Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31225
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty */** Enjoyment ****
Well quite a weather contrast to yesterday’s glorious day here in Harpenden as it’s dull & overcast with maybe even a smattering of much needed rain due in the next hour or two.
Today’s Anthony Plumb (I assume) production is the usual gentle exercise that I suspect won’t leave many 17d. As ever nicely clued throughout & fun while it lasted. For those seeking a further challenge I see Hudson is over in t’other place so I’ll save that for an afternoon watching the snooker & nursing a poorly back.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
Across
1a Drunkard in the hay turned red (7)
BLUSHED: insert (in) a drunkard/sot into the hay/place to sleep – the expression hitting the hay comes from the fact that hay was once the 17a used to fill mattresses.
5a Steal pub profit (7)
BARGAIN: link a synonym for pub/boozer with one for profit/yield. Nowt to do with sticky fingers.
9a Convexity on upper surface around hotel room (7)
CHAMBER: a term for a convex or slightly bowed surface (on a road for example) with the single letter for H[otel] inserted (around).
10a Luxury cot from abroad (7)
COMFORT: an anagram (abroad) of COT FROM.
11a Businesses take steps cutting costs (9)
PRACTICES: insert (cutting) a verb meaning to take steps/proceed into costs/charges.
12a Frenzied chap in charge (5)
MANIC: chap/fella + the usual two letter abbreviation for in charge.
13a Produce that is left in yard (5)
YIELD: the usual abbreviation for yard goes around the two letters for ‘that is’ & L[eft].
15a Gets bigger hip wrinkles (9)
INCREASES: hip/fashionable + wrinkles/pleats.
17a Vessel bearing meat (9)
SUBSTANCE: an abbreviation for an underwater vessel + bearing/posture.
19a Genesis admitting end of pop career (5)
SPEED: place (admitting) [po]P (end of) into genesis/root.
22a Downright eccentric leader’s thrown out (5)
UTTER: remove the 1st letter (leader thrown out) from an informal term for an eccentric/oddball.
23a Flirt with intern with tea brewing (9)
ENTERTAIN: an anagram (brewing) of INTERN TEA.
25a Guarantee ball is close to hole (7)
PROMISE: ball/dance + IS from the wordplay + [hol]E (close to).
26a Encounter cheat exchanging diamonds with queen (7)
RECEIVE: a synonym for cheat with its initial letter swapped out – D[iamonds] replaced with queen/R[egina].
27a Modest about son’s ancestry (7)
DESCENT: a synonym for decent/tasteful with S[on] inserted (about).
28a Violent Danes with ship, creating misery (7)
SADNESS: an anagram (violent) of DANES then append the usual ship prefix.
Down
1d Earlier talk brought up money you’re owed (4,3)
BACK PAY: earlier/previous + a reversal (brought up/down clue) of talk/yatter.
2d Ignorant French article essentially creates conflict with Spain (7)
UNAWARE: the French indefinite article for use with masculine nouns + [cre]A[tes] (essentially/middle letter of) + a term for an armed conflict then append the IVR code for Spain.
3d Sister might wear this headpiece crossing British island (5)
HABIT: place a headpiece/titfer around (crossing) the single letter for B[ritish] & for I[sland].
4d Awful court, I found, regularly ignored guidance (9)
DIRECTION: awful/dreadful + the two letter abbreviation for court + I from the wordplay + the alternate letters in f[O]u[N]d.
5d Resists American bread (5)
BUCKS: a double definition – the first as in a trend for example, the latter US slang for a dollar dating back to the 18th-century frontier trade.
6d Reminisces about old monarch getting upset with those in political party? (9)
REMEMBERS: reverse the royal cypher for the late queen + those who have paid up & joined a political party.
7d Measures adult horses, perhaps (7)
AMOUNTS: A[dult] + horses/rides.
8d Sees no sign of nerves before exams start, initially (7)
NOTICES: NO from the clue + an involuntary muscular contraction that may be a sign of nerves + the 1st letter (initially) of E[xams] & S[tart].
14d Put off by quarry’s shape (9)
DETERMINE: put off/discourage + a verb synonym for quarry/excavate.
16d Animals sure react strangely (9)
CREATURES: an anagram (strangely) of SURE REACT.
17d Cricketer hates getting this confused (7)
STUMPED: a double definition. The first, as I am confident Daisygirl will know, the price a batsman may pay if he’s out of his crease & Rabbit Dave whips off the bails.
18d Shakespeare character with donkey’s head and small feet (7)
BOTTOMS: Nick, the weaver + amateur thespian in Midsummer Night’s Dream, who is transformed by Puck + S[mall]. The definition context is the lowest parts.
20d Look at chopper climbing with me in, up in the air (7)
EXAMINE: reverse (climbing/down clue) a chopper + an anagram (up in the air) of ME IN.
21d Daughter put out by Sunningdale’s first hazards (7)
DANGERS: D[aughter] + put out/annoy + S[unningdale’s].
23d Still on time for jamboree (5)
EVENT: still/flat + T[ime].
24d Zoomed over in sidecars (5)
RACED: hidden in reverse (over/in).
No real favourite today but plenty of likes – 19&25a along with 4,8&17d the ones that stood out for me. Please let us know which clues you liked best.
Today’s Quick Crossword pun: COP + PUP + LATE = COPPERPLATE or COPPER PLATE
This morning’s listening while preparing the blog, has been my Ray LaMontagne playlist. I’m really looking forward to seeing him for the first time in June. Here’s a fun track off his Gossip in the Grain album, he wrote about Meg White of The White Stripes
I found this more difficult than the normal Tuesday offering, but there were some clever clues, as usual.
Very enjoyable puzzle today with not too many hold-ups. I did find I was entering answers because they fitted and working out the parsing later on. I had six or seven left before I went to shower that seemed tricky, but refreshed and smelling sweet, the final few went in. Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.
One of those days when everything seemed to make sense resulted in a steady solve with many that required thought but nothing too taxing, a perfect Tuesday.
Difficult to decide on a COTD and so I’m offering a selection – 8d, 11a and 25a.
Many thanks to the setter and Huntsman.
A steady solve from top to bottom, no real hold ups except for 26a. I am still not sure the answer is synonymous with encounter.
8d, 27a and 5a favourites today.
Thanks to Huntsman and PP.
2*/4*
Hi SL8
I’m struggling too with encounter. Could it be something like ”Her speech *******d/encountered a lot of criticism” or am I clutching?
I scratched the crumpet too trying to think of examples where they’re interchangeable. Mr G reckons the synonymy strictly restricted to contexts of foreshadowing or indicating potential – the project will encounter/promise a difficult road ahead.
Not too keen on “encounter” either, although I suppose in the diplomatic field, a monarch may xxxxxxx an ambassador, but I’m not sure it’s on a par with an “encounter” really
I think you’re right, WB. The definition of encounter is the following:
1. A meeting, especially one that is unplanned, unexpected, or brief: a chance encounter in the park.
2. A hostile or adversarial confrontation: a tense naval encounter.
26a is a more positive word though my example above probably works. But, it’s a rare example.
President Trump received (encountered) King Charles is how I saw it.
Hmm, it’s an interesting one.
95% of the time encounter is used as a verb, it has a negative connotation as opposed to a noun (A Brief Encounter).
I think we’ve done it to death.
A demain, mon ami!
No, I don’t think you’re “clutching”. It seems pretty straightforward to me. As in: I didn’t expect my report would r*****e/encounter such hostility (very similar to your example). Chambers (online) Thesaurus lists (No3) the following:
receive
v
1 take, take up, accept, get, obtain, derive, gain, acquire, come by, pick up, collect, gather, inherit
2 receive guests admit, let in, greet, welcome, entertain, take, contain, hold, accommodate
3 experience, undergo, go through, suffer, bear, sustain, meet with, encounter
4 react to, respond to, hear, find out about, be informed of, learn about, perceive formal apprehend
ANTONYM 1 give, donate
Thanks, J. I think it works okay.
Oh! What a day I had yesterday!
Driving back from a weekend in the depths of Lincolnshire, PC Chilworth called me as the alarm system at the committee rooms had been set off by an incandescent Colonel Bagshot. He had been battering at the door for several hours, unaware that I was dining in Louth. Apparently it was connected to 3d in yesterday’s guzzle. Something to do with a painting technique developed by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac.
As Colonel Bagshot has been released on bail, the committee met this morning and I am pleased to announce that yesterday’s 3d has been admitted, unanimously, to The List. To placate Colonel Bagshot, it has been placed on a plinth in the front lobby.
What? Today’s guzzle? Great fun to solve, and some ace music tracks provided by Hintsman.
Thanks to the setter and Andy On The Sofa – I hope your back pain eases with the aid of the snooker.
A gentle puzzle with some good lego clues, (1a ,9a,, 11a to name a few. I also liked the swapped initial letter clue at 26a and the souble definition at 17d. Thanks to the compuler and to Huntsman for the hints
Dear Chriscross – I love the idea of a compuler. It sounds very important – the Compuler of the Guzzle. It must be a court appointment. 🥰
A very elegant if not too taxing Tuesday offering, with 8d my pick of the bunch. Thanks very much to the setter and to Huntsman. In the privacy of the confessional, I would admit that I love that Genesis track and indeed most of the Lamb album – and not just because it was inescapable in a boys’ grammar school in the 1970s.
Me too – I smoked Winston fags for a time because of it.
I love the album too (except the Brian Eno bits) and when you listen to some of the complexities of the writing and consider they were still in their early twenties when they wrote it, it does show what talented and skilful musicians they all were.
It’s my favourite Genesis album of all time , and that is a brilliant track. I just listened to it – I know all the lyrics that are, in true Peter Gabriel style so so clever .. maybe a bit pretentious at times, but yes they were – still are in fact amazing musicians.
Good to see that you are a fan, JM.
Phil Collins said that, when Peter walked on stage wearing his wife’s red dress, sporting a fox’s head in Dublin in 1972, it added a zero to their appearance fee. He didn’t tell the others as they would have given it the thumbs-down treatment.
A legend.
This was a strange one for me. The fast time belies the effort made and the subsequent parsing. There were no hold ups but the across clues took longer to solve. 5, 11 and 17 across are my top picks but there were several others also worthy of note. 3d reminded me of an old joke “you can kiss a nun twice, but can’t get into the habit”! The pun was very funny. Many thanks to the setter and hinter!
Thanks to the Setter and Huntsman. Started off at flying rate and then stalled towards the end. Got second wind to then finish as they all fell into place quickly. LOI 26a. COTD 9a.
I agree with our blogger, nothing too complicated, this was a fairly straightforward though enjoyable offering.
The smart reference to golf at 25a was my COTD.
Thanks for the Slade tune, H. That track and indeed the whole album shows what the band were capable of, before the demands of making money for the record company kicked in. Still, I don’t suppose they’re complaining, they did OK out of it all and their pension fund is topped up every Christmas…
My thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
This took me a tad longer to solve than I might have expected for a Tuesday, mainly because, inexplicably, the SW quadrant held me up. Bearing in mind we have just spent three days watching cricket at Worcester it is inexcusable that 17d held me up. My dimness aside, this was the usual excellent puzzle from Mr P and 17d was my favourite once solved.
Many thanks to the aforementioned and The Hintsman.
I found this to be a very enjoyable challenge with a smattering of humour added in. My knowledge of Shakespeare is very limited so although I was aware of the characters name I was looking for I wasn’t aware of his physical attributes and struggled for a long time to solve the clue as I was looking for a cryptic element that turned out to be just a straightforward physical description. COTD for me was the cricketers nightmare in 17d as it provoked a grin.
Thai corner.
Following the description of the difficulties encountered with a language that, has no spaces between words, in its written form, places vowels above or below or before consonants they follow when spoken and has the killer function of being tonal, todays’ big reveal may surprise those who are not familiar with the language.
The biggest revelation when starting to learn Thai is that there are virtually no rules to its grammar. There are no tenses. Verbs do not change at all dependent on the time of the action they describe.
There are no plurals, nouns maintain the same spelling regardless of the number being described. In effect it’s one cat, two cat, three cat.
There are no indefinite or definite articles. It’s the dog chased, cat not a cat or the cat.
Because of the simplicity of sentence structure and the use of far fewer words than you would use in English it can feel like you’re speaking a pidgin language. More to come of the challenges that the lack of grammatical rules entail. Most importantly though, spare a thought for Thai speakers, learning English, getting their head round the fact that they had only one word in their language for eat and now they have to deal with eat, eaten, ate, eating for the one concept.
Thanks to Huntsman for the hints and to the setter.
Thank you, once more. Fascinating stuff. That does make sense as I often hear non-English speakers not using the articles.
Write a book about this, will yer.
”Tyke’s Tongue-Thaied Tips”
To quote a TV resident of Peckham….You know it makes sense
The book has to be written as it would be such a shame to waste such an amazing title.
It was screaming at me.
It sounds as though salutations, genuflections and congratulations should be given to anyone who masters the Thai Tongue Twisters.
ATBnoideawhatyouarerabbitingonabout?
Firstly, thank you, Hoots, for the Genesis song which will appeal to the tiniest of audiences. Steve Hackett at his very best.
This was a great crossword from Il Professore with almost every clue being a winner. I drifted into 2* territory as I couldn’t get the letter d out my brain for donkey’s head and I was convinced the 4th letter of 26a was a consonant.
I’m always up for setters pushing the onvy (can I get away with that?) and that includes ‘out there’ anagram indicators which may surprise some of you. But, I’m struggling with ‘abroad’ even though I think I’ve seen it before a few times. I don’t mind ‘alien’, i,e ‘different’ but ‘abroad’? As Simon Cowell would say….It’s a ‘No’ from me.
My podium is 11a, 19a (of course) and 17d.
MTTTA
2*/5* (I’ll let ‘abroad’ slide as there are enough beans in the jar)
I found this a bit trickier than our usual Tuesday fare (how does ‘encounter’ mean the 26a answer?) and wondered at one stage whether we had a new setter.
I liked 5d and 18d.
Thanks to the setter and Huntsman.
2*/4*. TT with, of course, 17d my favourite, which is joined on my very crowded podium by 5a, 17a, 25a & 5d.
Many thanks to AP and to Hintsman.
A good example of the new Typically Tuesdayish – **/****
The only reference I could find for encounter and 26a was in the listing for the latter in The Chambers Crossword Dictionary.
Favourite a toss-up between 17a and 17d – and the winner 17d!
Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.
P.S. Correction to my second sentence – also on-line in Collins Thesaurus and Chambers Thesaurus.
A slightly perplexing one and I think Huntsman is as bang on as ever. Thanks to he for the hint to 21d as I didn’t quite understand the answer to that one. I was having a coffee in the Bedford Hotel Tavistock and it was quite distractingly busy so that may have affected my concentration but never mind. Great fun and 17a for no reason whatsoever was my COTD. Thank you our setter.
1.5* / 3.5* A gentle and enjoyable puzzle with plenty of smiles.
Favourites include the confused cricketer at 17d, the embarrassed 1a and the 25a guarantee
Many thanks to compiler and Huntsman
2d. Inunderstood this to be the French maculine indefinite article + the middle letter (essentially) of CREATES + armed conflict + IVR code for Spain.
Quite correct – I’ll amend accordingly. Ta
I’m going to go against the consensus and say that I found this rather difficult, and not greatly enjoyable. Whether I can blame it on the weather or a trip to the dentist, who knows. As most of today’s puzzle left me 17d at times, it had better be my cotd. Thanks AP but I didn’t do justice to your efforts today. Thanks also to Huntsman
A super puzzle as is ever the case with a Tuesday. Only slight gripe is 26a – is it really a synonym of ‘encounter’? Probably in some red coloured tome somewhere!. Still, that is but the merest triffle in what was an otherwise master class in surface readings. Thank you setter and to Hintsman.
A bit chewier than many Tuesdays, but 26a aside, nothing actually too frightening. 19a takes my prize by a distance today for the surface alone. Thanks to our Setter and Huntsman for more musical learning opportunities.
I have been trying to post on today’s Toughie, but get page not available message. If anyone reads this who knows how to pull the strings perhaps the blockage could be cleared. Thanks.
I have reposted the Toughie review and it is working now. For some unknown reason, there is also a more recent draft version of the review. The version that I reposted is the original version that everyone had commented on. I hope I have not stepped on anyone’s toes by doing this.
For me not so much a Typical Tuesday puzzle again this week. A few tricky clues and answers in this grid, I thought.
2*/3.5*
Favourites include 1a, 15a, 28a, 3d, 5d & 20d — with winner that made me laugh 15a
Thanks to AP & Huntsman
I am in agreeance (to quote a long departed PC Chairman) with the comments about 26a which was my last one in although it did take me a long time to fall in to the rekrul. 15a favourite, it made me smile. My arm is very tender after yesterday’s Covid jab but I think I am lucky not to have other symptoms of which I have been told. I am sure you are all delighted to hear that news!! Many thanks to the Setter and The Hintsman.
Took a while to crack this Grid, particularly the western half. My COTD, 17d. It took me a while to work out it was an all in one. Thanks to the setter and Huntsman for the extras and music 🎶 Cheers, 🦇
The usual Tuesday fare with such smooth clueing. The sidecars lurker was last one in. Thank you Huntsman for the Neil Young clip (but never really appreciated Genesis alas)
I had to do the puzzle in fits and starts today because of driving duties, marking and getting ready for a weekend away in Yorkshire.
As others have said, not as straightforward as some Tuesdays but, unlike others, 26a did not bother me at all. My COTD is 17d, which I thought quite clever.
Thank you, Professor for the challenge. Thank you, Hintsman for the hunts.
On a par with yesterday for difficulty with all but SW completed in Lorraine’s jig-time before I went off to golf. On my return the bails flew off as 17d jumped out at me and the rest followed in quick succession although I had to think out loud to find the ball in 25a which was LOI.
Pody places for the convex room 9a and the vessel bearing meat at 17a.
Many thanks to AP and Huntsman.
1.5*/3.5*
An enjoyable and fairly gentle solve but by no means a walk in the park. There were a few interesting parsings and definitions that I had to think about. Encounter has already been mentioned. Also bottoms for feet 18d was clever , and also substance synonym for vessel 17a , which was a bung in as it was the only word that fitted, so had to give that one some after thought. A nice puzzle. Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman especially for the Genesis track , one of my favourites from my favourite album of theirs.
All completed but had a bit of a struggle with 26a like others have said. No stand out favourites but thoroughly enjoyable.
Many thanks to the setter and to Hyntsman for the hints.
Thank goodness we are at the easier end of the week because being away for 6 days has made crossword land more difficult. It should not be so but there is no doubting it. Got there in the end but puffing and panting most of the way. Favourite was 17 down and last in 26 across which was not the first definition that came to mind.
Thanks to Mr. Plumb and Huntsman
I’ll cast my votes for the two 17s. VMT to the Prof and to Huntsman.
Another puzzle that fooled me into thinking it was going to be a straight run to the finishing post. Did great, until I didn’t. I’m in the “not a fan of 26a clue” club. But loved 1a, 15a and 8d. Thanks for to the Professor and Hunstman.
A nice start to the day to help me wake up before work, the northern clues needed more thinking time than the southerners.
LOIs were four in the NE, not tricky in hindsight, once I got 7D the rest went down quickly. Elsewhere I wasn’t convinced by the 21D ‘put out’ synonym?
Pody nominees are the amusing and hip 15A, 20D’s setter going for a ride, and 23D because I like the word jamboree.
Thanks to setter and to Huntsman ⭐️ – some great songs & artists among your blog as always (Neil Young top of the tree) , and I too am enjoying the snooker 🎱
Oh yes, also joining the ‘not convinced by 26A’ club 😸
Found this slightly more challenging than a 1* suggested, especially the SW quadrant. Totall defeated by 18d, thinking of something that ended in ‘…ods.’ Have to clue up on my Shakespeare.
Favourites today were 9a, that convexity being the generator of the pressure differential across an aerofoil and 17d, which is what I was with 18d.
Thank you to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints.
I found this very hard indeed. Much of the SW still eludes me.
Amazed that many think this was easy. I need an upgrade for my brain…
Thanks to all.
As l predicted yesterday my newly found confidence came crashing down as I found this extremely difficult. No walk in the park for me but managed to stumble over the line eventually. 26a was a bung in. Some of these clues were of toughie standard for me. Oh well! There’s always tomorrow. Thanks to AP anyway and Huntsman.
Ps the toughie page seems to have crashed. I opened it this afternoon but it crashed when I tried to post and it still won’t open.