Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31192
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ****
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. I thought this puzzle was just excellent, with many penny drop moments encountered either finding the answers or parsing the wordplay.
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. In some hints hyperlinks provide additional explanation or background. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Dictator's award, several liable to interfere (10)
MEDDLESOME: A homophone (dictator’s) of an award that might be worn around the neck is followed by a synonym of several
6a Mean waitress finally serves? (4)
ACES: Mean or excellent with the final letter of WAITRESS
9a Icon returned mother's unquestioning faith (5)
DOGMA: The reversal (returned) of another word for icon is followed by an informal word for mother
10a Musician's flat? (3,2,4)
OUT OF TUNE: A cryptic definition of a problem a poor musician might exhibit
12a Keep United defensive blunder within tie after second show of approval (5,8)
STICK TOGETHER: The abbreviation for a footballing defensive blunder is inserted in (within) a synonym of tie, and that all comes after both the single letter for second and a mark on paper that indicates approval
14a Noisy gym cultivated sexism (8)
MISOGYNY: An anagram (cultivated) of NOISY GYM
15a Roll, cake and doughnut not included in unemployment payment (6)
BUNDLE: A single-serve cake is followed by an informal word for unemployment payment minus the letter shaped like a doughnut (doughnut not included)
17a Perhaps Victorian gold that is lying around case for Sotheby's? (6)
AUSSIE: The chemical symbol for gold and the Latin abbreviation for “that is” are sandwiching (lying around) the outer letters of (case for) SOTHEBY’S
19a Lush trip, right to take old Ford in Disneyland on vacation (8)
DRUNKARD: The fusion of another word for trip, a small car manufactured by Ford until 2021, and the single letter for right is inserted in the outer letters (on vacation) of DISNEYLAND
21a The Panel excited by singer - Plant (8,5)
ELEPHANT GRASS: An anagram (excited) of THE PANEL is followed for a slang word for a person who sings or informs
24a Failing son, wrong to introduce book, Spare (2,7)
IN RESERVE: A synonym of wrong minus the single letter for son (failing son, …) with another word for book
25a King regularly ignored smallest room in house (5)
IGLOO: Alternate letters (regularly ignored) of KING with an informal word for the “smallest room”
26a Dramas letting out parking places (4)
LAYS: A synonym of dramas minus (letting out) the single letter for parking
27a Those looking on baldness try avoiding student dances (10)
BYSTANDERS: An anagram (… dances) of BALDNESS TRY minus (avoiding) the single letter for a student or learner driver
Down
1d Form of Salah, for one, boosted characters within Reds (4)
MODE: The first name of Liverpool footballer Salah with the reversal (boosted, in a down clue) of the inner letters (characters within) of REDS
2d Takes in jokes for the audience one had written up earlier (7)
DIGESTS: A homophone (for the audience) of another word for jokes is preceded by the reversal (written up earlier, in a down clue) of a contraction for “one had”
3d Influential people show the way home, essential character in tight matches (7,6)
LEADING LIGHTS: Concatenate a word meaning “show the way”, home or not out, the central (essential) character in TIGHT, and some matches for creating fire
4d Terrible hair, call barber finally getting cut (8)
SHOCKING: Another word for hair is followed by a synonym of call (on the phone) minus (getting cut) the final letter of BARBER
5d Saying too much in short period of time (5)
MOTTO: An informal abbreviation for a phrase meaning “too much” is inserted in a short period of time (or the 1d Liverpool footballer)
7d 100 were in a hurry to find ground (7)
CRUSHED: The Roman 100 with a verb meaning “were in a hurry”
8d Pioneers small fruit loaves (10)
SPEARHEADS: Link together the single letter for small, a fruit that grows on a tree, and some loaves or noggins
11d Habitual attendance of inn after quote for cooking (13)
FREQUENTATION: An anagram (for cooking) of INN AFTER QUOTE
13d Petty criminal liar undermining the setter's partner (10)
IMMATERIAL: Putting the bits in order, cement together a contraction for “the setter’s” from their perspective, another word for partner, and an anagram (criminal) of LIAR
16d Break from following fashion having acquired 1,000 books (8)
FRAGMENT: The single letter for following is followed by fashion or vogue containing (having acquired) the Roman 1,000, and that’s all followed by some usual abbreviated religious books
18d Put one's faith in sports after cycling purchase picked up (5,2)
SWEAR BY: A word meaning sports (clothing, for example) after cycling the letters one place is followed by a homophone (picked up) of purchase
20d Sailor on crack free from guilt (7)
ABSOLVE: A usual abbreviated sailor with crack a problem
22d Crikey! Krankies not all revolting and irritable (5)
NARKY: The answer is hidden in (not all) the reversal (revolting) of CRIKEY KRANKIES
23d Twists, clipping head - that was clumsy! (4)
OOPS: Some twists or circles minus their first letter (clipping head)
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: MARR + BOWL + LARCH = MARBLE ARCH
Well, for me this was verging into Toughie territory as it took a while to get on the setters wavelength. Then a lot of teasing out, but still came up one short, needing a visit to Mr K to unveil 6a ( I would never have thought of that synonym for mean), and the parsing of Harry’s book (duh)!
Having said that it was enjoyable in retrospect with the 18a lush and the 15a roll being my two favourites
Thanks to the setter and Mr K.
3.5*/3.5*
This was good fun with just the right amount of challenge for an otherwise very challenging Friday. 9a, 25a and 2d are my top picks. Many thanks to Mr K and setter
For me the parsing was more difficult than finding the answers but when the pennies dropped it was all very clever. Particularly enjoyed 12a
Gave up half way through as far too fiddly on my phone en route to Portsmouth. For some reason we have been driven via Bedfordshire which is miles out of our way. Will have another go when we finally stop. Thanks all.
Plenty of cranial exercise! Very enjoyable except for 11d – I am reasonably certain that it is the first time I have come across the dreadful word and I hope it is the last! 3.5*/4*
Candidates for favourite – 12a, 17a, 2d, 5d, and 20d – and the winner is 17a.
Thanks to whomsoever and Mr K.
With you on 11d, I have trouble even saying it, certainly never heard anyone say it.
I agree with a previous comment that this too for me was leaning into Toughie territory. Personally I have no knowledge of current football players! After much head scratching it is finally completed.
Agree with comments on 11d – “is that even a word?” Or just a setter with an awkward last clue?
Our Liverpool footballer and the two letter car name challenged me.
But some nice things too.
Got there in the end, but it is Friday after all. Still worthy of **** in my view as I reckoned some clues were nudging on toughie standard.
Took an age to see how 12a worked, but just had to stare at it until the answer popped into place, so this will have to be my clue of the day.
Just been watching the live rollout of Artemis 2, takes 12 hours to cover a couple of miles, hope there’s no more delays, and they can set off for the moon on April 1st.
You can watch it here, but it’s not exactly thrilling!
It’s on the pad now, so even less thrilling!
What an absolute cracker of a puzzle, so much going on in virtually every clue.
Most answers were not particularly difficult to fathom, though parsing took a bit longer: that’s when the setter’s art revealed itself.
Such clever wordplay.
Too many top-notch clues to pick out a podium, but I’ll shine a light on 11d, as I was unsure if the solution was a real word: it seems to have a comedic feel to it.
Chapeau setter, thanks also to Mr K who seems to have enjoyed it as much as I did.
Gave up after half an hour when the grid was almost wholly white spaces. Reading Mr K’s hints confirmed that what little of my brain is still functioning is not up to the task of the solving the more carefully crafted and frankly outrageous outre* clues.
No favourites obviously but thanks to MrK and the setter.
Interesting fact read to me by my wife. When the NHS began in 1948 there were 500,000 beds. Today there are 116,000.
Along with the horrors of getting appointments at surgeries we will soon be back in the 1920s with medical provision..
* outre should have an accent ; it certainly does when I say it.
Have to say getting an appointment at our surgery is much, much easier these days. No more 8am rush, just sensible triage when you call at any time.
But some hospital stays are now much shorter or non-existent. In the late 1950s, then 11 or 12 years old, my brother spent over a week in hospital with a ‘broken arm’ without complications. Today, it would probably be an ‘out patient’ procedure for confirmatory X-ray and applying a cast.
No question he would be sent home. Patients go home these days with all sorts of plastic drains in situ!
That is a very interesting fact Corky and explains a lot. Even in the late1980s when I was a junior doctor patients were admitted the day before their operation and often stayed for weeks in hospital following major surgery (or an MI). Then funnily enough a new breed of manager came along and began the process of closing wards (and hospitals) to make “efficiency” savings. What could possibly have gone wrong?!
I had both my knees replaced in recent years one in 2023 and the other in 2024 and I was in the hospital at 6am and out by 3 o’clock in the afternoon as it is basically considered Day surgery now when my mum and dad had their knees replaced in the late1990s, they were in the hospital for at least three days afterwards
As is usual for Friday, by far the toughest puzzle of the week … and that it is how it was for me. Not really an enjoyable tussle for me as too many that just didn’t make parsing sense to me.
4*/2*
Favourites I liked were 10a, 14a, 21a, 5d, 7d & 23d — with winners 10a & 23d
Thanks to setter for another Friday brain mangler & Mr K.
I had to work for this one but it was worth the effort with my LOI being the same as yesterday, i.e the top right smallie. I just couldn’t see the synonym for ‘mean’.
I am very happy with 11d as a word and will try my utmost to get it into a conversation in the not too distant.
Dictator, as a homophone indicator, caught me out for a good while as I was trying to convince myself that Mussolini had two Ls. My car knowledge is rubbish so 19a took a bit of time to parse.
My pody picks are 7d, 20d and the outstanding 24a.
MTT Zandio (?) and Mr K.
4*/4*
What did you make of Robbie Collin’s best pic Oscar winners ranked & his views on who should have won?
I haven’t seen it and I’m not signed up to the online version.
I rate him. So, it would be good to read it.
Yes, 6a synonym got me also
That was a tussle ! and for a while i just had half a dozen sorted then 1a dropped in and the task became slightly easier . Bottom left caused me problems and last to fill in.Kept trying to put s and b into 17a.It was so obvious when it finally clicked . Didn’t like 11 . Favourites 10, 12 and 21 . Could have been others because so many great clues . Thanks to all .
The trickiest back-pager of the week as Friday should be and very enjoyable. Thanks to our setter and Mr K.
My podium selections are 12a, 24a and 20d.
A lot of the clues were far too convoluted for me. As for 6a – MEAN = ACE?????
Tom Morello is a mean/ace guitarist?
He sure is
Always find the Friday puzzle tough and needed a few nudges to finish the top right quadrant.
Got off to a storming start with the top left and 1a was my clue of the day! Enjoyed 5d, 22d and 23d (we have some French friends who named they’re dog 23d so it was a double chuckle)
I could not locate in my brain an answer to 6a or15a even with the solution it didn’t give me an aha moment. So overall I think this was tricky but the 75% I solved before nudging was very satisfying
That was clever and entertaining. Few answers jumped out initially, but steady progress was possible. Thank you to the setter, especially for the 15a cake, 17a Victorian gold, 5d saying too much, and the 18d cycling purchase.
And thank you to Mr K for explaining the 6a mean and the 12a defensive blunder.
That was a very strabge crossword solve. HAVING found it difficult either to get on the compiler’s wavelength or get a start, I filledin a few clues. Thereafter, using the checkers and the definition in the clue and largely ignoring the wordplay, I very slowly completed the grid. Once I had rhe answer I managed to parse a lot of them. However there were a few clues that remain inexplicable to me so I shall read Mr K’s hints to explain the parsing that I can’t fathom. Unllike some, I didnt find the puzzle particularly enjoyable . However, there were some good anagrams (14a and 11a). Like others, I had not heard of 11d and would be happy if I never heard it again. Thanks to the compiler and t Mr K
That was tough and I struggled to get any traction until I solved 1a and slowly it started to come together….and then it didn’t. I needed Mr K’s hints to finish today. Like others, 11d was new, and will promptly be forgotten. I liked the anagram at 14a and 24a, but from the clues I did solve unaided, 1a takes the plaudits as cotd. Thanks to compiler, too good for me today and Mr K.
Really tricky but satisfying solve.
Not for me, I’m afraid. Clues too long and many downright meaningless. 11d an abomination. Sorry setter, I do appreciate the effort you (all) put in, but this was not an enjoyable experience.
Glad I’m not the only one..
And me – threw in the towel after nine clues.
Took some head scratching but got there in the end. Overall tough but fair with lots of pennys dropping.
LOI was 8d. Favs 1a, 12a and 20d.
Many thanks to Mr K for explaining the parsing of 12a (ie the OG bit) and the setter for the challenge.
An absolutely excellent Friday puzzle! Great clues, a fairly tough challenge and a very enjoyable tussle. Just what the doctor ordered for a Friday. My guess is Z. Too many fine clues to isolate a favourite. 4*/4.5*.
*Here’s a snippet some good old-fashioned British comedy from Benny Hill, which I guess TDS will appreciate:
It reminds me of that joke….
Darling, take off my blouse. Darling, take off my skirt. Darling, take off my underwear….and don’t wear my clothes ever again!
Wow that was difficult but some great clues once I’d managed to parse them. Had to check 11d was a real word and not one I’d made up.
Top picks for me were 15a, 4d, 2d, 1a, 24a and 18d.
Thanks to Mr K and the setter.
Tough going today, but it is Friday. All was entirely fair but I had to keep going away and then a few more became clear. I needed help parsing 12a and 19a. 17a was my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the hints.
11d is not a word I’ve come across before and not one I’ll be using any time soon or ever if it comes to that but it was fairly clued. That apart I thought this was excellent and enjoyable. Favourite was 12a. Thanks to the setter and Mr. K.
Whew what a workout! The unemployment benefit gets my CotD vote, must remember that doughnut trick. Thank you compiler and Mr K
Way above my pay grade today.
Threw in the towel after finding only 3 answers.
Well done those who finished it.
11d ? Who knew that was a word ? Not me.
Thanks to Mr K.
However, it has been a lovely day here today. Sunny and warm.
Tough even for a Friday with several answers reverse engineered. I thought 6 a was particularly mean and 24a COTD. Very topical. The Telegraph is not a fan of the son.
4*/4*
Thanks to Mr K and Zandio
Hello from Sliema, Malta. This was a pleasing Friday effort that started slowly at Gatwick, then finished with a flourish in a bar on the Sliema coast. I don’t think the change of country was significant, I was just more relaxed now we’re here, and my wife helped on 27A 🙂
Cracking 12A was a game changer to complete this, took a while to parse, will put this in my pody picks along with the bald 27A and a tie between 1A’s Salah and 22D’s Krankies – never thought I’d be be putting those two together in a sentence 😸
Many thanks to setter and to Mr K ⭐️
2* / 3.5* A good workout by no means straightforward but all fairly clued.
Best of the day are keep united at 12a, the roll at 15a and I’ll go for the unpopular habitual attendance at 11a ( it made me smile)
Thanks to setter and MrK
Great Friday puzzle, in other words difficult for me but clever. Help parsing 19a and 12a was much appreciated, thank you Mr K, and kudos to the setter
What with driving home this morning and visiting the vet this afternoon, I have only just managed to stagger across the line. It was a stagger too because, like others, I found it tough. However, as I have said before, it is Friday so no complaints from me. I agree that 11d is an awful word and one I will not be dropping casually into conversation. My COTD is the Victorian gold because my daughter and her husband live there.
Thank you, setter for the brain mangle. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints.
Proper Friday workout. 17A very good, but 5D wins it for absolute elegance. VMT Setter & Mr K.
This was way beyond me today. Possibly solved six clues before going off to do something that doesn’t make me feel stupid.
Do we need this level of difficulty when there is a toughie, even on a Friday?
Thanks to all.
A DNF correctly under exam conditions. Like Croye Dave 6a the crumpet scratch – last in & bunged in acts. An incorrect finish message flagged up, knew the culprit, looked at it again & pegged the mean synonym. Otherwise not too tough for a Friday though I too wondered whether 11d was even a word. Lots to like but the surface at 24a gets my vote as pick of the clues.
Thanks to the setter & to Mr K
Dreadful – too clever by half. I couldn’t begin to find the setter’s wavelength and was certainly not motivated so to do. Called it a day early on. Don’t remember a less entertaining Cryptic challenge. My congrats to anyone who completed on their Jack Jones. Sorry setter but no thanks except for your effort and thanks MrK for being there had I wanted to persevere.
Finally finished, with only two clues outstanding, 19a and 16d, before I needed help from Mr K. It was a challenge and not helped by some initial errors, such as 3d where I had guiding lights as opposed to the correct answer. COTD was 21a where I was misled for a time thinking of Robert Plant and the mighty Led Zep.
Thank you to the setter and Mr K for the hints.
3*/2* …
liked 20D “Sailor on crack free from guilt (7)”
I’m starting a new competition for being last to finish. 😂 OK, I was a day behind anyway but it did take me a few goes and I refused to give up or seek help. 1a and 8d were difficult enough, 6a and 11d just had to be when all drafts (cryptic😄) were in but I liked 12a and felt pretty good when I finished. I’m in the “it doesn’t have to be this difficult ” camp, even if it is Friday. The toughie is there for those few who find back-pagers too easy.
If one is looking for an entertaining crossword, look no further. This is it! In Mr K’s words, it is ‘just excellent’! It is full of fun and clever, clever parsing.
I was on the right wavelength and thoroughly enjoyed it all. Rather than leave my podium in a state of collapse, I have chosen a mere eleven to represent my particular likes. These are 6, 10, 12, 17, 24 and 27 across and 1, 2, 11, 16 and 20 down.
6a is something I have heard, mainly in common parlance. To be sure of my answer, I did check The Chambers Crossword Dictionary, 4th edn (2015). Under ‘Mean’ it gives (inter alia) these synonyms: ‘ace’, ‘cool’, ‘mega’, ‘neat’, ‘brill’ and ‘crack’.
On that note, I’d like to say a very big ‘thank you’ to the setter for a ‘mean’ puzzle. You certainly aced it!
A very big ‘thank you’ to Mr K for an excellent review, which I enjoyed reading, and for enlightening me about Robert Plant.
It took me a week to do this, picking it up then putting it to one side, but got there in the end (unaided). I was not going to give up! I needed the hints to fully understand some of the solutions, so very many thanks for these.
If the stars are based on the time needed to solve the puzzle, I would give it a lot! Very challenging, but enjoyable.
I will attempt today’s puzzle now ……