Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31210
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ****
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday.
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. Clicking on a picture will enlarge it or display a bonus illustration and a hover (computer) or long press (mobile) might explain more about the picture. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Mum, smart to go round conifer plantation (7)
PINETUM: The reversal (to go round) of the fusion of mum or silent and smart or sting. The answer is a word I had to check in the dictionary
5a Soft soap and to what it might be applied? (7)
FLANNEL: An informal synonym of “soft soap” is also something that one might apply said soap to
9a Notorious Bostonian needs more rum, swallowing litres (9)
STRANGLER: More rum or more peculiar containing (swallowing) the single letter for litres
10a Beat work police force brought back (5)
TEMPO: The fusion of the abbreviation for a musical work and an abbreviation for London’s police force is reversed (brought back)
11a Complain about this extremely deficient Conservative's hairstyle (7)
MOHICAN: Complain or whine containing (about) both the inner letters (extremely deficient) of THIS and the single letter for Conservative
12a Kiss for male aboard perhaps Victoria train (7)
EXPRESS: In what (Queen) Victoria defines by example (perhaps) the letter representing a kiss is substituted for the single letter for male
13a Pyjamas typically in white gran ordered (9)
NIGHTWEAR: An anagram (ordered) of WHITE GRAN
16a Free facilities, barely used (5)
LOOSE: An informal word for facilities with the inner letters (barely) of USED
17a Hold up beams, we hear (5)
RAISE: A homophone (we hear) of beams that come from the sun, for example
18a Those swimming will grab occasionally brief rests (9)
BREATHERS: Some people who swim containing (will grab) alternate letters (occasionally) of BRIEF
21a Carrying earl abroad vessel capsized somewhere near Lithuania (7)
BELARUS: The reversal (capsized) of an underwater vessel is containing (carrying) an anagram (abroad) of EARL
22a Gather number give encouragement (7)
HEARTEN: Gather or learn with a number less than eleven
25a On occasion son gets newspaper (5)
TIMES: A synonym of occasion with the single letter for son
26a Harvested orchard could be unproductive (9)
FRUITLESS: The answer, possibly split 5-4, could whimsically describe an orchard where everything has been picked
27a About fifty at intervals approaching a key stronghold (7)
CITADEL: Concatenate the single letter for about or approximately, alternate letters (at intervals) of FIFTY, A from the clue, and a key on a computer keyboard
28a Reptile avoids soft ground (7)
TERRAIN: A reptile that’s a turtle minus (avoids) the musical abbreviation for soft
Down
1d Map's not designed for one making regular deliveries (7)
POSTMAN: An anagram (designed) of MAP’S NOT
2d Cambodian or Thai inspiring bridge player? (5)
NORTH: CAMBODIAN OR THAI is hiding (inspiring) the answer
3d Starts to turn off noisy industrial cement mixer (5)
TONIC: Initial letters of (starts to) the next five words in the clue
4d Pastiche style egregious essentially in this writer (7)
MELANGE: Style or flair and the central letter (essentially) of EGREGIOUS are inserted together in a pronoun that the setter might use for themselves
5d Ancestor of revolutionary Republican exposed, it's said (7)
FORBEAR: Cement together the reversal (revolutionary) of OF, the single letter for Republican, and a homophone (it’s said) of a synonym of exposed
6d George, first one to plug gold auction item (9)
AUTOPILOT: A synonym of first and the Roman one are inserted together between (to plug) the chemical symbol for gold and a word for an auction item. If the definition is unfamiliar, you might want to peruse Big Dave’s page on Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing
7d Anaesthetic drug keeps working for lieutenant (6,3)
NUMBER ONE: A usual cryptic synonym of anaesthetic and the single letter for the drug ecstasy are sandwiching (keeps) working or not off
8d Brief inspection of damaged keel soon curtailed (4-3)
LOOK-SEE: An anagram (damaged) of KEEL and all but the last letter (curtailed) of SOON
14d Craft must circle lake, test for flier? (9)
GUILLEMOT: Craft or slyness contains (must circle) the single letter for lake, and that’s all followed by the abbreviation for a roadworthiness test
15d Reckless editor, she speculated (9)
THEORISED: An anagram (reckless) of EDITOR SHE
17d Emotionless Nick overcomes old twitch (7)
ROBOTIC: Nick or steal with the single letter for old and another word for twitch
18d Reserved bus, half modified (7)
BASHFUL: An anagram (modified) of BUS HALF
19d Wear out engine part (7)
EXHAUST: A straightforward double definition
20d Great shame receiving tattoos is fully understood (5,2)
SINKS IN: A word meaning great shame containing (receiving) an informal verb synonym of tattoos
23d Performer works naked (5)
ACTOR: A works or plant minus its outer letters (naked)
24d Anthem, hit oddly upsetting Greek character (5)
THETA: Odd letters of ANTHEM HIT reversed (upsetting, in a down clue)
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: WREN + OVATION = RENOVATION
What a flippin’ week! Raging chest infection, confined to bed most of the time, brain unable to cope with cruciverbal challenges and, to top it all, Gentleman’s Relish has been discontinued!
Still, much better now and today’s puzzle was a suitable level for a Friday. I haven’t heard of 1a so that was last in. I could see 13a was an anagram but it took an age to decipher and I didn’t see the notorious Bostonian at 9a despite his staring me in the face. My COTD is George at 6d because, for a while, I couldn’t get dragons out of my mind!
Thank you, setter for a great puzzle. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints.
Glad to hear you’re feelibg better, Steve. Ahane about the Gentleman’s Relish!
Thank you, Crisscross. Yes, no wonder civilisation is falling apart! I see Xanthe Clay gives a recipe for it in today’s DT. It might just ease the withdrawal symptoms. 🤔
I’m sure Xanthe adds some more ingredients but anchovies whizzed up with butter and a pinch of garlic & pepper, and your’e pretty much there – bar the pretty pot. As said, it’s a deeply depressing cancellation!
… Steve ..: good news … there’s a recipe in today’s Features for Gentleman’s Relish.
Anyone else ever considered this product to be some under the counter contraband, sold in the Victorian era. I can imagine Michael Palin and the Python team doing a sketch!
To the crossword .. not too hard for a Friday. 1a new word for me. 27a was a bung in I was way off trying to parse it … by L was from fifty!
Cotd 26a .. it leapt out at me!
Thanks to Setter and Mr K
Hope you feel better soon Steve.
Very pleased to hear you are feeling better Steve.
I share your pain re the Gentleman’s Relish ….how could they discontinue it?
I can only imagine that the word “gentleman’s” has fallen foul of some thought Police or other.
Gentleman? can’t have that. Classist, sexist. ageist.
Not sure how they get round that
I forgot about the woke brigade, B. You could have a point but, as the main name is Patum Paperium (that upset spell checker!), the words “Gentleman’s Relish” could be dropped. 🤔
What a splendid finish to the cruciverbal week with Silvanus in fine form.
I’m very surprised that the boo-boo in 5d wasn’t picked up by the gang in Telegraph Towers. But, they’re all such legends so who cares. It won’t affect my scoring for this not too challenging but very enjoyable puzzle.
1a is a bonkers word but perfectly gettable from the parsing.
My pody picks are 1a, 16a and 23d.
MTTTA and Mr K.
2*/5*
Hi Tom
What is the boo-boo in 5d?
I cannot see a problem; I must be missing something.
Isn’t there an E missing?
Chambers says it can be spelt with or without an E.
Just what I was about to say. And knowing that Tom does not have quite the highest regard for the BRB, it appears in exactly the same way in Collins: as the second definition of the word without the e, and as the alternative for the word with the e.
If ’twas yours, thank you for the fine enjoyment this morning, Silvanus.
Gentlemen. Gentlemen. Don’t you know me by now? Telling me that a word is an entry in the dictionary carries no weight, whatsoever.
The only reason it appears in these joke books is through human error. It’s like ‘In hindsight’ (the classic ‘in retrospect’ confusion) being an alternative to ‘With hindsight’ which is short for ‘With the benefit of hindsight’. Or, dare I say it, irregardless.
Put it this way, an A Level English student would lose a mark if they used 5d when they meant ‘ancestor’.
We are the torchbearers and must stand strong.
Looking at 18d in the Quickie, I wonder if ‘forego’ is an alternative spelling to ‘forgo’ in Chumpers and Phil? It wouldn’t surprise me.
You rebel, you!
The rebel here is Silvanus as he’s gone against tradition and used a recent ‘Oops!’ entry.
I don’t wholeheartedly disagree with you – I’m a stalwart traditionalist in many ways too. But as a keen wordsmith you must know that language changes/evolves – look what happened to “gay”. If enough people consistently use/spell the same word incorrectly for an extended period then sooner or later, in the eyes of lexicographers, it becomes “right” and gets listed in the dictionaries.
I love that the language evolves. I really do. I use deffo, props, seebs, awks, totes, fomo all the time. I don’t mind words like ‘pants’ and ‘dope’ (meaning ‘cool’) rocking up though I won’t use them.
But, a variant spelling, through human error, needs to be stamped out. Setters need to think long and hard before using them.
My old mucker, Susie Dent (I make no apology for the namedrop), thinks it’s a matter of time until mischievious is an entry. Would a setter use it?
I think not.
Is Susie a cruciverbal whizz, TDS?
I’m still reeling from the H-less loofah yesterday
Me too!
Yep, that threw me too as did ricksha. Though the latter makes more sense.
Oh dear, you have destroyed your argument by daring to say a nonstandard adverb widely considered incorrect in formal writing and disliked for being a confusing “double negative”.
Oh, I did so want to come up with an ‘irregardless’ reference but you beat me to it!!!
I knew you were in the wings and was smiling when I typed it.
Chumpers 😺👏🏻
Not wishing to open a wormy can, but why are you not keen on the BRB, TDS?
How long have you got!
I’ll talk to you about it over a tankard of mead when we meet up with Stevie C on the South Coast in September.
I now look forward to this meet-up even more. We may need two ToMs … see what I did there?
I most certainly did!
Very good, Wriggles.
Gosh, did I really agree to meet you two on the South Coast in September? 😳 🤣🤣
Indeed it does! I do do have the BRB and should have checked. We’ll catch you out sooner or later – possibly before the end of this century
We caught you at a weak moment of the proceedings, SC….hic!
Surprisingly not, SC.
She would be excellent at them but puzzles isn’t her ‘thang’. Devouring books and their contents is more than enough for her.
Fair comment, TDS but I bet she could explain every exhibit in Terence’s List.
Her knowledge and recall is out of this world.
When she is asked an origin of a word, in one of her shows, that she can’t answer she looks it up afterwards, praying that it’s an ‘origin unknown’ jobbie. Otherwise, she feels she has failed. Ridiculously high standards but that’s her.
A legend.
🤣🤣
I’d say you instigated the meet-up … kinda 🙂
I did. I suggested it to you, Simon when I learned where you lived. Tom overheard and gatecrashed! 🤣🤣
I thought that this was quite gentle for a Friday, but good fun and very enjoyable all the same. I have ticks all over my print out. My loi was 20d having struggled with the parsing, but once sussed it became my cotd. There were smiles for 6d, 11a and 14d. Thanks to compiler and Mr K.
I look forward to Friday’s because I am often tested to the limit of my crossword abilities. Today’s puzzle was an absolute cracker, not too difficult and I enjoyed it from start to finish.
The clue to 6d enabled me to construct the answer but I was not aware of the history and I had to make a side trip for a chat with Mr Google – very interesting.
1a required a consultation with the BRB, not a word I was familiar with.
4d was amusing with the answer and the clue both being anagram indicators.
Clues of the day – 7d, 14d and 20d
Many thanks to Mr K and the setter
Remarkably approachable and quickly xompleted for a Friday. I liked the cryptic definition at 5a, the lego clue at 11a and the geographical anagram at 21a my COTD, however, was the missing letter clue at28a. Thanks to the compiler and to Mr K for the hints.
Many thanks to the setter for a most enjoyable puzzle that was on the gentle side for a Friday.
My last in was 1a – a word I have never heard before.
9a gets my vote.
We have the National 1a here in Kent
And there’s a Pygmy 1a deep in the Royal Forest of Dean. Not a lot of tiny people in it, but you could go hunting Free Miners!
Me too with 1a, never heard the term.
A very nice Friday puzzle which I received early enabling me to comment in “real time”. Not as tough as many Fridays but with great clues (except 5d) providing an enjoyable solve. Quite a few ticks and I’ll go for 6d as my favourite – you don’t see George cropping up so much these days. 2.5*/4*.
For me possibly the most benign Friday back pager yet, one that would not have been out of place in the Prof’s Tuesday spot. Enjoyable while it lasted, plenty of old friends, very generous dollop of anagrams, good surfaces. I’ll go for a podium comprising 14d, 18a & COTD 11a.
Many thanks to the setter and to MrK
In 20d the ‘extra’ S just comes from the verb tattoos = inks I think. A very enjoyable Friday puzzle and thank you setter and blogger (as there were several I struggled to pars.
Got all but 1a, is nip really a synonym of smart? I don’t reckon it is.
Also is the answer to 20d in the right tense, it just doesn’t seem to be right somehow, but apart from those two I thought it was a super puzzle and great fun, with my favourite being 9a, which always reminds me of a brilliant group from Guildford.
Re 1a – how about as in “that sunburn nips/smarts a bit”?
Nope, still don’t reckon the two mean the same thing, nip means momentary discomfort, smart is more prolonged, that’s the way I’ve always thought of it, rightly or wrongly….
Pommers is totally with you on nip for smart. So am I.
The fine folks at Chambers seem to think that it is and I would imagine that our setter would have made sure before submitting the puzzle to the DT.
I’m 100% sure he’ll have made sure – he checks everything. And quite rightly too! Not all setters are so meticulous.
A cracking puzzle to end the week with just the right amount of chewiness for a Friday. I loved the surface of 11a and that remained my favourite once solved.
Many thanks to our setter for a terrific puzzle and to Mr K.
Another Friday surprise this week as I don’t think this puzzle was the toughest of the week. Found this quite pleasantly approachable, with a few head scratchers, that took cross check letters to help suss out.
2.5*/3.5*
Favourites include 13a, 26a, 28a 1d, 6d, & 7d — with winners 6d & 7d
Smiles from 13a, 26a, 28a & 19d
Thanks to setter & Mr K.
On first looking at the grid, I thought that it was perfect for a proXXXXimal and finding two in the E seemed to be confirming that but none in the W put an end to the thought. So, I was reduced to rummaging at the back of my sock drawer to determine if there were any half-crowns left. I managed to find one, so one half-crown and one King Charles Loonie are saying that this is a Silvanus production which seems to be a reasonably safe bet given his comment on 5d in #2 above. **/*****
Candidates for favourite – 9a, 12a, 26a, 4d, and 7d – and the winner is 7d.
Thanks to Silvanus, or whomsoever if my monetary 4d goes down the drain, and to Mr K.
Quite an enjoyable Friday offering and I’m looking forward to working the answer to 1a into a conversation soon. I had to check the word myself. My COTD candidates are 9a, 18a and 28a. I think The Stones sang about 9a as the Midnight Rambler, but I’ll stand corrected on that. Thanks to Mr K for the extras and I hope he makes up for the lack of cat pics next time he’s in the chair. Thanks also to the setter (Silvanus perhaps). Best, 🦇
Yes, FF – Midnight Rambler was about Albert DeSalvo, who was 9a although Richards and Jagger have never openly said so.
Thanks Steve for that info. Mick’s harmonica on the live track is awesome. Bed time here in BNE🥱😴 Cheers FF 🦇
Most enjoyable puzzle this week. At first I thought it was going to be tricky when my first pass turned up very little- but then the NE filled in quickly and the rest rapidly followed (apart from 1a never heard of it and couldn’t unravel from the clue)
Favourites were all in the SE 19d, 20d, 26a and COTD 28a for its simplicity
3*/5*. This was nicely challenging for a Friday and great fun.
I wasn’t sure about the synonym needed for “smart” in 1a but, even though I still struggle to see the equivalence, in the setter’s defence, it does appear in the BRB.
My page is littered with ticks and I will pick 11a as my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter (Silvanus?) and to Mr K.
A good though not overly tricky challenge for a Friday. A game of four quadrants for me, with the NE and SW falling reasonably quickly and the NW and SE putting up a fight. 26a was my COTD and the Bostonian at 9a the last in for no very good reason. Thanks very much to Silvanus and to Mr K.
As I struggle with anything above ** difficulty I was chuffed to see that today I had completed a *** without assistance – until I saw that several contributors thought it justified a lower rating!
Don’t let that bother you, T2. A filled grid is a filled grid so please stay chuffed. 👍😊
As SC wrote, don’t let it bother you. The ‘*’ ratings are very subjective and, in particular, no guidance is given to the bloggers on determining them.
A gentle puzzle for a Friday for me but enjoyable nonetheless.
1a was my first one in as I was aware of the term.
Top picks for me were 14d, 23d, 6d and 5a.
Thanks to Mr K and the setter.
Excellent today from Silvanus.
Challenging for Friday but fortunately we have a Pinetum at Bedgebury in Kent and I remembered George from the last time he cropped up in a back pager – not sure the wordplay was the same but it was not too long ago.
11a and 28a favourites today.
Thanks to Mr K and Mr S
Solved in a King’s College hospital waiting room (nothing serious as such). An engaging and relatively straightforward solve, also educational which always adds an extra * of enjoyment for me.
Once again the NE was last to go, LOIs being 6D and 12A. Like others, was surprised by 1A’s smart / nip. Needed hints for parsing 12A (Victoria perhaps) and 21A (thought vessel could be bus 🙈).
Pody picks go to 26D’s orchard, 27A’s stronghold which I enjoyed unravelling, and COTD is 6D’s George – a lovely way to finish and yes I need to read the Wolves In Sheep’s Clothing page. That’s something for the train home.
Many thanks to Silvanus and Mr K ⭐️
Isn’t it funny how we all differ. I knew 1a straight away but could not for the life of me think of 18a. I think I agree with Chriscross that 28a is my favourite and altogether it was a fairly benevolent Friday. Many thanks to the Setter and to Mr K – I wonder what the weekend will bring?
Reasonably gentle for a Friday but very enjoyable – thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Podium selections for me are 9a, 12a and 11d.
*** / ****
Loved this Silvanus production today. I normally struggle more but always enjoy the challenge.
I’d never heard of 1a so that needed the blog confirmation and I’ve also not heard of 4d in that context, I only knew it as a mixture or the mythical spice in the Dune series! Therefore, 1a/4d were the last two in.
Ticks went to the 26a unproductive orchard, the 23d naked performer and the 6d George. Despite thousands of hours in my X-Plane simulator, I never think of that answer for George and spend far too long on kings before the penny drops.
“Irregardless” (which my spell checker no longer marks as incorrect ☺), ©TDS65, a superb end to the week.
Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K.
2*/4* I found this quite tricky with a fair bit of reverse parsing required. 1a is a word I’ve heard before but it took some digging out.
Top three today are 14d the beautiful seabird, 20d understood and 12a train
Thanks to Silvanus and Mr K
I hadn’t heard of 1a or 4d but I have now. I just accepted that 5d was an alternative spelling and moved swiftly on. Nothing else held me up for any length of time in a fun solve. Numerous contenders for favourite but I’ll go with 28a. Thanks to Silvanus and Mr. K.
Some new words but somehow got them – so satisfying! 26a as a lovely simple but neat clue, thank you Silvanus (?) and Mr K
A very enjoyable crossword for me today.
For me, easier than yesterday’s.
Only issue for me was the much discussed 5d. I too would have preferred another E.
Thanks to the setter and to Mr K.
What a fun Friday puzzle, I really enjoyed tackling this. I learnt a new word in 1a and needed a prompt for 4d. 28a was my favourite
Many thanks to Silvanus and to Mr K for the hints
Many thanks to Mr K and to all those solving and commenting. I hope everyone had an enjoyable Easter.
I had the pleasure of visiting the National 1a at Bedgebury last year (its centenary year) and, at the time, it occurred to me that I hadn’t seen it appear in a crossword before, so I vowed to rectify that. It claims to have the most varied collection of conifers in one place anywhere in the world. I first became aware of it when Michael Portillo stopped off there during one of his Great British Railway Journeys (I say “stopped off”, but the nearest railway station is quite a number of miles away!).
After three Friday appearances in a row, it will be someone else next week, but I shall return in the near future. A good weekend to all.
Thank you, silvanus for a great puzzle. I had an inkling it was one of yours but not confident enough to put money on it.
Never heard of 1a and had to check 4d meant what it did, although all perfectly above board and educational. What is not tho is the spelling in 5d – i know TDS has said it all before but I am deffo in agreement with him today (just not when it comes to anagram indicators!)
Thanks to the setter and to Mr K for blogging
Ooooo, those pesky anagram indicators.
For me this was quite benign for a Friday with nearly all being a straightforward read and write.
I must confess that I don’t get too hung up on the niceties of clueing, believing that if the compilation is ok with the setter, then who am I to disagree? I’ll leave it to the purists to debate the finer points of the cruciverbalist’s art, I am just chuffed to fill the grid, preferably unaided.
George (6d) and the lieutenant (7d) were pody picks for me.
Many thanks to Silvanus and MrK.
1*/4*
Another typically enjoyable Smooth Production. A brisk grid fill until last in 1a – not only was the word unfamiliar but a deal of crumpet scratching ensued before I pegged the wordplay (not helped by initially having ‘mum’ as ma) with a raised eyebrow at nip for smart. 11&27a plus 6d can fight it out among themselves for podium positions.
Thanks to Silvanus & to Mr K
An enjoyable puzzle though I was slow to twig some of the answers and went up many ‘creeks without a paddle’. 1a was a new word to me though surprised like Silvanus that it hasn’t surfaced before. I looked up plantations in BCD. LOI 20d COTD 26a. Many thanks to Silvanus and for popping in. Thanks also to Mr K though missed the kitty pics. Have a nice weekend everyone.
RHS Wisley was so busy on Tuesday that we had to walk through the 1A to get to the overflow car park.
Silvanus has given us so many great clues today – but I’ll vote for George at 6D just pipping the notorious Bostonian and the capsized vessel in the Baltic.
VMT also to Mr K
Apart from 1a, this was relatively friendly for a Friday. Rather enjoyed the solve despite 1a eluding me.
1a almost irks me somehow, as ridiculous as that sounds. Maybe pinetorium would be less irksome.
Thanks to all.
PS. Enjoyed reading the comments too! 😃
Re 1d, from what I have read on the DT’s letters page recently it seems to me that not everyone would agree that postmen make regular deliveries. In some areas the postal service appears to be very patchy indeed.
True, G. A friend of mine had a letter delivered last month, March, for a hospital appointment in January. The letter was sent last November.
And the price of a stamp has just gone up. 😟
I thought this wasn’t too bad for a Friday , but I did get held up in the NW at the end firstly as I hadn’t heard of 1a ,and struggled with the parsing , and also as I ‘misread’ ?? 9a as notorious ‘Bosnian’ 🙄 so that didn’t help. 4d was also a good word . I suppose I didn’t really know what pastiche meant , but I do now! Thanks to Silvanus and to Mr K.
2*/4* …
liked 23D “Performer works naked (5)”