Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31330
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ***
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Friday. Lots of linked clues today, so if that’s your thing you probably enjoyed this crossword a lot.
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. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Party leaders in pub exchange information (4)
DOPE: A usual short word for a party with the first letters of (leaders in) PUB and EXCHANGE. The definition is informal
3a Phone twice for Forester's hero (10)
HORNBLOWER: Two informal words for the telephone, the first probably an Americanism. Forester here is novelist C.S. Forester
10a Soft, silky fabric? Check eleven torn coats! (9)
VELVETEEN: An anagram (torn) of ELEVEN contains (coats) check or approve
11a and 1d: Resort in Maldives is for 3 Across (5,5)
MILES: An anagram (resort in …) of MALDIVES IS
12a Fires 3 Across's instrument in audition? (5)
SACKS: A homophone (in audition) of what a musician who is a 3a might play
13a Arranger of scores in a group backing (9)
ORGANISER: The answer is hidden in the reversal (of … backing) of SCORES IN A GROUP
14a Seabird circling cold district in NZ port (8)
AUCKLAND: A short-winged diving seabird containing (circling) the single letter for cold is followed by another word for district
16a See 25 Down
BRIDGE: see 25d
19a Harry Maguire leaving United an illusion (6)
MIRAGE: An anagram (harry) of MAGUIRE minus (leaving) the single letter for united
20a Canon houses workers in block (8)
TENEMENT: A canon or belief contains (houses) another word for workers
22a Stories about Brobdingnagians perhaps? (4,5)
TALL TALES: A whimsical definition of stories about the larger than life characters in Gulliver’s Travels
24a Two females securing a bundle (5)
SHEAF: A female pronoun and the single letter for female sandwiching (securing) A from the clue
26a You loudly tucking in love scrambled eggs here? (5)
OVULE: A single letter homophone (loudly) of “you” inserted in (tucking in) an anagram (scrambled) of LOVE
27a Brace next to square timber (3-2-4)
TWO-BY-FOUR: Link together another word for brace, a preposition meaning “next to”, and a number that’s a square
28a Eating fine food needs good science (10)
GASTRONOMY: The single letter for good with a science that involves looking up
29a Black Prince in retreat? Nonsense (4)
BLAH: The pencil abbreviation for black with the reversal (in retreat) of the name Shakespeare calls the young Henry V
Down
1d See 11 Across
DAVIS: See 11a
2d Panda cool about entering Arctic (6,3)
POLICE CAR: A verb synonym of cool and the single letter for about or approximately are inserted together (entering) an adjective synonym of arctic
4d 12:59 meeting? (3-2-3)
ONE-TO-ONE: Another way of saying 12:59 could be a small meeting
5d Immature stage seen on a genome sequence? (6)
NONAGE: The answer is hidden as part of ( … sequence) SEEN ON A GENOME
6d Plant shelter outside Montreal banning a student (5,4)
LEMON TREE: A shelter or place out of the wind is containing (outside) MONTREAL minus both A and the single letter for a student or learner driver (banning a student)
7d Cetaceans heard where Myfanwy lives? (5)
WALES: A homophone (heard) of the common word for cetaceans
8d Rising again, interim ruler holds on in Paris (9)
RESURGENT: An ruler who stands in for a monarch contains (holds) the French word for “on”
9d Staying power from eleven at bingo? (4)
LEGS: This informal word for staying power is also how a bingo caller might announce eleven
14d See 23 Down
ARMSTRONG: See 23d
15d Vast distance short, then endlessly long (5-4)
LIGHT-YEAR: Short or lacking with long or ache minus its last letter (endlessly)
17d Fuel that is stored in dollies abroad (6,3)
DIESEL OIL: The Latin abbreviation for “that is” inserted in (stored in) an anagram (abroad) of DOLLIES
18d Whence latest novel: Wuthering Heights in reverse? (8)
NEWSROOM: Another word for novel with the reversal (in reverse) of the location of Wuthering Heights
21d Energy provided after excess nitrogen in protein (6)
GLUTEN: A big excess is followed by the physics symbol for energy and the chemical symbol for nitrogen
23d and 14d: 3 Across left our organist confused about manuscript (5,9)
LOUIS: The single letter for left with an anagram (confused) of OUR ORGANIST containing (about) the abbreviation for manuscript
24d Air finale in Love Island (4)
SKYE: Another word for air with the last letter (finale in) of LOVE
25d and 16a: Spanner right accessing both nuts in appliance (5,6)
FORTH: The single letter for right inserted in (accessing) an anagram (nuts) of BOTH inserted in an informal name for a big kitchen appliance
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: EGG + SIT + POLES = EXIT POLLS
A very enjoyable challenge is my take on today’s puzzle. Given the number of linked clues I would hazard a guess at New York Door Furniture being the setter but I’ll keep my money in my pocket. There were also some clever interactions with 3a, which were entertaining. I have not heard of 5d but the clue was clear however, I did ask Mr. G. to verify my answer. I liked the New Zealand port at 14a and the timber at 27a but my COTD is the 12.59 meeting at 4d.
Thank you, NYDK, or to whomsoever if not thee, for a great end to the week. Thank you, Mr. K. for the hints.
My run at Wordle ended today – *****? Really?
My apologies for giving the solution to Wordle if you haven’t done it yet. I went to delete it but the edit period had finished.
It’s not the worst example of a dodgy word or an Americanism recently.
Thanks Steve, I haven’t done it yet and don’t want to lose my run of 97!
I’m right behind you at 96!
I’ve deleted it in your comment.
Thank you, Gazza. I did email, Mr. K. to ask if he could remove it but he’s probably otherwise engaged.
Oh blast! I can’t remember what the word was now!!
Is your run intact, Manders?
Got Wordle in 3 today, beating the Bot! But offset by this puzzle that I lost interest in…
Fairly gentle fare for a Friday methinks but highly enjoyable nonetheless. Liked the thematic links to 3a and the cool panda at 2d. Like Steve C got the answer to 5d, but had to confirm it as it was new to me. From a plethora of choices I’ve chosen 27a as my cotd. Thanks to compiler and Mr K.
A very enjoyable end to the (non-)work week, not taxing the brain too much which was what I needed on my Thursday evening after my 10 hour day – 2.5*/4.5*.
Candidates for favourite – 10a, 24a, 27a, 6d, 8d, 9d, and an HM for the Pun – and the winner is 27a.
Thanks to NYDK and Mr K.
This was about right for a Friday, with, for me, a few head-scratchers to push out my solving time. I always enjoy linked clues, so that was a bonus. I will go with 4d as my favourite as well.
Thanks to Donny, or whomsoever compiled this, and to Mr K.
We are off to Kefalonia tomorrow so I shall not be commenting for a couple of weeks. Keep well everyone.
Happy holidays!
Have a great time, YS and have plenty of meat pie. 😊
Is “meat pie” a euphemism for something? The mind boggles ….
You never heard of Kefalonian meat pie, J?
No never heard of it. Have just googled it; looks a bit exotic for my taste. Mmmmm ….. think I’ll settle for a nice Cornish pasty.
It’s not dissimilar to a Cornish pasty but with filo pastry.
Enjoy your break
That’s not how you spell California.
Mrs E and I have been holidaying twice a year in Kefalonia for 20 years now, and we love it. We started off at a villa outside Fiskardo and tried a couple of other parts of the island before settling on a group of villas at Avithos.
Never yet tried the Meat Pie but I might take the plunge this October.
Not the greatest fan of peripatetic split clues, but anything commemorating the centenary of 11a/1d is good with me, especially with 3a being the route to the wonderful 22d/14d.
Most of this was happily straightforward but my delays with the final four would have been non-existent had I not at 28a thought ‘..onomy’ but written ‘..ology’, and erroneously spelt 17d “diseel” in my haste to write it in …
Great puzzle and many thanks surely to Donny (but to whomsoever if not he. Zandio maybe?) and to MrK
This was good fun. I had to work at it which is fine by me for a Friday.
Our resident weekend sprawler is in fine form, throwing in an enjoyable theme for good measure.
What a truly dreadful word 5d is. I looked up its etymology, hoping there was more to it. Alas, it wasn’t to be.
Talking of truly dreadful……abroad? I think I saw it earlier in the year. Knowing that it means ‘scattered’ is a big ask but it’s archaic! Why didn’t Rood Bonk use an adjective, say, ‘damaged’? It’s a far better anagram indicator and makes for a better surface. I’m not in the business of criticising setters, far from it. I support them as much as I can. But, when it comes to anagram indicators….
Wouldn’t 19a make a better surface with a comma after United or is it okay without one?
My picks are 19a (with a comma), 2d and 4d.
MTTTA and Mr K.
3*/4*
“Abroad” is absolutely fine as an indicator Tom, and has been used for yonks! Anything even remotely suggestive of letters needing to be jumbled about is generally fine with me, and I enjoy the lateral thinking that such indicators sometimes demand. Some of the indicators in The Times would I am sure make you shudder.
Hi MG
I would be okay if it was a word in common usage as I like the meaning but it’s archaic. Mr Tumble said last week that he indicates archaic words. So, to use an unindicated, archaic word, with an obscure meaning, as an anagram indicator is bonkers.
The fact that it’s been used by setters for years doesn’t make it right. Setters of the time could use it but not in the last, what, 30 years?
To quote Simon Cowell…..it’s a ‘No’ from me.
The Times isn’t for me, as a rule, and you’ve put me off even more!
I’m no longer that bothered even with indications that a word is archaic, so long as the clueing is fair. Abroad can mean “away” of “off”, or quite literally “out of its place” – though you won’t find those in the dictionary – which makes it a perfect indicator in my view. The more the merrier for me, and if the disguise makes you groan on realising that it’s an anagram indicator, so much the better! If there are only 1,500 indicators then there should be 2,000. If only 2,000 then 3,000 …
Life would be incredibly dull were the list of anagrams to be so restrictive that even a first glance at the clue screams “anagram”. I want a crossword to make me think, to muse over the setter’s use of language and choice of words, to work out their intention and how they are trying to slow me down or even deceive me.
It’s why I’m quite content to spend a much longer time than usual pondering an Elgar or Osmosis challenge, and take ages with the BRB & Collins ED open on the desk or table beside me!
Hear, hear! 100%.
Isn’t, say, 500 indicators enough? That’s ample to not make life dull. I don’t mind if there are more but they need to match the criteria. The Times, Elgar and Osmosis can crack on but they ain’t for me and this is one of the reasons. A synonym of an anagram indicator doesn’t make it one itself.
I am hugely bothered that setters use archaic words as indicators, particularly ones that have a definition that most of us have no clues about.
I’m okay with ‘off’ being one, e.g the milk is off but not for meaning abroad. Is ‘away’ one? If so then that is rubbish. So, to link ‘abroad’ to this one doesn’t help the argument. ‘Abroad’ means ‘out of its usual place’ not ‘out of its place’ as the later could easily be a temporary thing. Some of these indicators are atrocious. ‘Rudely’ was certainly The Telegraph’s low point this year and will take some beating.
Rookie solvers don’t stand a chance.
Much I don’t want to prolong this debate ,just wanted to say as a rookie..ish solver (ok 7 years now ), I had always assumed any word could be an anagram indicator as long as it implied movement. I feels like it’s veterans who have the issue.
Re my chat below, do you think ‘overseas’ is an anagram indicator, JM?
I don’t think I would feel any beef or question if it is was anagram indicator, so yes for me it would be fine….Now ‘beef’ that’s a great word used more and more these days , but not as an anagram indicator I hasten to add !
It is indeed a top word.
Sweet dreams!
Agreed, especially as a rookie!
Fantastic puzzle and I have no problem with any of the anagram indicators. I quite often do The Times crosswords as well and in my experience they are meticulously accurate across the board. I can’t think of any iffy anagram indicators I’ve seen there. I’ve found more dubious ones in The Guardian (and Everyman in The Observer, compiled by The Guardian’s crossword editor).
Hi Mr Mr
So there are some iffy ones out there.
It’s not just the DT then.
I’ve seen some, but not in The Times, unlike MG. But you’re never going to have all solvers in agreement. ‘Happy’ is in most lists, as a synonym of drunk presumably, but I don’t care for it. I don’t think ‘ugly’ works at all either, but I’ve seen it several times. One of those words that will just look like an indicator if a solver’s okay with not thinking too much about it. At least one compiler (Elgar maybe, but I can’t quite remember the details) thinks ‘abandoned’ shouldn’t be used as an indicator, even though I’ve never seen any objections to it. In the dictionary sense of ‘unrestricted; uninhibited’ he has a point.
He does.
I agree that ‘happy’ and ‘ugly’ don’t pass muster.
It’s really not difficult to get right.
Tom – the ‘battle’ against anagram indicators is probably one windmill Don Quixote would have avoided. From the list of 1,400+ – abroad (yes, it’s in there), boisterous, combustible, gnarled, labyrinthine, vacillating.
Hi S
Sorry to repeat myself from a couple of days ago but there’s no need for you to tell me that a word is in the anagram indicator list or in the BRB. I am assuming that they are.
I’m just airing my disapproval like many solvers do with other crossword techniques and uses.
You keep “airing”, my friend! It engenders some good, robust debate.
To bebate should soooooo be a word. A lesser debate or light dicussion.
(J initially put bebate but has quite rightly changed it though it’s a shame)
I’ve corrected it. I’m making typos all the time these days.
Tom. I assume that your question marks aren’t rhetorical but are inviting comment/responses. My replies are just to give some balanced opinion only:
No idea why 5d is “dreadful”? It’s just a word like any other word.
Abroad is fine for an AI. It can mean about/around. Or better still elsewhere/in another place. Archaic??
19a. In my humble opinion the surface is fine without any punctuation. Placing a comma after United would isolate “an illusion” making it even more obvious (too obvious) as a definition. We don’t want setters spoonfeeding us, certainly not on a Friday.
Hi J
No worries re 19a. I prefer it with, you without, which is fine.
Re 5d, I’m saying the etymology is a real let-down. You can imagine the conversation at the meeting…..what word shall we use to describe a minor, i.e they are ‘not’ yet the ‘age’ to vote? They were obviously keen to get down the pub!
You can see my post to MG from a few minutes ago about abroad/away/off.
It would be nice to now if NYPD Blue used the archaic meaning or away/off. I’m not sure which is worse.
Tom. you’re over-thinking all this stuff – and then some! Just be happy with abroad meaning “away in another place” or “elsewhere”, triggering that the individual fodder letters need to be moved about. These clues are mere word puzzles not pieces of 100% precise literature. You’re not supposed to analyse them with a grammatical/etymological spectrometer!
Tell me one thing, J (and MG)….do you think ‘overseas’ and ‘on holiday’ are indicators though I appreciate that the latter doesn’t necessarily mean abroad?
You can see my thoughts about not giving up with weak indicators in my post to Hoots a second ago.
My passion is semantics and I do have some sympathy with your views. It could be argued that some of these AIs are rather indirect or a bit “once removed”. But I’m not an idealist or utopian. Cryptic clues can justifiably be a lttle surreal; you often have to think latterly and use imagination.
Overseas? Well it’s certainly a synonym of “abroad” and I can’t immediately recall it being used. But now you’ve mentioned it I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns up in the future. Would that be a case of being “hoisted by your own petard”. Figuratively, I mean.
I’m not urging you to give up; you have your opinions, so stick to them. But if it’s a campaign I doubt it will influence the setters or editors at all.
You say you wouldn’t be surprised if you saw ‘overseas’ being used in the future. Were a setter to use it, would you give it the thumbs-up?
The same question goes to MG.
I wouldn’t embrace it with vigour but just humour/indulge it with some reluctance and give the setter the benefit of the doubt (just about). It certainly wouldn’t make it into my top 500 list of exemplary AIs.
Gosh. So, you would, even though you are kicking and screaming. I am very surprised as it’s a complete nonsense and, I think, deep down, you agree.
If you gave the explanation for ‘overseas’ being an anagram indicator to a rookie solver they would look at you in bewilderment, throw in the towel and go back to doom-scrolling.
There is some truth in that about the rookie.
What am I “kicking and screaming about”? As I said, overseas is a synonym of abroad and for that reason only it wouldn’t surprise me if setter risked using it in the future – the way things are going with AIs. According to (the other) AI overseas is already a valid anagram indicator and is already in use (maybe not in the DT). It’s not a particularly good one (iffy perhaps) and I probably wouldn’t use it myself. And a rookie solver would certainly be baffled but after 40 or 50 years of solving might change their mind.
*You can have the last shot if you wish but we’d better call it a day now and let the moderator on duty go and get their tea ready.
I am stunned that you are even entertaining ‘overseas’ as an indicator. I couldn’t give two hoots if it’s on a list and setters use it as I’ve lost all respect for them when it comes to anagram indicators.
I do hope MG lets me know if he thinks it’s one.
Looking at your post, that concludes today’s proceedings.
The bebate is over.
Why “Overseas” works as an Anagram Indicator
In the Ximenean principles of British cryptic crosswords, an anagram indicator must imply a state of disorder, movement, displacement, or being unusual. Words like “overseas” or “abroad” fit perfectly because:They imply being away from home or out of a natural, expected placement.They provide excellent “surface reading” (the literal narrative of the clue), making it look like a travel-related sentence while hiding the mechanical instruction.
Sorry, I slipped that one in after the bell. Tantamount to a low punch I guess.
It wouldn’t bother me in the least, old chap, and as you know I’m far more exercised about the number of anagrams in a puzzle than how they are indicated to me! Indicators just have to imply something being out of its ordinary position or order.
The more the merrier!
And I don’t expect a Rookie to pick up a back-page 15×15 and immediately understand every nuance. That’s why papers have 13×13 (and smaller) “Quicktic” puzzles. It takes time, indeed years, to learn how to tackle 15×15 grids, even the relatively straightforward ones.
Hear, hear! To your last paragraph.
Sorry, I meant a ‘rookie back page 15×15’ solver, i.e they’ve done their training on the smallies and are ready for the bigtime. My daughter is at the smally stage and is nowhere near ready for ‘overseas’. In fact, no one is as it’s a shocker and way worse than ‘rudely’.
Interesting to read that you accept any indicator that gets thrown at you. At least J has a filter, albeit, a very thin one.
Today will forever be known as Overseasgate.
Tom this is fast developing into an obsession – time to seek treatment
My thoughts exactly, Hintsman. Tom is turning Agar Man. 😊
It’s a fair shout, Hoots, and Senf is trying his best to get me to give it up too.
But, like RD with unindicated Americanisms and people’s names, it isn’t going to happen.
Irregardless ☺☺☺ of one’s opinion, you have to admire the quality and tone of debate on this site!!!!!!!
We sooooooooooooooooooooooo love irregardless!
Knowing Forster’s character referred to in 3a certainly helped to get the two jazz legends in the linked clues, though I’m more familiar with the wood at 27a being referred to with the numbers the other way round.
I liked the shelter planted at 6d but the big centre half at 19a was my man-of-the-match.
My thanks to our setter and Mr K.
A curate’s egg of a crossword for me, it had,on one hand alot of General Knowledge related clues, musical, literary and geographical references but ,on the other hand, the pesky linked clues spoiled it a bit for me. I enjoyed the literary clues at 4a and 22a, the geographical clue at 14a. Thanks to the compiler, it looklik NYDK and to Mr K for the hints
3*/3*. A mixed bag for me today consisting of some good clues and a few hmms.
The first phone in 3a is either American or Australian, and so should have been indicated. “Provided” in 21d looks like surface padding to me.
4d was my favourite.
Thanks to the setter and to Mr K.
I didn’t enjoy this much as it felt to me as having too many linked clues. Had to look up the 3a character to begin with as I’ve not read the books which didn’t help. 5d was new to me but gettable as a lurker.
Top picks for me were 24a, 18d and 15d.
Thanks to Mr K and the setter.
I found this intriguing but tough going to the point of a 4 * rating for difficulty. One of my boyfriends decades ago introduced me to jazz so that was helpful today. Amazed that I got 27 across immediately but then John is a DIY man . I did get there but did a lot of checking on Google and dropped out of book club this morning because I did not want to discuss my most significant book. Favourite amongst many was 22 across. Thank you Mr. K , there was a lot to explain and of course to our setter.
An enjoyable Friday puzzle with good clues providing a moderate challenge (perhaps too moderate for a Friday). Have ticked a few and will plum for 11a/1d today – my favourite jazz musician (see below). 2.5*/3.5*
From my MRB:
This could be suggestion in response to some comments I’ve seen on here.
A flower does not think about competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.
Milestones, from the eponymous 1958 album:
Plump! Just a typo.
Doh! (x 2)
One has to be fast with you lurking about
U betcha!
Early start at home , a planned trip to the Royal Shrewsbury where dilation drops caused a lengthy pause, finish back home. Mrs P, today’s chauffeur was able to confirm 10a which was handy.
Confused myself at 25a/14d – inserted the ‘R’ into BOTH to create BORTH added the kitchen appliance and treated the whole thing as the spoken words of Dr. S. Took me ages to understand what ‘nuts’ was all about (pardon the pun)
Apart from looking up 5d the rest seemed quite kind for a Friday.
COTD – 15d
Many thanks to today’s setter and Mr K
Just managed to scrape home. My old pins don’t have staying power any more – 9d was my last solve. I obviously don’t play bingo. Enjoyable puzzle which had me thinking. Not keen on 29a. The answer, that is.
Thanks to setter and hinter
Great puzzle, beat by 18d today, very tricky clue!
After 1a and 3a were drop-ins and then nothing until the timber at 27a, I was beginning to think that this was verging into Toughie territory. However the down clues proved to be more fertile. Surprisingly the 2 celebrities were near to being last ones in as I hadn’t spotted the 3a theme except where indicated in 12a, but I still managed to complete within my regular time frame. My spin regarding anagram indicators is that trying to understand the setter’s intent is all part of the challenge. So coming up with new diversions is part of his/her skill set. All in all a very entertaining puzzle, so thank you NYDK and MrK
2*/4*
Hi CD
I am massively up for new ones. ‘Zonked’ recently was superb though it didn’t do it for a couple of people. I applaud setters pushing the envelope.
But, setters can’t use words willy-nilly (great word) that are nowhere near like ‘rudely’.
A very entertaining puzzle – thanks to our setter and Mr K.
I liked 22a, 2d and 15d with my favourite being 18d.
Yet again (same every Friday) can’t resist opening the puzzle on the mobile & solving in bits & bobs. Always then wish I’d waited until back home.
Really enjoyed the puzzle – 👍 for the linked clues.
Lots to like but 18d the clear fav.
Thanks to Donny (presumably) & to Mr K.
Infuriating and Entertaining in equal measure today.
Im a fan of the linked clues today and the PDM when the answers were not nautical was excellent.
21d LOI as I was trying to include a synonym of provided in the answer.
Thanks to Mr K and NYDK
My word, what a povely luzzle! It took all morning for Mr G and I to finish! Oof!
Thanks for the hints , Mr K (but note the anagrist for 11a is IS not IN)
Thanks also to, I assume, NYKD, for the workout (and of course to my partner, Mr G!)
I didn’t find this straightforward and not that enjoyable I’m sorry to say.
Sparks on the other channel was far easier for me.
Thanks to the setter and to Mr K
4*/2* for me.
… I haven’t commented for a while as I’ve been in away but glad I looked in today as I throughly enjoyed the above pedancy over anagram indicators, it is debates line this that keeps Britain great.
Speaking of pedancy, having lived in a “classical” household for many a year I object most strongly to our setter referring to trumpets and saxes as horns! Please keep your jazz slang to yourself.
Apart from that … great solve … by cotd was reference to Mr Swift at 22a.
are you teasing Tom with that variant spelling of pedantry?
I struggled with the linked clues which meant I didn’t get very far on my own. I liked the 12.59 clue. Many thanks to the setter and many, many thanks to Mr K for his hints.
Well for me I thought this was a slightly easier Friday puzzle than normal and presumably from NYDK. Lots of brain power needed for me especially on the multi-word clues as well as a lot of peoples’ names thrown about the clue and puzzle grid.
Definitely an interesting solve with a few laughs along the way too.
3*/3.5* for me
Favourites 11a/1d, 22a, 27a, 2d, 4d, 7d 25d/16a — with winners 25d/16a
I originally had 22a & 7d as the winners, but thought the clueing for the winner that I changed it to was brilliantly done.
Nonetheless there were many contenders.
Thanks to NYDK & Mr K.
Thanks to the Setter and Mr K. Bit of a stuggle. Needed to know Jazz, Literature, Geography and Science! 27a is American wrong way round version. COTD 22a. LOI 18d.
Very original, has to be a NYDK offering? Once again for me it’s the little words that take up the most time, as with ‘nonsense’ … thank you MrK for explaining Hal as the prince
**** / ****
A real struggle for me and no mistake. Needed the hints for 4 and felt that only 1 of those should have come to me without the hints. Only ticked the rising again in 8d. I don’t think that’s a reflection of the quality though, just that I was having to concentrate too much to get this done. Although now I look back, my COTD is the use of ‘spanner’ in 25d/16a. Was held up a long time by wanting the appliance to be the entire second word.
I’d like to add my praise for the quality of debate above about the anagram indicators. Differences of opinion should be, and here invariably are, respectful. Personally, I don’t get excited about them but it’s really entertaining to read those who do.
Many thanks presumably to NYDK and to Mr K for saving me from a 5* DNF.
A very cleverly linked puzzle today which caused me some problems as my knowledge was not up to scratch and neither was I able to parse a couple of answers. I did however enjoy the challenge and had 19a as a favourite.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the hints.
An entertaining challenge indeed, I felt I needed to be on decent form to complete this one, and in a satisfying Friday time – LOI was 18D solved by my wife! ‘Whence latest’ seems one of the more unusual definitions I’ve come across.
Pody picks – was delighted by 11A when it revealed itself, having sorted 3A just before. I’ll nominate 23D&14D for similar reason, and 14A being a place I know well from my second country of nationality. Honourable mention to the ‘spanner’ definition of 25D, that was an ‘ahh’ moment 💡
Thanks to setter and to Senf ⭐️
Finished this after a real struggle, but kept being interrupted by the builders and having to do errands grrr.Linked clues not really my bag ! ,but always feel pleased with myself when they all come together.Not sure what all the fuss about indicators ? Enjoyed most of the clues so not going to nominate favourites , but did not like 5 down and kept thinking codons and bases . Thanks to all
Anyone else having difficulty posting or replying to a post? The site seems to freeze for a few seconds every now and then.
All sorted! The traditional remedy prevailed. I turned my laptop off and restarted it. 😊
When I looked at the split clues my heart sank. I had no idea about Forester so had to look that up which got me on my way. Felt a struggle at times, but glad to have completed it, and actually In hindsight it wasn’t too bad. Anagram indicators again ? The more the merrier I say. Keeps us on our toes. Thanks to the setter – NYDK? and Mr K.
Anagram indicatorzzzzzzzz….Eh! What…Oh yeah, super puzzle and I liked all the linkage both in the clues and the theme. Only slight grumble is 28a, I thought the science would be a better answer to the clue ie: ‘needs’ is lacking the ‘G’ but thats just me. Thank you setter (Im hopeless at guessing but it did feel like a NYDK) and MrK
Blimey. I needed the hints with all but about 5 clues and even needed helping confirming the few others I had pencilled in so either this was very hard or I am very out of practice. Probably the latter given the responses of other people. Though (not to add fuel to the fire) but I was not thrown by “abroad” as an anagram indicator; it’s fine by me and a nice easy spot!
Don’t start them off, BL! 🤣
Good evening
Far be it from me to disagree with our esteemed blogger, but a threeser today? A fourser, bordering on a fiveser! What passes for my braincell is aching!
Cracking Friday crozzie. I won’t hazard a guess at the setter. I’m just happy getting to the finishing line after losing to Mr T yesterday 😉
COTD: 23/14d – sublime! Ties with 26a and 2d. Excellent stuff.
Many thanks to our setter and to Mr K.
Wonderful puzzle. Must listen to some 23D/14D tonight. VMT to Setter & Mr K.
4* / 4* A proper Friday challenge, enjoyed the linked clues although it took an age to get 3a.
Plenty of clever and witty clues, my favourite being Maguire’s illusion at 19a
Regarding anagram indicators the more tenuous the better as far as I’m concerned.
Thanks to the compiler and MrK for a couple of parsings
This would have been a fun puzzle to solve, had it not been for the oh so aggravating linked clues. When I see them I almost can’t be bothered to even start. Just not my cup of tea. Like Mr K says, a great puzzle if you are a fan of linked clues…
I can’t say I’m a fan of linked clues per se, but I’m a fan of variety. They did add to the challenge for sure.
Funny how it goes. I disliked and struggled with this puzzle right from the start. Found it much harder than anything else this week (not that I’ve tried today’s Toughie yet – this has blocked the entire evening). 15d stood out amongst the linked clue misery.
I appreciate our Setter’s efforts, and thanks to Mr K for the blog and alternative perspective.
Ah yes the linkedness. You cannot please all of the people all of the time.
BTW do you know who first said that? Let me put you out of your misery: it was the poet John Lydgate (1370-1451). He said, ‘you can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time’. Wise words mate. Then old Abe Lincoln paraphrased it (just about) in relation to fooling people. Allegedly. A penetrating shot into the box did for him, of course.
Ah yes the anagrinds. You cannot please all of the people all of the time. And TDS65 is a person.
Have to say though that I’d hitherto thought ‘abroad’ to be one of the really old chestnutty ones. I’ve never really analysed it in any depth, such is the frequency of its usage. I thought I’d look up Ruth Crisp’s Teach Yourself Crosswords book to show that it appears in her excellent anagrinds list, and back myself up, but it doesn’t. It is scrawled at the top of said list as an addendum by yours truly, and god knows how long ago I did that.
Thanks all, esp Mr K.
Good morrow, NYDK, and thank you for an enjoyable puzzle, you sprawler of the highest order. I loved the musical theme.
When you saw 100 plus posts you probably thought yikes! But, as you have seen, I’m responsible for over 20% of them as I went into one.
Keep ‘em coming!
As a total rookie (only learnt how to do cryptics last month!), I’ve been doing quite well with these. I even managed to solve both DT prize cryptics and the prize toughie last weekend.
But… today’s puzzle was a step too far, not enjoyable and I gave up. It’s badged as a cryptic not a general knowledge puzzle and yet the level of general knowledge required to solve many of these clues was high. Making a leap from Prince to Shakespeare for example.
Thanks to this blog for explaining the answers as I would never have figured out how some of the clues linked to the answers otherwise.
On the AI debate, as a rookie I tend to look for anagrams first, checking which clue words might have the right number of letters to work and then I see if there’s a random AI next to them if the common ones aren’t there. I prefer it when the AI is less obvious.
Fellow rookie here, agree, it was a bit too obscure at times, and I had to come on here to see some of the explanations. I have found out today that there appears to be an anagram indicator list, just off to see what that’s all about..
Welcome to the blog
Welcome from me too, SA, you rookie, you.
One things for sure, it’s a lonnnnnnnnnnng list.
Keep us up-to-date with your progress.
Welcome, Lisa and ShrewsAde to the merry throng. As TDS65 says, please let us know how you get on and, if you have any questions, just ask.
I have to ask, ShrewsAde – are you adding to the Shropshire contingent?
Is xxx the max for difficulty. I would have given it xxxx with the musicians and literary references plus the linked clues. Favourite clues 4d and 27a.
Welcome to the blog
5* is the maximum rating for both difficulty and enjoyment, although the last Elgar Toughie was so difficult I awarded it 6*