Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31244
Hints and Tips by Gazza
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ****
Deansleigh is on holiday (and probably without Internet access) this week so I’m standing in for him.
Thanks to today’s setter for a very enjoyable challenge which is fairly gentle. All three of the long anagrams fell quickly based on the enumerations and a few checkers so that was a big help in completing the grid.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and indicator words (e.g. anagram indicators) are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons.
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Across
1a Tell fib about retired supermodel being flexible (7)
LISSOME: a verb to tell a fib contains (about) the reversal (retired) of the surname of an English supermodel.
5a Cure-all somewhat cheap, an ace alternative (7)
PANACEA: hidden (somewhat) in the clue.
9a Cyclists make pod cast – chaotically funny scenes! (9,6)
SLAPSTICK COMEDY: an anagram (cast) of CYCLISTS MAKE POD.
10a 3 witches in a gathering failing at the outset (4)
OVEN: the definition refers to 3d. We need a word for a gathering of witches without its first letter (failing at the outset). A very neat clue because, thanks to the Bard, we tend to think of witches in groups of three.
11a Trouble occupying very advanced, superior house (5)
VILLA: a synonym of trouble or pain goes inside (occupying) abbreviations for very and advanced.
12a First half of the alphabet, something very small (4)
ATOM: the first half of the alphabet is 1,2,1.
15a Line that touches bronzed chap? (7)
TANGENT: charade of an adjective meaning bronzed and another word for a chap.
16a Our Tim goes out, ending in awful commotion (7)
TURMOIL: an anagram (goes out) of OUR TIM followed by the end letter of awful.
17a Connery’s lost somewhere to rest his butt (7)
ASHTRAY: how Sir Sean would have pronounced an adverb meaning lost or ‘off course’.
19a Leave a group of musicians working (7)
ABANDON: assemble A (from the clue), a word for a musical group and an adjective meaning working or in operation.
21a Convict’s first time in prison (4)
CAGE: the first letter of convict and a word for a period of time.
22a Convent always storing odd bits of Bible (5)
ABBEY: a (mainly Scottish) adverb meaning always contains (storing) the odd letters of Bible.
23a Sudden twinge leads to Annie needing to have PG Tips (4)
PANG: the leading letters of Annie needing are contained in (tipped by) P and G.
26a Branch of US Govt affirmed European role meant ignoring America (5,10)
STATE DEPARTMENT: string together a verb meaning affirmed or declared, an abbreviation for European, a synonym of role and MEaNT with the abbreviation for America left out.
27a Show with cops and drama (7)
DISPLAY: the abbreviation for senior CID officers and a synonym of drama.
28a Postgrads spotted cycling in enormous numbers (2,5)
EN MASSE: stick together postgraduate qualifications and a past participle meaning spotted or noticed then cycle the final two letters to the front.
Down
1d Act violently, like husband punching ruffian (4,3)
LASH OUT: a preposition meaning like and the genealogical abbreviation for husband go inside (punching) a ruffian or yobbo.
2d Traitor taking harnesses off (5,2,3,5)
SNAKE IN THE GRASS: an anagram (off) of TAKING HARNESSES.
3d Kiln starts to overheat after setting temperature (4)
OAST: the starting letters of four words in the clue.
4d Exclusive English literature topped list (7)
ELITIST: abbreviations for English and literature followed by ‘list’ without its first letter (topped).
5d Stupid boy allowed crumpet (7)
PIKELET: the name of the ‘stupid boy’ in Dad’s Army and a verb meaning allowed. I know we’ve all seen this classic clip many times but it’s worth another viewing:
6d Element of Tube lighting? (4)
NEON: my initial thought was that this clue was a double definition but I now think it’s a cryptic definition of the element (a noble gas) which is used in fluorescent tubes.
7d IKEA makes these amazingly shrewd forecasts (6,2,7)
CHESTS OF DRAWERS: an anagram (amazingly) of SHREWD FORECASTS.
8d Very bad baby’s ma lost bottles (7)
ABYSMAL: hidden (bottles) in the clue.
13d Shuttle service runs aboard iron railway (5)
FERRY: the cricket abbreviation for runs goes between (aboard) the chemical symbol for iron and the abbreviation for railway.
14d Fear doctor each day (5)
DREAD: weld together abbreviations for doctor, each and day.
17d Hancock regularly employed individual in dock (7)
ACCUSED: the even (regularly) letters of Hancock and a verb meaning employed.
18d Bad behaviour by boy running around Exeter’s walls (7)
YOBBERY: an anagram (running) of BY BOY goes around the outer letters (walls) of Exeter.
19d Outstanding art gallery film material (7)
ACETATE: an adjective meaning outstanding and our usual art gallery.
20d Close cup game that goes on fairly late (7)
NIGHTIE: an archaic adverb meaning close or near followed by a match in a cup competition.
24d Kent port trade (4)
DEAL: double definition, the second the type of arrangement that President Trump is always keen to secure.
25d This compiler’s hosting extremely talkative couple (4)
ITEM: the contracted way the compiler would say that ‘he is’ containing (hosting) the outer letters (extremely) of talkative.
I liked 10a, 17a, 5d and 20d. Which one(s) made your highlights tape?
The Quick Crossword pun: GREY + THAI + DEER = GREAT IDEA!
I found this a lot more straightforward than yesterday’s and but very enjoyable. Thanks to the setter and Gazza.
I still don’t get 12a at all!
Welcome to the blog, Chris.
How would you list the first 13 letters of the alphabet (1,2,1)?
What did you think of the puzzle?
Oh dear! Yes, got it now. Being slow! Really enjoyed the puzzle and completed it with help on a couple of clues from you – 17a and 19d. Thank you! I did actually get 12a myself but just couldn’t work out why that was the answer so thank you for your help!
A lovely puzzle, one of those (for me anyway) very rare instances where on starting with the downs all bar one went in on reading, with all the acrosses in order afterwards, leaving just the one left after the first full pass. Very satisfying indeed!
As Gazza said, the enumeration of the long clues (especially 2d & 7d) helped no end, and I thought the surfaces and humour were all top notch. I ended up with exactly the same clues on my podium: 10a, 17a, 5d, and 20d.
As to the witches, being an unrepentant Pratchett fan my first thought was of Granny, Nanny & Magrat!
Many thanks to the setter (Hudson?) and to Gazza
I’m with you on the witches
Mild and amusing. The long anagrams needed a bit of teasing out, but otherwise no problems and an unaided solve. Loved Connery’s accessory 17a and the close cup game 20d, but my COTD is Ikea’s product 7d.
Many thanks to the setter and Gazza
1*/4*
Light and fun. Thank you to the setter, especially for 10a with the 3 witches, Connery’s butt in 17a, PG Tips in 23a,
the 28a cycling postgrads, and the 20d cup game going on late.
And thank you to Gazza for confirming the 5d stupid boy.
Why is ‘IKEA’ in all-caps in 7d? It’s pronounced as a word, and written as ‘Ikea’ in Telegraph articles about the shops.
It’s an acronym, Smylers, and if it’s written as you say in the DT that’s possibly just lazy journalism.
Is ‘Ikea’ actually an acronym, though? Its name is formed from the initials of one person and two places, but it isn’t like those words are a known phrase. Nobody could say “I got this from Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Elmtaryd,” in a way that they could refer to HSBC by its expansion, or KFC, or Nasa.
If you put IKEA in capitals, do you also write TESCo (TES + Cohen) and AsDa (Associated Dairies)? Or use a capital R in the middle of WaitRose?
Anyway, it’s a matter of style, rather than laziness: The Telegraph’s style book says: “acronym: If pronounced as a word (e.g. Nasa), cap first letter only. If said as letters (e.g. NHS, CPS), use upper case”. Obviously other plausible style options are available (that’s precisely why a style guide exists, for consistency), but choosing this one doesn’t make anybody lazy!
I removed my comment because I thought Mustafa had answered your question, but in view of your response, I’ll go back to saying that is how the company spells it on their website etc
I’d suggest that in IKEA’s case not only is it an acronym (Ingvar Kamprad, Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd), but it is the proper name of the business and conveniently happens to be pronounceable as a coherent word (albeit usually mispronounced in the UK), while Tesco, Asda and Waitrose although also the proper names of their business are not individual letter acronyms (like HSBC) but rather abbreviations of longer components. FWIW I would write NASA rather than Nasa, which just looks … odd. Likewise CERN, which is not often/usually seen as Cern.
The perfect, enjoyable, Wednesday backpager
Many thanks to the setter and Gazza
I found this easier than yesterday’s, a very enjoyable puzzle. Favourites were the very small thing at 12a and the 3d/10a linked clues. Mr Connery at 17a raised a chuckle too. Thanks Gazza and setter.
A very enjoyable crossword today and the Quickie pun was on target with no need to adjust for accent. Puzzle good too but nothing for the podium.
Forgot to thank the setter and Gazza. My apologies to both.
An enjoyablqe and straightforward guzzzle, which was rather enjoyable and finished innrecord time. I liked the supermmodel lego clue at 1a, the long anagram at 9a, the reference to thhe stupid boy in the tasty treat at 5d and the traitor t2d. Thanks to the compiler and to Gazza for the hints
Good fun all round – the 4 long ones went fairly easily thanks to some friendly checkers. I tried to turn 8a into an anagram, which made me smile, while 5d made me laugh at the thought of Mr Mannering using the words.
12a was new to me but I feel sure it will have appeared in crosswords before – very clever.
I’m going to for 28a as my COTD
Many thanks to the setter and Gazza for the hints
1.5*/4*. I found this light for a Wednesday but very enjoyable with 26a my favourite and 17a & 20d completing my podium.
Many thanks to the setter (Hudson?) and to Gazza.
Very enjoyable puzzle. Completed the right one today so that was a win.
The four long clues were great- although I did try to make enemy of the state fit two down at first doh!
Favourites today were 12a and 20d .
Apologies to the setter however I am not convinced by 17a. Finally got there after running through the alphabet in my head and then I struggled to parse it as there seemed to be a random letter H even looking at the helpful tips above still not completely convinced. Lots o you are though so I will just accept that one is not for me
Sir Sean had a slight speech impediment whereby he pronounced S as SH. In the film Goldfinger he pronounced Pussy Galore as Pushy Galore.
Very enjoyable today with 12a and 17a favourites today. 17a LOI and a real PDM.
Thanks to Gazza and Setter.
An excellent midweek puzzle with lots to like and amuse. I knew that 7a would have something to do with Mr. Connery’s pronunciation but I couldn’t see it for ages. Then the proverbial hit the top of my head and I laughed out loud. The long ones remained elusive until checkers came along and I wondered if 21a was an abbey but it’s in Chambers crossword dictionary. My COTD is the small something at 12a because it reminded me of the clue “HIJKLMNO (5)”.
Thank you, setter (Hudson?). Thank you, Gazza for the hints and cartoons.
A lovely puzzle with lots of smiles.
Top picks for me were 5d, 2d, 10a, 17a and 20d.
Thanks to Gazza for stepping in and the cartoons and of course to the setter.
Quickest solve of the week thus far no doubt helped by the 4 long ‘uns yielding without difficulty. All very enjoyable. Lots to like but 20d just pips 17a & 5d for top spot on the podium with a near miss for 10a.
Thanks to the setter (Hudson presumably) & to Gazza.
Ps The Silvanus Toughie is, as you would expect, a class act – not overly difficult & worth the price of admission for the Sadiq Khan clue if nothing else.
Most enjoyable and not too challenging mid-week entertainment – 1.5*/5*
Candidates for favourite – 17a, 26a, 5d, 6d, and 18d – and the winner has to be the 5d stupid boy.
Thanks to the setter, Hudson seems to be a pretty safe bet, and Gazza.
Very nice, light and with many smiles along the way. The four long answers certainly anchored the solve. I’m awarding clue of the day to the Kent port trade in 24d. Thanks to compiler and Gazza.
Nice assortment of clues . Have to give 5 down the crown. Needed the explaination for 12 across although the answer was obvious. That clue is now filed away although the filing system can be a bit dodgy these days.if I can nominate a second best clue it goes to 20 down.
Thanks all round . It went down well with tea, coffee and some weeding.