Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3353 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
A very good Sunday morning, on my semisesquicentennial plus one, from the former Pack Horse Hotel in the former Staines, Middlesex – I have given up on all the name changes that have been made to protect the innocent. When I left Winnipeg, for an unexpected expedition of a journey* on Thursday afternoon, the temperature was minus 31 degrees, feels like minus 45! But the long range forecast does have it ‘warming up’ to minus 4 degrees for when I get back in ten days.
* For the curious – a ‘normal’ journey by air from Winnipeg to Heathrow involves two aircraft; on this occasion five aircraft were involved and two of them didn’t even leave the ground resulting in arrival at Heathrow 17 hours later then planned. The joys of air travel!
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada reasonably friendly with the return of an ‘old favourite(?)’ that some of us love to hate, two long ‘uns and two almost long ‘uns, eight anagrams (three partials), one lurker (reversed), 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!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
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, or it would be if I was not ecclesiastically socialising with my Big Sister, and the Naughty Step is OPEN! I imagine that crypticsue and Gazza could be standing by with their electronic blue pencils in hand.
Candidates for favourite – 10a, 13a, 2d, 3d, 7d, 19d, and the Pun.
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 Not much money for battery charger? (11)
The type of feathered animal often kept in a battery and a generic term for what it (re)charges with to be able to produce saleable items.
11a Plain entries e.g. to decorate (9)
It’s back! But, remember, it’s a prize puzzle so no comments that might need to be redacted. An anagram (to decorate) of ENTRIES E.G.
12a Very difficult cryptic clue ran on gas (9)
An anagram (cryptic) of CLUE RAN placed after (on) the chemical symbol for a (noble) gas – based on the name of the illustrated chap who had to carry out a series of twelve tasks.
18a Balloon in space to which sentimentality gets attributed (8)
A synonym of space (to move around in?) preceded by (gets attributed) an informal synonym of sentimentality (especially the ‘sloppy’ type).
20a Shed circled by swallow, locked (4,2)
A nounal synonym of shed contained (circled) by a synonym of swallow (from Dada’s personal thesaurus?).
24a Retinue of attendants, ten surprisingly born when we were? (9)
An anagram (surprisingly – oh dear, three letters, move one) of TEN followed by a (3,3) phrase that can be equivalent to born when we were.
28a Poison bear consuming last of venom ingested (11)
A synonym of bear containing (consuming) the last letter of venoM followed by a synonym of ingested.
Down
2d Walker greeting roadside shortly (5)
A two letter greeting and an edging that can be found at a roadside with the last letter removed (shortly).
7d But together (2,3,4,4)
A double definition – the second can refer to two or more events occurring together.
9d On the floor rather, laughing! (7,6)
A single word term for on the floor (perhaps referring to an item of furniture?) and a synonym of rather (as an interjection?).
15d Epic duos, when dancing, became intimate (6,2)
An anagram (when dancing) of EPIC DUOS.
21d American city enthusiastic about welcoming American (7)
A (3,2) term equivalent to enthusiastic containing the two letter abbreviation for American for a city named after this chap.
22d Current way written on paper (6)
The abbreviated form of a type of way (for driving on?) placed before (on) a term for a quantity of paper.
25d Information in data essentially representative (5)
The three letter slang term for information inserted into (in) the middle letters (essentially) of dATa (two letters as the source word has an even number of letters).
Quick Crossword Pun:
PICKER + NUMB + BRAIN + E-NUMBER = PICK A NUMBER, ANY NUMBER
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American soul vocal group The Tymes enjoyed equal success in the United Kingdom and in the USA. They are one of the few acts to have one chart-topper in both the US and UK with different songs. This is the UK number one which reached that position for one week on this day in 1975:
Dada being very friendly today and I ended up with more ticks on the paper than ever before. I loved it and it’s hard to pick a top clue. From 1a to 19d and all in between could be in line for the honours but I’m going to settle for the attendants born when we were at 24a.
Thank you, Dada for brightening a dull day in The Marches. Thank you, Colonel for the hints.
I don’t think the noble gas in question is named after that Greek god. I thought the name derived from the Greek word for sun?
Apologies, I was indicating that the answer to the clue was based on the illustrated chap. Apparently I didn’t make it clear enough.
Our friend (?) at 11a is back after a short hiatus and is welcomed so far as I’m concerned. At first I thought that this was going to be tricky, but with 1a and 7d solved all came together smoothly. In the end so many clues could vie for cotd it’s almost invideous to single one out, but being pushed, I’ll plump for 1a. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
I enjoyed this and wrote “it’s back” against 11a.
Top picks for me were 1a, 18a, 24a and 9d.
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
Dada’s being fairly friendly today – thanks to him and Senf.
Top clues for me were 1a, 18a and 9d.
There’s a delightful surprise in today’s Toughie slot with a superb puzzle from Samuel (Chris Lancaster).
Thanks for the heads-up Gazza, have just done it. I wouldn’t have looked at it without your comment.
2*/4*. Dada on good form today with 1a, 24a & 9d on my podium.
Many thanks to him and to Senf.
2*/4*. Dada on good form today with 1a, 24a & 9d on my podium.
Many thanks to him and to Senf.
How bizarre! I got a message when I posted my comment @6 saying something like “You are posting your comments too quickly. Slow down”. So I waited 30 seconds and posted it only to find the first attempt had already posted so I’ve ended up saying everything twice.
Still, it reminded me of this:
Brilliant!
I have had the same message, as well before now.
Loved the clip RD!
Very very good!🤣
An enjoyable solve from Radio with my LOI being 1a that went immediately on to my podium.
I like that the almost onomatopoeic word for sentimentality crossed the intimate expression.
I keep forgetting the synonym for ‘might’ which is a goodie.
Accompanying 1a on the pody are 24a and 4d.
MTTTA and the Manitoban mountie.
2*/4*
A very friendly crossword today from him of the Surrealist and no attempt by him to reconcile dream and reality. Many thanks Dada.
Friendly of course means I managed to do it without help.
1 and 18a joint first today and thanks to Senf for the hints which I didn’t need.
Many thanks to Dada for a puzzle that I thought was excellent; one of his best for a while!
I see Samuel is on the other channel, but that will have to wait until after the Chelsea game later this afternoon..
** / ****
Only just into 2* time and very enjoyable. Ticks went to the 19d dish, 24a for the great ‘born when we were’ construction and COTD to my LOI: 1a. 12a almost made it but I spent far too long mining my chemistry from hundreds of years ago to find a gas for the whole word!!
Many thanks to dada and Senf.
I agree with everything Gazza said @ comment 5
Great puzzle almost completed quite quickly in my usual insomnia interlude. But then completely froze on the last two clues 12a, 3d. As soon as I woke up again a couple of hours later the answers seemed obvious… I liked all the long outside clues. I think 12a is my favourite amongs many excellent clues. Thanks you Dada and Senf.
I like it when that happens – frozen and at a dead end, then returning later and they come to mind right away 💡
I was halfway down the grid before the first one in @20a, but then it flowed fairly easily. I spent ages trying to remember a poison @28a, thinking it was some concoction from an Agatha Christie novel, but once the down checkers were in the solution became clear. In the end I just needed the hint for 1a, which I found very amusing; this gave me 3d which was LOI.
COTD for me is 9d
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
PS thanks to RD for the chuckle.
Great puzzle – 3*/4* for us.
We got 7d from the 2nd half of the clue – but I’m still not entirely sure why it is a double definition. He ho.
Thanks Dada and Senf. If I’ve read your words correctly – then Happy Birthday!
Re 7d I know you’re a top puzzler and it will dawn on you, just replace either of the two words in the clue with the answer
Thank you pommette ten out of ten and a gold star!
1* / 4* An excellent Sunday treat and nice to see an old friend at 11a.
Favourites the simple but effective 7d, laughing at 9d and last one in the poison at 28a
Thanks to setter and Senf
Well I seem to be in the minority today as I found this week, Dada did not seem terribly friendly, quirky and plenty of personal thesaurus use. Definitely at the harder end of his spectrum today.
3*/3.5* for me.
Favourites include 1a, 12a, 28a, 2d, 5d & 7d — with co-winners 12a & 5d
Smiles for 20a, 27a, 2d & 22d
Thanks to Dada & Senf for blog/hints
One from the top drawer today & very entertaining it was too. 1a easily my pick of the clues with 24a runner up. 12a + 9,19&21d can fight it out among themselves for the other podium spot.
Thanks to D & a happy birthday to S.
No sweat today but slowly, slowly catchee monkey. Last in was 12a as I overlooked gas and tried to use very difficult 4-letter adjective to begin with. Here we go again with mundane word for wine in 14a. Never heard of a 17d painful problem or does it refer just to the second word in the solution? Altogether a fun solve. Thank you Dada and Senf
Half time watching The Mighty Chelsea spluttering their way to a 1-0 lead against The Eagles, so popping in to say ‘good to see you’ to an old friend in the across clues.
Surely, this time, the pen is mine.
Thanks to Da-doo-ron-ron, and The Man From Manitoba, currently residing in a hotel less then two hundred yards from where I grew up, and a handful of miles from my current residence. I am waving at him.
Classic Dada…just brilliant!!👍👍👍
Great way to start the day when the winter storm is doing its worst outside to make things miserable!
Thanks for the enjoyable challenge – several COTDs with 1A on the top of the pile.
Thanks, as always, to Senf for the blog ‘n hints, and particular 👍 to RD for the extra clip!
Cheers!
Dada was definitely being friendly today I thought. Nice to see one of the old favourites back again , as others have mentioned. Enjoyable solve. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
I am sorry you had such a horrid journey Senf, I just hope you had a good book with you! I love my daughter dearly but she has no concept of time and arrived at ten to one just as we had finished our avocado and about to start on the guzzle. Anyway, she’s gone now and I have just entered 28a my last one in. Thank you for the hint, I was searching for a poison. Nice to see our plain friend again, 16a surprised me but my favourite was the clever retinue. Many thanks to Dada and Senf – hope you brought the red scarf with you, it is pretty 16a here.
We’ll join the minority in not finding this straightforward, a few iffy synonyms didn’t help, particularly in parsing. 24a easily cotd. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
Very enjoyable with too many excellent clues to pick one.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints.
Very enjoyable today, slightly easier than normal for me. 1a raised a smile, but 24a was definitely my clue of the day. Thank you setter and to Senf for the unusually redundant hints.
Wasted too much time on 4D trying to make (Redacted) work, but very enjoyable!
As usual I struggled with Dada but finally made it over the line. Thanks for the puzzle and to Senf. It was interesting to see his reference to The Pack Horse Hotel in Staines which I remember from the 1980’s. It also reminded me of another Pack Horse on Egham Hill not far from Staines. It was renamed The Royal Ascot, then became The Monkey’s Forehead and is now renamed The Pack Horse!
Top quality from Dada, and I’ll join the supporters of 24A. VMT also to Senf.
A very pleasant xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx cruise today, pody pieces are a flurry of four downers – 8D, 9D, 15D and 19D, mostly for their amusing and smooth surfaces.
Thanks to Dada and Senf.