Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31254
Hints and tips by Smylers
Welcome to June, and to Monday’s Telegraph crossword. We’re back from a week in Herefordshire to go to the Hay Festival (which is a festival about books, not about hay). Talks enjoyed by various members of the family included those by Susie Dent, Elizabeth Strout, Richard Coles, Ian Hislop, and a couple of Beano writers.
In yesterday’s Telegraph Puzzles newsletter, Chris Lancaster mentioned “dedicated online communities can always offer a helping hand by breaking down the clues”. You’re all part of this community, so please do your part by leaving a comment below, making sure to follow Big Dave’s house rules.
Across
1a Imagine wild cat regularly peered around (5,2)
DREAM UP: We need a species of wildcat and some letters taken regularly from ‘peered’, then to turn the combination around to be entered from right to left.
Pic credit: © Nigel Parr, CC BY-NC 2.0
5a Miser‘s self-regard or empty callousness returned (7)
SCROOGE: First concatenate: a word meaning ‘self-regard’; the ‘or’ from the clue; and the result of emptying out ‘callousness’, getting rid of all its internal letters. Then make the combination return across the grid, by entering it from right to left.
Altogether now, “No cheeses for us meeces”:
9a Conman Mark visited by Madame (7)
SCAMMER: The French abbreviation for ‘madame’ visits inside a word for a mark (perhaps on your body).
10a Bright light in the sky troubles sailor (3,4)
DOGSTAR: A transitive verb which can mean to cause trouble for is followed by one of the usual sailors.
11a Officer parking by new coalmine (9)
POLICEMAN: Put the letter that indicates parking by a new arrangement of the letters of ‘coalmine’.
12a Confess Cambridge University’s on notice (5)
ADMIT: Ignore the misleading capital U: the Cambridge university we want here is one in a Cambridge in the USA (more specifically in Massachusetts). The abbreviation it’s usually known by is placed on (after) a usual notice.
13a Northern guys ignoring lead sculptures out of habit? (5)
NUDES: Start with the letter indicating ‘northern’. Then we need the plural of a word for a guy, one that Chambers label as “colloq N Amer, especially US”, and to remove its leading letter.
15a Number for Spice Girl making a comeback? That’s fine! (2,7)
NO PROBLEM: Enter in order: the abbreviation for ‘number’ (not #, because that would be silly, and make a mess of 4d); a synonym for ‘for’, in the sense of ‘in favour of’; and the name of a Spice Girl coming back across the grid. We need a short form of the Spice Girl’s name, but not one of the ‘Spice’ nicknames.
17a Gaelic bar cryptically using symbols instead of numbers (9)
ALGEBRAIC: Put the letters of ‘Gaelic bar’ in a cryptic order.
19a Board members and former partners retaining copyright (5)
EXECS: We meed the plural of the usual former partner, then to make that retain the single letter that is the basis of the copyright symbol. Or feel free to use an actual copyright symbol if you’re solving on paper — it’s your newspaper, so don’t let anybody stop you.
22a Change a minute tip (5)
AMEND: Enter in order: the A from the clue; the shortest possible abbreviation for minute(s); and a word meaning ‘tip’ (as in an extremity, not the council amenity for taking things that don’t fit in the bin).
23a Cut strange, extremely porous wood (4,5)
RUMP STEAK: Enter in order: a word meaning ‘strange’; the extremes of ‘porous’; and a type of wood.
25a Husband aghast, changing social media feature (7)
HASHTAG: After the abbreviation for ‘husband’ we need the letters of ‘aghast’, changed into a different order.
26a Smartypants with Kelvin these days barely calls (4-3)
KNOW-ALL: Enter in order: the physics symbol for Kelvin; a word meaning ‘these days’; and ‘calls’ from the clue, made bare by removing its outer letters.
27a French philosopher produced rent, on reflection (7)
DIDEROT: I hadn’t heard of this person (possibly because most of my knowledge of philosophers comes from Monty Python’s Bruces’ Philosophers Song). Form their name from a verb meaning ‘produced’ or ‘accomplished’, followed by a word for ‘rent’ (as in the past participle of ‘rend’) which has been reflected to read from right to left.
Portrait of the answer by Louis-Michel van Loo (1767)
28a Apricot tagine includes cheese (7)
RICOTTA: The cheese is found lurking in consecutive letters of the apricot tagine. If this clue inspires you to make an apricot tagine with cheese in it for lunch, do leave a comment below letting us know how it tastes.
Pic credit: © Blue moon in her eyes, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Down
1d Stand-up moving cleaner’s equipment (7)
DUSTPAN: Move the letters of ´stand-up’ to spell out the answer.
Thank you to Steve Cowling for recently reminding us of this stand-up comedian’s joke about cleaners’ equipment:
2d Messaged English servant about French article (7)
EMAILED: Start with the single-letter abbreviation for ‘English’. After that we need a type of servant, placed about one of the grammatical articles in French.
3d A pair of notes about copy (5)
MIMIC: Enter in order: the phonetic spelling of a tonic sol-fa note; a second phonetic spelling of a tonic sol-fa note; and a Latin abbreviation for ‘about’.
4d Soppy Romanian harbours burning desire (9)
PYROMANIA: The first couple of words of the clue harbour the answer, which is lurking among them.
5d American revolutionary ultimately obtained visa again for country (5)
SUDAN: We need to revolve an abbreviation meaning ‘American’, to make it face the other way; that obviously wouldn’t be possible with a single letter, which rules out it being A. Follow that with the ultimate letters of subsequent words in the clue.
6d Doctor runs over prodding Tom perhaps in complicated procedure (9)
RIGMAROLE: Start with a verb that can mean ‘doctor’, in the sense of tampering with or fixing. After that we need the cricket abbreviations for ‘runs’ and ‘over’ to prod inside the gender that a tom is an example of.
7d Best stone worn by Henman? (7)
OPTIMAL: The first name of a well-known figure with the surname Henman wears around its outside a precious stone.
8d Two hesitant expressions encapsulating traitor’s mistake (7)
ERRATUM: The start and end of this answer are ways of writing the sounds people make when hesitating in speech. They encapsulate an informal term for a traitor.
14d Newspaper employee hopeful lover’s collecting cot (9)
SUBEDITOR: Somebody who hopes to woo another collects inside them another term for a cot.what a cot is a type of.
16d Gerry’s backing musician showing a bit of heart (9)
PACEMAKER: The singular of Gerry Marsden’s backing group is also the name of a bit of the heart. I wasn’t aware of the latter until checking the answer in a dictionary, only knowing the term as the medical device sometimes fitted to hearts.
17d Embarrassed and humbled touring hospital (7)
ABASHED: Make a word meaning ‘humbled’ or ‘humiliated’ tour round the outside of the letter that indicates a hospital on road signs.
18d Thought visitor outspoken (7)
GUESSED: Think of another word for ‘visitor’, speak it out loud, and it sounds like the answer.
20d Graceful eastern soldier holding on (7)
ELEGANT: Begin with the abbreviation for ‘eastern’. End with a usual soldier. Between those make them hold the other name for the on side in cricket.
21d Last kid swimming for island group (2,5)
ST KILDA: The letters of the first two words swim around to spell out the answer. It looks beautiful in this photo, but I haven’t been in person. If you have, leave a comment below telling us about it.
Pic credit: © IrenicRhonda, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
23d Scares unclothed Conservative (5)
RIGHT: Think of another word for ‘scares’, then unclothe it by removing its outer letters.
24d Small involuntary movement after receiving Oscar for Marcus Aurelius? (5)
STOIC: Start with the clothing-label letter that denotes ‘small’. Follow that with an involuntary movement which has received the letter indicated by ‘Oscar’ in the Nato alphabet. I had to look up the person mentioned in the clue to confirm they are actually an example of the answer; well done to everybody who already knew them.
Quickie Pun
In today’s Quick Crossword the first 3 clues are italicized, indicating we can say their answers out loud to make another word, name, or phrase. For once I was able to get this without needing to solve any other clues beyond those: 7a and 8a felt unambiguous, and that was enough to give me the pun and confirm what 3a must be. Reveal the blobs below to check:
WANE + ROUX + KNEE = WAYNE ROONEY
And this one features a bonus pun from me, from early in the first coronavirus lockdown started, when not only did my spouse and I find ourselves having to home-school the children, but also suddenly provide their dinners every day:
Recent Reading
This is a delightful detective story, with the delight being provided by the detectives being sheep. Their shepherd, who used to read them bedtime stories, has been found dead, and they are determined to find out who killed him, and then to find a way of communicating that to other humans.
We are immersed in the sheep’s world, with the entire novel unfolding through the eyes, ears, and noses of various members of the flock. These aren’t fully anthropomorphized animals, but sheep that think like sheep: most of them have poor memories, are easily distracted by grass, and frequently misunderstand the human world: they think the vicar is called God, because they’ve seen he’s based in “the house of God”, and when they hear the butcher saying something is “meet and right”, they presume (with a shudder) he’s talking about meat.
That wordplay is even more impressive given that the book was written, by Leonie Swann, in German — though perhaps it’s no surprise if the English text has been enhanced by wordplay not in the original, given it’s been translated by the peerless Anthea Bell of Asterix fame. The start lists the Dramatis Oves, listing the main sheep in the flock together with their personality traits; these correspond to the numbers on the cover of our edition (pictured), which also features a flick-book leaping sheep animation through the entire book.
I originally bought this as a 7th wedding anniversary present, after my spouse relayed that the traditional gifts that year were wool or copper — sheep detectives seemed to neatly combine them both! Despite that blatant gimmick on my part, we both ended up being charmed by Three Bags Full: it’s original, clever, engaging and well written. I’ve just re-read it after we saw the family film The Sheep Detectives, which was loosely based on it. The film changes the murderer, the means, the motive, many of the characters (both human and ovine), and transplants the setting from coastal Ireland to a stereotypical English village apparently set in rural Hollywood. Both are good at what they’re trying to do, and they’re sufficiently different that neither spoils the other. If you like quirky, charming, cosy crime novels, give this one a go.
Quite tough for a Monday but very fairly clued, can’t say I liked 19a, but maybe that’s just me.
No real standouts for me today, and still can’t see how 6d works, so will see the hints.
About a month ago one of the answers was Angelfish, and I said that I was going to see some in Bonaire pretty soon, so I’ve included a picture of the best one I’ve ever managed to photograph, he was about 20M down and seemed oblivious to me, but then again he’s probably seen more divers than he’s had (hot?) dinners.
What a great pic! And what a great trip, I’m sure.
Wonderful stuff.
Ta Tom, this one was a Queen Angelfish, and quite big at about 14 inches long, wonder what it might cost in an aquarium shop? hundreds I guess.
Hoo nose, TC.
But, it’s a goodie.
I found this a little harder than a typical Monday but not by much. The clueing was fun and fair, with 17a, a neat anagram, my favourite this morning. Still awaiting the much-needed rain here in my bit of Shropshire.
Thanks to our setter and Smylers.
I liked this puzzle but it made me think more on a Monday than perhaps I’m used to. Its by no means poorer for that. I had to check the philosopher and the bit of the heart and it took me ages to parse 6d, a lovely word.
Top picks for me were 13a, 14d, 20d and 15a.
Thanks to Smylers, I will see if our library has the sheep book, and to the setter.
Oh don’t tease me with yer Telegraph Puzzles newsletter. This has been going on for years. Y-E-A-R-S I tell ye. I’m told I am subscribed. Does it arrive? No, chum, it doesn’t.
Yes I have a Gmail account. Yes I know that causes issues. Yes I have tried that workaround you’re about to suggest. Yes I’ve called ’em. Yes of course I’ve checked my spam folder! Do you think I came down with the last shower?
That bloke that got banned a couple of years back used to forward his copy to me, but then he was sent to the gulag, and that was that, ladiesandgennelmen.
What? Oh yeah. Great guzzle. A delightful solve.
Thanks to the setter, and to the lad from Ilkley back from his haymaking activities. I wonder if he took his own scythe?
Well I was in the same situation for years. But a couple of weeks ago I decided to try again and lo and behold last Tuesday (delayed because of the bank holiday) the first one dropped into my inbox and the second one yesterday. Must get round to reading them. So don’t give up Terence…
For me anyway, I found this just right for a Monday puzzles on the friendly side and most enjoyable.
Thanks to the setter and Smylers
I enjoyed this a lot. It was a bit trickier than normal for a Monday but none the worse for that. Am I being pedantic or perhaps I am just wrong about 23d. I can’t think of an easy sentence where RIGHT and CONSERVATIVE are interchangeable without a preposition for one of them. I don’t think you’d ever use “He’s right” for “He’s Conservative”. More naturally you’d say “He’s on the right”. I am not at all sure my quibble is correct but interested to know what any more experience solvers may think. My favourite was 8d. Thank you Smylers particularly for parsing 20d and to the setter.
Hi, Slowcoach. I think they can be made to work interchangeably as adjectives modifying something like ‘wing’ or ‘end of the spectrum’: “She’s at the X wing of speakers on the panel” maybe?
‘At the XXXX end of the spectrum’ works for me – thank you very much.
Hi SC
I think it works if you are asked which way you are politically….I am right/conservative.
I think that’s a slight stretch though- more naturally you say ‘I am on the right’ but ‘I am conservative’ which was the thought behind my question. Smylers’ ‘….end of the spectrum’ convinced me (I think!). Thank you very much for replying.
When people ask me, I say ‘I am right/left’ as the ‘wing’ bit is a given.
But, no worries if it doesn’t work.
A nice friendly start to the week. Just right for me though 6d was a bung in and I appreciated the help with parsing the clue.
Not quite ‘Mondays as they used to be’ but still very enjoyable – **/****
Candidates for favourite – 9a, 22a, 7d, 8d, 14d, and 20d – and the winner is 7d.
Thanks to the setter and Smylers.
I found today’s challenge to be more difficult than a normal Monday puzzle but the clues were well constructed and fair. My gripe would be with 27A which unlike 24A required the general knowledge of the philosopher’s identity as the cryptic element was not specific enough whereas 24A could be solved purely with the cryptic element. I find it difficult to pick a COTD as the general standard was so high but 15A gets my vote. Thanks to Smylers for the hints and to the setter for a good start to the week.
Thai corner. Add the Thai word for play, ‘len’ to nearly any verb to turn it from a chore to a joy,
Play walk=strolling, Play eat=snacking, play sleep= a nap, play talk=joking, play sit=chilling out, play read=browsing an article.
Love the thaike!
1.5*/4*. Just right for a Monday! A great Quickie pun too.
15a was my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Smylers.
A Step up for a Monday and felt rather different so it will be interesting to see who our compiler is today.Favourite was the last one in, 12 across because it misled me but so many others did that beautifully. It reached a point where one began to over think a clue only to find it stuck to straight forward rules.
Many thanks to our setter and Smylers
There were a number of learning opportunities within today’s offering – Food, Tennis, Cricket, Geography, Music, Maths, an overseas Uni and 2 philosophers, surely something for everyone.
With the exception of 13a I managed to navigate my way through solving and parsing. The solution to the offender was clear but ‘sculptures out of habit’ kept me thinking for quite some time. So, as it’s not a Prize Puzzle, can I ask…is it simply that undressed sculptures are xxxxx?
My COTD is 6d…it’s a lovely word I’ve not heard in use for some time. I looked for an anagram and then a cat before sense prevailed.
Many thanks to the setter and Smylers for the hints.
Yes. The singular of 13a is a noun referring specifically to such a sculpture.
I too searched for a way to fit a cat into the solution. Then when I had my bung in I consulted Mr.G as to whether Tom is slang for mole. Then the penny dropped. D’Oh.
Like others I found this trickier than recent Mondays. Took ages to realise 18d was a homophone even with the answer. Doh. Two philosophers in one puzzle makes me think of the philosophers song, although I don’t think either featured. I liked the construction of 5a, but cotd is 3d. Thanks to compiler and Smylers.
A few trickier ones to parse today and a new place in 21d but otherwise a great start to the week. I had 6d as my favourite as I like the word!
Many thanks to the setter and to Smylers for the hints.
I just want to say how fantastic this website is and how helpful these blogs are. I have wanted to be able to solve cryptic croaswords for years and have finally started in earnest. I have a long way to go but the way the blogs are set out is so helpful.
I also read the comments for the firat time today, what a lovely community too!
Aw, thank you, Just Getting Started — that’s lovely of you to say so. Thank for commenting, and welcome. Please do keep commenting: that’s the only way we get to know each other!
I started here in pretty much the same position you describe, and it’s because of Big Dave’s Crossword Blog that I decided to attempt the Telegraph cryptic crossword rather than any of the other papers, for exactly the reasons you mention.
What a lovely post. The first of many, I hope.
Love the alias!
Enjoyable, gentle, friendly, with good surfaces and nothing esoteric. Honours to 5a, 6d and 24d, while 4d gave me an excuse to put on the ’80s album of the same name from some of Sheffield’s finest, Def Leppard.
Wonderfully over the top video, and with the follow-up album ‘Hysteria’ (which came after their drummer, Rick Allen, lost an arm in a car crash) the two albums made the band’s name, especially in the US. Allen is still the band’s drummer, 40 years later. A remarkable talent.
Many thanks to the setter and to Smylers
We saw them live with Journey in Boston about 6 years ago having seen them about 30 years before and they were just as good
Must have been a couple of cracking shows. Leppard were much bigger in the US than the UK after Pyromania & Hysteria.
A splendid start to the week that flowed from the off.
I agree with Prawnus, 5a is indeed a great construction and, even though it’s not lurking that much, I liked 4d. I use the oh so splendid 6d as a variant for two other excellent words: palaver and caper.
14d reminds me of this poser….What word has four consecutive double letters? (it’s a bit of a crowbarred word that is rarely used but Scrabble allows it)
My podium is 15a (nicely done), 19a and 8d.
MTT the setter and Smylers.
2*/4*
That’ll be the assistant to the person who looks after the financial records, Tom.
Nice work, S.
I also found today’s offering more challenging than most Monday puzzles but it was entertaining and very well constructed. 6d was my favourite and goodness knows from where I dragged up the Frenchman at 27a (maybe one of those Alain de Botton books that were popular at one time and possibly still are). Thanks very much to the setter and to Smylers. I couldn’t get beyond the name of the 10a video band for some time when trying to solve that clue.
Sometimes people have made the (entirely reasonable) point that videos can give away a solution, so I like to include the occasional video for a wrong answer — just so that if you do accidentally glance at the title of a video before solving a clue, you can’t rely on it being correct!
Nice and gentle – exactly right for a Monday – thanks to our setter and Senf.
I liked 15a, 23a, 4d and 6d.
Not me!
Personally I think it’s always appropriate to thank you, Senf.
Apologies – thanks to Smylers.
How about this, I had an 11.00 appointment at Winchester hospital for a pre-op assessment, arrived at 10.30, seen straight away and out by 11. Must be a first for the NHS?
Ditto to all the above, a friendly start to the week with a bit of everything. After trying to find the spice girl in the answer for15a the penny dropped when I actually wrote it down. 17a is a lovely word and makes for a neat anagram. Plucked the 27a philosopher from the depths of my memory once the checkers were in place.
Thanks to the setter and Smylers
1.5*/3*
Not a first at all for Winchester. Having just come out of an unwanted 8 day stay there, I have to say they really are trying and succeeding. Not that my treatment seems to have sharpened my puzzling ability, I found this somewhat tricky with a few questionable items such as the American guys – and I have an American wife. But thanks to Smyler and whoever it was
.
* / ****
As others have said, a fairly gentle start to the week. I toyed with straying into ** difficulty but not quite. The French philosopher is new to me and as remarked earlier, if they didn’t make the Monty Python song then they didn’t ‘ise’ their philosophy-ing enough ☺!
Ticks went to the sailor’s bright light at 10a, the 26a smartypants and that Cambridge University at 12a.
Many thanks to Smylers and the setter.
I’m in the slightly more difficult for a Monday camp but agree it was well constructed. I totally missed the lurker at 4d trying, instead, to sort out a non-existent anagram. Once I saw the cat at 1a I realised I was on a highway to nowhere with anagrams. When all else fails and all that. 4d is such a lovely word and it always reminds me of the musical Camelot –
“A way known by ev’ry woman
Since the whole 4d began”.
My COTD is porous wood at 23a.
Thank you, setter for a great start to the week. Thank you, Smylers for the informative hints.
Most enjoyable whilst listening to Bob Dylan 🎸
Well despite some of the comments I’ve read, for me, this was a typical Monday puzzle. This was pretty straightforward and enjoyable in my POV.
1.5*/4* for me
Favourites include 9a, 11a, 3d, 16d & 21d — with co-winners 16d & 21d
Thanks to setter & Smylers
Tricky for a Monday. Had to look up the hints a lot – even then I was somewhat underwhelmed.
Not much fun today.
At least I had heard of Diderot – we studied his book “le Petit Chose” at school -( with its dismal whining main character.)
After the traumas of the weekend I found this very straight forward – even 27a , whom I have never heard of, as the clueing was perfect.
Did come here to check the parsing of 6 d – learn something new everyday.
Lots of great clues but I think 15a is my favourite, Mel C was the best Spice Girl (imo).
Started off quite sprightly but slowed down a bit, especially in the SW corner. Perhaps not helped by a lunchtime pint with the over 60s football group. That said, a complete solve without reference to the hints or dictionaries. Nearly came a cropper on 28a trying to work out how I could get cottage into the answer but the penny dropped on closer inspection. So that is one of my favourites along with 5a and 16d.
As always, thank you to the setter and to Smylers for the hints.
PS Didn’t Procul Harem do an album called 21d’s Wedding?
Don’t think so but Ossian did
Thanks for that I should have checked. The reason I thought it was PH was that I remember reading an article, forty years ago or so, that a former band member had joined the army and ended up in the Royal Signals and was posted there because the was a communications/listening post on the islands. I might be wrong on the specifics but I think the essence of the story is true.
Not sure who set today’s puzzle and though I had some challenging moments I found it quite enjoyable. I did put the wrong answer in (ashamed) at 17d so that caused some delay. Parsing 13a and 19a also. Lots to like. Many thanks to the setter and Smylers.
Seemed to tune into this one from the off for a rapid completion with an absence of any head scratching, which was handy as it was another silly o’clock solve – my apartment still uncomfortably hot (rendering a decent kip difficult) even with the cooler overnight temperature outside. Another vote for 15a as pick of the bunch with podium places for 4&6d plus a 👍 for the pun.
Thanks to the setter (Weatherman perhaps) & to Smylers for his usual comprehensive review.
Enjoyable but always get tripped up by those Cambridge Uni clues … keep on forgetting there are other institutions on the other side of the pond! Don’t know about the apricot tagine Smylers but during our Moroccon travels we are having wonderful versions using dates
13 A was my last in. Terrible clue as I don’t see guys as being North American enough to drive the word play. It was obvious what the answer was but the word is used widely in the UK.
Robin the wordplay isn’t saying they’re North American guys – as the hint explains it’s the single letter for N[orth] + a synonym for guys (dudes) less the 1st letter/ignoring lead.
Not a terrible I would respectfully suggest.
Smylers simply makes the point that dudes is mainly a term used across the pond though Bowie did write a great song about All The Young ones, which he gifted to Mott The Hoople.
Well said Huntsman, and good song, it’s led me to playing Roll Away The Stone too which I like even more.
Just to offer a different perspective, 13a was my personal COTD – thought the definition quite brilliant within the surface. Thanks setter (v good fun all round and well-pitched, I thought) and Smylers for the lovely blog 😊
Welcome to the blog, Dan.
Thanks Dan, and welcome. I really liked the 13a definition, too (though I thought it prudent not to provide an illustration for that clue). I do hope you’ll keep commenting.
Quite tricky for a Monday I found.
27a needed the answer reveal. As with others, need the hint to parse 6d.
I wanted to put Starmer for 9a. Unfortunately it doesn’t parse.
Thanks to all.
Back to the dead tree version after a couple of weeks away … pencil and rubber … what a joy!
I was off to a flyer .. but then got bogged down .. so I’m on the “harder than usual for a Monday” camp.
I didn’t know the philosopher at 27a but worked it out with the checks and word play. Not convinced that 19a is a “real” word but it’s in the BRB and I thought 13a was a bit tenuous.
Re St Kilda … been there several times due work. Largest island in the group is Hirta where Village Bay is located and the centre of previous population. It is now a bucket list tick off for “adventurers” who are daft enough to pay their 200 odd quid for the 80 mile round trip across the open Atlantic from Harris in a small boat or RIB. If you go .. stay away from nesting fulmars or they will spit foul smelling half digested fish at you!🤣
Thank you for the report: I felt confident at least one of our number would have been!
Another one looking for a cat at 6d. Glad to agree it was 2* and a good Monday. Thanks to Setter, Smylers and fellow commentators.
While not correct, I couldn’t help noticing that “Starmer” would have fitted as the answer to 9a.
Some great clips in there Smylers! Had forgotten about Dubstar 🎵
An enjoyable Monday solve, I did get a little delayed on four clues in SW corner, then 22A and 14D dropped with my wife’s help, and the others followed.
Pody awards go to 17D (I only learned this ‘humbled’ in the quickie yesterday), 4D’s Romanian 🔥 and my COTD is 15A – a crossword clue is my best version of a Spice Girls comeback.
Thanks to setter and Smylers ⭐️
So this one started off fairly gentle but definitely up a notch from the usual Monday. I had it all solved bar 1, the wretched 6d so I parked it until just now, and yes I too tried to fit a cat in there somewhere. I got it in the end , but had to check the hint for the parsing. A nicely enjoyable solve. Thanks to the setter and Smylers.
1*/3.5* A gentle Monday puzzle which was a most enjoyable solve.
Lots of top clues to choose from including the lurking fire starter at 4d, the cleaners equipment at 1d and the 5a miser
Thanks to compiler and Smylers
Needed to check 27a as I’m not very well up on obscure 18th century philosophers. In general a notch or two up on a normal Monday with NE being the last to fall. A couple of candidates for favourite with 6d just being edged out by 15a. Thanks to the setter and Smylers.
Wrong spice girl there.
Right first name but you want the one with a different letter to the one suggested!
Hi, Villan. See my comment above about Dubstar, in reply to Chris M — the videos are related in some way, but sometimes they’re misleading, to avoid giving away the answer to those who are scrolling past on the way to a hint for a different clue!
Also, as Spangledcat says, Melanie C was the best Spice Girl.
Late to comment.
Great fun with clever misdirection leading me up the garden path until the PDM.
Thanks to Smylers and Setter – 5*
Went on a scuba diving trip to St Kilda many years ago, stunning scenery both above and below water, interesting remains of the settlement.
Hi, Paul. Thank you for sharing that — and welcome to the site!
2*/3* …
liked 10A “Bright light in the sky troubles sailor (3,4)”