Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31259 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
(hosted by crypticsue)
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
A Saturday Prize Puzzle which was the perfect antidote to a very grey and damp Saturday morning. I know we need the rainwater here in Kent but a little bit of sunshine would be nice too!
No indication on the Puzzles Site today as to the name of the setter so I expect the inclusion of Django’s name yesterday was a one-off. I have a fair idea who provided us with a nice mix of clues – it did seem as though there were a lot of anagrams but that is because they are close together in the Across clues. I would also suggest that this is one of those days where solvers should bear in mind that, if in doubt, they should look for a lurker!
Please ask for help if you are stuck on clues I haven’t hinted, but before doing so, please read the comments that appear before yours, so that you are not duplicating questions, and make sure you obey both THE INSTRUCTIONS IN RED at the end of the Hints and the blog’s Comment Etiquette – Big Dave’s Crossword Blog)
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.
Across
3a Andi Peters renovated flat (10)
An anagram (renovated) of ANDI PETERS
13a Go with a b-business? (9)
A (from the clue) and a business where the first letter is repeated in the same way as business appears in the clue
16a Right numpties rolling drunk (6)
A reversal (rolling) of an interjection of agreement (right) and some informal idiots (numpties)
22a/1a Short book is good to adapt, about right for a film (9,4)
Truncate (short) a verb meaning to book and follow with an anagram (to adapt) of IS GOOD into which is inserted (about) the abbreviation for Right
24a Son caring for insect population (5)
The abbreviation for Son and an adjective meaning kind-hearted (caring)
28a Historical region spread to preserve a language (10)
A historical region of Germany – a spread made of blended meat, herbs etc, into which is inserted (to preserve) A (from the clue) and a language
29a Carbon-free load in mythical ship (4)
Goods carried by a ship or plane (load) without the chemical symbol for Carbon
Down
1d Search for water – amount round wicket (5)
An amount administered at one time goes ‘round’ the cricket abbreviation for Wicket
4d Established a title that’s raised issues (8)
A reversal (that’s raised in a Down solution) of a simple way of saying established, A (from the clue) and a title
8d Butter from children’s nurse the best ever? (5,4)
A children’s nurse and an acronym describing someone who is the best in their field
14d Daily trim? That keeps things tidy (5,4)
A daily publication and a verb meaning to trim
15d Dutiful man supporting old bishop (9)
A male attendant (man) goes after (supporting in a Down solution) the abbreviation for Old and the chess abbreviation for Bishop
24d Fix some pot-au-feu for instance? (4)
An informal word for a troublesome situation (fix) is also the name of a dish the French would call a pot-au-feu
25d Temperature in Rome disrupted rail system (5)
The abbreviation for Temperature inserted into an anagram (disrupted) of ROME
As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT, or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES in your comment. If in doubt, leave it out
Please read these instructions carefully – they are not subject to debate or discussion. Offending comments may be redacted or, in extreme cases, deleted. In all cases the administrator’s decision is final.
If you don’t understand, or don’t wish to comply with, the conventions for commenting on weekend prize puzzles then please don’t leave a comment.
The Quick Crossword pun: MORGAN + EWE + KHAN + HANDEL = MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE
Great crossword.
Great entertainment for a soggy Saturday here in South London. We are just relieved we went to the test match yesterday and not today. As to the puzzle, it all went in very smoothly with the 22/1 combo coming out on top for my favourite.
Many thanks to whomsoever and Sue.
How typical of the cruciverbalist’s world, asay ofdisappointment yeesterday followed by areally enjoyable guzzle today. I particularly enjoyed the geographical clues at28a, 26a and 7d and the anagrams. Thanks to CS for the hints and to the compiler.
10a was first in and everything flowed from the resulting checkers and so it continued; a bit like snakes and ladders. More workmanlike than thought provoking with my pick of the bunch being the monstrous female 21a, the drunk 16a and the gold star goes to 9d.
My thanks to NYDK if it be he and CS. 1.5*/3*
Nice puzzle today.
Favourite was the cheeseless Frenchman…..do they exist?
Thanks to the setter and to crypticsue
Soggy up here in Angus too…..
1.5*/4*. This was a light and very entertaining SPP with 22a/1a, 6d & 21d making up my podium selection.
A hmm from me for the Quickie pun.
Many thanks to NYDK (?) and to CS.
Nice puzzle perfectly pitched for me. My favourite was the very witty 13a b-business. Thank you setter and CS as always.
For me and I stressWrong day.I wonder how many priests and vicars begin their sermons thus, “You know, I often think that life is like a crossword puzzle. We all have to bring all the clues together to make sense of everything; and I think it was Matthew in his letter to the Corinthians….” blah blah blah etc.
Plenty, I wager.
For heaven’s sake get on with it
OK…ok… great guzzle, quite the challenge, I felt.
Thanks to the setter (New York Bloke?) and PC Security (anag)
It’s a PP so I expected a challenge but I found the SW corner a trifle tricky, I’ll be interested to see how others fared.
When all else failed I looked for the lurker, as advised by CS but, having spotted a suspect thanks to the checkers, I had to use Mr G to confirm it! Following on from that I tried to assemble the component parts of 28a into a solution and needed Mr G’s help for a second time.
I was not familiar with 16a but managed to solve it by finding it as a synonym in the BRB and working backwards from that.
All that remains is for me to parse 27a – I am OK with the biscuit and the fan but I can’t see the drink. Perhaps I am being a numpty!
Many thanks to the setter for the challenge and the cryptic issue for the hints and tips.
I won’t comment whether you are a numpty but try splitting the first word of 27a in half
Thank you….it’s beyond obvious, I’m going for a lie down.
Lots and lots to like starting with the airborne knight, the German fan and the whisky layman, but podium places go to the linked 22/1a, the historical region at 28a and the excellent 21d in top spot. Great entertainment. Thanks to NYDK and CS.
I thought this was a fairly easy solve. The clues were nicely crafted and fair but nothing really stood out. 16A is not a word I’ve encountered previously but it was gettable from the clue. My general knowledge fortunately stretched to 29A. 12A gets my COTD vote. Thanks to CS for the hints and to the setter.
Thai corner. Some more words where the Thais don’t bother with separate words in general conversation which may amuse/confuse you.
Nuts and bolts are both ‘nots’ in Thai. Wrist watches, clocks etc. are all, ‘nalikar’. There is usually no distinction between leg and foot, e.g. I have a pain in my, ‘kha’, doesn’t distinguish how far down the appendage the pain is. Toes and fingers share the same word. Plugs and sockets share the same word, if you want to distinguisgh between them then add a gender.
I’m seriously beginning to wonder how anyone understands anything anyone else says!!!
A gentle solve for a Saturday prize, I thought, with no stand out clues. I liked 8D, though I don’t know why.
Very enjoyable with lots of entertaining clues. I needed to confirm with google that my answers to 16a and 28a were correct as I was not certain whether ai had just invented them.
Many thanks to the setter and to CS for the hints.
Fairly gentle for a SPP today. NYDK in a benign mood if it is indeed he.
As yesterday, I believe the back page setters should be honoured in the same way as the toughie authors.
16a a new word. 24d barely cryptic and 13a doesn’t work for me personally.
However lots to like with 12a favourite today
2*/4*
Thanks to Sue for the hints.
Yesterday was probably an aberration on the part of Telegraph Towers so don’t hold your breath
A pleasantly enjoyable SPP – ***/****
Candidates for favourite – 11a, 13a, 5d, 17d, 23d, and 24d – and the winner is 5d.
Thanks to (presumably) NYDK and CS.
After a very busy week, and some relatively easy puzzles, I was pleasantly surprised to get through PP without any difficulty. 11a, 28a and 8d are my top picks. 20a is very good as well, and there are several others worthy of mention but I can’t list them all.
Many thanks to the setter and hinter
An enjoyable puzzle. I had to check on 16a and 28a as they were new to me but gettable from the cluing.
Top picks for me were 6d, 23d, 24d and 14d.
Thanks to CrypticSue and the setter.
This was a 3a start for me, then I got into a bit of 24d thinking the whole puzzle was a 16a. I nearly gave up. However, after becoming 15d it became a 17d!
Never heard of 28a and for me no need for the German in 27a, as the in my part of the word the first word (6 letters) is a drink on its own, equating to “pop” or “soda”.
No cotd just 19a’d to finish
Thanks to setter and CS for the hints.
Looks like NYDK is around again for this Saturday puzzle along with one multi-word clue. I thought the puzzle was a little trickier than normal today, but overall a nice solve. Two words I was not familiar with in the SW.
2.5*/4* for me
Favourites include 10a, 27a, 5d, 8d, 17d & 18d — with winners 17d & 18d
Lots of smiles around the grid.
Thanks to NYDK & CS
Plenty to enjoy with this one with Rood Bonk in fine form. I’m a big fan of general, sometimes obscure, knowledge like 16a. What a great word! I also guessed that pot-au-feu was a 24d.
I’m extremely happy with his choice of adjective beginning with a in 26a. Very funny.
I didn’t know the term b-business for B2B. I just thought he was having a laugh along the lines of p-p-pick up a Penguin.
Many people won’t know Andi Peters but it’s a very neat anagram.
My picks are 10a, 16a and 14d (tidy is such a good word)
MTTTA and PC security (a top anagram that I assume El Tel spotted?)
3*/4*
Thanks to the Setter and CS. LOI 16a. COTD 18d. Blowing a gale high up here in North Devon. Wasn’t too tough for a prize puzzle, surprisingly as we had taken a break from doing the crossword for a while.
Almost got off to a bad start as I had the wrong animal, never having seen the film but it is well known so I soon fell in. Enjoyed the anagrams (or marganas as someone suggested), liked the high city wall and the historical region but had not heard of 26a, being a young lady of model behaviour. Many thanks to the Setter, if it is indeed NYDJ I am at the moment wearing ‘Marilyn’ in white, and to the patient CeeSue. I finished yesterday’s guzzle this morning in bed – it has been that sort of week!
‘Marganas’ sounds like that ‘disappointing’ bloke!!!!! ☺
U betcha!
Should read 16a not 26a – don’t want to confuse anyone!
*** / ****
Good afternoon on a non-bowling Saturday, hence time to solve and comment.
Thoroughly enjoyable puzzle and learning exercise rolled into one! The 16a drunk was new to me, as was the 26a High city and the 28a region. Furthermore, the acronym in 8d was also new to me and I need to go ‘all Terence’ on it! I wish to complain in the strongest possible terms about such awful constructions – ugh!!! Nice clue though ☺!
The podium comprised the 13a b-business, 20a characters (even though I’m sure we’ve had something similar quite recently) and the 18d red wine. Thanks to CeeSue for the confirming the definition of 24d. I hadn’t thought of ‘fix’ as a noun.
Thanks also to, I presume, NYDK.
Hi A-Pop
Are you not a fan of the acronym for sportspeople? I think it’s great.
Everyone to their own I suppose. I hate it with quite some passion. Passion is nice of course at my age but no, I really don’t like it. Sound horribly American to me – and don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved all my time there but acronyms like that and making verbs out of nouns like ‘medal’ and ‘podium’ do my head in! Thanks so much for spurring my rant, I feel better now!!!
I am here to serve.
I haven’t heard of the verb podium.
I can see Wriggles saying that a clue podied which would make a couple of solvers harrumph.
I don’t mind the verb medal but draw the line at winningest.
Stressful week, now easing with the help of this gentle(ish) crossword. I struggled to see the right film at first, but once the rabbits were forgotten the rest went in smoothly.
Thanks to Sue and Setter
I enjoyed today’s Prize – thanks again Sue – I wasn’t keen on 13a – it didn’t really work for me . 28a last in as never heard of it
I m sat in my new summerhouse under a blanket with my dog , and it’s raining hard and the wind is getting up. My nose is cold, so think I ll be heading inside now I’ve finished the crossword. What an awful (UK) day! Anyway as to the puzzle , I thought it was going to be a hard one , but once I started it was a steady solve ,and if this was a NYDK, it was a gentle offering from him. 28a was a new word for me and 16a is a juicy word actually that I’ve heard of but never used , but may need to start saying it . Last one in was 23d ,which I twigged eventually but did get tied up in a few knots on the way. Enjoyable solve . Thanks to the setter and CS.
Late on parade because of the Kinnerley Beer Festival where I was in charge of the cider stall. I’m pleased to say it all sold.
Today’s puzzle was really enjoyable and I have ticks all over the paper. I didn’t know the historical region but the clue had all the instructions. My faves are the daily trim at 14d and the monstrous female at 21. Either of these could have won the accolade but then along came b-business at 13a and that is my COTD.
Thank you, New York Door Fitting for the puzzle. Thank you, CeeSoo for the hints.
Gentle but lots to like – 1/22, 16&28a plus 5,6,14&21d the clues I liked best. A near miss on the Quickie pun – not sure what accent is required to make a G sound like a TH.
Thanks to the setter (Donny probably but wouldn’t bet on it) & to Sue – at least you weren’t out for over 8 hours in the weather from 7am. I think I’ve just about dried out.
What a nice surprise to find such a friendly puzzle today, especially as I felt like a right idiot yesterday. Clues that enabled me to dig out answers from the darkest depths without needing copious help. Thank you to setter and CS.
A curate’s egg with some enjoyable challenges mixed with several iffy synonyms e.g. 24a and 24d. 28a a new one on me. 4d had to be but I failed to parse it and likewise 5d. Thank you setter and CS.
Found this quite the challenge.
16a needed the hint to solve. A new word to me. I assume somewhat old fashioned.
28a needed more than the hint and I had to get the answer elsewhere. Not heard of the region so would probably have never worked this out.
Thanks to all.
A steady solve and completed without reference to the hints but CS’s instructions were taken on board. My moan is when 1a is part of a multi-clue answer and not even the first part! Rant over.
No particular standout clues for me today but if I were to pick one or two it would be the long remembered kiss at 5d and the tidying implement at 14d.
Thank you to the setter and to CS for the hints.
A pretty lengthy solve accompanying my travel home from Bournemouth via Brew Forest.
Needed the hint to parse the b-business part. Didn’t know the 26A and 28A places so they are good to know. LOI was 16A, the BRB confirmed the synonym, a word I’ve seen in a crossword maybe once before, and I wasn’t doing the quite the right thing with ‘right’ in parsing it which slowed me down.
Pody prizes go to 3A for bringing Andi Peters into our puzzling world, 8D’s butter and picture of the amazing Simone Biles, and 22A’s culture classic.
Thanks to setter and CS for the hints ⭐️
Didn’t look good on a quick read through but things slotted into place once a few clues were solved. Some fabulous clues today.
Some David Gray in the background 🎸
Another excellent crossword review that strikes the perfect balance between guidance and challenge. I particularly appreciate how the explanations help solvers understand the logic behind each clue rather than simply revealing the answers. Posts like this make cryptic crosswords far more enjoyable and educational for both newcomers and experienced enthusiasts. Thank you for the time and effort that goes into creating such consistently high-quality content.
Welcome to the blog, shimanto07.
What a great post, S07!
Welcome from me, too.
Fun puzzle completed this morning as had a very busy day yesterday. Was rather 16a by the end of the day I fear.
I was stuck in the SE corner this morning and felt nothing could save me until I realised I had a spelling mistake in 15d and bingo all solved!!
Some excellent anagrams that I very much enjoyed 3a and 10a particularly. However favourite clues were the instrument at home and the Daily Trim?
Thanks all
4d last one in. I think it’s correct but not sure about the parsing. Don’t understand why people are referring to 8d as an acronym!
Favourite is 14d.
Take the second word of the solution and type it into a search engine in capitals and then put the word acronym and the results of the search should answer your question
I provided a hint for 4d
Thanks, for some reason I didn’t do that earlier although I had done it for GOLD which I had originally thought was the answer as it was the name of a butter I was more familiar with.
And looking at 4d again I think I get it!!
Thanks all, thanks Soo.
It started life as
Andi Peters can be prosaic
but I relented.
NYDK
Greetings from a South African. Whenever I come to the UK I buy the DT and this crossword gives me great pleasure. I have completed it with 4D as my last and thank you for the clue. Our rag in SA is about three months late with the crossword, so in three months time I will be doing this crossword again! Some great clues 18d the best as I sometimes use this as a password.
Welcome to the blog