Sunday Telegraph Cryptic No 3376 (Hints)
Hints and tips by Senf
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A very good Sunday morning from Winnipeg where I express great thanks to Mr K for resolving issues to fend off Chinese bots and other DDoS attacks in the middle of my night which is why my blog is a little late this morning, it still is the middle of my night, and if you notice any errors have a Mars Bar and a 48.
For me, and I stress for me,© Dada symmetrically not so friendly today with two long ‘uns, six anagrams with five partials (I might have mis-counted), two lurkers (don’t forget the ‘if all else fails . . . ‘), and no homophones, all in an 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!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
If it is some time since you read, or if you have never read the instructions in RED below the hints then please consider doing so before commenting today as my electronic blue pencil is at the ready and the Naughty Step is OPEN!
Candidates for favourite – 13a, 15a, 23a, 4d, 7d, and the Pun.
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
7a Wave of foam has run inside cup (7)
The single letter for crickety Run inserted into (inside) a synonym of cup.
11a Good, a good French country (5)
The single letter for Good, A from the clue, and the male form of French for good.
13a Shriek in alarm, perhaps? One may have hives (9)
An interjection synonym of shriek, probably only found in The Dandy and The Beano, inserted into (in) a type of alarm.
15a Throw dummy on floor, initially (7)
A informal synonym of dummy (as a clumsy person) placed after (on) the first letter (initially) of Floor.
18a Shout now if ordering fish (9)
A synonym of shout (in pain) followed an anagram (ordering) of NOW IF.
23a See the setter by mostly calm wildlife sanctuary (9)
It’s back! All of a synonym of see (as in understand) and the perpendicular pronoun that the setter may use to refer to himself placed
after (by) a synonym of calm with the last letter deleted (mostly).
25a About right, a treat roughly chopped and served raw (7)
An anagram (roughly chopped) of A TREAT containing (about) the single letter for Right.
Down
1d A lute Elvis played on screen (10)
An anagram (played) of A LUTE ELVIS.
3d Genius‘s supporter getting emails here? (8)
The usual short form of a supportive item of ladies’ intimate apparel and a (2-3) term for where one may get emails.
7d Caress and stroke US glam rock band (9,4)
Straight out of The Crimson Tome! A type of swimming stroke and the US glam rock band famous for B&W face make-up.
14d Men’s clothing accessory, something fabricated that needs no introduction (4-3,3)
The cockney rhyming slang for a (verbal) fabrication and tHAT from the clue with the first letter deleted (needs no introduction).
16d Poor woman OK about dismissal, finally steps back? (8)
An anagram (poor) of WOMAN OK containing (about – again!) of the last letter (finally) of dismissaL.
17d Real company on centre ground (8)
The two letter abbreviated from of company placed before (on) an anagram (ground) of CENTRE.
22d O sugar! (4)
A short clue like this might be a double definition or it might be an &lit – rightly or wrongly I am going with the former. A double definition – the first is the word being used a lot in SW19 last week and this week for the score represented by O and the second is a synonym of sugar as a term of endearment.
Quick Crossword Pun:
BAIT + HOVE + HEN = BEETHOVEN
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American actor and former singer-songwriter Hugh Anthony Cregg III known professionally as Huey Lewis is probably celebrating his 76th birthday today. Lewis sang lead and played harmonica for his band, Huey Lewis and the News, until being forced into retirement due to hearing loss in 2018; he also wrote or co-wrote many of the band’s songs. One of the things the band is perhaps best known for is its contribution to the soundtrack of the 1985 feature film Back to the Future. This is a song from that film (skip forward 2m 15s to get to the start of the song):
Good to have the site back and, like others, I was at a loss yesterday. Grateful thanks to I believe, Mr. K. for working hard on the restoration for our benefit.
I found Dada to be on the quirky side today. I got off to a good start with the wave at 1a but then pickings were slim from then on. However, once I got 13a, things moved forward slowly. I love the word at 15a and it’s a welcome return to an old favourite at 23a. I nearly put the wrong word at 22d until I read the clue again. My COTD is the genius’s email at 3d.
Thank you, Dada for the fun. Thank you, Colonel for the hints.
Just spotted that NTSPP 856 is a Chalicea..
Yes, I’m heading over there later. 👍
This took a bit of teasing out, but once a foothold had been gained through the two “longuns” steady progress was made. Nice to see 23a making a return. 7d needed confirmation. 15a gets my vote for cotd. Thanks to Dada and Senf with a grateful tip of the hat to Mr K for sterling IT wrangling.
I found this quite tricky today, but an excellent puzzle.
Top three for me in no particular order, 8a, 15a, and 14d.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf.
A great puzzle which took me a while to get into but was well worth persevering.
15a is such a lovely word and it was good to see 23a back again and clued so well.
Top picks for me were 15a, 13a, 4d, 16d, 7d and 14d.
Thanks to Senf and Dada.
Very slow to get started and was about to give when I made some progress and eventually I managed an unaided finish. I enjoyed 15a though I’d never heard of one of the words needed for parsing and 10a was satisfying too. Thank you Dada and Senf.
1* / 5* Thought this was an excellent Sunday puzzle, struggled to get a start then went in at a steady pace.
I enjoyed some top misdirection and humour and spoilt for choice for favourites.
Top three are the genius at 3d, the 7d caress and 15d throw a great word with or without the f
Thanks to compiler and Mr K
A welcome change after the almost-a-toughie yesterday. Not easy but nicely satisfying. I thought there were some beautifully constructed clues. I did spend an age parsing 13a as I had decided that the central three letters must mean ‘shriek’, when they clearly don’t. Finally parsed thanks to Senf and his comics (though I favoured the defunct Topper as a child). Good to see (or maybe not!) the return of 23a after a time in the wilderness. **/****
PS Thanks to the hero (or heroine) who put in the long yards to get the site up and running again.
The BRB says ‘representative of a shriek’ which works for me
The correct three letters work. As I said, I’d used the wrong letters in constructing the ‘alarm’, so the ‘shriek’ was also wrong.
It works for me as well. In fact, it was the shriek that gave me the answer.
2*/5*. Dada at his best today. Very enjoyable with loads of ticks all over my page.
Thanks to him and to Senf.
I thought this was going to be a bit of a sticky solve, but after some preliminary head-scratching it all came together nicely. It was lovely to see 23a again after a long absence, but my favourite was 3d.
Many thanks to Dada for a terrific puzzle and to Senf.
With a little bit of thought everything fell into place quite nicely. I hadn’t heard of the US band nor the caress but readily available from the wordplay and checkers. Interesting that yesterday we had nettle **** and today we have hives. 3d and 4d were my favourites.
2*/4*
Many thanks to Dada and Senf
Dada’s in fine form today – thanks to him and Senf.
I had ticks for 13a, 15a, 21a, 3d and 14d.
A bit of head scratch in parts particularly in the south west . Didn’t know the band but once that was in the remaining clues dropped nicely . Favourites 15 and 16 .Thanks to all
I’m surprised few have heard of the band. I thought they were widely known.
I’m a bit confused. There appears to be another Sheila commenting on this site. Although I read the blog most days I haven’t left a comment for some while (health related). Do I need to change the name I’ve been using?
I also wish to add my thanks to all those who keep this site running, and manage to sort out the technical hitches.
Now to,look at today’s puzzle.
If you were here on the blog first, Sheila then I would have thought it was the other Sheila that needs to change her name. Don’t take my word for it though.
I’ve asked the ‘other’ Sheila to add something to her alias to avoid confusion.
Thanks
**/****
A top puzzle today. Went from ticks to double tick to treble ticks! So the final podium is throwing the dummy at 15a – what a superb word! The 3d genius supporter and the 21a relative on sunset boulevard. Didn’t have time to more than make a start yesterday. It seemed a high difficulty so I’ll be off there shortly to find out. Sorry to hear about the blog troubles yesterday and bug thanks to the dedication of those that denied the bots!!
Many thanks to Dada and Senf
I wonder how many members of the blog won’t be around tomorrow because they stayed up all night to watch England. Rest assured, I will be fast asleep in bed. 😊
And me – if the overnight temperature plays ball
I definitely won’t be up all night watching football. It was bad enough watching England lose the rugby yesterday.
By the time I have had my weekly alcohol quota watching the Silverstone F1, it won’t be too long before my head hits the pillow.
😴💤🛌 for me too.
Everybody in this thread should be sent to the Tower for treason. No trial; no parole.
Yes please – it’ll be cool in there
Did anyone else have [redacted –it’s a prize puzzle] for 22d? It sort of makes sense [redacted –it’s a prize puzzle] but obviously incompatible with the Spanish town….
I think I had the answer you’re thinking of, Omar.
I found this an easy solve today. Just shy of xxxxx (please don’t include solving times in your comments) Funny how some days it just clicks and others you grind at for ages. Often the opposite in the same puzzles for others too. Brains eh? Some lovely clueing but I think 3D, 4D and 15A were the jewels in this wordy crown.
I got on well with this today, which is not always the case with Dada. 15a my favourite, simply because I love the synonym for dummy, and often apply it to myself. Many thanks to setter and Senf.
Yesterday wss a tricky d puzzle which I finished despite having no blog, but submitted with one wrong leetter to my disgust. Today’s was challenging but fell into place more easily once the checkers werein.16d was a jolly clever clue, which I had to leave ,at first, but revealed itself immediately, when I returned to it. I also liked the lego clue at 7d ( lits of General Knowledge needed in this puzzle). There were some good geographical clues too (11a, 23a, 24a) but 15a was my COTD because it made me laugh. Thanks to DaDa and t Senf for the hints and to Mr K and whomever else helped difht iff those peaky bots.
Got there in the end but needed a break halfway though, favourite today was 13a.
All hopes later tonight, or tomorrow morning, on captain fantastic, it’ll be good to see the sporting Mexicans silenced after they booed our players getting from the coach to their hotel.
I found this Dada puzzle not only extremely unfriendly but had quirkiness all over the grid and I don’t think he took his fingers out of his personal thesaurus at all.
Found this very hard and not a puzzle I liked. I hate to say it, but this was IMHO a “toughie” of the nth degree.
4*/2.5* for me
Favourites 12a, 18a, 3d, 4d & 9d
Thanks to Dada & Senf as well as Mr K for resolving the site down issue yesterday. Not been a good weekend puzzle wise.
Your comment went into moderation as you missed the ‘l’ out of your alias which I have fixed.
Oops! … thx
I found this on the tricky side today, and needed a couple of the hints to get on the right path. Possibly I was just being too impatient to think about it properly. I enjoyed the anagrams and 13a was my favourite.
Many thanks to Dada and to Senf for the hints.
Also many thanks to the hard workers who keep the site up and running, it is much appreciated.
A lot to like with this puzzle. 24A held out on me and was the last one to fall into place – which only happened when I corrected my original answer to 22D. Like others I was led up the wrong garden path with that one. I completed the puzzle while drinking a coffee and sitting in the shade cast by the Cutty Sark in Greenwich.
What a great word 15A is. I must try and shoehorn that into more conversations.
Thanks to the setter and hinter.
For me, and I stress for me (© Senf), it really is preposterous that this ‘Senf’ turns up late considering the eye-wateringly high income he receives from this… what?…oh… I see… Well ok then.
I understand that there was an administrative error at The Telegraph last week, and thus I was not awarded the crayons and colouring book. I’m assured by the editor that this will be put right this week, so there really is no point in you entering. Many apologies if you have already done so.
Thanks to Da-doo-ron-ron and The Man From Manitoba.
This was a nice one to solve with no real stumbling blocks.
I had to look up the etymology of the two superb words in 15a to see if they were linked and I was pleased to see that they’re not which just adds to it.
Great to see 23a being wheeled out and I love the term in 14d.
7d reminds me of the excellent title of the lead singer’s autobiography: **** and Make-up.
Another belter is George Adamson’s: My Pride and Joy.
My picks are the aforementioned 15a, 3d and the beautifully constructed 19d.
MTT Radio and Senf.
2*/4*
Difficult but doable and most welcome after yesterday’s dnf. Favourite was 24a. Thanks to Dada and Senf.
So pleased to have the blog back – I take it as a conclusive omen for a comanding victory in the wee small hours – well I can always hope!
Really enjoyed todays puzzle and found it much lighter and more fun than yesterday.
Speaking of which – I’d just like to add my thanks to the many and say that, after the brief black out, I am reminded how much I use and enjoy this site. So to all the people who put the time in to make it happen – a huge thank you.
Well that was more fun than yesterday! It was a slow start, but picked up pace once Martin finished his grid walk. (I definitely won’t be staying up tonight… zzz) Love the word at 15a – so descriptive. I’d heard of the band at 7d but had no idea they were American nor glam rockers…. I know now! Thanks to Dada and Senf.
I found this much easier than yesterday’s prize puzzle & tuned in for a brisk finish. Great fun & Dada on top form with some super surfaces (not always the case) & witty clues. Ticks aplenty – 13,15&18a + 3,14&16d would be my picks.
Thanks to D&S
Oh how I missed you yesterday! I gather some stalwart souls got the site up and running again for which many thanks. Just finished today’s guzzles after a spate of callers – what fun. Nice to see a return of the old friend at 23a, never heard of the glam rock band so it is guesswork, really liked 4d and 25a which is one of my favourite things. My father used 15a frequently so I was familiar with that. Many thanks to our Setter and to Senf and to everyone who makes this wonderful site work.
I certainly missed the blog yesterday and many thanks to Mr K for getting us back up and running. I do hope you get a good night’s sleep!
After a slow start I managed to have a decent run but slowed down again towards the end. I notice our favourite area has returned once more in disguise! Many thanks to the Setter and Senf.