Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31294
Hints and tips by Mr K
+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - +
BD Rating - Difficulty **** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. I found today’s grid fill fairly straightforward, but parsing some clues took some serious head-scratching. Perhaps I’m just tired. I have just installed a new plug-in that restores comment editing and deletion following the recent upgrade to the site’s core software, so feel free to type fast and correct up to 8 minutes later.
In the hints below most indicators are italicized, and underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions. Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers. In some hints hyperlinks provide additional explanation or background. Clicking on a picture will enlarge it. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Standard transport restricts approved City trader's activity (12)
STOCKBROKING: Standard or unmodified is followed by transport or carry containing (… restricts) an informal word of approval
9a Just as stormy heading off for Spain (7)
EQUALLY: In another word for stormy, the first letter (… heading) is replaced by the IVR code for Spain (off for Spain)
10a Renewable energy source in book not many will read out (7)
BIOFUEL: A contraction for a genre of book is followed by an approximate homophone (will read out) of “not many” BIO[ography] + FUEL as a homophone of FEW
11a Souvenir of soldiers filling police force occupations originally (7)
MEMENTO: Another word for soldiers is inserted in (filling) an informal name for a London police force, and that’s all followed by the first letter (originally) of OCCUPATIONS
12a Sort of pump, it purrs when activated (7)
STIRRUP: An anagram (when activated) of IT PURRS
13a Dog needing our hugs (5)
DINGO: NEEDING OUR hides (hugs) the answer
14a Concerning split in outwardly free American public votes (9)
REFERENDA: The usual short word for concerning or about is followed by a synonym of split that’s been inserted in the fusion of the outer letters (outwardly) of FREE and the single letter for American
16a One following triumph adored essentially (9)
SUCCESSOR: A noun synonym of triumph with the central letter pair (essentially) of ADORED
19a Surround European wearing finest clothes (5)
BESET: The single letter for European inserted in (wearing) another word for one’s finest or smartest clothing
21a Celebrate newspaper mostly (7)
OBSERVE: All but the last letter (mostly) of a newspaper that’s published every Sunday
23a Dim relative runs boxing academy at first (7)
UNCLEAR: A male relative and the cricket abbreviation for runs are sandwiching (boxing) the initial letter (at first) of ACADEMY
24a Del Boy's friend set off (7)
TRIGGER: The name of a friend of Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses is also a word meaning “set off”
25a Flipping half-heartedly spots key area in map books (7)
ATLASES: The reversal (flipping) of the fusion of a word meaning spots or notices with one of its central letters deleted (half-heartedly), a key on a computer keyboard, and the single letter for area SE[e]S + ALT + A[rea] all reversed
26a Liking bet that involves large stake ultimately (12)
PREDILECTION: A bet or forecast containing (… that involves) the fusion of the single letter for large and the last letter (ultimately) of STAKE
Down
1d Heard single by chap producing R&B hit (4,3)
SOUL MAN: A homophone (heard) of single or solitary is followed by another word for a chap
2d Yellow light over Florida city (7)
ORLANDO: Link together the heraldry word for yellow, another word for light or alight, and the cricket abbreviation for over
3d Essential son rings those managing to supply musical instrument (9)
KEYBOARDS: A synonym of essential and the single letter for son sandwiches (rings) a group of people who manage a company or organisation
4d Scottish detective using taxi around centre of Glasgow (5)
REBUS: The reversal (around) of a transportation company using independent drivers accessed through an app is followed by the centre letter of GLASGOW. Read about the definition here
5d Comparatively eccentric king that is right to embrace naked beauty? (7)
KOOKIER: The chess abbreviation for king and the fusion of the abbreviation for “that is” and the single letter for right are sandwiching (to embrace) another word for beauty minus its outer letters (naked) K + [l]OOK[s] + I.E. + R
6d Turn one performs, it's free of charge (7)
NEUTRON: An anagram (performs) of TURN ONE
7d Article of clothing from Barmouth, dress that's ordered (7,6)
BERMUDA SHORTS: An anagram (… that’s ordered) of BARMOUTH DRESS
8d One supposedly never forgetting to approach shop for plant (8,5)
ELEPHANT GRASS: An animal that supposedly never forgets is followed by shop or inform on
15d Sport Conservative finds tediously unoriginal (9)
FORMULAIC: A (7,1) sport involving many horsepower is followed by the single letter for Conservative
17d Dismiss bank employee (7)
CASHIER: A double definition. Dismiss from the armed forces for the first one
18d Awfully angered? (7)
ENRAGED: The wordplay tells us to form an anagram (awfully) of ANGERED. The entire clue can serve as the definition, making this an &lit. clue
19d Sick bishop inspiring one about upsetting germs (7)
BACILLI: Another word for sick and the chess abbreviation for bishop are sandwiching (inspiring) the Roman one and a two-letter abbreviation for about or approximately, and then that’s all reversed (upsetting, in a down clue)
20d Test out very new hat (7)
STETSON: Join together an anagram (out) of TEST, another word for very, and the single letter for new
22d Record from idol or newcomer on the rise? (5)
ENROL: The answer is hidden in the reversal (from … on the rise, in a down clue) of IDOL OR NEWCOMER
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: BOAT + HIGH = BOW TIE
A superlative Friday offering and whilst I deed need Mr K for 13a and 4d to understand the answer – I only know one Scottish detective! – I thought ***/**** with outstanding clues being 9a, 3d the great anagram of6dd and my favourite 16d. Thanks to our hinter and wondrous setter.
I found plenty of opportunities to exercise the grey cell which is exactly what I have come to expect from my Friday foray into puzzle world. Taking things slowly, and reading most clues multiple times, I managed to conjure up a full set of solutions. I then spent equally as long trying to parse them all. Three clues in particular kept me busy for a while…2d, 14a and 25a…two because of, for me, new synonyms and one (25a) because the clue was so clever.
I really enjoy puzzles like today’s when time is not of the essence, the first read through yields little and eventually the clue delivers a solution.
I was amused by 12a…when I was very young, I was handed a 12a, a bucket of water and instructed to water the garden. The pump had been kept handy in case we were bombed in WW2 but how useful it would have been is questionable.
Many great clues – 4d’s Scottish Taxi; 5d’s eccentric king; 14a’s public vote but, my COTD is 25a.
Many thanks to the setter and Mr K for the hints.
A bit more meat on the bone and some very smooth surfaces to admire, with the Americanism in 5d being the only contentious issue as far as I can see.
The trading at 1a along with the preference at 26a and the cleverly constructed city in 2d were among my ticks.
My thanks to our setter and Mr K.
Wow, tough even for a Friday, got there in the end though albeit with two visits with a break inbetween.
Some great clues, my favourite being 10a.
Normally I approach the Friday puzzle with no expectations of finishing. I found this one quite easy I am surprised it got 4*. Doing 7d and 8d first did help.
A typical Friday farrago with, as Mr. K. says, some that bent the grey cells. I liked the essential son at 3d and I managed the detective at 4d despite never having seen the programme. There has to be a shout out for Del Boy’s mate at 24a – what a fine actor he was. I confidently began to insert “Ears” as the second word of 8d only to find I was a letter short. The lurker at 13a was well hidden and I didn’t spot it for a while. My COTD is the one following at 16a.
Thank you, setter for a fitting end to the week. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints and good to see the pusskits are back. I like what you’re doing to the site and thank you for all your hard work.
Will this heat never end? 🥵🥵
Steve, Everyone was asking that question in 1976 (eldest daughter was born, I remember it well). In those days I was working in Coventry and the factory had a ‘works holiday fortnight’ in late July. On the Friday prior to the start of that period it threw it down and continued to do so for almost a week….as I recall it few were pleased at the change in the weather!
I was! I went out and danced in the rain. Millions of gallons of water poured off the hill outside the village and the road was a river. Oh, and we were struck by lightning! ⚡️ ⛈️
I will never forget that evening.
The heatwave broke a couple of days after Denis Howell was appointed Minister for Drought. Definitely a minister who got things done. 😊
An excellent puzzle that gets 5* enjoyment from me. My favourite was 15d. Looking forward to watching this weekend at Belgium.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K.
Re 10 I think the homophone includes the word will for it to work ie few will
This was pleasingly awkward as befits a Friday; the first pass yielded only a handful of answers but thankfully my brain crept into gear and I completed it successfully. I thought the whole grid was a real delight to solve, with my favourite the simple but elegant 4d.
Thanks to both our setter and Mr K.
I agree with Mr K’s summary: not too tough to get the answer but parsing some of them was challenging.
For example, synonym-searching was not easy, e,g stormy, book and beauty (very hard). I knew the one for ‘dismiss’ thanks to solving previous crosswords.
I guessed the second word of 8d and didn’t know the term for the pump which makes sense. Love learning some GK, me.
My picks are 2d, 4d and 6d.
I’m not convinced it’s the work of Silvanus or Zandio……Jang, maybe? Carla? Oh, who knows.
Many thanks to whoever it may be and Mr K.
Thank you for fixing the editing and lengthening it by three minutes!
3*/3*
I forgot to say that the parsing of 25a was an absolute brute!
4*/5*. What a splendid finish to the week. I was on track for my 3* time but the SE corner proved more challenging.
Smooth surfaces, immaculate cluing and clever disguises abounded leading to a page full of ticks.
Many thanks to surely Silvanus and to Mr K.
Mr K, I parsed the second part of 10 a as a homophone of “few ‘ll” (few will).
I parsed 10a that way too.
Ditto, for me, on the second part of 10a.
A very enjoyable Friday challenge completed in today’s 33 degree cauldron. I was sidetracked by the delivery of a new strimmer which required assembly but so far the process has beaten me. A lot of great clues and as per the comments above the answers came in many cases before the parsing. COTD for me has to be 15D as I’m not sure if the setter is being ironical but I completely fail to find any enjoyment to be had from the sport mentioned.
Thai corner.
This tickled me for a number of reasons. The housekeeper brought the battery powered clock from the kitchen and in Thai said it had stopped working. The first thing I found amusing was that although the word she used for working was one I understood I had never heard it in that context and therefore being able to understand was a major plus. The second grin was evoked by the fact that the Thai word to describe that a clock is working is, ”walking”. The picture of a clock walking amused me. Then I realised that in English, clocks run as does time, so not such a strange concept. Finally the contradiction between English time running and Thai time walking is such a great metaphor for the mindset of the different cultures.
Thanks to Mr K for clearing up the parsing for me and to the setter for a lovely challenge.
That’s a lovely cultural observation, ATiB. Can’t say I find the thought of 33C with so much humidity very appealing – it was bad enough having just a few days of it, but at least we know that at some point it will always pass!
A sound and enjoyable Friday puzzle, not overly taxing in this heat, fortunately. Tackled fairly swiftly from the ground up (because 26a leapt out at me) though the NW slowed things down a little.
Ken Stott for me the definitive 4d.
Many thanks indeed to the setter (Silvanus for my fiver) and to Mr K – with particular thanks for all your hard work behind the scenes keeping everything running, it can’t be easy!
I enjoyed today’s crossword but needed Mr K’s help to parse 25a.
Lots of ticks on my page but top picks for me were 15d, 8d, 6d, 2d, 9a and 10a.
Thanks to Mr K for the blog and his hard work on this site and to the setter for the lovely puzzle.
As many have said, solving is one thing, but parsing another altogether, 25a being a case in point for which I needed the hints to get it sorted. A perfect Friday puzzle from which I have chosen a podium of 4d, 6d and 15d. Thanks to compiler and Mr K for the hints and site upgrades. Both a very much appreciated.
Very enjoyable – thanks to our setter and Mr K.
For my podium I selected 13a, 3d and 15d.
If you usually avoid the Friday Toughies because you find them too tough today would be a good day to give it a go; Dharma has given us a fairly gentle and enjoyable puzzle.
** / ****
Just so pleasing to have the time to solve and comment today! Work and other pieces of life have been very demanding of late. Really enjoyed this and agree with others that some parsings were really quite tough to tease out.
For me, etc©, an enjoyable end to the (non-)work week that did not result in the loss of any brain cells – **/****
Candidates for favourite – 9a, 10a, and 2d – and the winner is 10a.
Thanks to Silvanus(?) and Mr K.
Some parsing beat me! Thanks for the explanations, but they were all fair enough, for sure.
Can I echo Gazza’s comment at #15 and recommend today’s Toughie by Dharma? Well worth a visit.
Very entertaining and enjoyable puzzle; thanks to setter. Clear winner of COTD, for me anyway, was the wonderful 15D!
Great puzzle, although with a number of parsing challenges along the way. Lots of good clues with 15d my COTD after a photo finish. The plural form at 14a used to cause a great deal of debate in my working days and a classicist friend insisted that the version used here was incorrect in Latin. On the other hand, Alan Clark found the alternative ugly and I think we concluded that it really didn’t matter as long as we were consistent. Thanks very much to the setter and to Mr K.
The expected step up in difficulty for a Friday. A very satisfying and entertaining solve. I got myself a bit stuck on the 17d / 21a combo. I was trying to find a word ending in ‘tier’ and beginning with ‘can’ or variations (before the penny dropped)
Thanks to the setter and Mr K.
Have a good weekend everybody…..