Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3373 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
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A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where, after violent storms on Tuesday and Wednesday, it has cooled down considerably to the point that I have considered retrieving The Red Scarf from Summer storage!
For me, and I stress for me,© thankfully Dada quite friendly with quirkiness here and there. After zero anagrams last week he has included four (three partials) this week, but no lurkers or homophones, all in an economically 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!
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Candidates for favourite – 14a, 17a, 20a, 5d, 16d, 18d, 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 Awful, as could be proclamation after gagging order? (11)
You might need some checkers for this, fortunately I have hinted three of the five down clues which do indeed provide checkers – how one might describe a proclamation that could not be made because of a gagging order?
12a Cocktail held back by father – it’s spicy (7)
A three letter cocktail reversed and contained (held back) by a (genteel) synonym of father.
15a Tiptoe with certain measure past tiger’s relative (9)
A particular (certain) measure (of length) placed after (past) a familiar term for a (domesticated) relative of a tiger.
17a Money that is concerning supporter (9)
Lego® time – an informal (metallic) synonym of money, the Latin based abbreviation for that is, and the Latin based preposition for concerning.
25a Buddy, doll in pieces (6)
A dreadful contracted form of a synonym of buddy and the name of a (male) doll who appeared in a 2023 film with his doll girlfriend.
26a Stamp particularly rare originally, I make money collecting it (7)
I from the clue and a verb equivalent to make money (for issue) containing (collecting it) the initial letters (originally) of Particularly and Rare.
27a Muck about and put down tarot card? (4,3,4)
Dada is assuming that you know the names of the 78 cards in a tarot pack, particularly the 22 Major Arcana cards, of which you need the illustrated one – a double definition – the second starts with two words that can be equivalent to put down in any card game.
Down
2d One visiting is only misbehaving in raucous manner (7)
The Roman numeral for one inserted into (visiting) an anagram (misbehaving) of IS ONLY.
4d Gather in a US state (5)
A from the clue and an abbreviated form of a US State (the one made up of 13 letters, of which 9 are consonants!).
6d Lose out, however, in country (7)
An anagram (out) of LOSE and the poetic form of a synonym of however.
11d Heretic converted under the aforementioned Conservative (11)
An anagram (converted) of HERETIC placed after (under) a demonstrative pronoun equivalent to the aforementioned.
(Olivia Colman and Gillian Anderson)
16d Stitch cut by knife primarily, little bit wonky (4-5)
A verbal synonym of stitch containing (cut by) the first letter (primarily) of Knife and a single word synonym of little bit (of something associated with a transient sensation).
18d Clothes line found after a power cut (7)
More Lego® – the single letter for Line placed after all of A from the clue, the single letter for Power, and a synonym of cut.
23d Feast upon artist (5)
A double definition to finish – the second was Norwegian.
(A self portrait by the artist)
Quick Crossword Pun:
CLEAR + PETRA = CLEOPATRA
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American-British folk singer and recording artist Julie Felix, her mother had English and Welsh ancestry, was born on this day in 1938. In 1966, after a chance meeting with David Frost she became one of the two resident musical performers on his new BBC television programme The Frost Report which was on from March 1966 to December 1967. She had two UK Singles Chart hits in 1970. The first was with the song If I Could (El Cóndor Pasa)”, and the second was with Heaven Is Here written by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson of Hot Chocolate; here it is filmed in London, for the German TV show London Aktuell:
I agree with Colonel Mustard’s comments with regard to today’s Dada. Friendly and quirky sums it up perfectly. Lots to like but my COTD goes to the tiger’s relative at 15a.
Thank you, Dada for a fun workout. Thank you, Colonel for the hints. BTW, I can’t remember you looking like your self portrait. 😊
Ha ha! Annotation amended!
2*/3.5*. This was good fun with 5d my favourite.
I’m not sure about 20a. I assume it’s an all-in-one but the answer and part of the wordplay are basically the same thing which makes it too “same-sidey” for my taste.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf.
I agree with you about 20a. I was looking for a magical insight but it does just seem like two ways of saying the same thing.
I thought this was tricky. I stared at the puzzle for ever and only managed 2 clues., After a break I came back and little by little it turned into a very enjoyable solve. Lots of excellent clues – 11d, 15a and 25a probably my favourites.
I found this a bit of a curate’s egg. This was one of those puzzles where persistence paid off in the end with the south taking me twice as long as the north to sort out. Honorable mentions go to 27a, 7d and 11d. Cotd though goes to the Tiger’s relative at 15a. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
I’m improving my Sunday performances but having solved all I have a couple of questionable parses – 23d with a dodgy first synonym and 14a where my grey cell needs to find the tap but, , as I am going to spend a couple of hours in the garden all may become clear.
1a was too clever for me, I only realised where we were heading when the checkers were in place and 7d was somewhat similar, I was confused by the trip
Two nominations for COTD…12a and 22a.
Many thanks to the setter and Senf for the hints.
14a was my LOI but, hopefully avoiding the naughty step, I think that if something is on tap it is, in fact, 14a. Thats my guess anyway, but the footbally one 7a was also guesswork so what do I know?!
I really enjoyed this although I thought it was going to be a DNS as it took me ages to get started and then it came together. LOI was the fabulous 25a which took a long time for me to solve.
Top picks for me were 25a, 16d (lovely phrase), 5d, 3d, 15a and 10a.
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
Enjoyable stuff and not too tricky, although I needed all the checkers to get 1a – thanks to Dada and Senf,
I don’t like 20a very much since there’s a considerable overlap between the wordplay and the answer.
Top clues for me were 22a, 26a, 18d and (my favourite) 15a.
The quick pun is Clear Petra = Cleopatra I think. I still don’t understand 3d, I have the answer but why?
The first word of the clue is a verb rather than a noun.
Thanks got it now
I’m the same as Lynne about 3d. I have the answer but scratching my head to work out why? Even with the hint from DickyR.
Mind you, I struggled quite a bit to get going today. Maybe my brain isn’t engaged.
If you check your answer in the BRB you’ll find what it’s an informal word for.
Ah,. Got you. Thank you very much Gazza
Pun amended, thanks for pointing out my editor’s error in not noticing my error.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/puzzles/ seems to be having another bad hair day from here in Boston. Any chance that someone could email a pic of the puzzle to davidtraynor@email.com so we can enjoy some synaptic exercise with our tea & toast?
Mr & Mrs T
You’ve got mail!
Thankyou Senf… Winnipeg to Boston!
Mrs T
I’m pretty sure this was a good puzzle but I had to reverse justify the parsing after getting the answer more often than I usually do.
1a had me wondering what the indicators were only to discover it was far more straightforward.
20a was similarly more literal than I was expecting
I’ve sat here for hours waiting for insight for my last in at 14a which I couldn’t get away from thinking it was a sticky answer after getting locked into ‘tap’ being more of a physical item. The coin has just dropped.
I appreciated it giving me a long periods of distraction during my baking.
Hi Dicky, like you I was pondering the tap until it came to me halfway between the roses and the hydrangeas!
Yep, “friendly with quirkiness here and there” sums it up perfectly, and like Gazza I too needed the checkers in 1a for the ‘lights’ to dawn. Particularly enjoyed that clue as well as the tiger in 15a, and heretic in 11d.
Many thanks to Dada and Senf
Slow to start with only 2 across clues solved on the first descent, but the downs from the bottom were much more profitable. With resulting checkers, most of the remainder were immediately apparent and a bit of reverse parsing put them to bed. Took a while to find the synonym for ‘the aforementioned ‘ in 11d – duh!
LOI was 1a which seems to be a common result and COTD was the tiger’s relative motion at 15a.
Thanks to Dada, if indeed it be him, ( I’ve got to say that as I screwed up yesterday), and to Senf.
2*/3.5*
For me, and I stress for me (© Senf), a late appearance due to staying up to watch Morroco versus Brazil in the
festival of advertising and corrupWorld Cup.Also for me and I stress etc, this was an example of getting the first couple and then working through from the checking letters, because on first glance this was a Flamin’ Nora! from my perspective.
We went for a lovely walk in Old Amersham on the edge of the Chilterns yesterday. It’s a splendid town unspoilt by foolish urban planners, if you ignore the massive Tesco on the edge of the town.
Thanks to Da-doo-ron-ron, and, chilling in Winnipeg, The Man From Manitoba
I really enjoyed today’s puzzle especially as it took me ages to do yesterday’s! Everything fell into place without too much head-scratching though anything involving football, cricket and rugby always makes me wary. Lots to like and COTD 15a. Many thanks to Dada and Senf. Gosh it’s actually not raining! Hooray and off to do some gardening.
Seems to me that this was another Dada puzzle that was reasonably friendly today.
However for me it was definitely quirky and some personal thesaurus use today.
2,5*/3.5*
Favourites include 13a, 15a, 20a, 24a, 5d & 16d — with co-winners 15a & 16d
Thanks to Dada & Senf for blog/hints
A very slow start but then it opened up. Last in was 23d … which amused me considerably .. as I used to work in Denmark and I had a colleague of similar name. I took great delight in referring to him in the English pronunciation!🤣
I had 5d in quite early on … but the work unit had me beat … I am now wiser!
20a … like others I’m not sure as to what was intended re the word play .. but it went in anyway.
11d my cotd .. if only we could have the Great Lady back.
Thanks to setter and Senf.
I found this tricky to get into, but eventually got going in the south. There were several where the parsing eluded me but eventually only 3d remains unparsed.
15a was my favourite once I worked it out.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints
Boom! The fruit is a nickname for the chuckable projectile 😊
An interesting puzzle from Radio that raised a few questions:
1. Maybe I’m getting a bit technical but, in 7d, you aren’t allowed to do that to score. Hence the question mark, possibly.
2. I appreciate that it’s used in poems but I’m not happy with the synonym for ‘however’ as it’s used far too much in everyday life. It’s like ‘thru’.
3. I’m struggling to give the thumbs-up to the form of abbreviation for the US state in 4d. The two-letter ones are fine but all bets are off for this alternative list as it has these as abbreviations, i.e their full names: Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Idaho which is rubbish. And what’s even worse is Kansas, Nevada and Oregon, that contain six letters like Alaska and Hawaii, are Kan, Nev, Ore. What’s wrong with Alas and Haw or even Ha?
4. I understand people’s comments about 20a but, being a logophile, I love it as the answer contains two synonyms, one of which is repeated. Great fun. The four letter word in the answer originally ended with a t but they dropped it as people thought it sounded like it was the past tense, i.e ending ed. The answer is the only five letter word that I can think of that has a two-letter consonant cluster twice.
5. I never use the synonym for ‘buddy’ but what’s worse to hear is the South Africa’s version which has the letter u as the last letter, pronounced as a long u.
My picks are 15a, 17a (an excellent clue) and 5d.
MTTTA and Senf.
3*/3*
1. I took it to be a complicated and incomplete but, I suppose, technically correct way of scoring three points.
3. We have to accept that abbreviations of some states names originated long before the two letter ones came into being and they won’t go away. How often do we see Cal in a crossword? And, what about abbreviation of English county names – Hants, Oxon, and Salop for example.
I don’t mind the abbreviations in everyday life but, to me, setters should stick to the two letter ones if they have to use them at all!
I think this category is too big to be used for crosswords. Is there another one that has more than 50 possibilities. It’s way bigger than short names that RD doesn’t like and world capitals as there aren’t that many that are part of a word. It makes it so difficult for a solver. Maybe Elgar should be the only setter allowed to use US state abbreviations.
I appreciate you left these shores a while ago, and it’s clearly not an interest, but, in Rugby Union, a try changed from three to four points in 1971 and four to five in 1992. In Rugby League, it went from three to four in 1983.
To score a try, the ball can’t leave a player’s hand, i.e it can’t be the first word of 7d. So, it’s not legit. I reckon Radio including a question mark is his way of acknowledging this. If the clue said ‘attempted’ then that could work but it would ruin the surface. I am being technical here. So, it isn’t that important because I like where he’s coming from.
But, in Rugby Union, there are still two way ways of scoring three points; one of which involves 7d! And, as he lives in Sussex, Dada was probably thinking of Union rather than League.
BTW – I did not come West until 1992 and, in any event, I have continued to follow the oval ball game.
Of course! The try with a kick.
What a fool I am. I’m so sorry to both you and Dada.
It’s a great clue that now goes on to my podium.
The US state is so bloody long and difficult to spell that I’m sure that our cousins more commonly use this contraction 😁
It is indeed a brute to spell.
Love your alias btw.
Palindromes are great fun.
Thought I would struggle due to staying up to watch Scotland take on Haiti but it all went in quite smoothly. Took far too long for the pennies to drop at 1a and 11d. 3d was something I remember from a while back – just one of the many words/terms I have learnt from doing crosswords!
Thanks to the setter and to Senf for the blog
Didn’t find this one quite the breeze others evidently did & the solve extended well into ** time. 11d & 20a the culprits – am also not a fan of the latter but when that penny dropped the additional checker meant the other yielded straight away, though I’ll have to try & remember the first bit is a demonstrative pronoun. Having been far too much of a wuss to ever entertain the physical demands of the game with the funny shaped ball the term at 7d wasn’t exactly familiar but it couldn’t have been owt else. Likewise the tarot card.
Enjoyed the puzzle with lots to like – 1,15,24,25&26a plus 3,5,11,16&21d my top 10 with Tigger’s relative in at Number 1.
Thanks to D&S
Several of these did not work for us, 1a, 25a (the first is American to me), 3d (obscure but we could see where he was going), 4d, 7d and that meaning aforementioned, which rather took the gloss off it. No outstanding favourite but thanks to Dada anyway and Senf.
The three letter buddy word is unfortunately disgustingly prevalent over the internet in comments and posts. It’s become as widespread as dude and mate. Drop by Reddit or many a YouTube video to see. It makes my eyes bleed.
Enjoyed all the smooth clueing especially doll in pieces with 1a holding out until the end. Sorry but the quickie pun does not really work for me!
Just finished having been to church, slept for two hours (maybe steroid injection working) drunk a bottle of bubbly stuff with DD2, had another nap and then completed this and the Toughie all in a rush. Two wonderful guzzles today although 7 d is complete guesswork and I can’t wake George up to ask him. 27a has to be favourite followed by 26d (never thought to see that in a guzzle) and 15a the baby tiger in bronze. Many thanks to the Setter and to Senf.
Well I found this a bit harder to get into than today’s toughie and still don’t have an answer for 19d – I have words that fit the checkers but can’t make them fit the clue??
It may have made it harder for me as we are sat in our camper van while a man drains our fuel tank. Mr SC having put unleaded petrol in a diesel engine. It’s going to cost £500 to fix it and then we will have to refill the tank I could cry and nearly have. Fingers crossed we are not too late to reach our campsite
If you have a three letter word that can mean, for example, sneakily clever you are on the right track.
Thanks so much for some reason I thought it was a longer word and had not seen the recreation area.
Also unlike others I really liked 1a as I knew where I was going very quickly just had to decide which one of a few options was the correct one. COTD could have been 7d 27a but I am plumping for 15a
Oh dear, SC what a time to do that. Mind you, hands up those who have never done the same. I did it last year but, fortunately, I realised before major damage could be done. I hope you get to your campsite soon.
Thank you – Mr SC is in the doghouse
Ah, I know that place well. 😊
I have commented on the shabby treatment I had from Castle Hill Hospital over the fractured left lead of my CRT pacemaker. I was told it was too complicated and risked serious infection. I then, December 2025 asked my GP to ask to be treated at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough. She wrote and I was given an appointment on the first of February.
I saw the consultant Lesley Whittaker whose approach was diametrically opposite to the previous consultant. He was not fazed by the situation and took the time to go through all the possibilities he could envisage. Alongside this he also organised a visit to the pacing clinic and for me to have an ECG.
He told me there was a waiting list of three months but that he would see me as soon as possible.
And he did. On the first of June I arrived at the hospital at two ‘o’ clock and had a procedure which lasted over two hours. He lead a very professional and personable team and I went home pleased with the outcome whatever might lie in the future
I can now walk without having to stop every few steps to recover my breath before moving on. Today I can walk slowly but without breathlessness alone the level. I was to do nothing in the first week and not much more for a further four weeks when I will return for a check up.
The comparison with Castle Hill is an example of the disparity within the NHS. In the notes I was given about the procedure and what I should be doing when I got home was the following sentence ; ‘The procedure was not complicated.’. Enough said.
As for the crossword the friendliness was outweighed by the quirkiness by a ratio of 8 to 1 in my post-operative opinion.
Reply
Delighted to hear that you’ve had a successful outcome eventually Corky
Great news, Corky! Onwards and Upwards! 👍
NHS at it’s best, hope everything goes well in the future
Nice things in the puzzle today but 16D mystified me. I was able to parse the answer but I don’t believe what I am seeing. Never heard the expression or anything like it. And I have double checked the checkers!
Triffic puzzle with some of Madflower’s chewiness But it is a prize puzzle after all. Thanks to all😊
2*/ 4* By no means straightforward, but I kept plugging away and everything fell into place in the end.
Lots of excellent humour and misdirection, favourites today include 15a tiptoeing moggy, 17a supporter and 25a in pieces
Thanks to Senf and compiler
Certainly needed some thinking about today, although once I’d got a few in the east the resistance in the west slowly crumbled .Last in 14a . Probably due to my deliberations over the rugby clue . Favourites 15, 23 ,27 and 11.Thanks to all .
A fairly steady solve, LOI was 1A. Unsurprised that the rugby clue got some questioning. Was about to ask for parsing help on 12A, now I see xxx and xxxx ( not just xx)…[redacted –it’s a prize puzzle]
… which leaves 3D – how is this answer arrived at?
Pody picks go to 15A’s tiger relation, 25A’s neat little charade and the dazzle of 19D.
Many thanks to setter and Senf – enjoyed the Julie Felix article, haven’t heard of her previously. ⭐️
Re 3d – an informal term for something that goes off with a bang
Hi Simon, I’m surprised your post wasn’t redacted and you sent to the naughty step for giving the actual solution to a prize crossword clue. It’s against the rules when the date to submit entries hasn’t been reached yet.
It has been now!
This seemed hard when I looked at it shortly after midnight before bed having had one or two wines staying with friends. Looked at it again last night having travelled home , with a tired brain , and it seemed a bit better but still chewy. Just finished it on a refreshed brain and all the ones I was stuck on were obvious. Really does show how being in the right frame of mind with a clear and rested brain does affect solving performance. Thanks to Dada and Senf.