Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31317
Hints and Tips by Senf
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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment *****
A very good Thursday morning from Winnipeg where we are enjoying seasonal temperatures with highs in the mid-20s.
For me, and I stress for me© (I have to say that for Terence), Kcit on Toughie duty so not a Dream Team Thursday! But, there is no doubt that this is the very entertaining work of the Master of Brevity. The usual one word clues and answers in the Quickie, and an appearance from the Queen, Ray T’s swEetheart, but not the plain sweetheart, in the back pager. Also, like Dada, Ray T still seems to be making occasional use of a personal thesaurus. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
Candidates for favourite – 7a, 9a, 11a, 13a, 1d, 4d, and 20d.
In the hints below, the definitions are underlined. The answers are hidden under the Click here! buttons, so don’t click if you don’t want to see them.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
7a Appeal certain to produce desire (8)
PLEASURE: Synonyms of appeal and certain.
8a Swears with sweetheart being hostile (6)
AVERSE: A ‘not cursing’ synonym of swears and (with) Ray T’s swEetheart.
9a Fail to notice young lady (4)
MISS: A double definition. Do I need to add more. No, I don’t think so.
10a Strong check material rejected (10)
DETERMINED: A synonym of check (as in put off?) and the reversal (rejected) of a material named after a city in the Occitanie region of southern France.
11a For nuts it’s silly eating seconds (6)
INSANE: A synonym of silly containing (eating) the single letter for Seconds (of time).
13a Unlucky in love without taking over (7)
OMINOUS: The letter that represents the score of love in a racquety game and a synonym of without (mathematically?) containing the letter for a crickety Over.
14a Minute volume in genuine discharge (7)
REMOVAL: All of a two letter synonym of minute (as a brief period of time) and the single letter for Volume inserted into (in) a synonym of genuine.
16a As an alternative, detains criminal (7)
INSTEAD: An anagram (criminal) of DETAINS.
19a Front end of snub nose revolver? (7)
SHOOTER: The first letter (front end) of Snub and a slang synonym of nose.
20a Treasurer more honest about expenses, finally (6)
PURSER: A four letter term that can mean more honest containing (about) the last letter (finally) of expenseS.
21a Cut allowance on shoestring? (10)
LACERATION: A synonym of allowance placed after (on) a four letter synonym of shoestring (or should it be shoe string?), in any event I am sure one of our company will identify it as an unindicated Americanism.
22a Career of sailor around base (4)
TEAR: A three letter synonym of sailor containing (around) the letter that represents an irrational number sometimes referred to as Euler’s number.
23a Fight excess swallowing small single (6)
RESIST: A synonym of excess (as in amount left over) containing (swallowing) the single letter for Small and the letter that can represent a crickety single.
24a Concrete turned in barrel, big, naturally (8)
TANGIBLE: A reverse lurker (turned in) three words in the clue.
Down
1d Topless flirtation leads to marriage (8)
ALLIANCE: A synonym of flirtation with the first letter deleted (topless).
2d Light blows with argument escalating (4)
TAPS: The reversal (escalating) of a term for a petty argument.
3d Clot and dolt occasionally in therapy? (6)
CURDLE: Alternate letters (occasionally), I’ll let you decide if it’s odds of evens, of dolt inserted into (in) a synonym of therapy.
4d Presently taking time under iron deck (7)
FESTOON: A synonym of presently containing the single letter for Time placed after (under) the chemical symbol for Iron.
5d Prepared hot recipe holding large chopper (10)
HELICOPTER: An anagram (prepared) of HOT RECIPE containing (holding) the single letter for Large.
6d Fools accepting Trump’s principal strengths (6)
ASSETS: A synonym of fools containing (accepting) the first letter (‘s principal) of Trump.
8d Impeach a government, reportedly (7)
ARRAIGN: A homophone (reportedly) of a term equivalent to, all of, a government.
12d Sorry police go at suspect (10)
APOLOGETIC: An anagram (suspect) of POLICE GO AT.
15d Draw rising cheers with pamphlet (7)
ATTRACT: The reversal (rising) of a two letter synonym of cheers followed by (with) a synonym of pamphlet.
17d Adult males, fit and flexible (8)
AMENABLE: The single letter for Adult, a synonym of males, and an adjectival synonym of fit.
18d Performer in part is televised (7)
ARTISTE: A lurker (in) found in three words in the clue.
19d Beginning to seem worried and nervous (6)
SCARED: The first letter of (beginning to) Seem and a verbal synonym of worried.
20d Heartlessly restraining longing (6)
PINING: A synonym of restraining with the centre letter deleted (heartlessly).
22d Tour of Queen wearing crown (4)
TRIP: A synonym of crown containing (wearing) the Latin based single letter for Queen.
Quick Crossword Pun:
HIRE + WAKE + ODE = HIGHWAY CODE
What a great puzzle with lots of smiles.
Top picks for me were 19a, 21a, 4d, 20a and 3d.
Thanks to Senf (great cartoons) and Ray T.
A solid puzzle from fortnightly Fred with my LOI being 13a as the synonym for ‘without’ took a while.
This grid, with many checkers being the second letter not the first, is always a challenge but I managed to stay on top of things.
My picks are 20a, 3d (clot and dolt are splendid words) and 6d.
MTTTA and S.
3*/4*
Unlucky 13 across was also the most troublesome for me, TDS. But when I said to myself “Think cricket”, the answer came to me.
I don’t associate the answer with being unlucky.
Hi C
I too struggled to justify it meaning unlucky but didn’t go online to hunt one down.
I’m sure RayT or a solver has an example.
We’ll wait!
All I can say, before my first coffee of the day, I don’t have a specific example but the synonymity between unlucky and the answer are corroborated by Chambers Thesaurus – the other BRB.
Need examples, Senf baby. Need examples.
Need coffee!
Good shout
Unlucky/the answer are synonymous in the sense of ill-fated, inauspicious: 13 was to prove an unlucky/ominous number (from Collins online). Of course, that may be an unfamiliar/obscure usage of the answer but that’s only because it’s never become popular in the history of the written word.
I like it, J. Thank you.
I knew I could rely on you.
Way harder than a 2 star
Your comment went into moderation because you used a different alias compared to when you last commented 13 months ago; both will work from now on.
Now, here’s the conundrum, star ratings for difficulty and enjoyment are very subjective. As bloggers, we are given no guidance on how to derive the ratings and I have developed my own system over the years. I cannot reveal my system as it based on solving time and it is part of blog etiquette that solving times are not discussed, However, based on my system today’s ** rating for difficulty is spot on (for me).
Unlucky/the answer are synonymous in the sense of ill-fated, inauspicious: 13 was to prove an unlucky/ominous number (from Collins online). Of course, that may be an unfamiliar/obscure usage of the answer but that’s only because it’s never become popular in the history of the written word.
I looked up synonyms of 13a and there it was, at no. 53 admittedly but there.
With a queen and a sweetheart can we assume this is a Ray T Thursday offering? Certainly, for me, a step up from what we have seen so far this week but only because many of the clues did not reveal their solution until the second, or even third, read through.
There was a well concealed rekrul; I loved the idea of a topless flirtation and the snub nosed revolver reminded me of an American chain of bars.
Senf – my LOI was the heartless 20d – the solution was clear but it took a scratch or two to parse. I removed two letters from my synonym, am I on the wrong track?
COTD – I’m going for a tie between 3d and 13a
Many thanks to Ray T for another terrific puzzle and Senf for the hints.
Hi GP – it was my last in also. I mentally ran through the alphabet for the central letter that required removal – think a copper restraining a yob on the floor
Thank you H – My two letters were a chuch, I was restraining the flow through a pipe. This is what makes crosswords such fun.
I really enjoyed this well-clued guzzle from Mr T. I liked rhe cleverly misdirected anagram at 5d, the missing letter clue at1d, the homophone clue at 8d and the lego clue at 19a, which made me laugh. Thanks to Mr T and to Se f for the hints. It’s 91 F here in rural Oxfordshire and 100F is forecastxthis afternoon
It is 105 on the table on the terrace. Too damned hot.
A tricky little number from RayT, but nothing too obscure. The ‘clot’ at 3d and the 4d ‘deck’ were appreciated for the misdirection, but my COTD is ‘unlucky’ 13a.
Many thanks to RayT and Senf
1.5*/3*
The slowest grid fill of the back-page week thus far extending into **time. Not sure why really as there was nowt fiendish – just a bit slow to see the synonyms. As always with an RT production the solve was a 7a.
Thanks to Ray & to Senf.
Ps thank heavens Kcit over in t’other place is more accessible than Donny’s Elgar impersonation yesterday.
A DNF as 10A beat me. In my mind the first half of the answer is something that you do to avoid the need to check an action and therefore not strictly a synonym. I’m sure there are numerous examples where the two words are interchangeable but to me check indicates a finality whereas the word in the answer does not. COTD goes to 4D for the unusual but valid definition that probably only ever appears in one sentence every year. Thanks to Senf for the hints and to the setter.
Thai corner.
I am no religious scholar so my apologies in advance for any errors in the following. My understanding of Buddhism is that there is no supernatural belief required of it’s followers, however in practice this is clearly not the case. Buddhist shrines can be found all over the country, not just in temples and believers leave offerings to improve their kharma and to show respect for the spirits. I find it strange that one item that is regularly left at the shrines is a pack of leaves rolled to resemble a pack of cheroots for the spirits to smoke. Picture below of a pack on sale at our local market this morning.
Check doesn’t have to indicate a finality (though it often does to be fair). It can mean “to slow the growth/progress of” – curb, rein, inhibit, stem the flow of.
For example, a traffic cop might advise a motorist to “check your speed”.
Tricky one for me today … I’m blaming the heat! Once again – doesn’t bode well for me for tomorrow’s offering!
Not had had time to look at the guzzle yet as just back from seeing the consultant.
The cancer hasn’t spread, it is slow growing and they’re going to operate and remove it. 😊😊
That’s wonderful news Steve. Thanks for letting us know so soon. I think you’ll enjoy the puzzle too!
Wey hey!!!
What a relief. I am thrilled.
Maybe spark up one of Thaike’s stogies to celebrate.
Marvellous news – I wish you a full and speedy recovery.
That’s great news Steve. My mother was a long-standing cancer survivor. She had breast cancer while I was doing my O levels, when she was in her mid forties. The cancer was the size of a pea and operable and, after remadio-therapy, she survived into her mid seventies without the cancer returning. So there’s lots to hope for
I have struggled to think of a response to your news that is not trite and expresses my genuine reaction to it. Thankfully TDS to the rescue and I can happily offer you a complimentary packet of stogies if that would help you to celebrate,
All this talk of cigars reminds me of the following brilliant scene from a fantastic film…
Excellent news, Steve. Good to hear that.
👍 – good news Steve.
All the best for the op Steve.
I wish you well.
Excellent news! I think it’s usually a promising sign if a cancer hasn’t spread can be removed via an operation rather than any of the other procedures. Good luck!
Great news, thanks for keeping us updated. Hoping you get a date for surgery soon and all goes straightforwardly.
Next piece of good news will be the arrival of a mythical! So pleased for you.
Such good news, Steve. Same as me – operated on and removed 3 years ago and all fine now. Good luck and hope you don’t have to wait too long for the operation.
Good luck Steve
That is good to hear SC and let’s hope all goes well for you going forward.
Great news. I have had many operations and all have been positive. Wishing you well Steve.
That’s great news Steve, you know everyone on the blog will be wishing you well. My wife was operated on twice for melanoma which had spread to her lymph nodes. She has been clear for over a year now.
So pleased for you Steve. Thinking of you and wishing you well.
Good luck from me too Steve.
Glad to hear this, Steve
Best wishes from me too. Your friends from the Hereford Ringing Course will keep you in mind
Such good news with which to draw the evening to a close, Steve, and I wish you all the best for the removal.
Fantastic news Steve 😊
Very good news Steve – such a relief.
This time last year I was in a similar situation and have come through it all. Just waiting for the result of my first annual check.
All the best.
2*/4.5*. It would have been 5* but for the unindicated Americanism in 21a. The ? really isn’t sufficient.
3d was my favourite with a big smile for 1d.
Many thanks to Beam and to Senf.
Shoestring is an American word, not really used much in the UK. But if the setter had chosen “shoe string”, that would be fine – a perfectly reasonable (certainly in a cryptic clue) two-word description of what we call a lace.
A great puzzle with a few needing clarification after, I had 3d as a favourite today and the well hidden reverse lurker was in second place.
Many thanks to Ray T and to Senf for the hints.
Another fine puzzle from Ray T, my favourite setter for years. The usual concise clues provided a reasonable challenge and a very entertaining/enjoyable solve. Quite a few ticks and I’ll choose (somewhat arbitrarily) for 10a as my favourite. 3*/4*.
For me, and I stress for me (© Senf), that’s great news from Steve (above).
Thank you to everyone who sympathised with me about my cannonball arm following the pneumonia and shingles jab – learning that the latter may be useful in deterring dementia is a big bonus. What H calls the ‘injection site’ is still rather sore but everything feels a little less ouchy today.
I enjoyed this guzzle, stretching but gettable, which for me, and I stress for me, is the most fun to unravel.
We popped along to a local park yesterday evening to watch the eclipse and it turned out we were the only people there with the special glasses, so we became very popular, very quickly. It was lovely to be able to share and as I’m normally the most antisocial person in the world it did me good to interact in a jolly way.
Thanks to RayTee and The Man From Manitoba (I envy your mid-twenties temperatures)
We shared our glasses with a mother and daughter who thought they could view it okay if they just ‘ squinted at the sun with naked eyes!’
Same here at my local pub which has a splendid terrace. Turned in to a mini party with locals and I was the only one with the glasses too so passed them round to everyone. A wonderful evening.
I was thinking how much more I enjoyed this grid, and compared to other days, clearly others enjoyed it too, including the 5* review.
A swift lunchtime solve out in the garden, sweat pouring off me! (A nice image I’m sure). LOI was 14A – wasn’t parsing ‘minute’ as required – until it turned out I had a problem elsewhere; 3 mins later I found 2D needed a T not an R – a genuine stab at the answer on my first walkthrough.
Pody picks – a few contenders for nice surfaces and enviable construction – will go for the nosey 19A, 21A’s resource constraints and a tie between 3D and 4D, mostly as I like the solution words of each.
Thanks to Ray T and to Senf ⭐️
Jolly good guzzle done, unusually, at the breakfast table as the kitchen seems to be the coolest place at the moment. The decking at 4d was my favourite although 21a was a close second. A considerable amount of brainwork needed to decode the minimalistic clues but we got there in the end. I have three garments given to me by DD2 for a slight tweak, just take the hem up 3” and put an extra dart in…….
Not today I am afraid. My studio is like a sauna. Many thanks to Rayteee and to Senf. May I go and lie down now? Nice pun, by the way.
Another puzzle from RayT today on his fortnightly visit to the back pager. As always his succinctness and brevity abound as do the appearance by his sweetheart as well as the Queen.
However I found some of clues in this puzzle almost of a Beam variety. Maybe it is just me.
2*/4* for me.
Favourites 9a, 16a, 21a, 1d, 12d & 19d — with winners 21 a & 12d
Thanks to RayT & Senf
That was a bit of a work out me today, finishing in the NW. Last in 2d.
My cotd was 21a. I couldn’t parse 13a but bunged in the answer with the check letters. I note comments above but I thought the synonym fair without resorting to the BRB.
The answer to 20a brought a wry smile, has the setter dealt with this profession? In my former occupational world, said person was frequently referred to as the swindler, chief thief or belly robber!
Thanks to setter and Senf for the hints.
What a great term belly robber is, BE!
Very funny.
Another struggle with this setter. I never know why as his synonyms are no more stretched than Dada’s for example – i just never enjoy a RayT as much. But that said I still have huge respect for their talents and am greatful for the daily challenge even if I don’t enjoy the odd one.
Thanks to setter & senf – great cartoons
Thank you, everyone for your good wishes. The relief flooded through me like a tidal wave when I was told the news. They hope to do the op at The QE in Birmingham because of my liver transplant. They want the liver unit to be on hand should anything happen with my anti rejection blood levels. Hopefully, the op will be in a few weeks.
What a great RayTeaser we have today! My only problem is I can never get his Quickie puns in that I don’t often solve the clues. Lots to like, as ever, with Mr. T. but my out and out favourite and COTD is the shoestring at 21a.
Thank you, RayT for the fun. Thank you, Colonel for the hints.
Such great news for you Steve. I’m sure you won’t have to wait too long. We will all be wishing you well.
Good news indeed Steve especially the part that you will be well looked after while ‘under the knife.’ It sounds like your surgery is similar to what my sister-in-law had two or three years ago the end result of which was that now her poop doesn’t have so far to travel.
Great to hear your news, Steve. I infrequently comment here as I rarely look at the guzzle until the evening, but too hot today to do anything else (even cancelled golf!). So couldn’t let the day pass without adding my best wishes to those already posted.
Another enjoyable and steady solve today. I had to look at the hint for the parsing of 10a as I couldn’t get tartan out of my head as a check material but it’s so obvious actually – maybe it’s the heat making me lackadaisical (, which is a word I ve never written , so had to check the spelling . I thought there was an s after the k.) Anyway , enough warbling on. Thanks to Ray T and Senf.
10a Tartan was my first thought as well !
The temperature’s rising , it isn’t surprising that this was a DNF. Had to run to Senf for directions to get 4 down and 13 across. Felt I gave in too easily with4 down because I’d used the chemical symbol for iron but doubt that I would have figured 13 across as it is not a definition that jumps to mind. Most satisfying clue was 10 across because I had nearly given up on it.
So pleased by Steve’s news. When I was offered my cancer op it felt as if control had been wrested back.
Many thanks Ray T for your cunning and Senf
I started off quite well but then somehow managed to put the answer to 5d in 10a which didn’t help progress. Thankfully I discovered my error and 8d made more sense. I still needed Senfs help so thanks to you and also to Ray T for the challenge.
Enjoyed this tussle. 13a also took me a good while.
Welcome to the blog, we hope that you will comment often.
Evening all. Many thanks to Senf for the elucidation and to everybody else for your observations.
RayT
Thank you for the enjoyment of solving and hinting and I appreciate that there were a few clues less for both activities this week!
Thanks for another excellent puzzle, most enjoyable
1.5* / 4* A cracking quickie pun and an equally good puzzle.
Favourites today the 19a revolver, the 21a cut and the topless flirtation at 1d
Thanks to Senf and RayT
I had no idea Steve about your condition.I wish you well in your operation and subsequent recovery. The puzzle took a while today 3 and 10 caused me problems .Others were also tricky including 23 and 20 .A good workout.Thanks to all .
Top Thursday work from Ray. 21A my favourite, with 10A runner up. VMT also to Senf!
Another enjoyable fortnightly tussle with our setter. Not as much schoolboy humour as is often the case but pleasurable just the same. Favourite was 4d. Thanks to Rayt and Senf.
Fought with this crozzie on and off all day and although tempted a few times I never gave up and eventually, this evening, solved it all without any assistance. Not convinced on the 13a definition but solved it from the construction. Liked 3d and 4d but COTD 24a for the well hidden reverse lurker. Many thanks to Senf and RayT and best wishes to Steve. **/*****
*** for me and great fun but 10a got me
Once again, my gratitude for the words of comfort and encouragement. Special thanks to Stedman for saying The Hereford Course will think of me. Is there anyone from the course today who knows me? Lovely sentiment, thank you.
As you can all imagine, I’ve been walking on air all day!
Once it’s all over, I’ll organise a get together for blog members in and around Shropshire. It will be at a place that allows dogs!
You are all a wonderful group of people, many of whom have become personal friends, and I love you all.
Once again late finishing but very pleased to have completed, what I thought was a quite difficult challenge, unaided. Eastern half went in easier than the western half. Sometimes it is just the inability to immediately recall a word which slows you down and that was the case for me.
Favourites were 11a, 14a and 21a.
Thanks to the setter and to Senf for the hints.
Although relatively new to these pages best wishes to Steve C over his upcoming treatment.
This setter is known for brevity and like the majority I respect that. But just a few too many liberties with synonyms for comfort, specifically tear for career, tip for crown, cared for worried and ominous for unlucky. Plus shoestring as discussed above. If only these puzzles could be road tested beforehand they would be so much better.
I believe they are road tested, 😊
Hi Billy Dubs
Do these bad boys pass muster?
The car careered/tore down the road.
The tip/crown of a mountain.
Not a care/worry in the world.
You can see the chat about ominous/unlicky in my post (# 2)
3*/4* …
liked 1D “Topless flirtation leads to marriage (8)”