Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31338
Hints and tips by Smylers
Hello. It’s Monday, and the start of a new crosswording week. Our children still aren’t back at school yet (one starts on Wednesday and t’other on Thursday). Maybe I should suggest they have a go at this crossword?
On Saturday we visited RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Harrogate, where we saw this impressive Kingfisher:
(Click to enlarge.)
I finished today’s Telegraph Crossword quickly, and it doesn’t require any obscure words, so I’ve rated it ★ for difficulty. But the wordplay is a little intricate in places, so to anybody who thinks it’s harder than that, don’t be dismayed — a single rating can’t apply to everybody, and you won’t be the only one to find the rating misleading. Clues are explained below, with definitions underlined. Answers are hidden behind Insert witticism here. blobs. Comments are very welcome from all who follow the guidance Big Dave’s etiquette guide, and especially from those new to the site and long-term lurkers who haven’t commented before.
(And for anybody wondering why you’ve got me on consecutive Mondays: Falcon kindly blogged two weeks in a row a month ago when I was on holiday and then returning the hire car, so this is me belatedly repaying the debt.)
Across
1a Rush nurse injecting drug (6)
CAREER: To start we need another verb meaning ‘nurse’ (in the nice sense of looking after somebody, not nursing a grudge) and then to inject into it the single-letter slang name for an illegal drug often favoured by crossword setters.
4a Pressure hotel workers to drink some unrestricted spirits (8)
PHANTOMS: Begin with the letter used in physics to represent pressure and what ‘hotel’ indicates in the Nato phonetic alphabet. Then we need some worker insects, as mentioned in Chris Lancaster’s T-Z crosswordese guide in yesterday’s Telegraph Puzzles newsletter; those drink inside them the word ‘some’ after it has been made unrestricted by removing its outer letters. The answer is nothing to do with drinks.
9a Animal ignored, somewhat evil (6)
MALIGN: The answer can be found lurking somewhat inside the first couple of words in the clue.
10a Add-ons I’m getting tailored for suit (8)
DIAMONDS: The first few words get tailored, which involves moving their letters around.
12a English sailors avoiding adult sin (4)
ENVY: Start with the single-letter abbreviation for ‘English’ that’s commonly found in crosswords but I’m yet to encounter elsewhere. Then we need a word for some sailors, which pleasingly isn’t any of the usual suspects, but instead a collective term for a nation’s sailors. From that avoid the single-letter which used to indicate an adult film.
13a Sit back, following ace fabulist (5)
AESOP: A word meaning ‘sit’, as a model may do for an artist, goes backwards in the grid; it follows the letter found on an ace playing card. The answer is the name of a particular fabulist.
14a Present in that place wants opening (4)
HERE: This is a word meaning ‘in that place’ in want of (that is, missing) its opening letter. The definition doesn’t refer to a gift.
17a Reasons not to time noisy argument in building (12)
CONSTRUCTION: Enter in order: some reasons not to do something (perhaps as a column heading, next to one for reasons in favour); the letter that indicates time in physics; and a noisy argument.
20a Speeding up triage, cancel shifts (12)
ACCELERATING: The words ‘triage cancel’ shift about, leaving their letters in a different order.
23a Youngster holding large bat (4)
CLUB: The term for a youngster of some species of animals holds inside it the clothing abbreviation for ‘large’
24a Expressions of thanks and contempt forbidden (5)
TABOO: Something somebody may say to express thanks is followed by something somebody may say to express contempt or disapproval.
25a Periodically dreams of protest (4)
DEMO: Select letters at regular periods from ‘dreams of’. There are 8 letters in the fodder and we need 4 in the answer, so there’s only 2 options for which to use.
28a Drawing in publication with new quote going round (8)
MAGNETIC: Enter in turn: an informal abbreviation for a type of publication; the abbreviation for ‘new’; and a word that means ‘quote’, going round so it reads right to left.
29a I disapprove of leaders of trade unions talking repeatedly (3-3)
TUT-TUT: Use the leading letters of the next three words in the clue, then repeat them.
30a Rigorous control of press pass (4,4)
IRON HAND: Nothing to do with a journalist’s ID. Instead we need to treat the words ‘press’ and ‘pass’ separately, finding synonyms for each. For the first, think of it as a verb, meaning to flatten. And the second is also a verb, physically passing something to somebody else.
31a Material from brilliant Republican in charge (6)
FABRIC: Enter in order: a word somebody might say to indicate something is brilliant (especially if they’re from the 60s); a short way of denoting the Republican party; and an abbreviation meaning ‘in charge’, usually with a slash, though don’t try to squeeze the slash in the grid — there isn’t room, and it would mess up the answer. Being picky, the abbreviation actually stands for ‘in charge of’, not just ‘in charge’, according to both Chambers and Oxford Dictionaries.
Down
1d Start brief remark on church (8)
COMMENCE: A word for a remark is made brief by omitting its last letter. That’s placed on top of one of the usual church abbreviations.
2d Extremely rare permit covering vehicle is pertinent (8)
RELEVANT: Start with the extreme letters of ‘rare’. The rest is a verb meaning ‘permit’ covering the outside of a type of vehicle.
3d Thus monster heads north (4)
ERGO: Before entering this answer be sure to orientate your newspaper or electronic device so that the top of the grid is facing north. Then enter the name of a type of monster starting in the southernmost cell for this answer, heading north up the grid.
5d I forgot he had developed hangover cure (4,2,3,3)
HAIR OF THE DOG: The first few words in the clue when developed, so that their letters are in a different order, will give the answer. Which arguably could do with a question mark, because I’m not sure it actually cures hangovers. Feel free to comment below with anecdotes of occasions you’ve tried this and let us know whether it worked.
6d North American setter’s handle (4)
NAME: The abbreviation for ‘North American’ is followed by a pronoun which could refer to the setter (remembering that it’s the setter who wrote the words in the clue).
7d One kid unexpectedly made a sound like a pig (6)
OINKED: The first couple of words in the clue when arranged unexpectedly give the answer.
8d Discontented spy sat exam for organisation (6)
SYSTEM: This is ‘discontented’ in the sense of having had their contents removed — which for words means getting rid of all their inner letters, leaving just their first and last. Do that with the subsequent words in the clue, keeping going until you have enough letters for this answer.
11d Pay airmen our ten bucks (12)
REMUNERATION: ‘Bucks’ is a verb here. When the preceding words buck, their letters get mixed up and they spell out the answer.
Pic credit: © Kerry J, CC BY-NC 2.0
15d Tolerate criticism (5)
STICK: The answer can be a verb meaning to tolerate something, or a noun for criticism (“Give them some …”).
16d Complete baby awful on vacation (5)
TOTAL: A word for a baby is followed by what remains of ‘awful’ from the clue once it has been vacated of all its inner letters. The answer is an adjective.
18d Clergyman providing support for policeman and film-maker (8)
DIRECTOR: A type of Anglican clergyman supports (that is, since this is a down clue, goes under) the abbreviation for a particular rank of police officer.
19d One might not believe part of explicit song appropriate, on reflection (8)
AGNOSTIC: Reflect ‘explicit song appropriate’ so it reads backwards, then take a consecutive part of it.
At this point, feel free to listen to an explicit song of your choice; I thought it safest not to embed one here.
21d Seafood side in southern India (6)
SCAMPI: A side, perhaps in a controversial matter, is inserted between the letter that indicates ‘southern’ and what ‘India’ represents in the Nato alphabet.
22d Overly enthusiastic with weapon, initially getting hauled outside (4-2)
GUNG-HO: Here we start with a weapon. Though actually it’s easier to fill the weapon later, after we know how long it is. That’s because the final part of the answer is the initial letters of ‘getting hauled outside’.
26d First couples from Mexico should work well together (4)
MESH: Use the first couple of letters from both ‘Mexico’ and ‘should’.
27d Article on upper-class artist’s distinctive quality (4)
AURA: Place a grammatical on top of both Nancy Mitford’s letter used to denote being of upper class and the usual artist.
Quickie Pun
In today’s quick crossword the first three answers are italicized, indicating that when spoken together they sound like another word, a phrase, or a name. Check them here:
HIGH + DANCE + SIKH = HIDE AND SEEK
Recent Reading
The Fethering mysteries should appeal to fans of Richard Osman’s novels: Carole, who’s taken early retirement to a small town near the South Downs, doesn’t really approve of her new-age neighbour Jude, but slowly grows fond of her anyway, and they end up solving murders together. The books are light in tone, well-written, and the puzzles are generally decent — far above many of the books now flooding the ‘cosy crime’ market (especially those written by those more famous for something else, Richard Osman notwithstanding). Simon Brett is also the author of the Charles Paris books, featuring a bumbling alcoholic barely-in-work theatre actor, which has had several series adapted for Radio 4.
Death Under the Dryer is the 8th in the Fethering series, where a body has been found in the back room of a hairdresser’s. If it sounds like your kind of king, you’re probably better off starting with the first book, The Body on the Beach: the mysteries are self-contained and independent, but the ongoing relationship between Carole and Jude develops across the books. Though having said that, the first one I read was The Killing in the Cafe when I first picked it up in Boscombe library on a holiday a few years ago, unaware it was the 17th in the series. The older books in the series have often fallen out of library circulation, though I’ve found them cheaply second-hand. Carole is a cryptic-crossword solver, and crossword clues do feature briefly in Death Under the Dryer.
I thought this was at the tougher end of the Monday spectrum but also very enjoyable. A lot of baht drop moments which provoked several grins. Although I bunged in 17A quite quickly, the full parsing of it took me some time. In common with several other contributors to this blog I’m not a great fan of anagrams as, once I’ve realised it’s an anagram, the solving becomes almost mechanical however I thought 5D was amusing and bucked that trend and therefore it’s my COTD. Thanks to Smylers for the hints and to the setter.
Thai corner.
Based on comments from various contributors to this blog we have a number of golfers amongst us. I wonder if any of them are aware of Kantarat Golf Course which has to be a contender for one of the most unusual. It is located in between the two runways of Don Mueang international airport and obviously therefore is in a complete straight line. It is also unusual in that it has only 15 holes and golfers must present a passport and go through an airport security scanner. Its most distinctive feature however must be that golfers have to cross a live operational taxiway dodging jet liners to play the last couple of holes. Only in Thailand.
just out of interest…are the bits between tee and green called ‘airways?
GP very good. If you want to find out you will have to be quick as it is slated for closure as part of the airport expension but they still accept players who turn up without a booking at the moment.
Like it, doc. Like it.
How truly bizarre and brilliant!
I thought that Smylers summed up this puzzle nicely. Relatively straightforward, but a couple needing a tad more thought to fully parse which made it all the more enjoyable. 7d made me smile, but cotd was a toss up between 17a and 8d with the former getting the honours. Thanks to compiler and Smylers.
Ashamedly I will respond to Smylers challenge re 5D and confirm that on a small number of occassions,consuming more of, ”the hair of the dog that bit me”, i.e. alcohol has resulted in a temporary alleviation of a hangover. The last time this was necessary was about 20 years ago following a huge gathering of my wife’s countless cousins at a beach side resort in Thailand.
All very straight forward and an enjoyable way to start to the new week.
Nothing really stood out but I’ll nominate 17a as my COTD
Many thanks to today’s setter and Smylers for the review
I agree with Smylers that this was not too difficult. It all fell into place quite neatly after a couple of misses on the first pass. I liked the pay at 11a and the non believer at 19d, but my COTD is the hangover cure at 5d.
Many thanks to the setter and Smylers.
1*/3*
A gentle but enjoyable start to the week.
Top picks for me were 28a, 17a, 26d and 4a.
Thanks to Smylers and the setter.
I’ll see if I can get hold of the first books in the Fethering series. Have you read the DS Cross series by Tim Sullivan? They also should be read in order for the back story to flow.
No, I haven’t heard of Tim Sullivan. Thanks. I’ll try to remember them for the next time my to-be-read pile gets down to something that doesn’t constitute a health-and-safety hazard!
I endorse the recommendation for Tim Sullivan’s DS Cross books which are excellent.
Me too
Thank you, both. I’ll try even harder to remember them then.
Feel free to give me a prod if I haven’t mentioned reading one in a year or so!
Following the recommendations I’ve just ordered Book 1, ‘The Dentist’, via Audible – it’s the first Audible book I have come across that has a ‘listen and read’ option. I’ll be interested to see how that works out. Switched to Audible a couple of years ago on a 24 credits for £110 plan when we ran out of space on the bookshelves, works well for me but Mrs P still likes to hold her books and turn the pages.
I have used Audible for about seven years now and love it. It has lots of free books as well but I have to like the narrator because a bad one can ruin the story. I have, this moment listened to “The Dentist” excerpt and find it intriguing so, as I have just finished “John Grebble is Gone”, a novella by Peter James, I think I will download it. I have a number of credits in hand.
Am in agreement with Smylers about the intricacy of the wordplay in places.
10a, for me, is an example. I tried to fit myself out with a suit and the answer I came up with are certainly not “Add-ons”.
A likeable puzzle with thanks to setter and hinter.
I haven’t completed a backpager that quickly fir ages so I’m with Smylers, it was pretty straightforward . I liked the well- misdirected lego clue at 4a, the lurker at 9a and the use of the double definition at 30a.Tgere were some stonking long anagrams too. T to the compiler for anentertaining puzzle and to Smylers for the hints and the Ian Dury clip. It reminded me of performances at The Bridge House in Canning Town near the East London comprehensive , where I was teaching in the 1970’s. Happy days
A swift, straightforward and most enjoyable puzzle. Very polished clueing; many great surfaces with a good variety of clue types. Honours went to 29a, 8d and 19d, while I smiled at 11a as much for the surface as for what Tom might be thinking of the Indicator – acceptable, surely?
Many thanks to the setter and to Smylers
Yep, that AI works for me.
A nice puzzle to kick off the week that flowed from the off.
Even though it’s a shortie, I’ve always liked the emordnilap in 3d.
People often, understandably, mix up the third and fifth letters of 11d. I remember it by pronouncing letters 3 to 5 as one syllable followed by saying the name of the sixth letter. This combined, aptly, sounds like what you are paid, i.e 11d.
My picks are 29a, 5d and 8d.
Many thanks to the setter and S.
1*/3*
1*/3* …
surprised at the pipistrelle grasping youngster at 23A.
Very straightforward even for a Monday – thanks to our setter and Smylers.
I liked 17a, 8d and 19d.
* / ****
After two DNF’s at the weekend (and no time to comment), this was a lovely start to the new week. Ticks went to the 26a Drawing, the 31a Material (love the word for brilliant even though I rarely say it) and of course the 5d “cure”. My experience of that “cure” is positive in the sense that it certainly does, in my case, alleviate the symptoms. However, “cure” has to stay unquotes as I’m also sure it does not help the underlying causes ☺!!!
Many thanks to the setter and Smylers.
5d. Speaking from family experience, it works for alcoholics.
That was fun, the spirit of Rufus lives on – */****
Candidates for favourite – 13a, 30a, and 21d – and the winner is 21d.
Thanks to the setter and Smylers.
Not sure how it can invoke the spirit of Rufus when there are no cryptic definition clues in this at all (not a criticism of the puzzle). He always put a generous amount of them into his distinctive crosswords.
As everyone has said this was a straightforward start to the week with plenty of smiles. I wonder how many use the word for brilliant at 31a these days. Back in the Sixties it was ubiquitous. My COTD is the noisy argument at 17a.
Thank you, setter for a fun puzzle. Thank you, Smylers for the hints.
Hi SC
I use the synonym for brilliant a huge amount.
I don’t ever use the dabbydozy version though.
The Krankies.
Ouch!
The Krankies’ word has an N as its 3rd letter, so isn’t a version of today’s brilliant word. It comes from ‘fantastic’, rather than ‘fabulous’.
I was at a uni friends’ wedding and The Krankies were also there. Not as a turn, but among the other guests: they were family friends of my friend’s spouse.
Hi S
I knew that it had a different root. I didn’t want to spell it out in case it gave someone the answer.
It just gave me the opportunity to mention these behemoths of entertainment that put Eric and Ernie to shame.
Ahem…..Arsenal!
Very good job you qualified with the Cough…Arsenal, otherwise from a real behemoth of comedic entertainment, “I’ll get ‘me’ coat!”
Harmonica-playing Roger Tolcher at the end of the show was legendary.
I love ‘me’ in inverted dooberries, btw.
“Not now Arthur!“
Oops! I got him mixed up with Roger Tolchard, the cricketer from the same era.
It was almost my favourite part of the show. Almost.
0.5*/4*. Light and fun and Mondayish.
My top two picks were 29a & 8d.
Many thanks to the setter and to Smylers.
For me, another relatively nice puzzle to work through for the most part. A couple or three head scratchers to contend with, but overall a pleasant solve.
1.5*/ 3.5*
Favourites include 1a, 9a, 24a, 7d, 11d & 18d — with winner, with a smile attached, 18d
Thanks to setter & Smylers
Yes a great way to kick off the cruciverbal week but let’s see what the rest of the week brings although tomorrow should be doable. Thanks setter and Smyler.
A lovely start to the week, very enjoyable and too many great clues to pick one although I thought 5d was excellent.
Many thanks to the setter and to Smylers for the hints.
Almost a PB fastest solve – thwarted only by 13A, and by me not knowing what a fabulist is!
After that excitement I can reflect on an enjoyable Monday romp. I’m especially focused on surfaces today it seems – Pody picks go to 5D, 8D, and 4A for that reason. Meanwhile I wasn’t so fond of 16D’s surface, surely it needs a comma or hyphen after ‘baby’?
Many thanks to setter and to Smylers ⭐️
Thanks to the Setter and Smylers for the hints. Probably our quickest solve ever! Definitely a Monday puzzle. LOI 26d. COTD 24a.
As others have said a gentle and enjoyable start to the week, after the weekend’s offerings especially Saturday which I found a brain ache. Thanks to the setter and Smylers.
A PB solve & in about an eighth of the time it took to finally solve Dada’s prize puzzle yesterday. Fun for the short time lasted with the reverse lurker my fav.
Thanks to the setter & to Smylers whose review I shall read later
Typical Monday fare.
18d favourite.
Thanks to all.
Bucks as an AI did raise a smile
1* / 3.5* A enjoyable light Monday puzzle, as it should be after yesterday’s struggles.
Completed in a pub on the N Yorks moors.
Favourites today the quickie pun and excellent Richard at 31a
Thanks to compiler and Smylers
Which pub were you in, Imps?
Moors Inn, Appleton le Moor
My favourite Yorkshire pub! Stayed there many times over the last twelve years. I’ve got to know Jon, Jude and Andy, who run the place, very well and they always reserve the couch by the fire for me when I visit. The regulars have become great friends.
This is me and my late wife, Lesley sitting in “Our place by the fire”. 😊
PS That picture is part of their website.
Here is a picture of a friend and his wife whom I told about The Moors and they made a point of sitting on the couch by the fire. 😊
Exactly where I was sitting with my pint of Timothy Taylor’s!
Great pub with friendly locals, dogs and staff,
My only hold up/hmm was the synonym for tolerate but as no-one else has commented on it I won’t mention it and show my ignorance. The rest were as straightforward as they come but nonetheless enjoyable for that, especially after a crossword free weekend, due to ‘family’ commitments (not mine). Favourite was 17a. Thanks to the setter and Smylers.
Stick with?
Hi TG
I can’t stick him.
Today’s puzzle was one of my fastest solves but nonetheless enjoyable. 4a favourite as cogitated awhile before the penny dropped and was LOI despite having the checking letters! Many thanks to the Setter and Smylers.
It’s Monday so it should be a gentle stroll in the park. Some anagram indicators foxed me (bucks eg) but got there with the testy press pass last in but with some help.
Most enjoyable thanks to setter.
Mix of Dylan, Knobfler and Lynne today 🎸
Anyhow it’s another attempt at our first win of the season tomorrow in what is becoming a challenging season.
A fairly straight forward and enjoyable puzzle, once I figured out that the down clues were more helpful than those in the across column. Not helped by misidentifying the definition on a couple of occasions. But not a shameful attempt, so I’ll settle for that. Thanks to setter and Smylers.
Just finished and I personally thought. A little bit tougher than a 1*. Needed the hints to finish off a couple of clues eg the fabulist. Favourite clue today was 4a in memory of the McDonnell F-4 Phantom, a stalwart of the RAF through the 1970s and 80s.
Thank you to the setter and to Smylers for the hints.
Surely 8 down is wrong.
SysteA??
Hi, Edward. Welcome to Big Dave’s Crossword Blog.
It looks like you’ve taken alternate letters from each of the words ‘spy sat exam’. Whimsically interpreting ‘discontent’ to mean ‘remove the contents from‚ we actually need the first and last letters of each of those words. So for ‘exam’ the contents that get removed are ‘xa’, leaving ‘em’ as the final 2 letters of the answer.
Hope that makes sense. Apologies if my explanation above wasn’t clear enough.
Found this a bit more than 1 star for difficulty – pretty embarrassing if others are giving it 0.5 – but enjoyably good fun. Enjoyed 17a the most probably.
Not at all embarrassing, Michael: as I mentioned at the top, a single rating can’t be accurate for every one of us; there are different things that each of us can find harder or easier. I struggle with Tuesday crosswords that many others comment on being the easiest of the week, but sometimes find commenters saying a Friday crossword was too hard that I’d found straightforward.
In general all crosswords will have a range of how people found it, and early comments are more likely to have found it easier, because those who found it trickier won’t yet have finished!