Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31153
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ***/****
Yet another cold & dreary looking day here in Harpenden. Roll on spring & a return to the fairways.
As Senf would say a Typically Tuesdayish puzzle which I’m assuming is the work of Anthony Plumb. I think I was a little unfair on last week’s production & certainly out of kilter with the majority of comment so am rather relieved that I found this one very enjoyable for the relatively short time it lasted. As ever tightly clued & with some humour in there too.
As usual there are an assortment of clips to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
Across
1a American city, fashionable in the past (7)
CHICAGO: a synonym for fashionable/in vogue + an adverb for in the past. As Sammy Cahn wrote & Frank sang it’s My Kind Of Town & home to some great blues.
5d Talks from tense, boring religious leaders (7)
RABBITS: insert (bores) the single letter for T[ense] into religious leaders in Judaism.
9a Hesitated, denying female’s changed (7)
ALTERED: remove the initial letter (denying F[emale]) from hesitated/wavered.
10a Impertinently inquisitive about adult begging (7)
PRAYING: a synonym for inquisitive goes around (about) the single letter for A[dult].
11a Constable possibly made this criminal clean pads (9)
LANDSCAPE: an anagram (criminal) of CLEAN PADS.
12a Dismiss flipping court’s demands (5)
EXACT: reverse (flipping) a synonym for dismiss/fire + the usual abbreviation for court.
13a Sober novelist missing booze, ultimately (5)
STERN: delete the last letter (missing ultimately) of booz[E] from the surname of an 18th century Ango-Irish novelist whose most well known work is The Life & Opinons of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman – Michael Winterbottom’s film, A Cock and Bull Story has Steve Coogan & Rob Brydon playing themselves making a screen adaptation of the story.
15a Recovering? Need month off (2,3,4)
ON THE MEND: an anagram (off) of NEED MONTH. What we all hope Jane is very soon 🤞.
17a Meet European next to new bar (9)
ENCOUNTER: the single letter abbreviation for E[uropean] & N[ew] followed by bar/serving worktop.
19a Small uniform for a police official?
SUPER: again start the single letters for S[mall] & U[niform] (NATO alphabet) followed by a preposition for a/each or every.The definition is an abbreviation of a senior police rank.
22a Slug mixed beverage (5)
PUNCH:a double definition – can’t say that I’ve thought of the latter as a beverage but see that it is & that the name originates from the Hindi word for 5 – the traditional ingredients being spirit, sugar, citrus, water/tea & spices. In my student days it was bung in any alcohol you could lay your hands on then suffer the consequences.
23a Just getting stuck in marshlands chills someone to the bone (9)
FRIGHTENS: insert (getting stuck in) a synonym for just/equitable into the name for the marshlands of eastern England – the setting for Graham Swift’s superb 1983 Booker Prize winning novel, Waterland.
25a Make money in Brazil? That is enthralling son (7)
REALISE: Brazilian currency + the genealogical single letter for S[on] inserted between (enthralling) the two letter abbreviation for that is.
26a Picture wise men breaking into back of stable (7)
IMAGINE: place the term for the wise men in the Gospel of Matthew between (breaking) a two letter alternative for into then append the last letter (back) of stabl[E].
27a Answers about performer’s acts (7)
RETURNS: the usual formal preposition for about/regarding + a term for a performer’s acts/routine on stage.
28a Drop of French perfume (7)
DESCENT: the French for of + a synonym for perfume/cologne.
Down
1d Drink tea black with lemon in, stirring initially (7)
CHABLIS: an informal term for tea + B[lack] + (with) the 1st letters (initially) of the 5th, 6th & 7th words in the clue.
2d Passionate note penned by one in a nervous state (7)
INTENSE: insert (penned by) the single letter for N[ote) between the Roman numeral for one & what you may well be if in a nervous state.
3d Whizzes around king’s estates (5)
ACRES: a synonym for whizzes (think Gazza, Sue & ALP & their like at solving crosswords) with king/R[ex] inserted.
4d This could be amount one rejected? (3,3,3)
ODD MAN OUT: a cryptic definition. As Gazza & Anorak have pointed out it’s a rather clever reverse anagram – AMOUNT constituting the fodder then come up with an appropriate anagram indicator. It has been a while since AP has used one of them. I’ll leave it to Tom to explain the relevance of the pic.
5d Regret eating soft end of the Indian bread?
RUPEE: nowt to with naan. Insert (eating) the musical letter for soft/P[iano] & th[E] (end of) into a verb synonym for regret.
6d British family allows items of jewellery (9)
BRACELETS: the single letter for B[ritish] + family/lineage + allows/permits.
7d Ape from India – bananas tame it (7)
IMITATE: I[ndia] (NATO alphabet) + an anagram (bananas) of TAME IT. Neat surface & use of indicator.
8d Spotted insulted student leaving (7)
SIGHTED: take out (leaving) the single letter for student/L[earner] from a synonym for insulted.
14d Ruder expression of disgust after an upsetting grade (9)
NAUGHTIER: an onomatopoeic expression of disgust follows (after) the reversal (upsetting/down clue) of AN from the wordplay then append a synonym for grade/incline.
16d River circled by wild deer if it’s really scared (9)
TERRIFIED: an anagram (wild) of DEER IF IT goes around (circled by) the single letter for R[iver].
17d Ruler’s fit of rage with first deserting soldiers (7)
EMPEROR: a synonym for fit of rage/tantrum less its initial letter (first deserting) + soldiers/O[ther] R[anks].
18d Touch prisoner with sensitivity (7)
CONTACT: an abbreviated slang term for a prisoner + sensitivity/discretion.
20d Accurate summary on Spain (7)
PRECISE: a term for a summary/synopsis + the IVR code for Spain.
21d Admire detail (7)
RESPECT: double definition.
23d Takes off tiny jumpers, by the sound of it (5)
FLEES: a homophone (by the sound of it). Nowt to do with sweaters washed at the wrong temperature.
24d A daughter wears the man’s crowns (5)
HEADS: A from the clue + the genealogical single letter for D[aughter] placed inside of (wears) a third-person masculine pronoun + the possessive S. Can’t resist posting one of the best scenes in the Coen Brothers Oscar winning adaptation of Cormac McCathy’s No Country For Old Men.
I liked the surface at the simple 7d so that one had my vote as pick of the clues until the correct parse at 4d was pointed out. I also liked the con being forced to clean his cell out & the disappointed student receiving his exam marks. Please tell us which ones ticked your boxes.
Today’s Quick Crossword pun: PAR + LUG + AIMS = PARLOUR GAMES
This morning’s listening whilst preparing the blog has been a playlist of music from a band from Toronto called Bywater Call, who I stumbled across the other day. Here’s one from it
The professor has given us another delightful Tuesday workout. Unfortunately, I messed up the lower left-hand corner by trying to start 23a with “fair”. Silly really because the clue clearly states the word for just is inside a word for marshlands. I did like the slug in the beverage at 22a and the accurate Spanish summary at 20d. In fact, there were many clues that could have made the top spot but I am going for the city at 1a as COTD.
Thank you, AP for a most enjoyable puzzle. Thank you, Hintsman for the hunts.
A really enjoyable solve , which I found a notch chewier than the usual Tuesday. I am still thinking about the parsing of 4d 🤔… and when I get it , I think this will be my favourite clue! Meanwhile thanks to setter and Huntsman.
Got 4d as soon as I’d pressed enter. A really neat clue
Huntsman has it right with his grade on what was pretty much a write in but very enjoyable. I am bereft of any additional comments but thank our hinter and setter. Great Tuesday fun.
Why isn’t 23d fleas?
You’ve changed your alias from Susan so this needed moderation.
The homophone indicator (by the sound of it) is adjacent to the jumpers so we need a homophone of them for the definition (which has been underlined by Huntsman).
What did you think of the puzzle?
I had difficulty with getting a start in the NW , So I started in the SE amd found it, whilstnot without challenge, fairly straightforward towork my way back. I liked the 1a geographical Lego clue, the well-misdirected 11a cryptic definition and rhe 22a double definition. Thanks to the compiler and to Huntsman for the hints.
A top-notch Tuesday puzzle – thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
I ticked 9a, 23a and 1d with my favourite being the very neat reverse anagram at 4d.
Aha! I (and Hoots) missed that in 4d, G. Well spotted.
I was struggling to parse it.
It goes straight on to my podium.
darn & blast it – I counted amount as 5 letters. Knew I was missing something.
Hey ho mis-parse number one of the new year & counting 😀 – surprised I got thru’ Jan.
We all know your missing something, Hoots. That’s why we get on so well.
I’m missing quite a few things chum – trust me 🤔
Hair, a few teeth and a gallbladder for me!
Found this a two-star puzzle overall, with a few particularly tricky ones to parse – 4d and 17d took me an age. On the topic of 4d, I’m not convinced that the hint is correct: the answer can be read as part of a cryptic clue giving “amount” as the answer (so the first four words of the actual clue are the wordplay), with the definition being the last two words only. **/****
Hint now corrected Anorak – thanks
The prof, yet again, scribes another gem with almost every surface a winner.
I have heard great things about Carol Reed’s masterpiece in 4d. So, I need to get my sweet derrière into gear and watch it. Whenever I hear James Mason’s name, I always think of Eddie Izzard’s impression of God sounding like Mr Mason. A person impersonating someone else who is doing an impression of someone else reminds me of Gary Oldman, as Winston Churchill doing an impression of James Brown
My picks for the pody are 15a, 23a and 26a (great image)
MTTTA and Hoots!
2*/5*
You should certainly catch it Tom – I checked to see how soon it came before The Third Man & it was only 2 years earlier & he directed The Fallen Idol in between – a hat-trick of best British film Bafta awards & 2 best director Oscar nominations ain’t bad for 3 year’s graft.
Outstanding.
And then there’s Oliver! with the brilliant Lionel Bart.
Wonderful stuff,
For me this was 1*/5* – light but very enjoyable with 4d my favourite.
Many thanks to AP and to Hintsman. I’ve never heard of Bywater Call, but I’ll certainly be looking out for them in future!
This was a puzzle of two halves for me with the RHS going in before the left.
Top picks for me were 1a, 22a and 20d.
Thanks to Huntsman and the setter.
?? / ****
Probably just into 2* but I’ve been so interrupted, it’s hard to say. Couldn’t get going in the NW and the 1a city took far too long to get as I wanted “in” to be part of it.
Got going in the NE and the whole E fell pretty quickly. Moving back up from the SW, the NW then gave in. Couldn’t parse 4d even though I saw that “Amount” must be fodder, so I’ll go along with others above that that became my COTD. Other ticks went to the slug at 22a and the 28a drop of perfume.
Many thanks to AP and Huntsman
Good afternoon. This was completed early this morning over a cup of tea. 1a and 5a went straight in allowing for a rapid fill. 1a and 1d and 5d are my top picks. Time is limited so no time to elaborate as to why………..I just enjoyed them: Happy to read what others think. Many thanks to Huntsman for the hints and the setter for the puzzle
No stand out favourite for me, but an enjoyable puzzle.
Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.
Interesting music clip from Bywater Call; to me sounded very similar in style to The Black Crowes, Hard to Handle…
Yep get the Black Crowes similarity – don’t know the other mob so will check ‘em out.
I think hard to handle was originally by Otis Reading, and then The Black Crowes.
*Redding !! Blooming spell checker!
I’m being thick or very slow today – thinking Hard To Handle is a band – think it was in The Commitments & Tony Joe White, who I love, does a pretty good version.
Fairly straightforward, but hobled myself by putting an incorrect performing act at 27a (ballet step) on first pass which delayed the filling of 14d and 18d. Realised there was an error, but then entered another incorrect term, which didn’t parse, so Huntsman had to come to the rescue. I am also another who didn’t spot the implied anagram at 4d, which is my COTD for its subtlety.
Thanks to the setter and Huntsman.
2*/3*
Great video Huntsman, Susanna Hoffs playing a Rick, and a red Stingray, don’t get much better than that!
Well, I don’t know what went wrong for me today, but I had to give in with five clues left to solve! Thanks to Huntsman for explaining the answers for me. It started well in the NE corner and I steadily progressed clockwise, until I came to a halt at the NW corner when I seemed unable to solve the last few clues. Oh well, I’ll put it down to (old?!) age. What I completed I enjoyed so thanks to Robyn for such a great brain teaser, and thanks again to Huntsman – I really needed your help today.
Great guzzle – very enjoyable. 4d is very clever and so was 17d, I love this moments when you know the answer and suddenly see the why. I also liked the summary on Spain and making money in Brazil. It was just all round clever. Aren’t we lucky?! Many thanks to Messrs Setter & Hinter. ps also liked the quickie.
4d is brilliantly clever and my favourite by some distance this dreary afternoon. In terms of entertainment, this was absolutely top drawer – not difficult but a joyous solve.
My thanks to AP and The Hintsman.
Brilliant Ronnie Earl/Diane Blue clip. Now that’s what I call music.
Once again this week a Typically Tuesdayish puzzle for me.
1.5*/3.5* for me
Favourites 1a, 5a,11a, 15a, 4d & 23d — with winner 15a
Thanks to AP & Huntsman