Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31331 (Hints)
The Saturday Crossword Club
(hosted by crypticsue)
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
An early start this morning as I have a few things to do outside before the promised heavy rain arrives. Fortunately the SPP was a particularly solver-friendly crossword
There are a 19a of anagrams in this one so I expect another long discussion on which indicators are or are not acceptable. I’ll start by saying that I’m not entirely sure about anagrams of three-letter words. I also await the appearance of the Quick Pun in a comment or two!
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 Tests were designed to keep one cool (10)
An anagram (designed) of TESTS WERE to ‘keep’ the Roman numeral for one
10a Deficit the result of brief American season (9)
A synonym for brief and an American season
15a Engage troops for fellow from Rome? (6)
Engage by means of a written contract and some abbreviated soldiers often found in crosswords
17a Note circulating that hurt? You got me! (6)
The seventh note of the tonic sol-fa scale goes round (circulating) an interjection expressing pain (that hurt?)
24a Come into view carrying child last of all, he thought (9)
Come into view into which is inserted (carrying) a small child and the last of alL
26a Appear with spy and his boss? (4)
Spy here is a verb followed by James Bond’s boss
27a Rich American going after Miranda’s father (10)
One of the abbreviations for American going after the father of Miranda in Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Down
1d Father ultimately shows anger (4)
The ultimate letter of showS and some anger
4d Climber regularly waits at sea, wind rising (8)
The regular letters of WaItS aT sEa and a reversed (rising in a Down solution) wind
5d Vocally scares away e.g. animals or trainers? (5)
A homophone (vocally) of scares away eg animals.
13d Man getting the sack, the present supremo? (5,5)
A cryptic definition which will, I imagine, divide opinions as to whether people like it or not; I’m on the side of the ‘liked it’
16d Empty, set off – pigs in these? (8)
Empty, like the squares in the grid before we start solving and an anagram (off) of SET
22d Great Russian ruler, favourite with our old Queen (5)
An indulged favourite and the regnal cipher of our old Queen
23d Girl showing style, not the first (4)
A synonym for style without (not) the first letter
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The Quick Crossword pun: WEIGH + STUFF + THYME = WASTE OF TIME
Fairly straightforward for a SPP with some thought needed in places but plenty to like with a few smiles along the way. I took a ridiculously long time to suss out the drink at 14a as well as getting the right child for 24a. The dish at 11d surprised me because I plan to make one for tonight’s dinner. The pigs at 16d raised a smile but my COTD is the quiet writing instrument at 7d.
Thank you, setter for the fun. Thank you, CeeSoo for the hints.
Now to send it on through the ether for The Mythical.
As a recent recipient of a boxed pen and notebook set as a prize winner I can confirm that it is not mythical and perseverance pays!
Perseverance, Derek? I’ve been persevering for over fifty years. It remains The Mythical to me and it will remain so until it lands in my own hands from Telegraph Towers. All other “pens” are false. Now, where’s my book of spells and incantations. Time to get summoning. 🤣
Have faith !
I have, DG. I’ve made a few adjustment to the pentangle and repositioned the candles slightly so they align with the local ley lines. I have faith in these changes and they should do the trick. 👍
Steve. I’ve got a nice pen that somebody at work gave me back in the 80s. It’s a ballpoint with a clicker. Inside it has a picture of a nice lady wearing a binkini and when you click it – hey presto – the bikini comes off and she’s starkers! Would that suffice? I’ll send it to you if you wish.
Very kind of you, Jose but I have several of those. 🤣
Thanks for giving us both a good laugh at lunchtime today. I’ve worn out my telepathic abilities trying to get them to send you the pen…
Yeah I been going 27 years wondering whether these pens actually exist… thankfully we can now submit online so don’t have to spend £1.40 on a stamp on top of the £5 for the paper….
Could have bought myself a few Mont Blancs by now but it’s nowhere near as fun.
Having said that I thought todays was pretty awful…
At £5 I normally keep the crossword and the puzzles for the week but this one took me about [redacted – we ask people not to mention solving times) after a night out drinking…
Welcome to the blog
A very enjoyable diversion for a SPP. For me every clue needed due attention, but they all fell with minimal effort. 19a is a lovely word and my other podium picks are the rich American 27a and 17a.
Many thanks to the setter and crypticsue.
1*/4*
A very enjoyable solve over breakfast. With a few food related answers I was looking for a theme with more of the same, as for me it has a Chalicea feel to the clueing but can’t seem to find it, and anyway I’m hopeless at spot the compiler. So to whomever, thanks for the entertainment and to CS for the hints.
A very enjoyable solve on this overdue, damp day. It does mean, however, that I need to cut the grass.
I’m pleased to say that all the anagram indicators * passed muster. I don’t mind three letter anagrams as long as they’re reasonably disguised which today’s is.
19a is indeed a splendid word to say and is up there with the best of ’em.
My picks are 19a, 8d and 11d.
Many thanks to she of the crypt and….hmm…I’m going for a benign Mr Tumble.
2*/4*
* Good to see NYDK last night calling them anagrinds and a few solvers AIs. Hopefully the village elders will allow us to use both of them again soon as typing the two words is a pain, especially for me with how often I use them!
I forgot to put on my podium the big fella getting the sack. A goodie.
It’s far too early for mention of anything like this. He should be confined to the two weeks before the appropriate day. Bah, humbug!
Nope – definitely the week before the day. 😊
Glad to see the anagram indicators hit the spot today. Further to your comments yesterday about abroad overseas etc , I was thinking that if ‘on vacation’ appears as an anagram indicator I’d probably feel less than happy !
Some setters have definitely gone off piste with them.
Luckily, we’ll never see ‘on vacation’ as an anagram indicator because it’s crossword speak for using the outer letters of a word, i.e it’s been vacated.
Yes I understand what it means that was my point…presumably a setter would never mess with us to that extent let’s hope.
Ah, gotcha.
Forgive me.
Very enjoyable indeed, but the credit must go to A. N. Other.
A benign Mr T it was not.
Hope all’s well and you’re compiling like a good’un.
2*/4*. A very enjoyable puzzle. I haven’t counted them but it did seem a bit heavy on anagrams. At least all the indicators were absolutely fine and, of course, I was delighted to see the American indicator in 10a.
My favourite was 27a.
Many thanks to the setter and to CS.
Loved this. Such a great way to start the weekend. Three top ticks went to “ Man getting the Sack”, 24 across took a bit of thought and 5 down. Can submit as it was done without looking anything up .
If only the Inland Revenue could be as straightforward as a crossword. We are being threatened and bullied and our accountant tells us it is all absolute nonsense.
Thanks all round.
I had to think twice as to which of the two options to use in 5d. So far so good but I’ve a way to go.
I had the same trouble with 5d, Wanda – hope I’ve picked the right one.
Add me to that list of people being uncertain
Add me to the list of “cannot decide”
Absolutely loved this one. All flowed along nicely probably helped having lots of anagrams. 13d and 27a were my favourites. Thanks to the setter and CD – are you still on tortoise duty? They love wild strawberries.
No I haven’t been on tortoise duty for a month or so; I did look after our other neighbours’ chickens the other week. My only animal responsibility at the moment is feeding a teeny tiny hedgehog so that hopefully he will be fit enough to hibernate in due course
I spoke too soon. Back on tortoise duty from tomorrow until Friday
Just what I needed at the end of another busy day, although the fellow from Rome did hold me up for a while – **/****
Favourite – a toss-up between 17a and 19a – and the florin says that 17a is the winner.
Thanks to the setter and CS.
Such a jolly guzzle. Great fun to unravel.
I am beginning to despair. Despite having assurances from senior members of the Telegraph board and ownership team that they will manipulate the draw so that I win the crayoning set, it has still not come to fruition. Some may say that they are just toying with me, but I prefer to believe that it is an administrative error and the big prize will come my way following the draw for this weekend.
Thanks to the excellent setter, and the equally slendid PC Security (anag) who apparently “has a few things to do”. As we know Sue has a second life in the Secret Service and ‘a few things to do’ is code for one of her dangerous, clandestine missions.
Nothing clandestine about taking her newspaper to a friend and staying for a chat and then coming back to deal with a bit more of the East Kent peach mountain
But you would say that, wouldn’t you…..
😇Keep at it! I’ve won twice so I know it can happen. BTW I’ve been doing it for about 63 years. Could that have anything to do it do you think??
A very enjoyable gentle puzzle. Lots of smiles and ticks on my page.
Top picks for me were 16d, 14a, 19a, 24a and 13d.
Thanks to CrypticSue and the setter.
An excellent puzzle today, with smiles along the way. Favourite is the man getting the sack. Thanks to setter and crypticsue.
See my comment in reply to TDS at #4 above!
Lovely guzzle, so nice to get back in the saddle after a little unexpected night ride to Addenbrookes. The businessman in the next bed was dictating to his assistant, I suppose, and then I heard them saying “what about 14 down” and I think 4 across is…” And i could not help calling through the curtains “are you doing the DT cryptic?” No, came the reply,. The New York Times !! Anyway, as I said, we thoroughly enjoyed this, the anagrams being my forte and CeeSue, I did not need your hints for once but did enjoy reading them. I envy you your hedgehog – we never see them in the garden nowadays. I particularly liked the cooler at 1a and the bad weather at 18d but it was all great – maybe because it was my cup of tea. Many thanks to the Benevolent Setter and the Keeper of The Naughty Step.
A very enjoyable puzzle, and I cantered through most of it once I got a clue that I could solve. 1a and d held me up more than they should have done and I am now left with one to complete: 15a, the Roman fellow. I just cannot see the answer and I have all the checkers. Therefore, my COTD is 14a, as I think that I need one or two of those to try to jog my brain to solve that last clue. As Chief Inspector Morse used to say: ‘When I think, I drink and when I drink I think.’. My thanks to the setter for the puzzle and to CS for the review.
A very comfortable ride for me, with a seemingly generous helping of anagrams adding to the smoothness of said journey. I see I’m joining at least two others in awarding laurels to the sacked man, although it was nice too to witness an appearance by Miranda’s pops.
Thanks setter and Sue.
For a Saturday puzzle this week, this seemed on the gentler side compared to a few we have had in recent weeks. A few tricky clues to come to grips with but overall easy to work through.
2.5*/4*
Favourite candidates include 1a, 10a, 8d, 11d, 13d & 22d — with winner 11d
Smiles for 12a, 14a, 13d & 16d
Thanks to setter & CS
Well this was a delightful and fairly gentle puzzle for a pig awful day outside . I put my legs away to walk the dog for the first time in months , raincoats on , both of us , and we got a good drenching on the way back too which was quite fun actually. Anyway back to the puzzle. I love clues where having parsed them the definition is way off what I was thinking and 24a was a brilliant one for that today so is my favourite clue. I was very slow to get the man getting the sack and I am wondering if I’ve got 14a right as bunged it in but can’t parse it , or maybe just being slow ? Thanks to the setter and CS.
14a ‘drunk’ is an anagram indicator and the last two letters of the solution are one meaning of providing
Oh yes. Obvious. Maybe the rain gave me the brain fog 😀 Thanks
A fine accessable puzzle (except for 13d, which held me up, because it’s August).
4d is doubly devious. Regularly at sea. I tried to make the fifth letter an A. The anagram indicator? at sea would make the alternative spelling of the climber.
Thanks to setter and hinter.
I loved 13d…last one in was 24a – I was thinking in more general terms (also couldn’t remember UK term for xxxxx dressing!)
A very enjoyable puzzle today…though I was stuck on which spelling for 5d….until,of course I read CS’s most excellent hints.
Favourite has to be the man getting the sack…even though he is a bit early…..
Last one in 14a….don’t know why it was last as once the penny dropped it was pretty clear.
Thanks to crypticsue and to the setter.
No rain up here today so far….but it is promised for later.
On the gentle side compared to recent SPPs but good fun while it lasted. Another vote for 13d as pick of the clues. 15,17,24&27a + 4&16d other likes.
With all those anagram indicators hats off to the setter for not incurring Tom’s disapproval 😊 Thanks too for the puzzle & to Sue for the review.
Ps Having been stuck with an earworm following the opening clue in the silvanus Toughie on Thursday the appearance here of that ‘bugger for the bottle’ has all but ensured I’ll find myself absent-mindedly singing the Python song for a few days yet.
A lovely puzzle, just needing a while to do the SW corner and also the Roman man which I had as xxxxxx for a while and thought was quite reasonable.Favouite probably 27a as I got it immediately despite the general knowledge requirement. Thanks to all.
Pretty straightforward for a SPP but no less enjoyable for that. LOI was 13d and COTD. Thanks to the setter and CS.
An entertaining puzzle which provided some gentle anagrams with some more challenging clues. Not too sure if I have the right answer for 5d. Was slow to get 15a and 24a despite having the checking letters. COTD 13d. Many thanks to the setter and CrypticSue. Enjoy the rest of the BH weekend everyone despite the weather forecast!
1* / 3.5* A thoroughly enjoyable Saturday challenge which looked like it was going to be trickier than it was.
Favourites today include the quickie pun, heap and lot at 19a, the cool 1a and the 14a drink
Thanks to Sue and compiler
What an excellent and entertaining puzzle. 13 d was my favourite but the whole thing was a delight.
Many thanks to the setter and to CS for the hints.
Tackled this after the day job beetling around the countryside delivering shopping in an apostrophised van. Lovely to hit the setter’s wavelength and complete it in one decent sitting (a first). Rather enjoyed 2d for some reason. Less said about 13d the better! But today’s highlight was meeting a Shetland sheep called “Haggis”.
No problem with 13d as a clue… loved it, if a little unseasonal.
Welcome to the blog
A warn welcome to the blog, CP. Please keep on commenting. 👍
Sorry, Cleopatra – that was supposed to be a “warm” welcome! I wouldn’t dream of warning people away from this very friendly blog.
Welcome Cleopatra and keep contributing
Oh my goodness, my cup runneth over. A friendly Friday and now a steady, satisfying Saturday. Enjoyed this from start to finish. Big thank you to the setter and CS.
Phew! Far more enjoyable today than yesterday 😊
26a was my favourite.
I struggled to know which spelling to use for 5d – how do you decide which is the definition and which the fodder in this clue?
Hi Lisa
A few people have asked this question.
The word that immediately follows or precedes the homophone indicator (HI) is the homophone. So, the answer is the other end of the clue, in this case, the trainers.
The problem arises when the HI is in the middle, meaning the answer could either.
That situations understandbly causes a harrumph with some setters.
Just finished having completed most of the puzzle on the flight back from Greece. An enjoyable puzzle with some enjoyable clues. I liked 13d and would have had that as my COTD but thought it a bit early in the year. Other favourites were 1a, 12a 19a and 24a.
Thank you to the setter and to CS for the hints which I will now peruse.
An enjoyable and welcome reason to stay indoors on a very hot and humid Hong Kong Saturday. 26a my favorite. Thank you to the setter and crypticsue.
***/****
Very late on parade due to a second birthday party yesterday. Really enjoyed this ounce the two holdouts: the Roman and the rich American fell.
Many thanks to the setter and CS. Now on to try to find some time for Dada.