Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31181 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
(hosted by crypticsue)
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The linked themed clues in today’s NYDK Saturday Prize Puzzle certainly helped to provide enough checking letters to complete the grid in a fairly good time for a Saturday. I did wonder whether we might be getting a pangram, but we are several letters short
Please ask for help if you are stuck on clues I haven’t hinted, but before doing so, please read the comments that appear before yours, so that you are not duplicating questions, and make sure you obey both THE INSTRUCTIONS IN RED at the end of the Hints and the blog’s Comment Etiquette – Big Dave’s Crossword Blog)
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.
Across
1a Downright dull (4)
A double definition to start – did you, like me, wait until you had the first letter of 1d before writing the solution in the grid?
3a Here peers sit, in Lords, returned to power (10)
The ‘House’ of Lords and a reversal (returned) of TO (from the clue) and the symbol for Power
14a Soused Democrat forced to renounce whiskey (8)
The abbreviation for Democrat and a synonym for forced without (to renounce) the letter represented by Whiskey in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
22a Top meal without starter succeeded in test (9)
A meal without its first letter and the abbreviation for Succeeded inserted into a test for vehicles
26a, 13a, 21d South Korean yogi liked nutty 19 Across’s line for 9 Down (5,7,2,3,3)
An anagram (nutty) of SOUTH KOREAN YOGI LIKED – Did you check that all the letters were there (I did) or just write the solution in?
28a Musician knocks poet capturing hearts (10)
Part of a verb meaning knocks and a writer of an elaborate poem into which is inserted (capturing) the abbreviation for the card suit of Hearts
29a Olympian from Egyptian port returned (4)
A reversal (returned) of an Egyptian port
Down
1d Shoots game (5)
Another double definition – the first a verb, the second, as the clue says, is a game
2d Princess tied to rock stars in group (9)
Thanks to Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, I can tell you that this princess was chained to a rock after the Nereids didn’t like the way her mother had said she was more beautiful than them. After she died, she was placed amongst the stars, giving her name to a galaxy (stars in group)
8d Time passed with that European card game (6-3)
The abbreviation for Time, another way of saying passed, a dialect word meaning that, and the abbreviation for European
9d Ilsa in Casablanca, Lima and in Berlin (4)
The letter represented by Lima in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet and the German (as used in Berlin) word for and
15d Differences in Nicaraguan rebels crossing street (9)
The Nicaraguan rebel forces ‘crossing’ an abbreviated street
24d Fairy Liquid’s top removed from bottle (4)
The first letter (top) of Liquid removed from courage or bottle
25d Wait up to welcome eastern poet (5)
A reversal (up) of a verb meaning to wait ‘welcomes’ the abbreviation for Eastern
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The Quick Crossword pun: CARRIE + OAKEY = KARAOKE
I seem to be going through a bad patch at the moment. I found yesterday’s tough and so was this – for me, anyway. The linked clue at 26a was impenetrable until 19a and 9d revealed the theme. I have always known the card game at 8d by another name so it took a while to get that one. I got over the line eventually but I didn’t particularly enjoy the journey. However, it is a prize puzzle. I did like where the young go at 24a and that is my COTD.
Thank you, NYDK for the puzzle, which taxed my little grey cells more than usual. Thank you, CS for the hints, which I will now peruse.
I filled in the wrong answer for 1a, only correcting myself when I couldn’t make 1d work. Where 18d and 28a cross caused a similar pause. I liked the themed clues, and the checkers certainly helped, but I will agree with Steve and go with where the young go as COTD.
Thanks to Sue and NYDK
I thought this witty and highly entertaining. 19a and 9d helped to reveal the linked clues which was a big smile moment. I liked the Maoists, the Olympian and Ena’s hot snack, which is probably an oldie, but a goodie nonetheless. My podium comprises the linked trio, with 15d and 24a in top spot. Thanks to NYDK (presumably) and CS.
2*/3.5*. I enjoyed this with 3a my favourite thanks to the smile for “peers”. I also liked 24a for similar reasons.
I initially came up with an alternative answer for 22a involving the wrong meal, but realised the error of my ways after solving 14d.
I’m not convinced that “that” in 8d is synonymous with the required part of the answer. Can anyone provide an example sentence in which the substitution would work?
Many thanks to NYDK and to CS. And yes, I did check the anagram fodder for 26/13/21!
What is “that” place?
Something like ‘the climbers went up (sub for ‘that’) hill’?
I found this puzzle difficult but great fun. Many favourites including 3a, 27a and 17d but best of all the one starting with 13a.
Am much buoyed by receiving a Prize Cryptic Crossword runner-up prize in the post yesterday.
Many thanks to the setter and the hugely admired crypticsue.
Congratulations!
And well done.
It will be the pen next! Well done.
Many thanks Daisygirl and Ora. The notebook will keep me happy for months!
I too found this a bit of a slog and it was a DNF. I am not overly familiar with the theme so 19a and 9d eluded me. As such I didn`t enjoy it. Also, I am not a fan of matters lavatorial. 29d is my COTD. Many thanks to the setter and hinter
This was tough for me too and I needed a bit of help along the way. Also I couldn’t get the completely wrong quote from the film out of my head. I think the 22a top meal was my favourite though I couldn’t parse it completely without the hint. Thanks to setter and CS as always.
Wow! I found this an extremely difficult puzzle today and have only just finished. I had to do a lot of looking up things like Ilse – and then wanted to put ‘p…. it. a…n S.m’ which of course didn’t fit and it may be a different film entirely! I hope I haven’t been sent to the naughty step. If I am sent there I will take the remains of a fridge cake I made for WI on Thursday which I have to say is absolutely delicious (I’m no baker and you don’t have to with this) but so rich you can only eat a tiny piece and is very very fattening. Thanks to the setter for the brain mangling and to CS. 22a my COTD
Apart from knowing nothing about the film except the, I believe, misquote “xxxxxxx” meant 3 clues went unfinished without electronic help.
Rest was a doddle
Many thanks to the setter and CS
I think my comment was much more subtle!! If you get sent to the naughty step enjoy my fridge cake.
Hee hee, enjoy the cake!!
Much tougher than yesterday, for me at least, but a very satisfying puzzle. Despite knowing the theme, I had to deduce the two short themed answers from the wordplay, and kicked myself for not getting the linked clue much sooner! Is there any other film with so many well-known quotes? I doubt it.
1a and 1d were the last ones in after putting a duff answer in 1a which suggested a possible answer for 1d which didn’t really work. Walking away from the grid for an hour led to the penny-drop. 3.5*/4*
Ah, I think I am still stuck on your initial solution to 1a and 1d wherev1d does not really work… as such they remain blank.
Seems I need to perambulate for an hour – listen out for the penny dropping.
I’m exactly the same. Still no ‘change’ here!
I”m with you! My 1a answer seemed logical, and allowed me an answer that fitted the first definition of 1d. However, I couldn’t parse the second definition of that being a game! 🤣
A really tough slog today, although fans of vintage cinema may find a large number of clues related to one movie enjoyable. Liike Steve, I didnt catch on to 26 a, 13a ,21d until I had looked up 19a and 9d on Google and it was all rather confusing. For me the best clues were the double definition at 2d and the geographical Lego clue at 5d. Thanks to CSfor the hints , which I shall use to explore some parsing that I don’t understand and thanks to NYDK for his efforts
Another one pf those where it seemed to be quite challenging but the time to solve suggested otherwise, not that there were no pauses for thought. No real problems with Ilsa and Rick and the latter’s line for the former. 2.5*/4.5*
Candidates for favourite – 3a, 22a, 24a, 6d, 7d, and 15d – and the winner is 3a.
Thanks to NYDK and CS.
I had a blast with this one with NYPD Blue in fine form.
Very, very happy to see a reference to my favourite film of all time. Very. Karona is right: in the AFI’s top 100 film quotes, it makes six appearances with the second one having three. This isn’t one of them but it’s makes me chuckle, every time. We love Claude; a brilliantly versatile actor.
You’d be amazed at how many people don’t know what the test in 22a stands for but not surprised at how many garages include an apostrophe on their signs when pluralising it.
Harrumph!
My pody picks are 3a (peer is genius), 24a and 24d.
MTTTA and she of the crypt.
2*/4*
I loved this puzzle. It really exercised my holiday brain and there were some excellent clues. Once I had cracked the linked clues that helped immensely. I did have to check google for some of the GK references however. Thanks to NYDK and CS.
I found this properly tricky as befits a SPP, with 1 and 3a my final entries. I am a sucker for linked clues, so they became my favourites as I worked through the grid.
My thanks to Donny and Sue. Waiting with some trepidation to see if England can shake off their recent poor performances and beat a reinvigorated Italian fifteen this afternoon.
Alas England let the Italians today have their first Six Nations win against them but the Scotland/France game was certainly an exciting blockbuster scoring event. Next weekend should be entertaining with 3 teams in with a chance – unfortunately not including England.
For me and I stressThis was difficult. H-A-R-D.However I completed it and therefore the pen is mine. I suggest nobody else enters as you are wasting your time. I shall sit by the front door for the next month in anticipation of a team of Telegraph (or Axel Springer) executives delivering it.
We are going out for a lovely walk in the Surrey Hills shortly, so rain is guaranteed. Then, on return, we shall watch The Mighty Chelsea take on a raggle-taggle team of Welshmen in the F.A. Cup. What could possibly go wrong?
Thanks to BigAppleEntrywayFurniture, and PC Security (anag). Love to Jane
Chop the Spaniel on the left, he ate The Telegraph (4,8)
Very good
Excellent.
Head in the laptop as the extra time in Wrexham is too tense?
I thought that was a great puzzle and tricky without being overwhelmingly so. That said, I did have to refer to a well-known internet reference source for confirmation of a couple of answers, not least because I’ve never knowingly seen the source material for several of the clues (yes, shame on me) and the long linked solution principally puts me in mind of early Roxy Music. I also managed to alight upon an incorrect Egyptian port/Olympian combo, although my Olympian was of the wrong variety and far more obscure/obviously wrong than the correct one. 27a was my COTD. Thanks very much to the setter and to Cryptic Sue.
I must confess to never having watched the film, so much of this was wasted on me.
Not my cup of tea, but glad that others enjoyed it.
3a and 20a got my ticks.
Thanks to the setter and to CS.
Same here – not seen the film and wasn’t my cup.ofnthe afore mentioned either! Completed through stubborness rather than anything else (and to be in with a chance of winning the mythical!)
I didn’t really enjoy this having watched the film once a long time ago and not having the capacity or enthusiasm to remember character names. I found the rest hard but got there in the end.
Top picks for me were 27a, 24d, 24a and 22a.
Thanks to CrypticSue and NYDK.
I’m witth you there. I last watched the film over 65years ago as a child and barely remembered the details, although 26a etcetera eventually floated to the surface from the dust and fluff at the back of my brain!
Ah… that explains it!
The film was made in 1942 (26 years before I was born). Obviously I’ve heard of the famous film, but never watched it.
.. get it on your to do list … it was made 15 years before I was born .. and I love it!
This Saturday puzzle I thought was a NYDK puzzle due to the multi-word clue, but this puzzle overall didn’t seem like it was one of his. I could be wrong, but I found most of the rest of the puzzle quit tricky and had lots of parsing issues.
3*/3* for me today
Favourites include 3a, 24a, 29a, 1d & 7d — with winner 7d
Thanks to NYDK & CS
I completed this in the end but found it a real battle, the linked clues and several others were not in my realm of knowledge so there was a lot of checking answers after I had what I thought was possible. 1a and 1d also gave me bothered so all in all not my best effort. 3a and 24a made me smile and I did enjoy completing this challenge.
Many thanks to the setter and to CS for the hints
I found this difficult and not much fun to be honest.
3*/3*
I did like 24a and 24d
Thanks to Sue and NYDK
I thought I was going to struggle with this, only getting 8 on the first pass, but once I remembered the film quote, it was thereafter a steady fill. Needed to look up the princess’s star group connection and a reminder of the rebels in Nicaragua.
My favourite is the reptile at 27a
Thank you NYDK and CS
2.5*/4*
Took the two names on trust from the wordplay, not knowing either. I’ve seen the film a couple of times and still wonder why it is so highly regarded. The quote needed only the beginning of the last word to come to mind. A satisfying challenge on a grey afternoon.
Honours to 28a, 24d & 14d. Many thanks to NYDK and CS
Well I’ve probably watched the film at least a dozen times right through plus countless other times when I’m channel surfing & think oh I’ll just watch 15mins & then end up watching an hour or more. Remember the 1st time I saw it in the cinema was a late night Michael Curtiz double bill with Mildred Pierce the other film.
Like yesterday another pedestrian solve which I’m blaming on feeling distinctly under the weather having succumbed to the lurgy. As ever hugely entertaining & I’ll go with the flow in picking ‘peers’ as my fav.
Thanks to Donny & to Sue
As time goes by 🎶… I’m finding it more and more difficult to solve the Saturday crossword.
But not today! Great crossword! Great film!
Thanks to NYKD!
Too hard for me today.
DNF
Thanks to CS for the hints.
Sometimes a quick look through the clues tells me ‘not my cup of Earl Grey’. Today was one of those days.
Thanks to the setter anyway and thanks too to Cryptic Sue.
3*/ 3.5* Hardest of the week for me, completed with the help of google to confirm quite a few. Still not convinced I’ve got 1d correct don’t understand the game part.
Top three are 6d snack, libertine at 14d and the fairy at 24d
Thanks to CS and compiler
I got hardly any of it but thought the game was the easy bit. It’s a game always spoken of in the plural.
Fabulous puzzle. I’d like to Play it Again.
VMT NYDK & Sue.
I’m familiar with the theme film so that was a big help but the two double definitions at 1a and 1d defeated me. I’m not very good with this type of clue so two together give me no chance. Thanks to Cryptic Sue and the setter.
Not a barrowload of fun to be had for my part today. I do too agree with Conor about antipathy to things “lavatorial” but I fear the DT overall is losing its cachet and it obviously attracts some readers. Am short on patience so unravelling multi-linked clues is a chore for me. Have never seen the film in question but did enjoy rather more GK than usual without too many anagrams. Thanks NYDK and CS.
One of those grids that seemed hard but perseverance had its rewards. 3A is a joy!
Terrific challenge with Ilsa as my favourite clue thank you CS for explaining 28a
Late to the table .. or is it early, just finished it this morning. I gave up on this yesterday to watch the rugby … it was marvellous. .. bring Scottish of course.
When “In all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world and you gotta walk into mine” … didn’t fit I had timo think again. Why the three Casablanca clues .. have I missed something. Best all time movie ever.
A bit too much GK in this cryptic to my liking but I did enjoy it nevertheless.
What shall today bring?
I am even later than you Big Eck. I went to Cambridge yesterday to get away from the Six Nations and did not start to guzzle until I went to bed. Just finished it – quite a struggle. Had no idea of the game at 1d, like others 3a was favourite. Many thanks to Setter and CeeSue, Manders’ cake sounds pretty good!
I didn’t find that at all to my taste unfortunately.
Maybe it’s just this weekend but it’s not been the best having been knocked off the table by the Imps🤦♂️
Trying to rescue what’s left of the weekend with the Oh Sees 🎸 and 🍺
Could anyone explain exactly why 3a is “here peers sit” I’m genuinely stumped?
Thanks
Welcome to the blog, Terence. Please could you modify your alias to avoid confusion as we already have a commenter who uses Terence as his alias.
A peer is someone who pees.
Re 29a ‘olympian from Egyptian port returned’ I think has two very feasible answers, one being the ancient word for the other and also happening to perfectly meet the rest of the clue. T’was a very close one for me today but nevertheless it’s going into the hat.
You usually use your full name when commenting which is why you went into moderation
If by ‘going in the hat’ you mean entering the competition, you’d better be quick as entries close at 9am
…I’d written Dias rather than Zeus as it’s (Port) Said reversed, Dias being another name for Zeus!
I was just in time thanks to finding the Tippex in my packed bits ‘n’ pieces drawer. After that, the other clues went in – and it was off!
Sorry for the wrong user name – it’s been ages since I’ve posted.
Thanks for all you do here by the way, Sue, amazing!