Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31274
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty ***/**** Enjoyment ****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the midweek back-pager blog. I found today’s crossword to be quite tricky – it took me longer than the previous two days’ puzzles put together. However, I expect many of you will say that you sailed through this one with no problems at all! Today we have a pangram for which a fair amount of general knowledge is needed, but everything is fairly clued. I especially liked 5d, 7d and 18d, but my favourite today is 14a.
Many thanks to our setter: I’m going to take a punt on Hudson, who I know is fond of ursine national treasures such as 1a, as well as the legendary singer whose first name appears in 2d.
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.
Across Clues
1a Depression besets a much-loved bear (6)
RUPERT: A word for a furrow in a path or track is placed round (besets) a synonym of ‘a’ in the sense of ‘for each’, as in ‘£2.50 a kilo’.
4a One who doesn’t get away scot-free? (8)
TAXPAYER: A cryptic definition. ‘Scot’ here means a charge or levy.
10a Seller of blooms undressed Asian forest dweller (5)
LORIS: A word for a flower-seller, without its first and last letters (undressed).
11a Random bloke not opening venture (9)
HAPHAZARD: Another word for ‘bloke’, without its initial letter (not opening), and a synonym of venture or risk.
12a It often means a night on the tiles for Chinese people? (3-4)
MAH-JONG: A cryptic definition of a Chinese tile-based game.
13a Understanding when ten tentatively holds (7)
ENTENTE: Hidden in the middle three words of the clue.
14a Scrummaging in England pack, bagging a difficult touchdown (7,7)
PANCAKE LANDING: An anagram (scrummaging) of IN ENGLAND PACK, into which ‘A’ from the clue has been inserted (bagging a).
17a ITV recommends a broadcast, they screen some quotes (8,6)
INVERTED COMMAS: An anagram (broadcast) of ITV RECOMMENDS A.
21a Small piece of mosaic Ares laid when retired (7)
TESSERA: A synonym of ‘laid’, as in ‘laid a table’ for example, is added to ARES from the clue, then the whole thing is reversed (when retired).
23a Partially cover, say, a heavenly body? (7)
ECLIPSE: A cryptic definition of a verb that means to partially or fully cover a heavenly body such as the Sun. The resulting phenomenon will be visible from the UK on 12th August – weather permitting.
24a Germans roughly gutted eider duck (9)
MERGANSER: An anagram (roughly) of GERMANS, and the outer letters (gutted) of ‘eider’.
25a Sickly feeling when missing start of uniform mass (5)
QUALM: A synonym of ‘uniform’ in the sense of ‘alike’, without its initial letter (missing start), and the symbol for ‘mass’ in physics.
26a In these times, I refuse means to screen commercial (8)
NOWADAYS: A two-letter refusal and a synonym of means or methods are placed round (screen) an abbreviated word for a commercial.
27a Protect daughters touring English marshland (6)
DEFEND: The genealogical abbreviation for ‘daughter’ goes before and after (touring) the abbreviation for ‘English’ and a type of peaty wetland.
Down clues
1d A bit of bread soaks up fish (8)
ROLLMOPS: A bit of bread that you might have with your soup, and a word meaning ‘soaks up’.
2d Dolly bird opens temple (9)
PARTHENON: A word for a female bird is inserted into (opens) the surname of a much-loved octogenarian singer-songwriter.
3d Skin rash resisted our latest antibiotics initially (7)
ROSEOLA: A word meaning ‘resisted’ or ‘rebelled’, and the opening letters (initially) of ‘our latest antibiotics’. I’d not come across this word before.
5d Flight taken from East London? (6,3,5)
APPLES AND PEARS: A Cockney rhyming slang expression (from East London) for a ‘flight’ or series of steps.
6d Settled scheme Edward supports (7)
PLANTED: A three-letter abbreviation of Edward follows (supports, in a down clue) a synonym of ‘scheme’.
7d Long period of time back in prison (5)
YEARN: The time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun, and the last letter of (back in) ‘prison’.
8d Means of guiding ex-leaders of Australia and the UK (6)
RUDDER: A former Prime Minister of Australia, and the royal cypher of our late Queen.
9d Throwing eggs at Batty, her famous character (3,5,6)
THE GREAT GATSBY: The eponymous subject of a novel by F Scott Fitzgerald is an anagram (throwing) of EGGS AT BATTY HER.
15d One might commemorate European chap going over river near Buenos Aires (9)
NAMEPLATE: The abbreviation for ‘European’ and a synonym of ‘chap’ are reversed (going over) and followed by the name of a river that forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay.
16d Head of Economist meets up-and-coming editor, highly respected (8)
ESTEEMED: The initial letter (head of) ‘Economist’, MEETS reversed (up-and-coming), and the usual abbreviation for ‘editor’.
18d Green colour embodied by ephemeral dragonfly (7)
EMERALD: Hidden in (embodied by) the last two words of the clue.
19d Underhand former pupil Charlie leaves exclusive group (7)
OBLIQUE: The abbreviation for ‘Old Boy’ (former pupil), and an often derogatory term for an exclusive group of people, without the letter represented by Charlie in the NATO phonetic alphabet (Charlie leaves). I’d not come across this definition before, but it’s in Chambers.
20d Part of flower – not wild – stored in tin (6)
STAMEN: A synonym for ‘not wild’ inside the chemical symbol for tin.
22d Pay second ship’s company (5)
SCREW: The abbreviation for ‘second’ and a synonym for a ship’s company give us a slang word for wages.
Which clues did you like best? Let us know in the comments below.
The Quick Crossword pun: VENUS + WHALER = VENEZUELA
Last week we had an ousted president: this week we have the country he used to run.
What a fun puzzle, just how I like ’em, highly polished surfaces reflecting the humour lurking within.
A nod to my Bermondsey upbringing with a visit to the seafood stall for some 1ds after a visit to the 5d pub, a fine way to part with some of my hard earned 22d when I was a young apprentice.
The naked flower seller at 10a, the bird (must be a busty warbler) at church in 2d and the fluvial feat celebrated at 15d also had me smiling.
Hugely enjoyabuble, my thanks to our setter and Deansleigh.
Reasonably straightforward when tackled from S to N, and bar one all quite swift, then probably spent half as long again staring at the NHO 3d – I wonder whether the setter painted themselves into a corner there? Some odd surfaces that really wouldn’t pass the pub test, other than with many quizzical looks. On the other hand many excellent clues and much enjoyment to be had from some very clever constructions. Used to play 12a endlessly as a child, my parents having brought back a couple of sets when we left HK.
Honours to 1a, 4a 16d & COTD 5d.
Many thanks to the setter and to Deansleigh.
I found this hard with 1a and 3d the last to fall. 3d was new to me. I did notice for once that it was a pangram though that didn’t help. Very enjoyable puzzle though.
Top picks for me were 24a, 20d, 17a, 12a, 8d, 15d and 1d.
Thanks to Deansleigh and the setter.
I tried to watch the England football match yesterday evening and fell asleep, apparently I didn’t miss much.
Today was a bit of a surprise and took a bit of working out for reasons various.
I wasn’t keen on either of the synonyms at 1a. Lady P was an avid user of the Chinese tiles during our time in Singapore but I have never seen it hyphenated. With a couple of checkers in place, I picked a different rash at 3d which caused confusion for a short while, had to look up the alternative. Is the 14a ‘scrummaging’ the latest in a long line of anagram indicators? Finally 8d, which took me an age to parse.
COTD 9a for having two anagram indicators.
Thanks to the setter and Deansleigh
A perfectly splendid Wednesday pangram which I too think must be the work of Hudson.
Thanks to him and Deansleigh
I found this to be a bit of a stinker to the point of thinking about throwing in the towel, but persevered. It took ages to get started and then built up from the bottom in a fairly slow, but orderly manner. In the end I just needed DL for 8d, as I couldn’t remember the ozzie PM, although a quick check with Mr G would have given it. Plenty of clever clues; 17a is a top notch anagram, 11a is a lovely word, but my COTD is the collapsing scrum at 14a.
Many thanks to the setter for a good brain mangling and DL for the hints.
2.5*/4*
Hi CD
You have given this ‘bit of a stinker’ 2.5 stars for difficulty.
I’d love to know what expressions you have for 3, 4 and 5: a stinker, a right stinker, an utter stinker, perhaps?
Hi Tom, as I said it was a stinker at first sight but the more I got into it it became easier requiring just the 1 hint. My personal grading is based more on the number of hints/reveals I need. 5* difficulty would be a DNF because I didn’t even understand the hints. I don’t use time as a benchmark as I tend to flit from one thing to another or go out after starting. Anything over 3* is still a (unqualified) stinker.
Fairy nuff. Thank you, you sarf Landen geezer, you.
I can’t remember if I told you but I was raised in Raynes Park and spent many years in Battersea which ain’t a million from you.
I may have been born and raised in Croydon, but left there in 1967 and never been back. The Croye designation is more coincidence than a nod to Sarf Lunden. It’s actually the name of my street/close, which is unique in the whole of the UK. Knowing of Big D, Rabbit D, Puzzler D etc, it was my way of differentiation.
Gotcha.
It looks like it’s in Andover. Is that right?
I did a survey with 30 mates, asking if they knew of a big Dave and 22 did with only five of them being the same one. How nuts is that???
Correct; who’s been using Google Maps?
I play guitar (badly) and do the monthly open mic at a friendly village pub. They usually get around a dozen guitar players and 5 of us are Dave; the landlord is also Dave. It’s too common.
Maybe you should change your name to Rodney! 😊
https://youtu.be/g98NFXpq00w?si=PZw5RO5T6TOBUaIQ
Two good shouts, gents.
I was actually toying with Rodney as the answer to 8d but I couldn’t parse it.
I took a long time to get into this and, in fact, for the first time ever I had nothing after the first pass. Then I got the flight from East London and I was away. I didn’t know the ex PM of Oz so 8d proved to be a problem. Having dealt for years in antique Tunbridge Ware, 21a was not an issue at all. Lots to like but my COTD is the bit of bread at 1d.
Thank you, setter for a fun challenge. Thank you, Sheila Deng for the hints.
Our reviewer wasn’t alone. This one also took longer than Mon&Tues combined & today’s themed Donny Toughie. Hadn’t heard of 3d so that needed post solve confirmation once the ‘resisted’ synonym eventually dawned on me & despite knowing I was one letter shy of the pangram 5d&11a took an embarrassingly long time to yield. No problem with Kevin but I think describing Amber as an ex-leader in 8d is rather elevating her status – though she is a rare example 26a of a politician who resigned without delay when she realised she had inadvertently misled the Home Affairs Select Committee.
Thought the puzzle top notch. 4,11,12,14&25a 1,2,5,15&19d my Top Ten with the partying Chinese out on the lash in at Number One.
Thanks to the setter (Twm rather than Hudson methinks) & to Deansleigh
Having just read Deansleigh’s review confirmation that the heat has definitely got to my brain – nowt to do with Amber (d’oh).
3*/4*. This pangram was relatively tough especially in the SE corner, and it took me while to get on the right wavelength. I did enjoy it and 14a was my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter (Hudson?) and to Deansleigh.
A curates egg for me but with more good bits than bad bits. I thought 24A and 3D pushed the boundaries of GK. I also wasn’t aware of the levy reference in 4A but managed to solve it as a straight definition. In contrast I thought there were some excellent clues wth 5D, 14A, 17A, 26A and 15D standing out. COTD goes to 17A.
Thanks to the setter and to Deansleigh for allowing me to be able to fully parse 4a.
Thai corner. Another use of bamboo.
As well as acting as scaffolding, I see short tubes of bamboo being used as a cooking vessel for sweet sticky rice every morning at our local market. The tubes are stuffed with glutinous rice, coconut milk and various herbs and spices then cooked over an open fire. The tubes are cracked to order as they are purchased to reveal the dessert inside.
A cracking puzzle with treats galore – many thanks to our setter and Deansleigh.
I particularly enjoyed 1a, 1d and 15d but my favourite has to be 2d.
This puzzle also took me as long as the previous two days added together. Despite getting off to a great start in the SW corner.
Never heard of a 14a but can imagine what one is. I also failed to see the anagram for ages.
I felt there were a lot of clever clues that are obvious once I hit on the right word. Mr SC and I are fans of the game at 12a and I love the word at 11a. Looking at the grid now it’s made up of some excellent words that are satisfying to say out loud.
Anyway my favourite today amongst many is the anagram at 17a.
Thanks all – and top marks for having a buzzcocks track in with the hints – we saw them last year supporting the stranglers at tha Halifax Piece Hall.
Sorry Deansleigh, for me, etc©, quite gentle for a Wednesday. The pangram didn’t register with me but, as usual, that did not affect the solve. **/****
Candidates for favourite 1a, 27a, 5d, and 20d – and the winner is 5d.
Good Pun. I went there 12 years ago, not sure that I would want to go again. When leaving, it took a nightmare three and a half hours to get from the check-in desk, through security, and passport exit control to the gate where boarding for my flight was about 95% complete!
Thanks to Hudson(?) and Deansleigh.
Ridiculously hard for a Wednesday and therefore not enjoyable.
A nice, midweek tester with plenty of GK and SK which I always enjoy. My LOI was 3d which I biffed.
The synonym for ‘uniform’ was beyond me and ‘scot’ was somewhere in the depths.
Thank you, Deansleigh, for the heads-up for 23a happening on the Glorious Twelfth. I’m impressed you know that Hudson is a fan of the singer and the bear. Excellent knowledge.
My podium is 2d, 5d and 16d.
Many thanks Mr Thud (I can’t call it) and Nigel Hades.
3*/4*
Tom, I know that Hudson has referred to bears and Dolly in previous clues, so I was just putting two and two together – but I’m probably wrong!
The celestial event on 12th August will only be partial in the UK, sadly – to see totality you’d need to go to Iceland or Spain. The next total 23a visible in the UK will be in 2090, although there will be one in the Channel Islands in 2081. I won’t be around for either of those!
Tremendous information! Thank you, D.
A step up in difficulty today, but with lots of headscratching the pieces finally fell into place. A new word for me 21a, but the parsing was fair.
Thanks to the setter and Deansleigh for the sanity check.
For me this was difficult, with a number of northern clues holding out longest. the long anagrams really helped me to keep going. I needed the hints to parse 8d. 10a was my favourite. I am pleased to have completed it.
Many thanks to the setter and to Deansleigh for the hints
I’m glad I didn’t read the blog before starting this as I may have second-guessed my answers throughout. For about three-quarters of the puzzle the answers flew in, then I slowed down to the final 4, which needed a little electronic assistance. Needed the hints to parse 12a (not ‘red flag’ as I’d first tried), 25a and 3d – new word for me. Favourite by a country mile was 2d.
Thanks to all
Nicely chewy in places that made for an enjoyable solve overall. Helped by the GK which I dragged from the depths of memory. Honorable mentions go to 19d, 26a, 2d and 1d. But cotd is 12a. Thanks to compiler and Deansleigh
Found this very difficul and had to come back to it a number of times. Was looking like it was heading for a DNF but the SE corner finally gave it before I did! Was dreading to see the bloggers difficulty rating but was glad to see Deansleigh felt the same. Enjoyable but too taxing in this heat – please setters go easy above 30 degrees!!!
Thanks to the setter and to Deansleigh for blogging
It isn’t exactly the same as winning The Mythical, but I quite often fill in those surveys the DT email from time to time, and always wonder if I am wasting my time entering the draw. Obviously I wasn’t wasting my time the last time I entered because I got an email yesterday evening congratulating me on winning a £50 John Lewis voucher. Now I’ve just got to work out what to spend it on – might be a visit to Waitrose to get some of those things I always dismiss as being expensive
As far as The Mythical is concerned, CS I’m wondering how the likes of Daisy and yourself, who have won it several times, submit the puzzle. Do you submit immediately it’s completed or do you wait until nearer the deadline so as to be at the top of the pile? I have always submitted immediately and, as you know, have never won one in fifty years.
In all the fifty seven years I have been solving the Saturday Prize Puzzle, I have never ever won the Mythical
Oh my goodness, well what hope is there for the rest of us. I generally send it in when I’ve finished it otherwise I would forget to.
In the ‘old days’ I used to send it in by post , then it was only the Saturday prize and I won a set of DT bridge cards ( which later got nicked!) much easier now I do the guzzle in the paper , scan it and send it off. One handsome fountain pen and two boxed biro and embossed notebooks. I often send them off on Sunday or Monday night though ‘this week it didn’t get done until Thursday. Pure luck I am sure 🤞
Well done Sue. I often complete the surveys and wonder but now I know there is hope.
Another rather tricky Wednesday puzzle again this week for me. Nice to see a pangram too, as it has been a while since we have had one on the back pager puzzle.
2.5*/3.5*
Favourites 1a, 13a, 17a, 23a, 24a & 5d — with winner 5d
Thanks to Hudson(?) & Deansleigh
I found that harder than any back pager for some time but it was an enjoyable challenge that opened up from the S and through the Cockney flight. 3d was a new word and I’d never come across 22d in that context before. 12a won my COTD by a nose. Thanks very much to the setter and to Deansleigh for Buzzcocks and elucidation.
As others have said, this puzzle was a tricky pangram, which needed a broad range of General Knowledge . I needed a lot of help frim Mr Google to find the rugby clue (now that was a stinker. However, I did like 2d, Country music melded with ancient Athens, and the Eastenders flight. The Germans anagram at 24a and the geographical reference at 15 were pretty good too. Thanks to the the compiler and to Deansleigh.
Slow and steady, which seemed appropriate in this weather. There were an above-average number of answers I hadn’t heard of, including the 14a touchdown and the 21a mosaic (which first had me checking whether ‘alserac’ was a word), and the definition of 22d — thank you to Deansleigh for explaining the latter.
I still can’t see what’s cryptic about 4a or 23a; they just read like definitions to me.
Highlights included the two ex-leaders in 8d and the underhand 19d. Thank you to Hudson for the entertainment.
A 14a touchdown happens when a plane has to land without undercarriage, Smylers.
Thanks, Steve. Lemon and sugar on mine, please.
Absolutely! The one and only way to eat landings. 😊
Several unusual words today. Enjoyed the longer clues. Thanks setter.
Tom Petty today 🎸
Championship fixtures out tomorrow😎
2.5*/4* A good mid-wheeler with some quite convoluted clues.
Favourites include the random 11a, quote screens at 16a and as I always like an ornithological clue the 24a duck
Thanks to compiler and Deansleigh
Ps also liked the quickie pun
Gave up today … got bogged down in the NE.
4a never heard if that use for scot but I do hope we manage to be Scot free tonight!
8d my onowledhe of Australian politics is lacking!
1d … rollmop is a method of preparing herring and I’d never consider it a fish!
17a … how many extracted the word movies from the fodder but couldn’t make an 8 letter word with the test. Doh!
Well done setter and thanks to DL for the hints.
Had to stand outside in the sun today because the gym had an outage , I had no car and they said I could not shelter inside for health and safety reasons. I suppose dying of heatstroke outside doesn’t count. Rant over.
This was not easy and the wet flannel on the head didn’t provide any immediate answers. Never heard of the meaning of “scot” and the landing was not a term I had heard of but it made sense. The tiles for Chinese people was a light up moment. At first I thought the answer might be New Year,
Top of the pops was 5 down especially as it provided so many checkers.
Finished unaided but slowly . Much enjoyment on the way and thanks all round
Like Steve at #7 above, I found this very difficult to get into, in fact the NW didn’t yield anything for ages. I never noticed it was a pangram but then I never do. I love fish but think rollmops are disgusting, its not the taste but the texture, all sort of squashy. 3d was a new word for me as well. Thanks to all on this boiling hot day – we Brits are never satisfied – too wet, too hot, too much snow, not enough snow and I’m just as bad. Anyway, thanks to all.
A tough puzzle but thanks to all for the puzzle and clues. I don’t often comment but 22d brought to mind a story from my youth. The answer to 22d has a slang meaning in Canada that is a touch obscene. The newly emigrated mother of a friend of mine was highly embarrassed when she proclaimed to her Canadian coworkers that Queen Elizabeth was lucky as she got a damn good (22d) for being the queen.
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That would definitely raise a few eyebrows and give rise to a few snickers, to say the least.
Well that brought me back to earth with a bump. If it were not for 5d and 9d I would have given up. Thrown by the 3-4 in 12 across, despite the answer being obvious, as it’s a very popular game over here but never spelt with a hyphen. So popular you have to wait years to join a playing group. Always known the 14a as a belly landing, and 21a was a new word for me. As was 10a, but that was easy to figure out. I’ll second Croye’s comment re “a bit of a stinker”. Oh well, the last couple of days have been good. You can’t win them all. Thanks to setter for the challenge, and to Deansleigh.
This was literally a puzzle of two halves for me – left hand side went in before breakfast but the right side was still looking very sad and blank. After leaving it on the backburner all day while at work, I’ve finally staggered over the line! I particularly enjoyed the 4 long clues,
Thanks Deansleigh and setter.
Great puzzle – I’ll vote 17A. VMT Setter & Deansleigh
That was tough! Never heard of 10, 21 or 24, but they couldn’t be much else. Gave up on 4, which still makes no sense to me, despite Deansleigh’s assistance. Not helped by insisting that first word in 17 had to be investor🙄. Liked 11 and 14, though.
a scot is an old term for a municipal payment/charge so a tax of sorts – it’s what gave rise to the term ‘getting away scot-free’ – or in this case not doing so hence a taxpayer
Thank you, Huntsman, you live and learn! An excellent, easily solveable clue if you know, impossible if you don’t😂
That was tough and no doubt and on top of the toughie which took an age to complete. Favourite was 5d. Thanks to the setter and DL.
That was pretty hard for my tired and hot brain, at midnight, especially NE corner. LOI was 8D and needed the hint here to parse. Also didn’t know the ‘levy’ word in 4A, so I was stuck till I cracked the Y in 7D.
Pody picks – 7D for tricking me (didn’t look at ‘long’ as definition), and unusually will pick two anagrams – 17A quotes and 9D’s character.
Thanks to setter and to Deansleigh ⭐️
A rather natty puzzle. Quite a different style in the clues. **/****
3*/3* …
liked 5D “Flight taken from East London ? (6,3,5)”
Well tricky!
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