Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31186
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. I couldn’t see today’s Quickie Pun. Not sure if that’s because I’m American or because I’m tired, but I hope somebody from the commentariat will help out there.
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 Banks of South America that man had asked for silence (7)
SHUSHED: Link together the outer letters of (banks of) SOUTH, an abbreviation for America, and a contraction for “that man had”
5a Show-off son wearing straw hat (7)
BOASTER: The single letter for son inserted in (wearing) a straw hat
9a Elizabeth's lead welcomed by actor pal cast for epic film (9)
CLEOPATRA: The first letter of (…’s lead) of ELIZABETH contained by (we lcomed by) an anagram (cast) of ACTOR PAL
10a Note picked up is money (5)
DOUGH: A homophone (picked up) of a note on the so-fa scale
11a Scratching head, feel that hurt (4)
OUCH: A synonym of feel minus its first letter (scratching head)
12a Martial artists abandon underwear (4,6)
KICK BOXERS: The answer could also mean “abandon (male) underwear”
13a Accredit gold is found in gold article (9)
AUTHORISE: The heraldic word for gold and IS from the clue are inserted together in (found in) the fusion of the chemical symbol for gold and a grammatical article
16a Regularly used cat door flap (3)
ADO: Alternate letters (regularly used) of CAT DOOR
19a Small amount of pet odour going round (3)
DOT: The answer is hidden in the reversal of (of … going round) PET ODOUR
20a Deeper ground with gas and oil source (9)
GRAPESEED: An anagram (ground) of DEEPER GAS
22a A savage eating skinned hare is greedy (10)
AVARICIOUS: A from the clue and an adjective synonym of savage are containing (eating) the inner letters (skinned) of HARE
25a Kid heard river (4)
TEES: A homophone (heard) of another word for kid
27a Run away from cruel operative (5)
ELOPE: The answer is hidden in (from) CRUEL OPERATIVE
28a Advanced behind, to catch seabird rotating (9)
ALTERNATE: The single letter for advanced with a synonym of behind containing (to catch) a seabird
29a Becomes overly enthused about acquiring vases (5,2)
TURNS TO: The reversal (about) of an informal abbreviation for “overly enthused” containing (acquiring) another word for vases
30a Discusses group in pit retiring (7)
DEBATES: A contraction of a synonym of group inserted in a fruit pit, all reversed (retiring)
Down
1d Group speaking about district (8)
SECTORAL: Synonyms of group and speaking
2d A French lover formerly quoted as lacking enthusiasm (9)
UNEXCITED: Cement together A in French, a former lover, and a synonym of quoted
3d Long jump second in decathlon (4)
HOPE: A synonym of jump with the second letter in DECATHLON
4d Giving particulars about diamonds selling, but not originally (9)
DETAILING: The playing card abbreviation for diamonds with a synonym of selling minus its first letter (but not originally)
5d Chess player's need to support bishop (5)
BLACK: Need or want comes after ther chess abbreviation for bishop
6d Recording of books in car - copy (9)
AUDIOTAPE: Some usual abbreviated books are sandwiched by (in) a German car make and copy or imitate
7d Letter from Greek ends in plaintive tone (5)
TAUPE: A letter in the Greek alphabet with the outer letters of (ends in) PLAINTIVE
8d Once more talk about that woman climbing tree (6)
REHASH: The reversal (climbing) of a pronoun for “that woman” is followed by a type of tree
14d Aliens do sure sit funnily (9)
OUTSIDERS: An anagram (funnily) of DO SURE SIT
15d Appraised a valet due to be relocated (9)
EVALUATED: An anagram (to be re-located) of A VALET DUE
17d Fastidious close to twelve times cutting ham (4-5)
OVER-EXACT: The final letter of (close to) TWELVE and the letter representing times in arithmetic are inserted together in (cutting) a verb synonym of ham
18d Adventurer you'd see briefly at sea in possession of ship (8)
ODYSSEUS: An anagram (at sea) of YOU’D and SEE minus its last letter (briefly) containing (in possession of) the usual abbreviation for ship
21d Lieutenant carrying bladed tools is most careless (6)
LAXEST: The abbreviation for lieutenant containing (carrying) some bladed tools
23d Mail in which Romeo's rejected love (5)
AMOUR: Another word for (chain) mail minus one copy of the letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by Romeo (in which Romeo’s rejected)
24d I had a house somewhere in America (5)
IDAHO: Glue together a contraction for “I HAD”, A from the clue, and an abbreviation for house
26d Dull poet turned up (4)
DRAB: The reversal (turned up, in a down clue) of a synonym of poet
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: RIVER + SPARKING = ?
I set off at a cracking pace with today’s offering solving the first five immediately. Then it slowed down to steady trickle and, finally, I was wading through treacle. Still, it was an enjoyable tussle with some great clues. I thought the epic film at 9a was clever as was the oil source at 20a. It took a while to come up with the correct spelling of the adventurer at 18d because I always get the letters in the wrong places. My COTD is the martial artist shedding underwear 12a.
Thank you, setter (silvanus?) for a most enjoyable crossword. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints.
Hudson goes to the vet this afternoon. His wound looks good with a scab forming so I’m hoping the lampshade will be coming off. He’s wrecking the kitchen! 🐶
There’s a third word in the pun, Mr. K> but I still don’t get it.
The pun is two words, and is something some people struggle to do !!
The martial artist was my favourite too.
Reverse parking
Welcome to the blog, Alan.
How did you get on with the Cryptic?
My take on the pun (based on the first two answers):
REVERSE PARKING
I agree with Sloops- the third word (Italicised in the paper) refers to what happens if you try the manoeuvre without care.
Steve I hope your appt with Hudson went well at the vets. Mr Tucker sends his regards and so hopes that Hudson can now eschew ‘the lampshade’. My experience, however, is that they can’t wait to give any wound a good lick! Fingers-crossed. 🤞
Thanks, Hilary. It didn’t go to plan, unfortunately. See my reply to MissTFide at #20.
Well that was a super puzzle which I found considerably easier than yesterday. I suspect that will put me in a minority given the comments on Thursday’s crossie. LOI was the fighting pants at 12a with COTD being 13a. 2.5*/4*
Fully concur with your assessment of degrees of difficulty between yesterday and today. My COTD is also 12a because it made me laugh when I got it.
I agree with both comments. I don’t usually have a favourite clue as I admire them all but 12a did conjure a picture. Thanks to all.
Me too Anorak !
The quickie pun looks like a certain backwards manoeuvre with a car but how the third italicised word fits, I have no idea.
Quickie pun: In the version I have, only the two first words are italisized, so it must have been corrected.
Online, the third word isn’t italicised, but in the paper it is. I can only suggest that maybe the setter has had a minor bump when leaving his car.
A relatively friendly offering for a Friday with a little head scratching required to get over the line unaided. I needed to see the hints for the ‘group’ synonym in 30a to confirm my answer, but still don’t think it’s a fair equivalent, otherwise everything else parses cleanly.
My favourites were the greedy savage at 22a, the tone at 7d and the adventurer at 18d.
My thanks to the setter and Mr K
3*/3*
My apologies to the setter for daring to question the legitimacy of his synonym for ‘group’. I have just gone into my computer browser and hit the *** .
The first 4 letters of 30a are the reversal of an adverb meaning “in one’s pit”.
Oooohhhh, I see. I parsed it like Mr K, but didn’t really like it. Your parsing is undoubtably the correct one.
30a Couldn’t see the why thanks
I thought 1a was excellent as were13a, and 17d. Quite a tough puzzle I thought. Numerous anagram and lurker clues helped. I spent a while trying to fit “ice” into 4d until the penny dropped. Last crossword for a week as Austria bound à la ski tomorrow. Thanks Mr K and the setter.
Does the third word in the quickie pun have to do with an accident while making the manoeuvre or even what an assistant might do to indicate to the driver to stop?
A tough Friday puzzle again that we have come to expect. Lots of parsing issues for me and even trying to figure out what the answer is with it being the only possibility.
3.5*/2.5*
Favourites 12a, 25a, 6d, 8d & 26d — with winner 6d and 26d is a smile.
Thanks to setter & Mr K.
This was the quickest solve of the week. I did need time to parse some but that’s the way it goes some times. 12a is my COTD. Many thanks to the setter and hinter.
I have a slightly different view on 30a. Three letter synonym of group followed by “in pit” then all reversed.
Most enjoyable and just right for a Friday. An ‘X’ in each quadrant, something I don’t think that we have seen for a while which suggests to me that it is the work of proXXXXimal – ***/*****
Candidates for favourite – 1a, 13a, 25a, 5d, and 6d – and the winner is 25a.
Thanks to the X-man and Mr K.
A 9a kitty:
This was a pleasant enough solve from Castlemaine with some nice constructions that are worthy of a Friday.
18d is a fine effort as it ain’t the easiest to parse.
My pody picks are 9a, 12a and 18d.
MTTTA and Mr K.
3*/3*
A really enjoyable puzzle, pretty straightforward and it was a good warm-up at about 0615 this morning! Nothing out of the ordinary, some great surfaces and clever deception – eg my LOI, 7d. Honours to 20a, 7d & 18d, with 12a the runner-up.
Many thanks to the setter and to MrK.
If you have time for another puzzle I can strongly recommend today’s Toughie from Karla: accessible, not a lot more testing than this back-pager (certainly not the usual Karla/Elgar/Osmosis brain mangler) and a hugely satisfying solve.
I appreciate the Toughie recommendations you sometimes provide, Mustapha (you’re not the only one who does, I know). I tend to avoid the Toughie as it’s usually a gateway to frustration and bafflement, but it’s nice to stretch myself on the easier ones.
A pleasure, Anorak – I know it’s so often a case of finding the setter’s wavelength, and maybe this morning I was lucky! I found my way in from the SW and worked E & then N, but others will approach it differently. IIRC, this week’s Toughies have all been very approachable and rewarding to solve, if you haven’t tried them yet.
Regarding today’s Karla toughie, I scored zero after two passes, so it’s gone through the shredder. I’m waiting for the next Chalicea toughie: always a delight.
A great crossword to end the week. 12a, 13a and 18d especially clever. Needed the hints to correct my parsing on 6d and 23d
Thank you
A dnf unaided today as I made a complete horlics of the SW corner having been fixated by the wrong answer to 29a. Other than that it was a challenging but enjoyable solve. I liked 18d but cotd is the lol 12a. Thanks to compiler and Mr K.
You are not alone, Prawn. I did a similar thing in the NE corner. Wrong answer to 10a (which with the benefit of hindsight was obviously incorrect) and consequently kiboshed any chance of an unaided finish….
Thanks to Mr K for the hints and the setter for the challenge!
I found this backpager relatively friendly for a Friday. I liked the maetial artists abandoning their underwer and that is my COTD. I thought the clue ar 20a was vert well put together and parsed the first 4 letters in the same way as Gazza. The geographical homophone at 25a appealed to me too. I first watched the anagrammatic 9a film on a 6th Form outing, arranged to provide background material for the Shakespeare play we were studying. More memorable than the film was the open-mouthed enjoyment of the girl sitting next to me, whose strict Plymouth Brethren parents had never allowed her to go to the cinema before. Thanks to the compiler and to Mr K for the hints
This was a decent workout for a Friday and perfectly pitched with very few hold-ups. COTD has to be the very funny 12a.
Many thanks to our setter and Mr K.
3*/4.5*. Good to see Mr 4X back in action with a nicely challenging and very enjoyable puzzle.
My only slight qualm relates to 25a, which seems to me to be ambiguous as either “kid” or “river” could be the definition.
12a was my favourite of many ticked clues.
Many thanks to proXimal and to Mr K.
Agreed – but at least we were able to determine which one it was as tease a letter too many.
Like so many others COTD was 12 across. Never used the word 1 down . A really engaging puzzle. Sometimes I calculate just how much time a couple of clues may take to fathom and then I throw in the towel too easily. That is where Mr. K is such a blessing. Thanks also to our setter. Thought 3 * for difficulty was about right.
The pun is Reverse Parking
An unexpected treat for a Friday that was less taking than many but highly enjoyable. Like others 12a was my favourite, with 22 a close behind.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the hints.
I am pleased to hear Hudson is improving Steve and hope the vet confirms this.
Unfortunately, MT he has had a set back. There was a lovely firm scab covering the wound so I was hopeful of getting the all clear. Trouble is, I had to take the lampshade off so he could get in his crate. By the time I reached the vet, he had licked it raw and it was bleeding. He now has a dressing on it, which will have to be changed every three days at a cost of £20 for each one. 😳 🐶
Oh dear that is such a shame. He is lucky to have you taking care of him.
A very enjoyable Friday puzzle – thanks to Messrs X and K.
I have 12a on the top step of my podium with the other medals going to 16a and 2d.
Quick crossword – reverse parking?
A bit of a struggle today but plenty going on and never able to get me time . Didn’t know 7d and couldn’t see 4d .5 ,12 and 20 my picks . Thanks to all .
I found that relatively straightforward for a Friday, particularly given that I’ve been out of the game for a few days while wandering around Glasgow (a mad mess of a city but nevertheless utterly fascinating and much more welcoming than I’d feared). As with many others, the martial artists at 12 were my favourite clue today. Thanks very much to the setter and to Mr K.
1.5* / 4* I found today’s quite straightforward compared to yesterday’s and very enjoyable.
Favourites today include the smoggy river at 25a, the popular martial artists at 12a and the epic film at 9a (nice surface).
Thanks to compiler and Mr K
Yay! Finished but needed your help Mr K , thank you. I loved 12 across , it took me a while to get it though. Thank you setter.
* / ****
I did notice the prevalence of ‘X”s but it took the blog to link that to the setter. I have to say I found this very benign for a Friday. Only a couple gave rise to any head scratching. Give the comments on the Toughie, think I’ll try that this evening. In general, found this a very clever and amusing puzzle and thinking back, many clues did have ‘quite a lot going on’ so maybe it’s generally more than 1* difficulty but I was just on wavelength.
Ticks went to the 12a loss of underwear and 23d rejected love.
Many thanks to proXimal, I presume and Mr K.
I was beaten only by 7d. Whilst I recignise a few of the better known letter of the Greek alphabet, I don’t know them all and know of no reason why I should. Without wishing to sound like a regular contributer from the past who has gone missing, I simply feel annoyed when I see a clue containing “Greek”. Very happy with the other trianda ena, though 😎.
Very accessible for a Friday but without it’s head scratchers. Most enjoyable though. I’ll go with the majority and pick 12a as favourite. Thanks to ProXimal and Mr. K.
As I noted yesterday this was too much for me but I look forward to happy days
I enjoyed this today though had to check 1d was a word.
I parsed 30a like Gazza did.
Top picks for me were 12a, 7d and 23d.
Thanks to Mr K and the setter.
I found this one easier than yesterday and very enjoyable. Yesterday I took my car for mot, and went to a lovely posh cafe across the road , armed with my iPad , the plan being to do the crossword . However I was sandwiched between 2 tables with loud speaking people , with ‘fascinating’ chat about agas , the war and cooking etc, and I struggled to engage, as I was a little mesmerised by the people have to say. I finished it this morning, so today’s was a delight in comparison. Thanks to the setter and Mr K .
Definitely easier than most Fridays with my CotD a worthy 12a.
Thanks to MrK and the setter.
A swift solve with no parsing problems, albeit a couple of the whys reverse engineered. Didn’t clock the X in each quadrant & wrongly had it pegged as a likely Smooth production. ✅s aplenty – 9,12,20&22a + 17&18d the picks for me. I eventually twigged the Quickie pun but will freely admit that it’s an Elgar cryptic of a manoeuvre for me – to be avoided.
Thanks to proXimal & to Mr K
An enjoyable puzzle with a few challenging moments. Some clues came quickly but I had my share of head-scratching moments! I so wanted astern to be part of the answer to 28a and not familiar with the full answer to 17d. Liked the anagram at 9a and the martial artists tossing off their underwear at 12a. I agree with most re the Pun and my paper shows a third word which I was slow to notice. I hope the setter pops in to confirm. Many thanks to the latter and Mr K. Despite the cold and damp conditions here I do hope everyone has a nice weekend.
Kaymar sums it up. Just 7d eluded me, as never come across the greek word *** before. Otherwise a test fit for a Friday.
And because it hasn’t been said for at least 5 comments, it’s reverse 🤬🤬🤬🤬 parking.😉
Thanks to all, and to Senf for hiding the quickie pun
Thanks for the kind words of welcome on my first comment the other day. Enjoyed this one but ground to a halt with five or so to go. 12a for my COTD.
Have tried numerous times to comment today but for some reason nothing has appeared hence one last try! The DT crossword wavelength and I just don’t seem to meld these days mainly due I guess to trendy language and over-anagramming however by fair means or foul I did just make it today but without much enjoyment along the way. Not familiar with 1d which was last in. 7d is clever. Thanks setter and MrK with whom I sympathise re obtuse Quickie pun.
The Jennys (I noticed further up the page) both found this a bit better than yesterday, I, too had to complete yesterday’s first, in my case distracted by a normally very chilled cat who got thoroughly spooked by something (fox, dog, badger maybe?) and refused to come in until bedtime! We’re both better today. Thanks to both setters and bloggers. 12a also gets my vote.
18D magnificent and 12D hilarious, among many excellent clues. VMT ProXimal and Mr K
Not on the wavelength at all today. Solved 19 clues before getting the answers.
Thanks to all.
Far smoother for me than yesterday’s backpager, with exception of LOI 1D, which stumped me for hours; a new word for me, and didn’t consider that ‘about district’ might be the definition, despite the clear charade. It’s not been my best week 🙈
Pody picks go to 12A’s underwear, 14A’s amusing aliens, and COTD is 22A, a word I like and an all-round enjoyable clue.
Thanks to setter and Mr K ⭐️
I got off to a bad start by deciding that the money was a tenner/tenor so the north east was quite foggy. Isn’t it amazing how differently we view the guzzles – one man’s ** is another man’s *****. I really had to work on this through the day with a lunch out in the middle. However, thanks to Mr K’s hints I managed to get over the line sand thankyou to the wily setter also. I liked 5a (George has three of those hats with different club bands and all duly battered by many regattas) 12a and I reckon 1d is one for The List.
“River sparking” would presumably be “reverse parking”, but I’ve failed to do anything with “reverse parking knock” which is what’s indicated.
I’ll probably kick myself in the morning..
A “reverse parking knock” is what happens if you are careless with the manoeuvre and bump into another vehicle. 😊
The “knock” is essentially the same meaning, so not a pun
Got there in the end but I found that quite tough with several new words added to my vocabulary. Hopefully today’s prize puzzle will be a little bit easier.
Thank you to the setter and to Mr K for the hints, which were in great demand.
3*/4* …
liked 5A “Show-off son wearing straw hat (7)”