Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31303
Hints and tips by Huntsman
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** Enjoyment ***/****
I found today’s Anthony Plumb offering maybe a tad trickier than yesterday’s puzzle chiefly because the definition context at 1&23d needed a bit of a crumpet scratch. As ever it was very enjoyable, nicely clued throughout & with some neat surfaces. I look forward to hearing what others make of it. I’m off to play ⛳️ so hopefully (no promises) no amendments need to be made to the hints below.
I see Chalicea is over in t’other place so that is guaranteed to be an enjoyable puzzle & well worth having a stab at. Whybird will be delighted to hear your thoughts on it.
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 Awful disaster’s leaving adult suffering (8)
DISTRESS: an anagram (awful) of DIS[a]STERS (leaving A[dult]).
5a Is holding hand out for models (6)
IDEALS: insert (holding) a verb meaning to hand out (such as in a card game maybe) between the two letters of the 1st word in the clue.
9a Captains preserved fish in ship (8)
SKIPPERS: the usual two letter ship abbreviation goes around (in) a preserved/brined & smoked fish that is tasty for breakfast & which memorably featured in a classic episode of Watery Fowls.
10a Spots king wearing glasses (6)
SPECKS: insert (wearing) the single letter for the chess piece into an informal abbreviated term for glasses.
12a Large, costly piano is swapped with clarinet, finally (9)
EXTENSIVE: think of a synonym for costly & within it exchange the musical single letter for P[iano] with the last letter (finally) of [clarine]T.
13a Big cat’s bound to scratch head (5)
OUNCE: remove the initial letter (scratch head) from a verb meaning to bound or leap.
14a Somewhat famous English river (4)
OUSE: hidden (somewhat).
16a Sort of over southern girls (7)
MAIDENS: append the single letter for S[outhern] to the term for an over in 🏏 that yields no runs.
19a Inside police department, initially, boss almost begged (7)
PLEADED: insert (inside) a truncated (almost) synonym for boss between the first letter (initially) of the 2nd & the 3rd words in the clue.
21a Guy with small clothes (4)
RAGS: a verb meaning to guy or rib + S[mall].
24a Lively American prison (5)
ASTIR: A[merican] + an informal term for prison.
25a Fussy bishop, after beer, turned sound off (9)
ELABORATE: reverse (turned) a term for beer then add (after) the chess piece abbreviation for B[ishop] & finally append a verb meaning to sound off or pontificate.
27a Swiss psychologist not first consumed by the woman’s desire (6)
HUNGER: remove the initial letter (not first) from the surname of a noted Swiss psychologist & place within (consumed by) a pronoun for ‘the woman’.
28a Too similar to Ernie? (8)
LIKEWISE: a preposition meaning similar to followed by the surname of Eric’s partner.
29a Son picks up gardening tools (6)
SHEARS: the genealogical single letter for S[on] + a synonym for picks up/catches.
30a Put out after salesman withdrew (8)
REPAIRED: the usual abbreviated term for a salesman followed by (after) put out/broadcast. The definition synonym is somewhat old-fashioned.
Down
1d After race, Edward’s bleeding (6)
DASHED: a verb meaning to race/run + a diminutive for Edward. The definition is context is a rather old-fashioned mild profanity or minced oath used to add emphasis or express annoyance.
2d Funny sketches encapsulating river’s ducks (6)
SKIRTS: a term for funny sketches goes round (encapsulating) the geographical single letter for R[iver].
3d Mature trait oddly abandoned by writer (5)
RIPEN: the even letters (oddly abandoned) of the 2nd word in the clue + a ✍️ implement such as the Mythical one that eludes Steve C.
4d Half of sermon on moral weakness – this is what you get in church (7)
SERVICE: 50% (half) of the clue’s 3rd word + a term for moral weakness.
6d Using driver everywhere, primarily – stratagem in golf (9)
DEPLOYING: link the 1st letters (primarily) of the 2nd & 3rd words in the clue with a synonym for stratagem then append IN from the wordplay & G[olf] (NATO alphabet). A neat surface – if you’ve lost as much distance off the tee as I have it’s the club of choice pretty much everywhere.
7d Drew attention to a chapter in decent novel (8)
ACCENTED: A from the clue followed by an anagram (novel) of DECENT into which the single letter for C[hapter] is inserted (in).
8d Reason admitting US power creates tension (8)
SUSPENSE: insert (admitting) US into a synonym for reason/logicality. Another instance of one of this setter’s astute political observations methinks.
11d Hairstyle for a male? (4)
PERM: a preposition that can substitute for ‘a’ + M[ale].
15d Perhaps briefs Andrew and rues short broadcast (9)
UNDERWEAR: an anagram (broadcast] of ANDREW RUE[s] (short). Great surface.
17d Olympic divers try to avoid these spots (8)
SPLASHES: I’ll plump for a double definition. I know nowt about diving but think Tom Daley & his like are judged on the smoothness of their entry into the water. The latter rain or maybe a dash/spot of water in a scotch.
18d Ten nieces cooked – one’s forgotten this could mean porridge (8)
SENTENCE: an anagram (cooked) of TEN NE[i]CES (one’s/Roman numeral forgotten).
20d Does, possibly, prevent temperature dropping (4)
DEER: remove (dropping) the single letter for T[emperature] from a synonym for prevent/discourage.
21d Discover each student in lift (7)
REALISE: insert (in) the two letter abbreviation for EA[ch] + the usual single letter for student/learner into a synonym for lift.
22d Before row, mother is more friendly (6)
MATIER: a noun meaning row or level is preceded by (before) an informal diminutive for mother.
23d Inscription on axe (6)
LEGEND: the term for ‘on’ in 🏏 followed by a verb synonym for axe/terminate. The definition context is the inscription of text on objects such as coins or medals.
26d Old jewel picked up by a Greek character (5)
OMEGA: O[ld] + a reversed (picked up/down clue) term for a jewel/precious stone + A from the clue.
6&15d were my joint favourites today. 25,28&30a + 8d & the Quickie pun other particular likes. Please let us know which clues ticked your boxes.
Today’s Quick crossword pun: HART + BRAY + CUR = HEARTBREAKER
I found this offering from the professor somewhat on the harder side of his spectrum. I had solved only five after the first run and fared no better after sorting out the rubbish for the binmen – sorry, refuse operatives. It turned out to be a very slow solve but I got there in the end. Plenty of clues to like but I will need to look at Hintsman’s hunts for explanations of one or two. I did like the woman’s desire at 27a but my COTD is the misdirection in 20d.
Thank you for the mental workout, Mr. Plumb. Thank you, Hintsman for the hunts.
Now off to look at Chalicea’s Toughie.
Still harvesting here in The Marches so the cottage is full of dust, husks and straw.
C’mon Steve, we’ve moved on .. they are EPOs!
Environment Protection Operatives🤣
I imagine they’re called something else in Birmingham! 😊
I am now intrigued as to the Brummy terminology?
In my formative years, in my part of the world they were “scaffies” or “midgiemen”.
Not as easy as Tally Ho suggests in his hints. But we do have an excellent pun in the quick crossword.
I thought a good ** because of the east having completed the west relatively easily. COTD for me was the magnificent 20d although 28a and 20d both stand outs as well. I thought 23d tricky but probably cricket related as of course was 16a. Thanks Huntsman and our setter. Good stuff.
A proper puzzle that I found a tad tricky to parse in places …1d, 11d, 20d and 23d were all terrific clues that exercised my grey cell.
This has to be a coincidence, but a TV advert aired yesterday evening informed us that the car manufacturer Skoda wanted their name to be pronounced as ‘Shoda”. I said to Lady P at the time “this could spell the end of the…. 2d funny sketch”
I really liked 5a, 19a and 17d but my COTD is 6d
Many thanks to today’s setter and Huntsman for the hints.
AP notches up another enjoyable crossword with lots to like.
My LOI was 23d which went straight onto the podium along with 28a which was superb and 15d.
People adding ‘wise’ to words willy-nilly annoys me. I’ll only accept clock/anticlock/counterclock, other, un, street, like and possibly least. That’s yer lot.
I thought 4d was neat and I liked the synonym for bleeding in 1d. I’m surprised the prof chose a truly dreadful word for 22d as I can think of two or three other options.
Some of you may not know that 26d is paired with another Greek letter omicron. Without its initial it means big and omicron means small (micro in the middle).
I just looked up why 30a means to withdraw and it derives from repatriate, i.e to return, which makes sense.
MTTTA and Hoots!
2*/4*
Just like “prevent” has a meaning of “to go before” such as in “Prevent us, oh Lord…”
Thank you, SC. I had no ideas.
An enjoyable, gentle puzzle.
Probably just me, but 26d (picked up) sent me off in a homophone direction, even though the Greek character leapt off the page.
Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.
I had ‘behead’ for 23d thinking that an inscription like that on an axe was there to tell you what to do with it.
Maybe I should see a psychologist.
Love it!
You’re not alone with ‘behead’,TC and your explanation was much better than my tenuous thoughts. It was my LOI and, not for the first time, I missed the cricket connection, instead spending a long time trying unsuccessfully to find a solution starting with ‘re’.
Wow, what a cracker. Lots of humour and misdirection and very little GK. I enjoyed this challenge hugely. Technically a DNF as I cannot parse 23D fully but I’m sure I’ve bunged in the correct answer. For me there were 5 outstanding clues, 16A, 28A, 6D, 17D and 20D. I’m sure 20D has appeared previously in a similar format but the clang of Bhts dropping when I parsed it as my last one in gets it COTD.
Quick Thai corner.
When you come to visit me be careful when you discuss futbon (football) with the locals. I hailed a cab today to go home from the Mall and for some reason the driver detected a skill in my mastery of Thai well ahead of the reality. He then proceeded with a set of questions which I encounter nearly every day in areas where non-Thais are not the norm. Firstly which country are you from? Then if the answer is England which football team do you support. I was able to dodge this loaded question by explaining that , ”RUGBEE”, was my game to which the driver replied O.K. because if you said Man U, I wouldn’t have carried you.
Thanks to Huntsman for sorting out the parsing and the setter for a great puzzle.
An enjoyable solve with the excellent 23d my LOI.
It took me 3 attempts to get the correct male deer for the quickie pun.
Top picks for me were 23d, 17d, 25a and 20d.
Thanks to Huntsman and Mr Plumb.
Me too re the male deer and yet there are hundreds of them around the country and for some reason they seem to serve an above average pint.
And they always seem to be white!
A typically bright and breezy puzzle that was as elegantly clued as ever. I really liked the surface of 6d and that was my favourite this morning.
My thanks to both AP and The Hintsman.
Not quite Typically Tuesdayish with, as most have already said, the ante upped a little – **/****
Standout favourite by a country mile – 23d!
Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman.
I would not have guessed Mr Plumb because I have always felt at ease with his offerings but today seemed a little strained. Did not finish because 23 down eluded me and for 21 across I put in “rigs” which seemed a better definition and I took guy as the rope to rig a tent. Favourite was 17 down because I do love the elegance of diving .
Thanks to Hintsman and Mr. Plumb
Went down the rigs route first before realising my my error.
A dnf for me as I made a complete horlics of 20d and resorted to the hints. Truly a great clue so I don’t mind my technical failure. Other than that, I found the west comparatively straightforward compared to the east. Cotd, though, goes to 27a. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.
A fairly straightforward offering from AP today. I was going to take issue with 23d, which was last in, as it is factually incorrect; axes have heels and toes but no legs. However, I then found that there is a martial arts kick called an axe, but Huntsman simplified it for me. I’ll go with the woman’s desire at 27a as my COTD.
Many thanks to AP and Huntsman
1.5*/3*
Hi CD
Hoot’s hint hasn’t linked leg to axe. Maybe I’ve misunderstood what you meant by the word ‘simplified’.
followed by a verb synonym for axe/terminate??
Hi Tom, I just meant that the (correct) parsing from Huntsman is a lot simpler (leg=on) than my convoluted attempt to introduce a part of an axe into the solution. Like tipcat I also started with behead and realised it was incorrect because I couldn’t reverse parse it. I then twigged the correct answer, but read it to imply an axe component. Knickers and twist come to mind.
Great delivery! Very funny.
I was trying to justify behead but failed. It took a while for me to get it, though. An excellent clue.
That’s why I love crosswords: a short clue can cause as much confusion as one of Silvanus’ Heath Robinson special.
A bit trickier than we usually get on Tuesdays but as entertaining as ever – thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
My boxes were ticked by 16a, 6d, 17d and (my favourite) 23d.
Exactly what Gazza said @15 including his top picks and favourite.
My rating is 2.5*/4*.
RD – I hope that your cricket team does not use the tactic (allegedly) used by Saltburn Cricket Club in the North Yorkshire and South Durham League to try and fool umpires reported in today’s Telegraph.
Senf, I saw that article. Shocking. If it’s true, it’s just not cricket…
1.5* / 4* An excellent Tuesday puzzle, lots of great clues including the dastardly 23d which took an age.
Top three 28a too, bleeding 1d and I like the friendly 22d
Thanks to Huntsman and compiler
* / ****
Whilst perhaps a tad trickier than a usual Tuesday, I’ve stayed at 1* difficulty.Like others my LOI was 23d. Ticks went to the 25a Fussy bishop, the 17d Olympic divers and my COTD 15d briefs!
Many thanks to AP and Huntsman
Pedant’s corner. 27A. the Swiss gentleman wasn’t a psychologist he was a psychiatrist. The man in question was a qualified doctor who performed psychiatry as taught at a medical school on his patients. As a proud possessor of a BSC (Hons) 2:1A in psychology, from Newcastle University, I feel it is appropriate for me to point out this error. A psychologist is not a qualified medical practitioner but is someone who follows a scientific based study of the nature of human behaviour. Surprisingly psychiatry given it’s medical credentials is not science based. Although the person refered to in the clue named his school, ”analytical psychology”, his credentials were in the field of psychiatry.
Thank you for that, Thaike.
What, with that and SC’s other definition of prevent, my day is full.
But can’t a man have two professions?
ATinB. I wondering if you’ve been a littly over-pendantic here. Wiki describes the gentleman as a Swiss psychiatrist, psychotherapist and psychologist. I know little of the man but maybe he is more well-known for being a psychologist than anything else. I can’t see why a quaified psychiatrist cannot study/practise psychology later on and then be known (also) as a psychologist. It’s like saying an orthopedist cannot subsequently practise chiropractic and then become widely known as a chiropractor.
By giving my comment a title of pedants corner I intended to position it as a humorous and maybe a little ambitious statement. My claim however remains in place. Psychology is the science based study of human behaviour based on rigorous scientific procedures including, double blind studies, random selection of participants, statistical analysis of empirical results, a theory to explain the test outcomes, peer review and the ability to show the same results and conclusions in subsequent experiments. Psychiatry makes none of those claims. If the person in question was to take up a second profession in psychology he would need to demonstrate that he had followed the principles above which he made no attempt to do.
I take it that the scientific procedures you describe, ATinB form a qualitative study, which is as open to interpretation as psychiatry? 😊
That’s fair enough, you know more than me. I was probably being over-enthusiastic (as usual) in defending the setter and the reviewer. To a layman doing casual research, it does appear he was very well known in the fields of psychology/analytical psychology even though his primary profession was psychiatry.
Another great guzzle today maybe a bit harder than most Tuesdays but most enjoyable so thanks to all. The Toughie today is very accessible and if I can say that it must be!!
I also found that trickier than most Tuesday offerings with the E generally much slower to fall than the W. I enjoyed Ernie at 28a but thought the fauna at 20d were excellent. Overall, a suitable re-entry point into Crosswordland after a few long days at WOMAD. Thanks very much to AP and to Huntsman for the tips and tunes.
Well, I contnuedcmy mini- trend of fast finishing today, which wncourages me to believe that what passes for my brain is recovering from the results of my attempt to take the stairs head first. It was an enjoyable solve with my COTD, the lego clue at 23d falling into place quite nearly, once I remembered that leg and on are synonymous to a cricketer. I awlso liked the missing letter clue at 13a, the geographical lurker at w14a and rh28a reminder of the immortalEric and Ernie. Thanks to Mr Plumb and to H7ntsman for the hints
A slightly trickier than normal Tuesday puzzle this week for me.
2.5*/3.5*
Favourites 9a, 10a, 24a, 29a & 15d — with winner 9a
Thanks to AP & Huntsman
As several of you have mentioned this seemed slightly more difficult than usual. I had two clues, 1d and 23d that I had solved but didn’t know why, so my first port of call was to Huntsman’s Hints! Delighted to see I wasn’t alone, so thanks Huntsman for explaining it. I do remember people using the term ‘dash’ in bygone days, but time, and language, have moved on. Otherwise a steady solve from NW to SE (my preferred direction!). This puzzle was **/*** for me, but nearly went over into *** time. Loved 28a, even though it took me a bit longer to solve. Other favourites were 10a, 12a and 2d. Thanks to the setter for an enjoyable puzzle, and Huntsman for the useful hints.
A real struggle for me today. Normally love Tuesdays for the light challenge allowing me to focus on the humour and smooth surfaces. Not today – found it a real slog if I’m honest. I’m sure later tonight when I go through it with a glass of Rioja I will appreciate the mastery at play.
Thank you setter and to Huntsman for the hints a fair few of which I needed.
… I came in today to see what pun in the quick crossword was .. it was beyond me! A male deer is a stag … hart aye … maybe in Robin Hood’s Sherwood forest but not in my neck of the woods (moor and glen!)🤣
A tour guide on a ‘deer safari’ in Norfolk — a trailer being pulled by a tractor tractor — told us that the term for male deer depends on the breed. We were looking at some deer, the guide asked what the word for male deer was, then told most of us we were wrong because we were using the term for a different type of deer. Of course, I can no longer remember which type of deer goes with which term.
Where was the deer safari Smylers? Watatunga?
We’ve been on deer safaris at both Holkham Hall and Snettisham Park, and they are conflated in my mind, so I can’t say which one was telling us about terms for male deer.
Well .. today being Tuesday (or is it Wednesday 🤔) .. I had plenty of free time and was compelled to research the matter further.
Hart is archaic and refers specifically to a mature stag, one of more than five years old, and I think there may be something to do with the number of nodes in the antlers. At this point I had peaked for the day and had to lie down!
*This new editing facility is excellent – works really well. Well done, Mr K!
Oooh, what new editing facility?A-ha, I see what you mean. This is quite nifty. Thanks, Mr K!
I agree I’ve used several times myself. 👍🏻
I found the wordplay in 7d (the use of “in”) a little misleading … think “and” would have been a little fairer.
Hi RF
The ‘c’ of chapter is the second c in the answer.
So, the a is followed by the c (for chapter) ‘in’ an anagram of ‘decent’.
The word ‘and’ would ruin the surface.
You are correct Tom, but unfortunately the hint doesn’t show that. The hint is written as if the wording of the clue contained “and” rather than “in”. Something for Huntsman to tweak when he finishes his round.
Ah, thank you. I haven’t seen Hoots’ hint.
So, it foxed him too.
It doesn’t take much buddy – and I actually proof read what I’d written for a change.
You’re doing a great job as a blogger. I, of course, love your music and film clips which I should acknowledge a bit more often.
Now tweaked accordingly not that anyone will read it now – a few scoops & a rather splendid Chinese meal delayed the late return home
Lovely smooth clues with the axe inscription as my favourite. Thank you compiler and Huntsman
Needed a few hints for this one. Having absolutely no cricket knowledge is a bit of a handicap. And I still don’t fully understand the answer to 13a being a ‘Big Cat’ (unless I’m thinking too literally!)
Hi Purplehkk, I knew nothing about cricket when I started but have since picked up a few terms. On the Big Dave site there is an area called The Mine which, strangely enough, is a mine of information and includes a section on cricket terms.
Ounce is a big cat, popular in the cryptics so a useful one to try and remember.
A little trickier than often and I had 1d and 23d that needed help with parsing. The rest went in straightforwardly and it was very entertaining. I liked 28a.
Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints
Like many I found this harder than the Tuesday norm, but none the worse for that. I got bogged down in the NE for reasons which escape me now the pennies have dropped. 23d the LOI although I had the answer long before the parsing clicked. 1d (a bit risqué), 2d and aforesaid 23d get honourable mentions, but I’m giving a joint top prize today 6d and 16d.
Thanks to our Setter and Huntsman for the blog and continuing musical horizon expansion
I was on the setter’s wavelength today so found it to be a relatively gentle solve but I did think it was harder than normal for a Tuesday , I just had my ‘big brain ‘ pants on today. I was pleased with myself for not falling for ‘does’ this time. I didn’t understand the leg part of the parsing of 21d so looked at the hint … of course it had to be a cricket reference 🙄! Thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.
28A my favourite as the Prof made us work on an excellent puzzle. VMT also to Huntsman.
A tad harder today than normal but still top notch. 1d and 23d were bung ins but I’m kicking myself for not parsing 23d 🤦♂️ and becomes my cotd. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.
Pretty tricky for a Tuesday but got there eventually. Last in was 20D and I admit to having used the hint.That was quite definitely a DOH moment….Maybe my brain is a bit addled after a 4 mile nice walk up near Edgware in temperature a bit higher than normal. Whatever, great puzzle.
A very enjoyable solve.
Started late yesterday due to an old guys football competition up in Sheffield. Felt absolutely shattered by yesterday evening. A few errors made which didn’t help, read 20d as an anagram which threw me in the SE corner. Just finished with the help of Huntsman’s hints. Might have done better had I not felt so tired. Completely missed the cricket references in a couple of clues.
As always, thank you to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints.
Only got to this at midnight after playing with new phone and then a lengthy clerical error logging into the Telegraph app! 🙈
I was grateful for this puzzle’s smoothness, just a couple in SE held me up, 28A was satisfying to crack and then 23D appeared. Needed the hint to parse the ‘on’ part, I’m not so close to cricketing parlance.
Pody picks go to 16A’s amusing surface, 4D for similar reasons, and 28A’s enjoyable clue, not-so-obvious definition, and cracking them at the point of surrendering (for a while) is one of the things I enjoy most about crosswords.
Many thanks to AP and to Huntsman ⭐️
I realise that it’s two days late (I’m behind again!) But I just had to say what an excellent puzzle this was. Maybe I just like cricket clues, but I thought 16a and 23d were exceptional, once I got them, as were 11d and my last one in, 20d. Thank you, most enjoyable.
3*/3* …
liked 22D “Before row,, mother is more friendly (6)”