Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31296
Hints and tips by Falcon
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Greetings from Ottawa, where I and well over 5000 other homeowners are still cleaning up after the deluge on July 1. The bizarre aspect of the storm is the vastly different rainfall in various parts of the city. Some areas received more than 11 inches of rain in two or three hours while other areas received scarcely more than half an inch.
I found today’s puzzle a slight step up in difficulty from the usual standard for Monday but I may just have been overly tired from all my cleanup chores this week.
I’m afraid there are no illustrations this week. Every attempt at uploading an image was met with an error message from the server.
In the hints below, underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions, FODDER is capitalized, and indicators are italicized. The answers will be revealed by clicking on the ANSWER buttons.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought of the puzzle.
Across
1a Stupid total for starters (3,3)
DIM SUM — string together synonyms for stupid and total
5a Diet finished without core being fixed (8)
FASTENED — an extreme diet and another word for finished minus its middle letter (without core)
9a Coffee mug returned, with coin tossed behind lid (10)
CAPPUCCINO — reverse another name for a mug, append an anagram (tossed) of COIN, and place the result after (behind) another word for lid
10a Hard to follow transport in outback (4)
BUSH — place the pencil lead designation for hard after (to follow) a verb denoting transport people
11a Ruin meal featuring cooked mole (8)
DEMOLISH — another word for meal containing (featuring) an anagram (cooked) of MOLE
12a Fiery pit seen in painting, perhaps (6)
ARDENT — a pit or burrow contained in (seen in) the collective term for products of creative activity of which painting is an example (perhaps)
13a Make heavy demands on one hire vehicle (4)
TAXI — a word meaning make heavy demands on and a Roman numeral one
15a Scholarly facade Michael retains (8)
ACADEMIC — a lurker, concealed in (retains) the middle two words of the clue
18a Purpose keeps gunman regularly moving (8)
POIGNANT — a synonym for purpose contains (keeps) an alternating sequence of letters (regularly) from GUNMAN; there are two possibilities and I leave it to you to choose the one needed
19a Lofty leaders of this awfully licentious league (4)
TALL — the initial letters (leaders) of the final four words in the clue
21a Act properly in xenophobe haven (6)
BEHAVE — a lurker, hidden in (in) the final two words of the clue
23a Propose record involving male in agony initially (8)
NOMINATE — a verb meaning to create a written record contains (involving) all of the genealogical abbreviation for male, IN from the clue, and the first letter (initially) of AGONY
25a Discourage Democrat and American politician (4)
DAMP — link together abbreviations for Democrat, American, and an elected British (or Canadian) politician
26a Grasping a savage grasping a reptile’s head (10)
AVARICIOUS — the first A from the clue precedes an adjective denoting savage which contains (grasping) all of the second A from the clue and the initial letter (head) of REPTILE
27a Jan acted out next (8)
ADJACENT — an anagram (out) of the first two words of the clue
28a Reason, for example, to consume tiny egg (6)
SANITY — a word denoting “for example” contains (to consume) a tiny egg one wouldn’t like to find one’s hair
Down
2d Picture that is covering publication (5)
IMAGE — the Latin abbreviation meaning “that is” contains (is covering) a slangy term for an often glossy publication
3d Imagining modelling after drink (9)
SUPPOSING — modelling or sitting for an artist following (after) a small drink
4d Finally scream: “You lethargic family – participate!” (4,2)
MUCK IN — the last letters (finally) of the three words following the indicator and a synonym for family
5d Member of cabin crew‘s daft talent night dancing (6,9)
FLIGHT ATTENDANT — an anagram (dancing) of the three words preceding the indicator
6d Small tug with a passage for freeloading passenger (8)
STOWAWAY — concatenate the clothing label symbol for small, tug or pull, the A from the clue, and a passage or route
7d Declined even extracts from herb plot (5)
EBBED — start with the letters occupying the even numbered positions in (even extracts from) HERB and append plot or area devoted to growing plants
8d Flexible easel isn’t vital (9)
ESSENTIAL — an anagram (flexible) of the two middle words of the clue
14d A warning uttered as mentioned earlier (9)
AFORESAID — A from the clue, a warning employed by golfers hitting errant strokes, and a synonym for uttered
16d Toxin seen spread in conservatory perhaps (9)
EXTENSION — an anagram (spread) of the first two words of the clue
17d Steal vehicle with European as look out (4,4)
TAKE CARE — add together another word for steal, a motor vehicle, and the single letter for European
20d Communications upset setter with troubles (6)
EMAILS — reverse (upset) a pronoun the setter would use in reference to themself and add a verb denoting troubles or affects
22d Letter from mountain has missing last character (5)
ALPHA — a high mountain followed by HAS minus its final letter (missing last character)
24d Push husband to leave Faith (5)
TRUST — remove (to leave) the genealogical abbreviation for husband from a verb meaning push (i.e., THRUST)
Do you have favourite clue today? Let us know in the comments below.
Quickie pun:: NOTE + SHUN + ALLY = NOTIONALLY
On This Day …
… in 1947, Mexican and American rock guitarist Carlos Santana was born. His eponymously named band, Santana, appeared at the 1969 Woodstock Festival and were featured in the Woodstock film and soundtrack album vastly increasing the band’s popularity. The bands second album, Abraxas, (1970) spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard chart and remained on the charts for 88 weeks. Their 1999 US No.1 single ‘Smooth’ spent eleven weeks at No.1, (also No.1 in the UK) and Santana won eight Grammy Awards for the Supernatural album at the 2000 awards.
I enjoyed today’s puzzle with the SE last to fall. Wasn’t sure about 25a as I would normally add en to the answer to get discourage. I’m sure it will be correct though (I don’t have the BRB).
Top picks for me were 28a, 18a, 7d and 4d.
I liked the Quickie pun too.
Thanks to Falcon and the setter.
If yesterday was close to the summit, then today’s setter took me nearer to base camp. A fairly gentle, smoothly clued, and enjoyable journey.
I was anxious to complete today’s offering at an early hour because along with many of you, I’ll be sat poised, phone in hand, awaiting a call from the soon to be PM offering me a role as a special advisor on something or other…in reality there’s as much chance of that as me winning a mythical pen.
COTD – 9a, which despite being a great clue required two attempts before I spelt it correctly!
Many thanks to today’s setter and Falcon for the hints
Hi Doc
I remember the spelling of 9a by ordering a double **********, i.e double both the consonants ‘in’ the middle (‘in’ is at the end).
I got the spelling wrong for 9 across as well. From being a child I spell phonetically and do not recognise if a word looks at all odd. Heartened to know others stumbled on that one.
Many years ago I presented a dictionary to my then chief engineer, he told me it was useless. If he did not recognise an incorrect spelling he was never going to look in the dictionary…he’d never get any work done!
Spelling is a nightmare, it really is. If you said to a child…Which one of these two words has got a w in it: ‘one’ or ‘two’?
Obviously, they would say ‘one’ as it’s the first sound.
Help!
My husband also tends to spell phonetically, which leads to some hilarious crossword mistakes. I owe my spelling to my junior school English teacher, who wrote 8 words on the blackboard every morning. She never mentioned them or attempted to draw our attention to them. But after lunch, there was always a written test on how many you got right. Of course 9a wasn’t one of them, but as we have them every morning with our breakfast it would be a crime if I didn’t get it right.
Definitely a slightly tougher than Monday puzzle today, but actually rather enjoyable, with just some help from Falcon to fill in a few blanks. So thanks to setter and Falcon.
Hi BL
That’s an interesting approach by your teacher that was clearly effective.
Reading is a brilliant way to learn spelling as it’s basically rote but you’re unaware of it as you’re wrapped up in the story.
Unfortunately, the number of children who read has fallen off a cliff due to electronic devices.
For me, this needed a bit more thought than the typical Monday puzzle; maybe it’s just tiredness from a fairly busy weekend. Whilst the NW filled quite easily, the rest needed a few checkers to enable a complete solve. I particularly liked 26a, 6d and 14d, but my LOI, 18a is my COTD.
Many thanks to the setter and Falcon.
1.5*/3*
Now to catch up with yesterday’s prize puzzles.
Took me a while to get a foothold, but once established it was a steady solve from there on. I liked 1a, 9a and 13a. Cotd is a toss up between 28a and 4d with the latter getting the nod. Thanks to compiler and especially Falcon for the hints given it sounds like he had other pressing things to deal with.
A straightforward solve to kick off the week’s proceedings with the Home Counties slowing me down a tad.
My picks are 11a (‘cooked mole’ was neat though the image isn’t), 5d and 17d.
Many thanks to the setter (no clues) and Falcs. I’ve only just seen that the storm was on Canada Day which sucks.
2*/3*
I found this typically Mondayish; straightforward but good fun to solve. 5d was my favourite.
Thanks to both our setter and Falcon.
I’m with Falcon, a slight step up in difficulty for a Monday puzzle – **/****
Candidates for favourite – 1a, 27a, 28a, 6d, and 14d – and the winner is the delightful 14d!
Thanks to the setter and Falcon.
2*/3.5*. This made a nice start to the week with 14d my favourite.
Many thanks to the mystery setter and to Falcon.
An ideal puzzle for Monday, pretty gentle and enjoyable – thanks to our setter and Falcon.
The clues I liked best were 18a, 6d and 17d.
I blame the football for it taking longer than it should have. Robbed me of an hour’s sleep.
Very excited today because I had a face to face doctor’s appointment. The good news continued with this fine puzzle. 1 across set the scene. Enjoyed weeding out 6 down. Only query was 25 across. It fitted the bill but seemed an odd usage.
Well done Falcon for providing explanations in the face of the horrendous floods. I lie awake at night worrying about these weather pattens and the implications. Many thanks to our setter .
Fairly straight forward apart from 18a – poignant/purpose? Never come across that beforeB
Poignant means moving. The purpose part of the clue was something that means purpose around the subset of letters of gunman. I thought Falcon’s hint was a good explanation.
The definition is moving rather than purpose.
Sorry folks. Just re read clue and realise I was well up the wrong tree.
1* / 3.5* A very enjoyable start to the week.
Favourites from many good clues are the grasping 26a, participate at 4d and the starters at 1a
Thanks to compiler and Falcon
* / ****
Really enjoyed this and found it typical for a Monday.On the podium were the lovely lurker at 15a, the nice lego clue at 6d and the fantastic surface read of the acrostic at 19a. Many thanks to the setter and Falcon.
I guess it’s an individual thing but I found this puzzle much easier than last Monday’s and, in fact, completed it in record time.
Dam nation. I typed something out and then lost it. Too hot to do it all again I will just say thankyou to the setter and to Falcon for putting me straight at 7d where I wanted ‘ended’.
Hi DG
Is your first sentence a crossword clue? If so, I’ll go with Norway as they’ve got a few.
I’m so childish.
Nice to have a gentle workout today. I’ve been away on my friend’s narrowboat which was great fun , but tiring with the heat and doing the locks, and I got behind with a few from last week as my heart just wasn’t in it. Really enjoyed today’s though – I did wonder if we were heading for a pangram at one stage , but seemingly not. Many thanks to the setter and Falcon.
Pretty gentle, except for 26a which I struggled with — and all 5 crossing letters being vowels didn’t help much! Thank you to today’s setter, and to Falcon for hosting. Highlights were 17d’s vehicle with look out and the husband leaving Faith in 24d.
Pretty straightforward with 7d being LOI, well something had to be. Let’s hope this sets the standard for the rest of the week with incremental increases in difficulty, fat chance of that I’m sure. For favourite I’m going with 18a, others ran it close. Thanks to the setter and Falcon.
Had limited time today so had a go, got all bar a few. Eels 🎸 today
I found this a bit harder than a usual Monday and all the better for it!
I had three clues that nearly tripped me up. 18a – well clued when the penny dropped. And the 20d 28a combo.
I also initially spelled 9a incorrectly with a double n rather than a double c. But then as I have said on here before my spelling lets me down.
And handwriting- thank god that isn’t necessary for the cryptic. The number of times I have taken a list to the supermarket and then cannot read my own handwriting is unimaginable!! Apparently and this feeds my ego, it’s because my brain moves too fast for my hands to keep up. Probably nonsense but it flatters me so I am having it!!
Thanks to the setter and falcon
My favourite today was 26a
An early doors solve but a late post. Add me to those who had to think hard about the Ps & Cs in 9a – I stick to a flat white nowadays as it’s easier to spell. A swift grid fill with plenty to like – 1,18,26&28a + 6&14d the clues that stood out for me.
Thanks to the setter & to Falcon
Made a couple of mistakes so had to resort to Falcon’s hints. Bit of an unsettling past few days.
Thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the hints.
A very enjoyable start to the week, 5d my favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Falcon for the hints.
I found this to be a very gentle start to the week. No one clue stood out, so, as a Hong Konger, I’ll go with 1a as my COTD. Still raining.
Catching up on final day of holiday, back in UK. Pody picks starting with my last two in, the interlocking 14D and 18A, and 4D’s family gee-up.
2*/4* …
liked 20D “Communications upset setter with troubles (6)”