combo, with a wine too.
LOI was 16D – I’m not great with flowers , nor history for the lover, but I’d also convinced myself the ‘carrying old’ meant the O was going to be among the lover’s letters, not on top of her (so to speak), even for a down clue, so I’ll try to remember that for the future.
Thanks to setter and reviewer as always.
We’ve been enjoying The Traitors, Simon, though often a few hours behind and sometimes not till the following day — which is great for keeping me off social media. Last year the final was on the Friday evening of the Big Dave Birthday Bash in London, so Spouse and I each spent the weekend avoiding any conversations about it or going near anywhere that sold newspapers, so we could watch it together once I was back.
I know what you mean Smylers – my wife and I will be on a train shortly and we know to be discreet as some will be catching up. Social media is probably harder to avoid these days!
I’m hoping to make the BD big bash, just confirming diary availability and logistics.
I’m an avid Traitors watcher too. Lots of lovely twists this series.
This was a quick start, with 1a straight in and such fun that it remained my pick of the day. Though I slowed down quite a bit towards the end, so didn’t find it as straightforward as Deansleigh, whose hint I needed (thanks) to explain the cockney 13d. I also had to look up Hero’s lover, knowing neither that nor the shrub.
Thank you to the presumed-Hudson (and for yesterday’s Toughie, in case I don’t get round to commenting on that) — lots of clues that made me smile!
3*/4* …
liked 8D “Old Barnet fishmonger might have this (4,6)”