Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31144
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Lots of complex wordplay in this puzzle, so I found myself reverse engineering the parsing of several clues.
In the hints below most indicators are italicized, and underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions. Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Composer facing court judgement (7)
VERDICT: An Italian composer with the map abbreviation for court
5a Dismiss article about end of Bram Stoker (7)
FIREMAN: Dismiss or sack and a grammatical article sandwiching (about) the last letter (end) of BRAM
9a Manager almost makes blunder (5)
GAFFE: All but the last letter (almost) of an informal word for a football manager
10a Keyboard instrument Harry groaned on about (4,5)
REED ORGAN: An anagram (harry) of GROANED following (on) about or concerning
11a Keen on purchasing wife objects, unable to decide exactly what (2,3,5)
IN TWO MINDS: An informal word for “keen on” containing (purchasing) the single letter for wife, all followed by objects or cares
12a Labour's leader ignored reports going round constituency (4)
SEAT: The reversal (going round) of some reports or stories minus (… ignored) the first letter (…’s leader) of LABOUR
14a Take unnecessary risks in stage production of The Towering Inferno? (4,4,4)
PLAY WITH FIRE: This phrase might, whimsically, describe a stage production of The Towering Inferno
18a Rejoin radio broadcast outside English city (3,2,7)
RIO DE JANEIRO: An anagram (broadcast) of REJOIN RADIO containing (outside) the single letter for English
21a Asian band we hear (4)
THAI: A homophone (we hear) of a band or strap
22a Fight in such a ring (10)
ENGAGEMENT: A ring given as a promise of marriage is a synonym of fight
25a Mars bar one rogue tried to pinch even (3,6)
RED PLANET: An anagram (rogue) of TRIED minus (bar) the Roman one containing (to pinch) even or level
26a Giant bird some detailed (5)
TITAN: A small songbird with all but the last letter (de-tailed) of a synonym of some
27a Cockney's bald and stuffy (7)
AIRLESS: Drop the aitch (Cockney’s) from another word for bald
28a Runs joint fund, ultimately becoming embittered (7)
RANKLED: Link together the cricket abbreviation for runs, a joint that attaches your foot to your leg, and the final letter (ultimately) of FUND
Down
1d Struggle to eat animal product? This person may well (6)
VEGGIE: Struggle or compete containing (to eat) a roundish animal product. The answer is an informal word for somebody who might struggle to eat an animal product
2d Deny match official gets uniform tailor-made on vacation (6)
REFUTE: Concatenate an informal word for a match official, the single letter for uniform, and the outer letters (on vacation) of TAILOR-MADE
3d Current church stories incorporating popular text? They're for suckers (3,7)
ICE LOLLIES: The fusion of the physics symbol for electric current, the abbreviation for the Church of England, and some untrue stories containing (incorporating) a texting abbreviation indicating amusement that was popular in the era before emojis
4d 23 Down after breaking bones (5)
TARSI: An anagram (after breaking) of the answer to 23d
5d Creatures I filmed at sea, outwardly cute (9)
FIELDMICE: An anagram (at sea) of I FILMED with the outer letters (outwardly) of CUTE
6d Discovered thieves cheat (4)
ROOK: Some thieves or criminals minus their outer letters (dis-covered)
7d Attractive publication with new name that's revolutionary (8)
MAGNETIC: Join together a contraction for a type of publication, the single letter for new, and the reversal (that’s revolutionary) of a synonym of name
8d Era Einstein transformed (8)
NINETIES: An anagram (transformed) of EINSTEIN
13d Dance centre in Macclesfield Bobby maybe acquires (10)
CHARLESTON: Bobby the former star Manchester United footballer contains (acquires) the centre letter pair in MACCLESFIELD
15d Fancies having variable income (9)
YEARNINGS: A usual letter used for a mathematical unknown with a synonym of income
16d Spies entertaining author heading off for tests (8)
CRITERIA: The abbreviation for a usual spying organization containing (entertaining) another word for author, minus its first letter (heading off)
17d One used to strain, fellow parachutist? (8)
COLANDER: Split (2-6) the answer might, whimsically, describe a fellow parachutist
19d Virulent illness constricts pulse (6)
LENTIL: VIRULENT ILLNESS hides (constricts) the answer
20d Reconciled with daughter, made up for deficiencies (6)
ATONED: A (2,3) phrase for reconciled is followed by the single letter for daughter
23d Welcoming star not half look excited (5)
ASTIR: A synonym of look containing (welcoming) half (not half) of STAR
24d Tory down in the dumps (4)
BLUE: A colourful description of a Tory can also mean sad or down in the dumps
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: FUR + DEGREES = VERDIGRIS
I had to check it was Friday because I found today’s offering straightforward on the whole. Not that it was a read and write (I rarely get those) but it was easier than most Friday puzzles, I thought. Lots to like from the Towering Inferno at 14a to Bobby’s dance centre at 13d. My COTD is the author of Dracula, which is a fine book, at 5a because I thought the clue was neat.
Thank you, setter for a fun Friday guzzle. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints.
Very enjoyable but tricky in parts. I’m glad Mr K had to reverse engineer some of the parsings so I feel less of a dunce where some still elude me. That said it was a very satisfying solve. Loads of ticks with 9a, 14a and 28a getting honorable mentions but podium places go to 5a, 5d and 17d. Thanks to compiler and Mr K. Off now to the hints to sort out the odd parsing or four.
2*/5*. What an exquisitely smooth puzzle to finish the non-working week.
I was delighted to find mention in 13d of one of my heroes. My father took me to Hampden Park in 1958 when a 20 year-old Sir Bobby made his England debut and scored a wonderful goal in an emphatic 4-0 win. This was amazingly only a couple of months after he had survived the dreadful Munich air disaster. England had been robbed of four of their team who had died in that crash. The England team that day also included Billy Wright, Johnny Haynes and Tom Finney. Scotland were captained by Tommy Docherty.
The attendance that day was around 130,000 – standing room only in those days. Dad had made a small fold-up stool, about 18” high, for me to stand on, otherwise I would have been unable to see any of the action!
Back to the crossword…
My page is littered with ticks and my top picks were 5a, 14a, 22a, 1d & 17d.
Many thanks to surely Silvanus and also to Mr K.
You’ve taken me back there, RD.
My old man also made me one of those fold-up stools. He would stand me on it in front of a crush barrier, so I could lean over on tip-toes to get a good view. I’d always have my great big wooden rattle with me. Hand painted in blue and white with the team’s name on, it was a prized possession. What a racket it made!
Sadly they were eventually banned, not due to the noise, but they were deemed to be possible weapons at a time when it started to kick off quite regularly.
Ah yes, I’d forgotten the rattle!
I had a rattle too! My first game at Villa Park was in 1968 and in the second half, a nearby policeman felt sorry for my Dad and sat me on his shoulders for the rest of the game! Now that was community policing!
Unlike Steve, I found this puzzle heavy going at first and, like Mr K,I hd to reverse engineer some of the parsing. Howeverr, I really enjoyed tthe cryptic wordplay in 14a, the well misdirected geographical anagram at 18a and the ginger whinger related cryptic definition at 10a. There wS a clever lurker at 18d too. Thanks to the compiler for an absorbing Friday challenge and to Mr K for the hints.
Celebrating the return of my broadband with today’s crossword.
9a was my clue of the day. I wondered about 21 – not homophonic enough for my taste. “Asian body Pärt, we hear” might be nearer the mark.
Hi Brian
The h isn’t pronounced.
A lovely puzzle, surprisingly gentle for a Friday and would not have been out of place on a Tuesday, I thought. COTD 17d.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K
Unusually gentle for a Friday, but containing some pleasing surfaces reads.
That said, the less smoothly worded 23a took slightly longer to parse than the rest.
My thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Correction, 25a.
I enjoyed this challenge but had to rely on some of the hints for the parsing. I had a G instead of a K in the middle of 28A which caused me a problem. 10A was a bung in as was 22A but I get them now thanks to the hints. COTD for me was 14A, which I solved whilst eating stir food rice with mixed seafood at my local street cafe before settling the bill for £1.50.
Thanks to the setter and for the hints which were much needed for the parsing today.
I started off at a gallop and then came to an abrupt stop. Teased them out in the end and found it an enjoyable tussle.
Needed Mr K’s help to parse 25a.
Top picks for me were 17d, 14a, 5a, 13d and 3d.
Thanks to Mr K and the setter.
I found todays puzzle easier than previous Fridays. The parsing of 12a eluded me, and so was my LOI. Got it after reading the hints. Thanks for those and to the setter. Other than that it was a steady solve. 1a and 22a were my favourites.
Two answers had me searching for clarity 25 and 12 .Held up by the south west but otherwise straightforward and hugely entertaining . Lots of choice for favourites but 18a , 22a and 17d . Thanks to all .
What a great puzzle! The north fair flew into place before I ground to a halt further south. Some top top clues, but my favourites were the thespian production at 14a and the dance at 13d. The kitchen utensil at 17d was pretty good too. Thanks very much to the setter and to Mr K.
Oh, for goodness sake. Can the DT stop giving us 5 star puzzles???
My street cred is taking a pounding as I keep dishing them out! A setter will be crestfallen and hugely insulted if I gave them 4 stars. But, what can you do? A 5 star crissy crossy is a 5 star crissy crossy.
Sade is in fine form today with a nice Friday workout that didn’t stretch me that far. My LOI was 20d as I didn’t get the expression for reconciled.
No trademark r_e_k_r_u_l today but his other one is on display, i.e the central letter(s) of a long word (Macclesfield).
My podium is 5a (Bram Stoker is absolutely superb), 18a and 1d which is very clever.
MTTTA and Mr K.
3*/5*
A very entertaining and not overly difficult puzzle to solve, prior to venturing forth into the day’s gloom for the weekend’s shopping. My favourite clues were 5a and 14a, but I have to admit that 12a totally defeated me, largely because I’d taken reports to mean stories or lies, so I really had been barking up a wrong tree with that one and needed to reveal. Thanks to all concerned today.
I found this Friday one of two halves. Top I enjoyed and got through well, but the bottom half for the most part was a struggle and parsing in many was unfathomable to me.
Overall 3*/3*
Favourites 5a, 14a, 18a, 27a, 8d & 13d – with winner 13d
Smiles for 1a, 5a, 14a & 27a
Thanks to setter & Mr. K
A steady brain teaser for me, befitting for a Friday. The W went in without too much effort, but held up in the NE until the keyboard instrument came to mind. I actually possessed one in the 1970″s, but never got past Amazing Grace; can’t remember what happened to it!
With the talk of small boys at football matches, I didn’t have the luxury of a custom built stool so had to be sat on the terrace railings at Selhurst Park in the early 50’s.
My picks are 11a, 14a, 22a and big tick for 3d.
Thanks to the setter and Mr K
Sorry to break into the football talk but his name was Bobby CHARLTON . No S.
Quite tricky for me today…..last one in 12a…why ? Goodness knows.
Thanks to the setter and Mr K
You’re correct, OM then the central two letters of “Macclesfield” are put into his name to get the answer. 😊
Oops….miscounted
🤣
Reasonably benign for a Friday and very entertaining – thanks to our setter and Mr K.
My rosettes were pinned on 5a, 14a, 13d and 17d.
A very well constructed Friday puzzle and I concur with RD that this must be the work of Mr Smooth. A second outing for him this week which pleases me greatly. For some reason it was the parsing of 12a that proved to be the most stubborn, which isn’t to say that I found the rest of it to be a walk in the park! Rosettes awarded to 11&14a plus 5&17d with a smile for the Quickie pun.
Many thanks to Silvanus? and to Mr K for the review.
Off topic, but can anyone put me out of my PlusWord misery today? I have a filled grid but I cannot see for the life of me how the clue leads to the answer to 1a.
Should it be “goes mental, say”?
I was similarly baffled but Wikipedia explains it thus:
Going postal is an American English slang phrase referring to becoming extremely angry or uncontrollable, often to the point of violence, and usually in a workplace environment. The expression derives from a series of incidents from 1986 onward in which United States Postal Service (USPS) workers shot and killed people in acts of mass murder.
***!!! Thanks Gazza.
I’m (almost!) speechless. Why on earth do we have to endure American slang phrases in a puzzle in a UK newspaper?
.. and why do we have American accents voicing so many of our TV adverts? I will not buy anything American, or products/services advertised with such an accent. Make way for King Donald. He won’t stop at Greenland, mark my words!
Never mind American slang do we really need to use so much British slang as is the case recently.
You must have a different PlusWord to the one I have where the answer to 1a is “Lists”.
Lists was the answer to 1a in yesterday’s Plusword, Steve.
Doh! Thanks, Mark. 😊
According to Mr Google it’s American English for going mental/berserk. Awful expression.
Regarding Americanisms, take a butchers at 16a in today’s Elgar toughie.
It should not be allowed!
Yep, loved the Bobby clue too. The Rattle days were memorable, being a Notts County supporter mine was black & white stripes and very loud.
The only other time you commented (in August 2019) you used the alias Southammer
What did you think of the crossword as a whole?
** / ****
Less difficult than a normal Friday and it would be unusual for me to keep Silvanus to 2* difficulty, so I hope it is he! I had the answer for 4d quite early so used that to reverse engineer what 23d needed to be, it felt quite satisfying to do that backwards so to speak.
I suppose in 8d an era is colloquially the answer but it held me up for quite a while while trying and failing to think of a geological era.
Another tick for the 13d Macclesfield man and the 17d fellow paracutist. My COTD went to 11a but not sure if that’s a clue or a synopsis of married life!!
Thanks to Silvanus (I presume) and Mr K.
I enjoyed today’s puzzle most of which went in quite smoothly. Many thanks to setter and Mr K.
I found this easier than most other Fridays but 12a was a bung in which I couldn’t parse.
I liked 5a and I’m old enough (just) to remember steam locomotives in use in earnest.
My cotd though was 17d but I do wonder it the word “successful” should be placed before parachutist, although I suppose they all eventually come to earth .. just depend upon the manner or rate!
Thanks to setter and Mr K, also nice to see CS doing her school mam bit above!
I agree that this was a very smooth Friday workout with stars for 18a and 8,16,17d. And I think 17d has to be the favourite. So sly. I had to refer to Mr K for some parsing, as several were entered just because the answer sprang to mind, eg 14a. Many thanks to the Setter and Mr K.
Just one little clue (23d) took me into *** time grrrr! Thank you compiler and Mr K
I agree pretty straightforward for a Friday and I did manage to parse everything myself, always an added bonus. Nothing to detract from the enjoyment. Favourite was 28a. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K.
Found this heavy going and DNF as couldn’t work out 12a – thanks to Mr K I now have it.
Lots of favourites having said that – like others 5a, as well as 22a, 25a & 7d. COTD has to be 18a as it is such a fabulous city.
Many thanks to setter and Mr K.
The naming of the city in question was a mistake. Portuguese explorers thought they had found the mouth of a river and named it after the month in which they had arrived. They then found it was a bay and not a river but the name stuck.
Today’s “notmanypeopleknowthat” snippet! 😊😊
Love it!
Not too testing for a Friday although 12a and 20d held me up for a while
2*/4*
5a was very neat and joined ion the podium by the play and the dance.
Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K
I certainly didn’t find this as straightforward a grid fill as others appear to have & that was before the task of figuring out 3 of the whys – the popular text in 3d, the Labour leader ignored at 12a & the bar one rogue instruction at 25a were embarrassingly slow penny drops.
Anyway I thought it a belter of a puzzle with ✅s all over the shop & 5* enjoyment. Tough to pick out a podium but if pressed 3d takes top prize (I’m sure Brian would approve) with 13d&14a on the rostrum. 7&16d + 25a other particular likes. I’m assuming it’s a Smooth production & if so much preferred it to yesterday’s Toughie.
Thanks to Silvanus & to Mr K
Ps I rewatched a good chunk of The Towering Inferno not so long ago & thought it has stood up well & what a great Stones song the answer is.
Love the cockney at 27 across. Thank you setter and Mr K.
Many thanks, as ever, to Mr K for his Hints and Tips and to all those solving and commenting. Much appreciated.
Wishing everyone a good weekend. See you all again soon.
Thank you, silvanus for a most enjoyable puzzle and for dropping in. Have a great weekend yourself. 👍
A very fine Friday treat. 12a was last in and took ages to parse and I nearly missed the very well hidden lurker. 5a was my favourite with 14a close behind.
Many thanks to Silvanus and to Mr K for the hints,
Thank you, Silvanus, for an excellent puzzle. It seems almost heretical to suggest that the clue to 1 down could be even smoother if the final four words were shunted to the beginning of the clue to make one sentence. Maybe I’m missing something. Thanks to CS for the parsing of 25 across.
So sorry, Mr K!
Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K. We didn’t find this as easy as most. Resorted to a few hints before it gets dark on this grey and damp afternoon (in Devon). COTD 14a LOI 12a.
So interesting that most found today an easy solve! I have struggled – and got not a single clue on first go and still only got two solved!!!!!! I found all other days really easy and finished so perhaps my brain has been assembled back to front! More coffee perhaps
Superb from Silvanus. 17D definitely my COTD – absolute genius. VMT also to Mr K
Except I meant 17D but I couldn’t get the edit to work.
A tricky puzzle with about 85% completed before I had to resort to Mr K’s hints. Some very good clues such as 10a, 14a, 22a and 3d. My COTD is 6d, I thought the use of ‘discovered’ was ingenious.
Thank you to the setter and to Mr K for the hints.
A late start to today’s superb offering. I found myself getting the answers but not parsing a number of them until later. My COTD 13d partly because it was relatively local to my employment in the early seventies! Lots to like 1a, 14a and 17d to name a few. LOI 21a for which I consulted the hints. Many thanks to Silvanus and for popping in. Thanks also to Mr K for the hints. Have a nice weekend everyone.
1.5* / 4* Well that’s ended a very gentle week of puzzling for me. Tremendous clues today with loads of humour.
Favourites include 25a Mars, Bobby’s dance at 13d and 17d strainer
Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K
5* devalued by so much praise when even I could manage it. Just because you like it and its clueing doesn’t earn it 8 curtain calls. Calm down and get your senses straight.
Many thanks to Mr K and Silvanus for proving I am not yet demented and giving us a most enjoyable crossword.
Good evening. A very early start today and a long drive from LCV back to Zurich in less than steller driving conditions. Thank God for German auto engineering! Didn’t have much time to tackle this, but it flowed. 1a is apt as met four seasons on the way back and I’m hoping the speeds I reached won’t warrant a letter from the courts. Enjoyed every x word this week but as there are too many clues to like, will give 6s across the board. Many thanks for the review and to the setter.
Quite a beastie today. A dnf due to 12a. Also couldn’t parse 23d.
Showing my (relative) lack of age with 13d. Thought of plenty of much younger Bobby’s before finally twigging.
Thanks to all.
Too hard. DNF.
Goodnight.
Didn’t help tackling this late, at same time as Traitors final. Had a few gaps, especially in South, and did better once 📺 was off. Last two in were 12A – I just had trouble parsing that one, I put LEFT in early on! – and 22A, which actually my wife suggested, and I didn’t really know it as a word for ‘fight’? 🤔 6D took a while too, I’d forgotten the ‘discovered’ trickery – till I didn’t.
Pody trio today were the clear winner 14A (loved that), 5A and 17D’s parachutist, though I needed the hint first to understand it!
Thanks to setter and reviewer ⭐️
4*/4* …
liked 27A “Cockney’s bald and stuffy (7)”