Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31222
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ****
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. I thought that today’s puzzle was a lot of fun with many penny drop moments producing smiles.
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 Names confused? One answer could be this (7)
AMNESIA: The wordplay directs us to the solution as an anagram (confused) of NAMES followed by the Roman one and the single letter for answer. The entire clue can serve as a definition
5a They are visible from space and cold, I recalled (7)
ICECAPS: The wordplay says that the answer is found as the reversal of (they are visible in … recalled) the fusion of SPACE, the single letter for cold, and I from the clue. The entire clue can serve as a definition
9a Extremist of internet spin? (5)
TROLL: The wordplay says take the last letter (extremist of) INTERNET and follow it with a synonym of spin. The entire clue can serve as a definition
10a Cartoon character horse, pure cross-bred (9)
SUPERHERO: An anagram (cross-bred) of HORSE PURE
11a Maybe aunt will hug old Charlie - that's moving (10)
RELOCATION: What aunt defines by example (maybe) contains (will hug) the single letter for old and the letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by Charlie
12a Last in speaking, first to offer substance (4)
GIST: The last letter in SPEAKING with an abbreviation for first
14a Cilla, say, sweet Northern dish (5,7)
BLACK PUDDING: The surname that 60s singer Cilla defines by example (say) with a synonym of sweet
18a Not in staff - work better (12)
OUTMANOEUVRE: Concatenate “not in”, another word for staff, and a French word for the body of work produced by an artist, for example
21a Extended breather to acquire love for university (4)
LONG: “breather” here refers whimsically to an organ that breathes. In it, the usual single letter for love replaces (to acquire … for) the single letter for university
22a Standing in stilettos - tens - I bled, it's apparent (10)
OSTENSIBLE: The answer is hidden in (standing in) STILETTOS TENS I BLED
25a Depicted bad business in speech (9)
PORTRAYED: Homophones (in speech) of other words for bad and for business
26a Well-fed cats, regularly brushed off, return (5)
ELECT: Alternate letters (regularly brushed off) of WELL-FED CATS
27a Board pursue and pay court to Democrat (7)
PLYWOOD: Link together pursue or work steadily, another word for “pay court to”, and the single letter for Democrat
28a Decide to do this again? (7)
RESOLVE: The answer split (2-5) could mean do again what you are doing with this clue or this puzzle
Down
1d Possibly design eastern railway as major route (6)
ARTERY: Cement together what design defines by example (possibly), the single letter for eastern, and the abbreviation for railway
2d In Colombia, the Mafia boss turned up to eat duck pasta (6)
NOODLE: The fusion of “the” in Spanish (in Colombia) and a Mafia boss is reversed (turned up) and containing (to eat) the letter representing a duck score in cricket
3d Claret's all ruined, it contains little grains (10)
SALTCELLAR: An anagram (ruined) of CLARET’S ALL
4d Help when ready (5)
ASSET: Join synonyms of when and of ready
5d Politician's brought in dodgy import, Naked Gun Ad-lib (9)
IMPROMPTU: A usual abbreviated politician is inserted in (brought in) an anagram (dodgy) of IMPORT, and that’s followed by GUN minus its outer letters (naked)
6d Noble Shakespearean king left falling down (4)
EARL: In the name of a Shakespearean king the single letter for left is moved to the end of the word (left falling down, in a down clue)
7d Essential to wallpaper it - I fixed something before starting? (8)
APERITIF: The answer is hidden inside (essential to) WALLPAPER IT I FIXED
8d Mark invested in bank, getting deficit (8)
SHORTAGE: A mark or label inserted in (invested in) a bank next to water
13d Amazon, e.g., goes to these seas with reeds spreading around delta (10)
ADDRESSEES: An anagram (spreading) of SEAS REEDS containing (around) the letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by delta
15d Inward-looking and irritable, this person had to be called out (5-4)
CROSS-EYED: Irritable or annoyed with a homophone (to be called out) of a contraction for “this person had” from the perspective of the setter
16d Revolutionary tablet dropped in puddle, it's sticky (8)
LOLLIPOP: A synonym of tablet inserted in (dropped in) a synonym of puddle, all reversed (revolutionary)
17d Danger at sea, straying where beam has sunk (8)
STINGRAY: A synonym of beam in STRAYING is moved to the end of the word (where beam has sunk, in a down clue)
19d Quickly get down stories graduate sent over (6)
ABSEIL: Some untrue stories and a usual abbreviated graduate are joined together and then reversed (sent over)
20d Calm down, or wind up changing direction at the top (6)
SETTLE: In a word meaning wind up or annoy a single letter for a compass direction is changed to one for another compass direction
23d Sage bush (5)
ELDER: A straightforward double definition
24d Group in South American city accompanying tango (4)
TRIO: A usual informal word for a South American port city comes after (accompanying) the letter represented in the NATO phonetic alphabet by tango
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: BUT + TERSE + COT + SHIES + SCREAMS = BUTTERSCOTCH ICE CREAMS
Just right for a Friday with some lateral thinking required. The lurker at 22a was well hidden and I did like the revolutionary pill at 16d. 14a reminded me I haven’t eaten any for a long time so I will have to correct that next weekend when I’m going up to Yorkshire. Plenty of good clues making it hard to pick a favourite but I am going for the decision to do it again at 28a as my COTD.
The Quickie pun was a cracker.
Thank you, setter for a fun puzzle. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints.
You can get jolly good 14 a in MnS, George has it with his cooked breakfast on a Sunday. After 68 years of doing him a cooked breakfast and on hearing that the air fryer was excellent for bacon, I was told I had never cooked it as well as Old Alice, his grandfather’s housekeeper. Needless to say I swiftly passed over the baton and at 93 he now relishes reducing bacon to a crisp on Sunday mornings. Men are strange creatures.
I’m with George, DG. Bacon has to be crisp and I do mine in the oven. None of yer supermarket stuff, though – it is sliced from the bacon joint, rind and all, to your required thickness at the village shop. 🥓🥓😊
George, George, George. Schoolboy error methinks.
A puzzle good enough for Jehovah in the immortal words of Mathias.
Not a bad clue anywhere, but having said that, is something missing in 18a, I get the ‘not in staff’ bit, not where do the last 6 letters come from? I’ll have to see the hint to explain this one. (stop press, I’ve just googled the last 6 letters, and now see why it works, oh mighty internet, god of the 21st century!)
My two of the day have to be 5a, 25a, and the brilliant 17d, the nearest we’ve ever got to seeing one of these whilst scuba diving were Southern Rays, and a lovely Spotted Eagle Ray last year in Bonaire, ah well, the search goes on…..
This was another good challenge and similar in difficulty to yesterday’s puzzle, for me. There are too many clues to like, it is almost impossible to put a podium together but I will go for 14a, 4d and 5d are superb, along with 1a and 1d. Many thanks to the setter and Mr K for their efforts.
Phew, that was tougher than I expected. Everything needed thinking about with few read and writes. Plodded on until I was left with 3 in the SW. Needed assistance for 18a; (that’s the second time recently that I have failed to spot that synonym for work). Also missed the anagram in 17d until post solve. However, everything was well constructed and a worthy level of difficulty for a Friday.
MT to the setter and Mr K
3*/3*
Not quite the jig-time of yesterday but a pleasure nonetheless. In answer to Croye Dave yesterday – there are no degrees of jig-time. This was the proper (fast) speed to approach everything, including life, according to my friend. Otherwise you would be condemned with a pithy remark about the other two (unacceptable) speeds – ‘dead slow’ and ‘stop’. Remarkable woman she was.
Podium places to 14a, 13d and 15d.
Thanks to compiler and hinter.
A fine and fair Friday offering with no obscure definitions or questionable parsings.
The homophone at 25a, the board at 27a and the danger at sea in 17d stood out for me.
Steve’s right, the quickie pun is excellent.
My thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Nicely chewy and requiring a crumpet scratch or two with the SW holding out for some time. Liked 14a, 7d and the lurker in 22a, but my cotd is 5d. Great word nicely clued. Thanks to compiler and Mr K.
Unfortunately I really didn’t enjoy this puzzle. I thought 22A just gave the answer and had no cryptic element to it at all. I also would challenge 25A as to where in England POR is a homophone for POOR? I realise I seem to be in the minority though.
Thai facts. The description of relationships seems to vary between the incredibly precise and very vague. Your uncles and aunts have a different name based on whether they are the older or younger siblings of your parents. Grand parents have different titles based upon whether they are maternal or paternal. There is no distinction between cousin and sister or brother. The same term is applied to a cousin as it is to a brother or sister apart from distinguishing the sex.
Hi Tyke – I guess it depends on how you pronounce words such as poor and moor: is it poo-er and moo-er, or paw and maw? Or even pawr and mawr if one has a rhotic r?
For me it’s paw and maw (though my parents are not Americans …) so por works as a homophone for poor, and here in the south west I never hear poo-er and moo-er.
Couldn’t have put it better myself, I thought they were two very fair clues.
No homophone problem for me. I comes from Brizzle – Ooh arr !
Setters always ask for a bit of latitude when it comes to homophones due to varying accents.
Your problem with 25a resonates with me (hence my rare unlurk!)
I knew it had to be a homophone, but I couldn’t see it. Mr K convinced me to.try again, and I finally got it! Oof!
!y excuse is that I left the UK 53 years ago next Friday, so may not be au fait with all the varieties of modern English!
V much enjoyed the guzzle nonetheless, with no particular fave, so many thanks to the setter and Mr K.
You obviously remember well the exact date you left the UK!
Those words aren’t homophones for me either — but I’m outnumbered in my own household, where everybody else pronounces ‘Moor’ and ‘more’ the same way (also ‘one’ and ‘won’).
I agree with Tom: given that accents vary, I’m happy to accept that many soundalike clues aren’t going to be identical for everybody, otherwise we risk not being able to have that clue type at all!
Sorry you didn’t enjoy the puzzle, Tyke. Hopefully one that’s more to your tastes will be along soon. Interesting about the Thai language; please keep the facts coming!
I struggled with this and found it heavy going but it could be due to my pounding headache. Lots to enjoy though once they were teased out.
Top picks for me were 25a, 7d, 16d, 15d and 28a.
Thanks to Mr K and the setter.
SW I found tricky, but some more clever clues and lurkers. I liked 3D.
I found this to be perfect for a Friday with a couple of excellent lurkers, a new, for me, synonym for work in 18a and a head scratcher when it came 15d, the answer was clear but I wasn’t in tune with the parsing until Mr K helped me out.
A number of contenders for COTD but I finally settled on 5d.
Many thanks to the setter and Mr K for the hints
What a superb end to my (non-)work week and I have two half-crowns from the never ending supply at the back of my sock drawer telling me that this is most likely a Silvanus production – 2.5*/5*
Standout favourite by a country mile from I don’t know how many candidates – 18a!
Thanks to Silvanus, or whomsoever if my half-crowns are telling porkies, and thanks to Mr K.
Not me today, but thanks all the same!
Oh well, you win some, you lose some.
Lots of clever clueing and not too challenging. Then again, my sense of what is difficult has been altered by moonlighting over in Guardianland yesterday, where many of the solutions were obscure breeds of sheep. I’m going to nominate 1a as COTD as (a) it was good and.(b) I’m on the tube without reading glasses so a thorough review is out of the question. Thanks very much to the setter and to Mr K.
I found this Friday puzzle at the usual end of week difficulty today. A few clues again I could not reverse parse even when the answer was what it had to be.
3*/3*
Favourites 1a, 11a, 14a, 7d & 13d — with winner 14a
Thanks to setter & Mr K.
17d was my favourite. Great clue!
A gentle and enjoyable puzzle with which to end the back-page week, held up only by two or three in the NE where I had not spotted the lurker and reverse lurker, and parsed LOI 8D only after getting it.
Many thanks to the setter and to MrK
This was a fine way to finish the cruciverbal week that I don’t think is a Silvanus production. I’m going with Zandio.
I haven’t heard of the term ‘pay court’ (my guess is ‘to court’ is a short version)
17d was very neat and it’s interesting that the parsing of 24d could be another word but tango after the city.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the word ‘down’ follow 19d.
My podium is 1a, 14a and 28a.
MTTTA (?) and Mr K.
3*/4*
Ah, I’ve just seen that it wasn’t Mr Smooth.
An excellent puzzle – thanks to today’s setter and Mr K.
The clues I highlighted were 25a, 1d, 15d and 17d.
** / ****
A rather gentle Friday offering I felt. I ruled out Silvanus as I don’t do 1* or 2* difficulty with him ☺!
Ticked the two long lurkers at 22a and 7d as well as the 27a board and the excellent 17d beam sunk. Yesterday was another nightmare on the trains out of Manchester so later I can go back to look at Mr T’s offering.
Thanks to the setter and Mr K.
A brilliant puzzle, probably my favourite of the week. As soon as I started with1a I thought I was gonna be in for a treat – and indeed it proved to be. Chock full of brilliant clues and great surfaces. Impossible to overpraise. Take a bow setter. Thanks also to MrK for blogging duties who’s words of wisdom I shall now check out.
Hello, compiler here. Thanks very much for taking the time to solve, analyse and discuss. Always much appreciated.
Here’s a snatch of music to go with 15d. I went to see The Cinelli Brothers last night in Teignmouth, and their best song was a trippy version of ‘Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)’, by the First Edition featuring Kenny Rogers. So in the spirit of psychedelia, here’s The Grateful Dead with ‘Born Cross-Eyed’ from the mind-blowing first side of ‘Anthem Of The Sun’. Thanks again for taking the rouble to comment, and have a groovy weekend.
Thank you for a very enjoyable crossy, Mr Z.
14a is a belter.
Keep ‘em coming.
Absolutely love the First Edition version of Just Dropped In, which I first came across in The Big Lebowski.
Technically it’s actually a Jerry Lee Lewis cover as he recorded it first. Mickey Newbury, who wrote it, does a great version too.
Great puzzle btw
Brilliant Friday fare. So many ticks. 16d made me laugh when I fell into the puddle, very droll and 17d was sheer brilliance, either the answer there before you. I spent far too long on 3d looking at scintilla or something like that but the answer was so prosaic it had to have a daisy. Sitting in the conservatory with doors open and fan on it is still nearly 80, but the gardener in me is crying for rain. At night of course, which would be the norm if God were a woman. Huge thanks to The Crafty Setter and to Mr Kay for being there. I’m hoping to have a more normal guzzling week next week.
2.5*/4*. An enjoyable end to the week with a marked difference in difficulty between the top half (1* equivalent) and the bottom half (4* equivalent).
My podium choice is 25a, 1d & 15d.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.
A highly entertaining puzzle, with the south west causing me the most trouble.17d was my favourite, a very cleverly written clue but I liked many others including 16d one of my last in.
Many thanks to Zandio and to Mr K for the hints.
I meeded to build up some checkers to get the gisr of some ofthe parsing but it wasnt too diffi ult a puzzle fora Friday. I liked the lurkers at 7d and 22a, the lego clue at 18a and the anagram at 3d. Thanks to the compiler and to Mr K for the hints
Fantastic – so many great clues with 5a as my favourite. Loved the quickie pun but not sure about Zandio’s choice of the Grateful Dead soundtrack! Thank you also Mr K
For once I didn’t make harder work of this than I should have as I fairly breezed through this and loved every minute of it. Hard to pick a favourite but I’ll go with 19d. Thanks to Zandio and Mr. K.
Indeed this was a superb puzzle and no surprise it is Zandio one of my favourites. I did have a bit of a hmmm at the definition of 19d having parsed it, at the definition ‘quickly come down’ did seem a tad flimsy or have I misunderstood ? Got into a bit of a muddle in the SW having confidently put ‘dogwood’ which did fit the parsing , then ended up with 16d ending in d – and of course nothing fitted although ‘hellipad’ did spring to mind which is neither sticky or spelt right 🙄 How the mind wanders. It all came good in the end. Thanks to Zandio and Mr K.
A brilliant puzzle — a real treat, yet still accessible, with a great mix of clues that went in straight away and those which took a little more effort. Highlights for me included 5a being visible from space, 11a with Charlie’s aunt (also a Two Ronnies punchline from their Mastermind sketch!), and the 17d sunken beam, with 28a being absolutely perfect for the final clue in a crossword. Thank you so much to Zandio.
And thanks also to Mr K, particularly for explaining “this person had to be called out” in 15d.
What an interesting and enjoyable crossword ,it seems to divide opinion as to which areas of the grid were more difficult .I thought the east a shoe in but the west took some thinking about .My favourites 3,15 and the winner 17d .. Thanks to all
Ticks all over the shop but I’m with Senf in plumping for the work from home plug at 18a as pick of a cracking set of clues – it was last in & a bit of a fall over the line at the end of a pedestrian solve. A terrific pun in the Quickie too. 15d reminded me of a lass Jethro Tull sang about on Aqualung – listened to the track then ended up playing the whole album.
Thanks to Zandio & to Mr K
Many thanks to Zandio for a fine Friday puzzle. 1A was a superb start. VMT also to Mr k.
Oh dear I forgot about 1A when nominating my podium clues 😬
Really enjoyed this fabulous solve today. Every clue was a pleasure to solve. Best Friday for some time!
Penultimate one in was 18a, very clever. LOI was 27a.
Thanks to all.
Only a few went in on first pass, but it came together pretty smoothly. The checkers helped with many and LOI was 18A.
Pody picks – the sticky 16D, 25D’s nice homophone and 19D’s rapid descent mechanism.
Thanks to setter and to Mr K ⭐️