Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31325 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
(hosted by crypticsue)
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
Morning from East Kent where we are celebrating a full three-quarters of an inch of rain in just under a week, although it is going to take a lot more than that to rescue the garden after nearly three months of drought. Quite an autumnal feel first thing but hopefully it will warm up later
I will be interested to learn whether other solvers found this Saturday Prize Puzzle as tricky as I did and, indeed, who they think set it.
Please ask for help if you are stuck on clues I haven’t hinted, but before doing so, please read the comments that appear before yours, so that you are not duplicating questions, and make sure you obey both THE INSTRUCTIONS IN RED at the end of the Hints and the blog’s Comment Etiquette – Big Dave’s Crossword Blog)
Most of the terms used in these hints are explained in the Glossary and examples are available by clicking on the entry under “See also”. Where the hint describes a construct as “usual” this means that more help can be found in The Usual Suspects, which gives a number of the elements commonly used in the wordplay. Another useful page is Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing, which features words with meanings that are not always immediately obvious.
A full review of this puzzle will be published after the closing date for submissions.
Across
1a Beard perhaps dad cut back for picture (4,7)
The forename of Professor Beard, the academic specialising in Ancient Rome, an informal name for a dad and a reversal (back) of a verb meaning to cut
8a Soft old politician with a grim hairstyle (9)
The musical abbreviation meaning soft, the abbreviation for Old, a politician, A (from the clue) and grim or sullen
10a Chilling thing with six faces … (3,4)
A nice cryptic definition of something used for cooling
12a Children grabbing second of teddy bears (5)
Young children ‘grabbing’ the second of tEddy
18a Yellowish-brown ring about to be found outside church (5)
The ring-shaped letter and the usual about, on the subject of, into which is inserted (outside) the abbreviation for church
19a Cons discontented Italian couple and son (7)
The outside (discontented) letters of Italian, a verb meaning to couple and the abbreviation for Son
25a The Sun features very large American Republican with wide trousers (5,6)
A synonym for very, abbreviations for Large, American and Republic with wide trousers popular in the late 60s and early 70s
Down
1d Worn-out parent briefly advanced and lifted bag (4-5)
A truncated (briefly) female parent, the abbreviation for Advanced and a reversal (lifted) of a bag
5d Stunned when “Middle Ages” is broadcast (2,1,4)
A homophone (broadcast) of in the middle and some periods of time
7d Painter‘s subject, out of sorts, is tense (11)
Subject or matter to be taken into account, unwell (out of sorts) IS (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Tense
9d Bit of kit that lock’s put on? (5,6)
A piece of kit that a player of a particular ball game might put on
14d Flower from Spooner’s unwanted plant patch (9)
How the Reverend would say an unwanted weed and a period of time (patch)
17d What bowler maybe can hold, stifling England’s opener, nasty (7)
Nothing to do with cricket but what a particular type of bowler can hold, ‘stifling’ the opener of England
21d More certain to be found on board pleasure ride (5)
Hidden in the last two words of the clue
As this is a Prize crossword, please don’t put any ANSWERS, whether WHOLE, PARTIAL or INCORRECT, or any ALTERNATIVE CLUES in your comment. If in doubt, leave it out
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The Quick Crossword pun: DOCK + HEAP + BAG = DOGGY-BAG
I found this pretty chewy compared with recent SPPs, but with hindsight I probably tried to overthink many of the clues. There were a few which went in on the first pass, but the rest needed teasing out. Unravelling the anagrams at 13a and 16a proved to be the turning point for completion. My podium picks are the chilling thing 10a, 5d and the sun features at 25a is my COTD.
Many thanks to the setter and crypticsue.
I am firmly in the trickier than usual for a SPP, but no idea as to the setter
7d my favourite and sent me to search for Sondheim the crossword setter rather than this about my favourite 7d – Sondheim’s book of crosswords is super rare and on every cruciverbalist’s wish list
I had but one answer in first run through, found this very tricky but then the North was completed. The South took far more effort. A couple of spelling mistakes on my part didn’t help. Now to Wordle! Thanks to the setter and CS, also rain here at last.
Blimey, that was hard for a Saturday, we’ve had easier toughies!
Took a while to get going, then cracked on once I got in to the swing if it.
Plenty of ticks, there were some really devious deceptions, including Beard at 1a and possibly one at 16a.
Best SPP for ages, my thanks to our setter and CS.
4*/3*. I too found parts of this quite tough for a SPP but it was a reasonably enjoyable challenge.
Many thanks to the setter and to CS.
My last one in was 14d: I’d parsed it right, but was too used to reading the definition bit as a usual suspect, and it took getting all the checking letters to work out what it was!
Welcome to the blog
Welcome from me, as well, Pandora. I do hope you will keep commenting. 👍😊
I’m pleased to see that others found this a tricky little beast. For example, “Beard perhaps” was such a brain mangler and, like Manders, I only had one clue solved after the first pass. I thought the lurker was very well hidden but I had totally forgotten that 8a was a hairstyle and the Reverend beat me today. I do have a COTD and that is the muscular honey at 24a.
I quite like the Quickie pun.
Thank you, setter for a really good brain mangling. Thank you, CeeSoo for the hints and I’m pleased you’ve had rain. We have had no more in The Marches despite it having been forecast.
For me, etc©, how a SPP ought to be for those with ambitions of winning The Mythical which, by virtue of geographic location, I and many others are excluded from although I have vague recollections of a suggestion of an e-voucher prize of some sort, Amazon(?), for overseas participants but that never came to anything. Anyway, back to the reality of today – 2.5*/3.5*
Candidates for favourite – 7a, 10a, 25a, 1d, and 9d – and the winner is 1d.
Thanks to whomsoever and CS.
Can’t claim an unaided finish today as needed a couple of hints to kick-start the brain when I came to a complete stop. I thought 1a was devious in the extreme, but it did unlock much of the north for me. 23a was well hidden and would be my cotd but for 24a. Thanks to compiler for the brain mangling and CS for the very needed hints.
Hello everyone! That was quite hard 😅
Also 22A – (and I’m trying to ask this without getting into trouble!) – it was my LOI so there was only one possible answer (I think… and I get the root etc) – but I have never seen that word used to mean that and I can’t find any evidence online that it’s used to mean that! Am I missing something?!
Welcome to the blog
I have looked in three dictionaries and finally found ‘someone who is excessively fixed on someone or something ‘
Thank you! (And thank you for your sterling work on this blog)
Eventually found it in the OED where it says it’s been obsolete since 1862, so I reckon that’s a bit dodge 😄
Hello Trajan welcome to theblog.I have a fairly new edition of the Big Red Book (Chambers Dictionary revised 13th edition), where 21a is to befound, with an appropriate defiition, in the sectionbeginning with the root word. Hope that helps
Thank you CS – I was completely baffled by the definition. I obviously don’t have enough dictionaries!
Hi CS
Would you, or anyone else, happen to know what is the crossword etiquette for obsolete words like 22a and bedlam from earlier in the week?
Is it perfectly acceptable to have them unindicated?
* beldam
Welcome, Trajan. Please keep commenting now you have de-lurked. 👍
😄 thanks!
Took a while to get going, a few unfamiliar if not unknown terms in there, such as LOI 22A. 1D’s word play took a while to parse, and the hair-less lock reference of 9D.
Thanks for hinting 17D – I hadn’t picked up that bowler was delivering the final three letters as the well as the first three.
Pody picks go to 1A’s beard pic, 23A’s workers and 3D’s album-hinting tucker.
Thanks to setter and to CS ⭐️
I am certainly in the tricky camp,1a took ages to fall but once I got that the situation improved significantly, but I did need to do some googling to finish. I did not know the term in 7d although I got the majority from the clue nor did I know 22a. The anagrams were excellent as was the well hidden lurker.
Many thanks to the setter for the challenge and to CS for the hints.
O to the M to the G that was H-A-R-D.
My gruel and orange juice with no bits were but a distant memory when I completed this strenuous challenge of a guzzle. Because I am an eejit it was 3d that held out the longest. I’m such a buffoon.
I feel certain that such a tricky puzzle will rule out most of you hoi polloi, and it will be a handful of elite entrants (like me) that will be in the draw for the crayon set. Surely, this must be my week.
Many thanks to the cruel setter, and to PC Security (anag) – the nation should be eternally grateful for her clandestine work with MI5, keeping the country safe.
Speaking as one of the hoi polloi, your comment has prompted me to enter the competition, which I rarely bother to do 😁😁
Changing to a fifth alias sent you into moderation
Good luck with the competition. What did you think of the crossword?
Sorry, I don’t post much and have forgotten all my various aliases!!! It was a TUFFIE! 🤔
Possibly the hardest SPP for some considerable time, and a genuine delight to solve. 1d and 16a were the last to fall in a NW corner that was reluctant to yield. Great fun, with 1a my favourite of many possibles.
Thanks to our setter for a fine challenge and to Sue.
I found this SPP a definite challenge but a really en one, with a broad variety thought-provoking clues and much wily misdirection . I loved the cryptic 1a and 7d., together with the anagram at 22a, such a lovely word. The Spoonerism at 14d was pretty good good too . Thanks to the compiler and to CS for the hints
I enjoy the subjectivity of crosswords and words in general – 22A is the opposite of lovely for me!
I thought this top notch & certainly far trickier than SPPs of late. I rather wish I’d resisted the urge to solve it on the mobile in between starting members on a not very busy tee sheet as that always impacts enjoyment/concentration.
Ticks all over the shop – 1,7,9&23a + 1,3,5,7&9 among them.
Thanks to the setter (no idea but hope he/she pops in) & to Sue
My word that was difficult, had to walk away twice and give the grey cell period of recuperation.
Food from the Beatles, Dr. Spooner and a certain hairstyle had me going round in circles but for some reason they all seemed within reach if I could just clear my mind and start afresh. It seems to have worked…at least I have a letter in every square. Not sure I can match my solution to 22a with the definition but I think I followed the instruction.
COTD – 1d closely followed by very clever 23a
Many thanks to today’s setter and CS for the hints.
The Sky Blues gave the Gunners a fright last night with the one shot on target – it’s early days!!
Dinner in Ironbridge with friends rather than watching the footie – there was a proper downpour which seemed to get everyone excited.
After 20 odd minutes I feared a complete thrashing so somewhat relieved to only leak 3.
Hull at home more our level though worryingly they’re 2-0 up against Man Utd
Well that was a workout for the brain, but got there eventually with a fair bit of e help. Favourite is what a bowler can hold. Many thanks to crypticsue for her invaluable hints, and to the setter for a tough but enjoyable puzzle.
That was a very enjoyable crossword from I reckon a non-sprawling Rood Bonk or Mr T. Decisions, decisions….it’s going to be…the former!
My LTI were the 7s as ‘strokes’ took forever.
22a is a properly nuts word but it was easy enough to work out. I’ve also never heard of 15d or Orton and his work.
My picks are 16a, 5d (love it) and 18d.
MTTTA and she of the crypt.
3*/4*
What!!! 6d – TD you disappoint me. But then you are very young!
When I was a student at Guy’s you could go to the student office to see if they had any free theatre tickets. I saw the play in question from the front row.
A mere whippersnapper (great word)
I’m embarrassed to admit the same for me at 7a & it’s the only part of my game now that could be considered competent 🤔
That part of my game has always sucked,
A harder than normal Saturday prize puzzle to my of thinking. Struggled with a lot of the clues throughout the grid.
3*/3*
Favourites 8a, 23a, 9d, 14d & 18d — with co-winners 14d & 18d
Thanks to setter & CS
I’m so glad that I wasn’t the only one who found this hard. I got there in the end with only 22a that I was unable to confirm so thanks to CS for searching her many dictionaries.
Top picks for me were 16a, 18d, 3d, 8a and 1a.
Thanks to CrypticSue and the setter.
Nervy about how many grey cells I lost last week in the fall so this puzzle made me think I had lost the lot. However, the wonderful 1 across popped out and then it was obvious that we had a VERY devious setter. Thinking outside the box was needed. 9 down was a great answer but devilish . Have finished the grid unaided but it took extra time . John may have to do some vacuuming.
Thanks to CrypticSue and our setter
Very tough.
Just about crawled over the line but had to check several – 22a, 6d and 15d. Still not sure about 22a as I cant find an online definition of my answer that fits the clue.
9d doesn’t quite work for me either.
But overall I thought it was great with 23a as favourite – very cunningly concealed.
Thanks to CS and Setter.
Hi Slate
May I ask why 9d isn’t doing it for you as it’s asking you to put a lock on your kit (IT equipment, sports bag, musical instrument) to make sure it doesn’t get stolen.
Like Dyslex, I thought what a very devious setter! From the beard to the baggy trousers it did not fail to engage, I loved it, and only turned to the Saturday Star to find a hint for 7a which had me stumped, but then suddenly thought it might be the dreaded sporty clue – bam, it was finished. So I shall be fighting you all for another pen. 😇 I have so many ticks and stars I cannot list them but the prophet was very neat and so was 23a. Many thanks to the Saturday Setter and our Saturday Sue.
Hi all, setter here. Thank you for solving and commenting, and thanks to Sue for the hints etc.
I wasn’t expecting 22a to cause quite so many problems – it’s in Chambers as “someone showing excessive fondness” (as in to d**e on someone) and not obsolete. Just overshadowed by the more insulting definition.
Thank you, Tumbledown for a real challenge of a puzzle. You certainly made me work! 😊
Cracking puzzle T – ought to have pegged it as one as yours.
As a point of interest would 9d have been acceptable without the apostrophe?
Hi Andy, thank you. I’d say the apostrophe has to be there to accommodate two meanings, otherwise it could only work for the solution. With the apostrophe you also get the deceptive surface reading of a piece of kit that a lock [is] put on – e.g. a container that didn’t have a lock originally but now has valuable stuff in it etc.
it certainly achieved its aim here judging by the time it took for the penny to drop 🤔
Rats! I chose the wrong one.
Thanks for a very enjoyable puzzle.
Re 22a, I’d love to see if people do use it as it’s a new one on me.
Does a setter need to use an indicator for an obsolete word or is it optional?
Thanks again.
I think an indication for anything marked as obsolete or archaic would indeed be required, though you’re more likely to see such solutions in puzzles that are allowed to use more obscure words, i.e. Enigmatic Variations and other barred grids, and possibly an occasional Toughie. As I said elsewhere re 22a, although someone d**ing on someone is more likely to be called a d**er now, the definition in Chambers is nevertheless not marked as obsolete.
Thanking you, Tumble, me old cocker spaniel.
I’m with the “it was tough” camp, but somehow did it unaided, and learned some things on the way! 17d made me smile. Any chance of sporting an 8a went some decades ago…
Many thanks to The Twmbl, everyone here, and CS too.
Love the Telecaster – mine is sitting gathering dust sadly!
Some clever clues in this one. Took some time to get going and got 14d after returning to it later. Didn’t recognise a signature style at all but then I only do the Saturday ones. COTD would be 16a followed by 1a.
That was the toughest sat Prize Puzzle I can remember. I struggled to find confirmation of 22a and when I finally found a dictionary that did have ‘the other meaning’ it was mentioned as obsolete. I see that the setter has popped in and said it is in Chambers – is that the BRB? I must get one some day*
Thanks to the setter and CS for hinting
*until then I have this new arrival, which maybe less accurate it is infinitely funnier
^ 22a is Chambers BRB p 461: Someone who d***s; someone showing the weakness of old age, or excessive fondness.
It could also be what a Cockney 7d does. 😇
Help please …. 17d and 18d were both bungins for me! I realise one was hinted – but can anyone please help? Thank you
17d you are looking for a synonym of nasty
Thanks Jezza … but I’ve got that bit. I think my bungin is correct – it’s just that I don’t understand the significance of the wordplay … particularly the last three letters
I’ll try and be careful….remove England’s opener and read out what’s left.
Thanks Graham … got it at last … of course there is only one of the last letter! My mistake … thanks
18d when is the celebration?
Ohhhhhhh!!!! Thank you! and thanks Rod for asking the question
Cx
Thank you … got it! I didn’t interpret “finish me off” correctly 😄
Maybe it’s just mme, but I found today’s puzzle pretty disappointing, with many clues having scant – if any – relevance to he answer. Compounded by some of the hints being even more cryptic thah the clue itself. Thankfully, both are pretty rare occurrences; tomorrow will be a better day.
Changing to your full name rather than Doug or DougB sent you into moderation
Good to hear from you, DB.
Would you mind giving me, say, three clues that didn’t pass muster?
I would like to know, DB why you think Crypticsue’s hints are cryptic. I find them perfectly clear. Could you explain, please. 😊
Maybe it’s just me, but the and answer to 5d just don’t add up.
******* and Halloween is the weakest connection I can recall.
I can assure you both that my satisfaction rating has only dropped to 99.9%
How interesting. You’ve mentioned two of my top 3.
I thought the homophone in 5d is genius.
Funny old game.
Very very hard today, but solved unaided.
1a was solved purely once i had most of the checkers. Beard meant nothing to me.
7d was new to me.
Annoyed with myself for not getting 16a sooner. I normally get anagrams quickly.
I had no problem getting 22a for some reason. Maybe this word has come up before recently…
A couple I can’t parse, but will have to wait until Thursday.
Knowing Twmbarlwm was the setter has made the struggle even more satisfying.
Thanks to all.
I’d actually wondered if beard and the bit of the answer it corresponded to were gay slang, but they didn’t quite match up with one another in that field
Having just popped two paracetamol I gave up, not wishing to push my luck having only got 6 answers on first pass. I did google 22a after reading the comments, and I am only familiar with the traditional meaning of this word… and given my pitiful performance with this puzzle today, I think I am one ☹️…. Thanks to setter and CS, but way too hard for me.
Phew that was tough. Just completed with the chilling thing my last in. A huge doh and lightbulb moment all in one.
This took me as long as a toughie and had to resort to Sue’s hints to help me finish.
Very hard!
8 a is my COTD as it fell so nicely from the clue. I did like 18d as well very clever.
Need a lie down in a dark room now after that mauling. Won’t be submitting this one
Thanks all
Above my paygrade today I’m afraid.
Struggled through with the help of CS’s excellent hints and the use of Word wizard…..
I have an answer for 16a but am struggling to identify the definition within the clue….so I may well be wrong.
Thanks to Twymbarlwym and to crypticsue.
The first two words of 16a are the definition
A step up from many but very satisfying to solve as a result. I needed a couple of hints to get over the line and so especially thank you CS.
I’ve loved all the entries from Rev Spooner of late – I have finally got the hang of them!
I have 18d filled in but don’t understand it fully. As it is among some people’s favourite clues I am obviously missing something but guessing no-one can explain without giving it away
Look at the last three comments on the thread @30 above
Whoever this setter was-more please!…it made me very grumpy so I must have enjoyed it.
Last in 22 across (did not know that was a word)and favourite 11 across.
Many thanks for keeping this excellent blog in good and enjoyable order from a time-served lurker.
Great to hear from you, CB, and keep on commenting.
I’m desperate to know the story behind your alias!
My uncle was the manager of Trader Vics- the Polynesian restaurant under the Hilton at Park Lane-we would regularly travel from Manchester to stay with him for hols. We would travel down on a Friday night arriving around midnight-His shift finished at 2am ish and my parents would wait up for him to arrive back bringing an early hotel edition Saturday Telegraph. They would try to solve the cryptic puzzle- then get a taxi to Fleet Street and hand it to the concierge in the vain and never rewarded hope of that “first in”wins the prize Parker pen.
Cheesy Bings were my favourite menu item as a nine year old-( I believe that you can still get them at Trader Vics) so just an affectionate nod to family past, simpler times and Cryptic connections.
Thanks for asking-
I’m still in the lower leagues at the DT cryptic. My grandad started me off on them when I went to stay with them in Wales after my O levels in 1970! I’m a whole lot better at them now than I was then but this one has floored me! I’ve managed 24 across and having been through it three times can’t get going on the rest. However, having just seen the length of the blog for this crossword and the fact that some of the elite have found it difficult I’m not going to bail out straight away into the hints.
I’m going to put it down and have another go later!
How did you get on, Richard?
Are you changing it to ‘confident but right’?
if not, then plough on as it will come good, for sure.
Well, Tom, I’m not in the League that gets the crossword done by Saturday 11 am even on a good day. It’s usually Wednesday or Thursday after I’ve picked it up several dozen times.
So I have picked it up again this morning and I have put it back down again with no advancement and turned to the quick crossword, which actually I haven’t managed to complete either!
But as you say, I will keep trying and I will keep you posted if there’s any progress to report!👍 definitely still confident but wrong.! As we speak my wife hearing, that I’m blogging, and who doesn’t do crosswords said give it to me and it seems she’s just done 10 across in a few seconds!
As she’s just read it out, I can’t believe I didn’t get that one. Definitely confident and still wrong.
There’s not much I can do better than my wife does things, my one safe Haven was the cryptic crossword and now she’s trying to get in on that. There’s no hope!😡
Welcome to the blog
Thank you Sue! And thank you for all your much appreciated work!
You’ve used Seven different aliases (Four in one day!) – please remember that every time you use a different alias a moderator has to check that you’re not posting spam and rescue you from moderation.
Thank you Sue!
But do you enjoy the challenge? I’m sure you do. Keep slogging away, you’ll improve. Ever been to a karaoke evening? Lots of middle aged people not particularly good at singing – but enjoyong themselves immensely!
It’s my main source of relaxation Jose
and the only reason I splash out £5 on the Saturday Torygraph!
I get several days entertainment from the investment, except occasionally, like last week, when we were off on holiday for the week in the Camper van and I had it done by Sunday🤨
A nice post, RCBW.
You and your good lady will be polishing off these bad boys before you know it.
Keep on trucking…
Motoring now Tom and Jose. Halfway through and haven’t looked at any hints yet. Please don’t think I’ve been doing it non-stop since Saturday though!🤣
Please stop changing your alias, not least because it means one of us keeps having to rescue you from moderation and approve your comments
I have settled on RCBW
Apologies.
Finished! Just in time for the morning paper!
I am particularly pleased that I only needed to use the hints for three clues.
I feel like a London marathon runner coming in in after 13 hours!
Great call! And well done.
Perseverance and determination will always win the day.
On to the next one, RCBW!
Congratulations, RCBW. Onwards and Upwards! 👍