Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3366 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg; apologies, after a long and busy day yesterday, I was too cream crackered to be able to create an erudite preamble.
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada back to quite friendly – six anagrams (two partials), no lurkers, and no homophones, all in a symmetric 28 clues; with 14 hints ‘sprinkled’ throughout the grid you should/might be able to get some of the checkers to enable the solving of the unhinted clues. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
Candidates for favourite – 10a, 15a, 17a, 4d, 6d, 7d, and 21d.
As is usual for the weekend prize crosswords, a number of the what I very subjectively perceive to be the more difficult clues have been selected and hints provided for them.
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.
Some hints follow:
Across
1a Ancient pursuit Olympic hosts discover after tea (7,4)
All of the short form of the 2016 Olympic hosts and a synonym of discover placed after a three letter synonym of tea (as a prepared drink).
9a Injured, ran – ran fast! (7)
A synonym of injured and a synonym of ran (an organisation?).
10a One proposal finally grasped by ignoramus – seen late in the day? (6)
The Roman numeral for one and the last letter (finally) of proposaL contained (grasped) by a four letter synonym of ignoramus.
15a Boozer prods me, drunk, a state (9)
Lots of Lego® – a three letter synonym of boozer (a place) contained by (prods) ME from the clue, a three letter nounal synonym of drunk, and A from the clue to finish.
17a Switched on, we think? (2,3,4)
Some double duty! An anagram (switched) of ON, WE THINK.
24a Female fighting breakaway group (7)
The single letter for Female and a synonym of fighting.
27a Rag absorbing water, also within reach (5,2,4)
A synonym of rag (used in cleaning?) containing (absorbing) water (obtained from Weston-super-Mare?) followed by a synonym of also.
Down
2d Bag that’s antique found in auditorium (7)
A synonym of antique inserted into (found in) a synonym of auditorium.
6d Sassy in the past, musical (7)
A synonym of sassy (according to an e-search) and a single word term equivalent to in the past.
7d Author only present in spirit? (5,6)
A descriptive term for when a person’s name appears as author (for a biography?) but an un-credited person may have assisted or written it all.
16d Latest hack pens fine report (9)
A synonym of latest followed by a synonym of hack which contains (pens) the single letter for Fine.
19d Teams in heart of Mexico – and Marxists? (7)
Terms for teams (in the oval round ball game?) in the centre (heart) of MeXIco and MarXIsts. (Thanks to Don Watson for pointing out my error.)
21d Something shrivelled up is observed in shower (6)
IS contained by (observed in) what comes down in a shower.
23d Capitals in South America modelled on African country (5)
The first letters (capitals – although two of them aren’t capitalised) of five words in the clue.
Quick Crossword Pun:
PEER + RUE + WHET = PIROUETTE
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American guitarist Duane Eddy was born on this day in 1938. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had a string of hit records which were noted for their characteristically “twangy” guitar sound. One of the best known of these was Because they’re Young which reached number 2 in the UK:
2*/3*. Aside from a couple of dodgy surfaces and a hopeless anagram indicator, this was good fun.
My podium comprises 10a, 26a & 21d.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf.
Dada being kind to us this week with a very enjoyable puzzle. Having said that, it took a while to get into with only four solved after the first pass. Then along came 7d, which opened the rest up for a steady solve. I did like the earner at 11d and the latest hack at 16d. My COTD is the rag at 27a.
Thank you, Dada for a pleasant diversion over the morning Taylors. Thank you, Colonel for the hints.
There’s a Chaliciea EV today. I know you like Chalicea puzzles.
Thanks, Phil. I do like Chalicea puzzles but I’m afraid I just don’t understand EVs. Maybe I should study them to see how they work. 🤔
The preamble is very encouraging. I only attempt EVs if they’re Chalicea’s. They usually take me a few days.
I relatively quick solve for me today, after a bit of a birthday slog yesterday. Favourites 7d, 11d, and 19d but my winner is 17a for its brevity. Thank you Dada and Senf.
Nowhere near last week’s brainmangler, but I still made heavy weather of the west, and on finishing wondered why. I liked the ancient pursuit at 1a and the teams in19d. Cotd though goes to 17a. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
I really enjoyed this puzzle. I approached it from the bottom up for some unknown reason. I also liked the Quickie Pun.
Top picks for me were 12a, 21d, 20d, 22a and 27a.
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
This was an enjoyable solve on a friendly grid with Radio taking a leaf out of Fortnightly Fred’s ‘Book of Brevity’.
My LOI was 10a, a nice but not oft used word.
The spoils go to 16d, 20d and the superb 17a, sitting atop the podium.
MTTTA and the Manitoban mountie.
2*/4*
Good fun from Dada today – thanks to him and Senf.
I had to laugh at 21d with my other ticks going to 1a, 7d and 16d.
I don’t understand 14a 🙄.
Neither do I!
I read it as the head of wig is followed by a synonym of ‘back’ meaning something that rolls.
Hoping this isn’t naughty step material. Perhaps think of Jenny as Jack’s mate?
Ignore that. Wrong puzzle
I enjoyed that! 10a and 21d were my favourites. Could anyone explain 14a for me please? I’ve submitted what I think is the correct answer but cannot parse it.
Thoroughly enjoyed completing this while watching my washing at the Laundrette.
Still can’t parse 20d although I have the only answer I can think of.
Many thanks to Dada and Senf
I hope this does put me on the naughty step….An anagram that provides a synonym
DOH!! of course many thanks
I found this to be very straightforward following a couple of DNF recently. COTD for me was 27A with 1A a close second. Thanks to the setter and SENF for the hints.
Thai corner: The Thai language just like English is full of words where letters are written and not pronounced. The difference is that most westerners do not read Thai script and therefore have to rely on the transliteration to a western script. I find it odd that the hidden letters are transliterated into the western version which seems to be a completely pointless task. The effect of this is that as soon as westerners arrive in the country they generally pronounce the name of the airport incorrectly as, ”Suvarnabummee”, as in its transliterated form it ends in an, ”i”, which is silent in the Thai voicing. They then go to order the most popular beer in Thailand, ”Singha”, to start their holiday celebrations unaware that the, ”ha”, are silent and the correct pronunciation is, ”Sing”. They then notice signs everywhere with the word, ”Sawasdee”, in bold letters explaining that it is the universal Thai greeting and works as hello, good morning/afternoon/evening and even goodbye. Emboldened by their wrongly pronounced beer they greet everybody with a jolly, ”sawasdee”, unaware that the middle S is silent. To make matters worse Thais will voice the silent letters sometimes if the audience is western so as not to cause embarassment to their guests
Brilliant!
It’s reassuring to know that English isn’t alone in being a bonkers language
Keep it comin’, ‘Thai Tyke’.
Visitors to our country often give up trying to learn the language when they see the advertisement ‘Oliver, pronounced success’.
No, you’ve got me there, Gromsy….
A good solid Sunday offering. COTD – joint ingredients of a Christmas cake.
Yes please, explanation of 14a.
I think Senf’s comments on the Mexican left wing teams must be taken with pinch of American salt and a different ball
Don Watson
Oops. I did say I was cream crackered in my non-preamble. Now fixed. Thanks.
For 14a – See budding blogger TDS65’s comment at Comment 8.
Steady, Senf baby. Steady.
Well, you’ll have to be careful. Gazza is always on the lookout for candidates to join the blogging team!
I’ll do it when I land this pesky big fish.
I’m getting close…
Made good progress, until I came back to the W with 7d and 14a holding out for an unaided completion. For 7d I was trying to think of an author’s name so reluctantly resorted to Senf’s hint to provide the ‘duh’ moment after which 14a was a shoo-in. My favourites were the absorbent cloth at 27a, the latest report at 16d and I’ll have to go with 7d .
Many thanks to Dada and Senf
2.5*/3*
This was a super Sunday, far more enjoyable than last week’s offering which was more a DNS than a DNF.
So many well-crafted clues to work though with16d and 26a worthy of mention but my COTD are 15a and 19d. The only thing standing between me and submitting my entry is a total inability to parse 14a, which I will eventually crack without reading the hints.
On other matters…
The Sky Blues are playing Wrexham today and I understand that one of the Wrexham owners jokingly offered Coventry boss Frank Lampard and his Sky Blues players a free trip to Las Vegas as long as they left yesterday.
Many thanks to the setter and Senf for the hints
Great story!
Great puzzle I thought.
I have the solution to 17 across but cannot see how the clue works is it allowed for someone to help.
Thank you for the hints
Senf provided a hint for 17a
Apologies I meant 14 across
See budding blogger TDS65’s comment at Comment 8.
That was a most enjoyable Sunday morning challenge, with honours in particular to 1a and 17a, a near-perfect clue. Thank you Dada and Senf.
A much smoother solve than yesterdays offering which I struggled hopelessly with. Todays felt much fresher and less convoluted and far more enjoyable for it. Thanks to the setter and senf
I must have been on the clever pills after yesterday’s hard slog of a puzzle. Breezed through this one like a pro!
As Senf says in his preamble I too found that this week Dada was in a friendly mood overall. Can’t even say it was quirky and nor does it seem that he even opened his personal thesaurus this week.
1.5*/4* for me
Favourites include 15a, 17a, 22a, 2d. 5d & 21d — with winner 15a
Thanks to Dada & Senf for blog/hints
I’m glad for a simple Sunday offering today – time is scarce, and still haven’t finished yesterday’s, stuck on a few there and certainly a longer solve than today.
LOI was 16D. Like others, didn’t quite parse 14A. Pody picks are 25A for making me smile, 17A’s all in one anagram, and 7D’s spirited author.
Thanks to Dada and Senf ⭐️