Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31291
Hints and tips by Huntsman
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ****
A dull overcast start to the day & comparatively chilly outside with the welcome benefit that the temperature in my flat has now fallen to a tolerable 25C.
I thought today’s Anthony Plumb production was a fair bit easier than yesterday’s offering. As ever nicely clued throughout & with some neat surfaces. I enjoyed it much more than last week’s puzzle so I’ll be interested to see what others make of it.
Our regular Sunday prize puzzle setter is on duty over in t’other place & Tuesday Toughies are invariably very accessible so well worth dipping your toes into slightly deeper waters. Whybird is on hand to chuck in a rubber ring if you get into any difficulty.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
Across
1a This could be apt thing done by Ginger Rogers? (3-7)
TAP DANCING: we kick off with a reverse anagram. The 4th (well spotted Steve) word is the fodder then think of an appropriate indicator to give you something Fred’s partner was a dab hand at.
6a Musical ensemble repelled by ordinary place in Norway (4)
OSLO: reverse (repelled) the acronym for the ensemble whose home is at the Barbican then append the single letter for O[rdinary].
10a Papa illegally obtained old picture (5)
PHOTO: P[apa] (NATO alphabet) + adjectival slang for illegally obtained/stolen + the single letter for O[ld].
11a Giving cook organic cod with nothing removed (9)
ACCORDING: an anagram (cook) of [o]RGANIC COD (nothing removed).
12a Judgement broadcast in French church (8)
SENTENCE: a synonym for broadcast + the French for ‘in’ + the usual two letter abbreviation for our protestant church.
13a Fibrous material that’s produced shiny long trousers (5)
NYLON: hidden (trousers).
15a Musk is calm with all closures abandoned in Chicago? (7)
MUSICAL: remove the last letter (all closures abandoned) from the 1st three words in the clue. Definition by example.
17a Trouble for no female in ship’s crew (7)
SAILORS: insert (in) a verb meaning to trouble + [f]OR (no F[emale]) in between the usual two letter ship prefix.
19a Almost injure head getting tackle on horse? (7)
HARNESS: truncate (almost) a verb meaning to injure then append a geographical head/promontory.
21a Description of Cleopatra? Fair, devious, cold and short (7)
AFRICAN: an anagram (devious) of FAIR + C[old] + AN[d] (short). Neat clue.
22a Little container in street (5)
SCANT: place a container within the two letter abbreviation for street.
24a Put down ‘er instrument (8)
RECORDER: a synonym for ‘put down’ in an audio context + ‘ER. Nowt to do with a Cockney putting a lass back on her feet.
27a Actress and I tangled crossing a set of steps (9)
STAIRCASE: an anagram (tangled) of ACTRESS I. A close call for the musical clip but Peter Griffin edged out Robert Plant.
28a Where drivers might stop, somewhat unable to move backwards (5)
MOTEL: hidden in reverse (somewhat/backwards).
29a Concluded poet lacks heart (4)
DONE: remove the central letter (lacks heart) from the surname of one of the metaphysical poets – memories of A Level English Lit back in the day.
30a Still paper’s delivered (10)
STATIONARY: a homophone (delivered) if a synonym for paper. I still have to pause & think which vowel to use – no doubt Tom has a trick to help remember which is which.
Down
1d Trump put on small crowns (4)
TOPS: a synonym for trump/outdo + S[mall]. Nowt to do with orange fella.
2d Model poses for Harvard’s third employee there? (9)
PROFESSOR: an anagram (model) of POSES FOR then append HaRvard’s (third/letter).
3d Close to a fight (5)
ABOUT: A from the clue + a term for a fight/boxing match.
4d Fashion designer pens new guide (7)
CHANNEL: a French fashion house goes around (pens) the single letter for N[ew].
5d Steal golfer’s coins in America (7)
NICKELS: a slang term for steal/pilfer + the surname of a South African four time Major winner affectionately known as The Big Easy.
7d Something chemist might give you after beginning of stomach upset (5)
SPILL: possible medicine from the pharmacy preceded by (after) S[tomach] (beginning of).
8d Sorting out Iran’s going badly (10)
ORGANISING: an anagram (badly) of IRANS GOING – no sh*t, Sherlock! though some would have you believe otherwise.
9d Border force operating after Republican row (8)
FRONTIER: 4 bits of lego in this charade – the physics single letter for F[orce] + R[epublican] + the usual for operating/working + a synonym for row/rank.
14d Stressed European politician has promised 50 per cent off (10)
EMPHASISED: E[uropean] + in the UK a constituency politician + HAS from the clue + [prom]ised (50% off).
16d Animal found guarding historic city (8)
CREATURE: insert AP’s oft used city-state in ancient Mesopotamia (now Iraq) into a verb synonym for found/institute.
18d Group of players generating the roars outside clubs (9)
ORCHESTRA: an anagram (generating) of THE ROARS goes around the card suit abbreviation for C[lubs].
20d Chauffeur perhaps specified collecting right vehicle (7)
SERVANT: insert (collecting) R[ight] + a road vehicle for transporting goods or people into a synonym for specified or prescribed.
21d Very old social worker keeping inactive on a regular basis (7)
ANCIENT: insert (keeping) the even letters (on a regular basis) of [i]N[a]C[t]I[v]E into a social worker from the Formicidae family.
23d American advantage once more (5)
AGAIN: A[merican] + a synonym for advantage/profit.
25d Young lover’s little jumper enthralling this writer (5)
ROMEO: a personal pronoun for how the writer may refer to himself placed within (enthralling) an abbreviated term for a jumper found Down Under.
26d Waste time dropping off daughter’s friend (4)
ALLY: delete (dropping off) the genealogical single letter for D[aughter] from a verb meaning to waste time.
I’ll plump for 21a as my pick of the clues today & I also liked a good few of the others – 15&28a + 8,9,14&21d among them. Please let us know which clues you liked best.
Today’s Quick crossword pun: GOA + LONG + WHEY = GO A LONG WAY
Having just nabbed two of the few remaining tickets to see her at the Royal Albert Hall in November this morning’s listening has been my Melody Gardot playlist. Here’s the official music video to a track off her Currency of Man album, which was the first song I ever heard sung by her.
I found this somewhat of a strange puzzle in that I had answers before I had fully parsed many of the clues. All in all, I found it a bit of a struggle with only four solved after the first pass but I eventually crossed the line. Yet another way to clue an old favourite at 18d – I wonder if anyone has counted them? Another visit by POTUS at 1d who is probably visiting to cancel the by-election in Clacton. (No politics, Cowling). My COTD is Ginger at 1a, which I thought quite brilliant.
Thank you, Professor for what was, for me, a challenge. Thank you, Hintsman for the hunts.
An enjoyable puzzle with the NW holding out the longest. Took me ages to spot the 28a lurker. I got the answer but couldn’t parse it until I looked more carefully at the clue.
Top picks for me were 21a, 1a, 30a, 7d and 25d.
Thanks to Huntsman and Mr Plumb.
Yet again, the edit of my post did not work. I wanted to add a note to Hintsman – do you mean the fourth word in 1a? 😊
Probably- my eyes are a bit blurry 1st thing 😴
Will amend anon
A pleasant Tuesday */*** with 21a being my favourite. Although obvious I thank Huntsman for his hints to fully comprehend 17&28a. Thank you our setter.
I’m beginning to feel the heebie-jeebies. The World Cup nearly over and more than a month until the Premier League returns. What am I to do? I am like a ship without a sail. Like Tolstoy’s Ivan Ilyich I am beginning to feel the loss of my own life whilst still living it. (Almost) like Joan Didion I will experience a month of magical thinking. I am utterly collapsed. I lounge with glazed eyes, or weep tears of sheer weakness. I shall listen to nothing but Mozart’s Requiem for a month.
Woe!
What? Oh yeah. Great guzzle. Solved it but have a couple to understand/parse, so I will direct myself to The Hintsman for clarification.
Thanks to Bob, and Andy On The First Tee.
Nicely pitched for a Tuesday with no real holdups. My favourite today is 17a although 25d ran it a close race. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.
Very entertaining – thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
I don’t think ‘some’ is needed in 13a – ‘trousers’ as a verb does the job.
I nominate 8d as the clue of the month – I also liked 1a and 10a.
The usual Tuesday excellence; entertaining and and not too taxing. 1a went in straight away and remained my favourite throughout the solve.
Many thanks to both AP and The Hintsman.