Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31345
Hints and tips by Huntsman
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ****
It looks like there is a bit of damp stuff later this morning here in Harpenden but the forecast for the afternoon looks fine.
We have yet another light delight to roll off the Anthony Plumb production line. As ever some witty & misleading surfaces & impeccably clued throughout. I thought it was maybe a wee bit trickier than Heron’s puzzle yesterday but still on the gentle side so I’ll be interested to hear what others make of it.
Our old Thursday blogger has popped up over in t’other place with one of his elegantly compiled & very accessible Toughies that deserves a wide audience. Well worth having a stab at & Whybird is on hand to provide nudges if required.
As usual there is a selection of music to enjoy or ignore.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED & the crossword technique “indicator words” are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons. Please leave a comment below telling us what you thought & how you got on with the puzzle.
Across
1a Fun run is so long (7)
GOODBYE: link a synonym for fun (in the context of having an enjoyable/pleasing time) with the term for a run/extra scored in 🏏 that hasn’t come off either the batsman’s bat or body.
5a Almost putting up with small, dried fruit (7)
RAISINS: remove the last letter (almost) from a gerund verb synonym for putting up/elevating then append the single letter for S[mall].
9a Starts with nothing right before one drinks (7)
ORIGINS: 4 elements to this charade – the letter that represents nothing + R[ight] + the Roman numeral letter for one then think of an alcoholic drink & pluralise it.
10a Change one’s mind about island’s birds (7)
BUDGIES: a verb (third-person singular present tense) meaning to change one’s mind/shift opinion goes round (about) the single letter for I[sland].
11a Giant pins fixed things on the gallery walls (9)
PAINTINGS: an anagram (fixed) of GIANT PINS.
12a Pursue patient outside hospital (5)
CHASE: a term for a patient goes around (outside) H[ospital].
13a Ecstasy after desperate fellow caught ball (5)
DANCE: start with the name of the desperate fella in The Dandy then append the cricket abbreviation for C[aught] & the single letter that the Class A recreational drug is known by.
15a Restless naughty child and adult I found in teepee? (9)
IMPATIENT: a term for a naughty young ‘un followed by the single letter for A[dult] then link with what a teepee is an example of (hence the ?) having inserted (found in) I from the wordplay.
17a Tourist’s rant nearly boring bank employee (9)
TRAVELLER: a truncated (nearly) synonym for rant inserted into (boring) the term for a cashier in a bank in the event that you are fortunate to find one these days – none left in Harpenden.
19a Partly thinks of a reason to date (2,3)
SO FAR: hidden (partly).
22a Relative from Northern Ireland returned with coppers (2-3)
IN-LAW: reverse (returned) the two letter abbreviation for the six counties that remain in the UK & link with a term for coppers in a policing rather than monetary context.
23a Italians perhaps could make one a purse (9)
EUROPEANS: an anagram (could make) of ONE A PURSE.
25a Check short needle is disinfected (7)
STERILE: a truncated (short) synonym of check/staunch + a verb meaning to needle or annoy.
26a Daughter is placed last in race, creating argument (7)
DISPUTE: the genealogical single letter for D[aughter] + IS from the clue + a verb meaning placed/set + [rac]E (last in).
27a Please speak about broken fist (7)
SATISFY: a verb meaning speak/utter goes around (about) an anagram (broken) of FIST.
28a Touch wire in electric heater? (7)
ELEMENT: a double definition – the former in the sense of a trace/small amount of.
Down
1d Collected gallons poured out (7)
GROUPED: G[allons] + an anagram (out) of POURED.
2d Mind private investigator eating vegetable? On the contrary (7)
OPINION: on the contrary tells us it’s the abbreviation for the private investigator that goes into (eating) a vegetable.
3d Made bishop regret going topless (5)
BUILT: the chess piece abbreviation + a truncated synonym (going topless/missing 1st letter) for regret.
4d Crucial German city territory infantry almost liberated at first (9)
ESSENTIAL: our favourite German city in the Ruhr + the initial letter (at first) of the four words preceding the indicator.
5d Thieves pinching second of her gowns (5)
ROBES: insert (pinching) the 2nd letter of [h]E[r] into a verb synonym for thieves.
6d Shows distance I moved (9)
INDICATES: an anagram (moved) of DISTANCE I.
7d Ape that is gathering moist earth, oddly (7)
IMITATE: place the alternate letters (oddly) of the 5th & 6th words in the clue between (gathering) the two letter abbreviation for ‘that is’. Nowt to do with primates.
8d Feel not quite right (7)
SUSPECT: a double definition.
14d Plant I weed less vigorously (9)
EDELWEISS: an anagram (vigorously – I await Tom’s verdict) of I WEED LESS.
16d Area on crest for bird (9)
PARTRIDGE: link a synonym for area/section of with one for crest/elevated land formation.
17d Casual garments mistress finally lowered, producing urges (7)
THIRSTS: hyphenated casual wear with the last letter (finally) of [mistres]S moved from 2nd to 5th spot (lowered in a down clue). Great surface hopefully not too risqué for the delicate sensibilities of Miss Abinger.
18d Complaint from mail I’m sent, each denied opening (7)
AILMENT: contained within (from) words 3 to 5 when you ignore the 1st letter (each denied opening)
20d Mark’s exploit on river (7)
FEATURE: a synonym for exploit + a North Yorkshire river that cropped up in last week’s puzzle.
21d Particular thoughtfulness (7)
RESPECT: a straightforward double definition.
23d Some sly men enjoy upsetting opponent (5)
ENEMY: hidden in reverse (some/upsetting in a down clue).
24d Dads regularly seem old-fashioned (5)
PASSE: another (slightly old-fashioned) informal term for dads + S[e]E[m] (regularly).
I had plenty of ticks on my virtual page – 1,13,25&28a plus 3,7&17d particular likes. The urges at 17d get my vote as pick of ‘em. Please let us know which clues you liked best.
Today’s Quick crossword pun: LOW + CAM + OCEAN = LOCOMOTION
1*/4*, TT. 1a made for a great start and was my favourite, but I had plenty of ticked clues along the way.
Many thanks to AP and to Hintsman.
I’ve just solved today’s Toughie set by Shabbo. It’s absolutely excellent and not too tough. In my opinion it’s his best offering to date. Well worth a go,
Just wish they’d give him a run out in the back-page slot so more people get to enjoy it
1a was v good but so many well worded clues
A most enjoyable puzzle completed mostly on the covered patio with a tropical storm raging all around, complete with thunder and lightning and local roads flooded to a depth of at least a foot.
I encountered quite a few barren patches a lengthy one was when I tried to find a version of parakeet that would solve 16D, I even went so far as to try to use ptarmigan as the solution until the obvious hit me between the eyes. COTD is therefore awarded to 16D.
Thanks to Huntsman for the hints and to the setter for a very enjoyable distraction during a downpour.
I found today’s offering to be on a par with yesterday. A well crafted AP production with 17d as my COTD
My thanks to AP and Huntsman for the hints.
Sky Blues supporting the rest of the Premier League with zero points and zero goals! The better news is that I have tickets for the second day of the 2027 Ashes Test at Edgbaston
I’m in the depths of despair after Sunday – I genuinely thought we were in with a shout after a decent showing at the Etihad. I already have Private Frazer’s catchphrase ringing in my ears.
There is always (at least) one that will hold me up; today that was 10a.
The one I liked the most was the Italians making one a purse.
Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman.
A gentle and smooth puzzle. No particular stand out clues for me today but I did like the Quickie pun.
Thanks to Huntsman and Mr Plumb.
Elegant, fairly simple to solve and great fun. This was yet another little gem from the pen of our regular Tuesday setter, who rarely, if ever, disappoints. Like RD at #1, 1a was a lovely start and remained my favourite throughout the solve.
My thanks to both AP and The Hintsman.
Good morning all. Another gentle puzzle, although I initially thought it was going to prove difficult. However with a second read through the clues began to fall into place. Although I solved 2a and 28a, I had to check with Huntsman for the parsing which showed I obviously had experienced a senior moment! Favourite clues included 13a, 17a, 2d and 24d. Thanks to Mr Plumb for an enjoyable puzzle and to Huntsman for the hints, which proved very useful.
My solve probably took longer than it should have done as I proved, once again, that multi-tasking does not work. I was trying to watch the latest ‘match’ of University Challenge while solving. So, probably Typically Tuesdayish – ??/****
Candidates for favourite – 9a, 13a, 19a, 3d, 24d, and an HM for the Pun – and the winner is 3d.
Thanks to Mr Plumb and Huntsman, I agree totally on the Shabbo Toughie.
I got held up by PRIMATE as the incorrect solution to 7d but apart from that went well. Started SW and worked anti-clockwise.
Please may I know the purpose of On the contrary at the end of 2d. It seemed superfluous. Also I thought it is usually used to indicate a reversal of some sort.
It is there to indicate that Private investigator is ‘eaten’ (surrounded by) a vegetable – and not the other way around.
Hi Simon, As written the wordplay suggests it is the private investigator eating (contained within) the veg – on the contrary is the instruction that tells us it’s the veg swallowing the sleuth
Thank you so much Huntsman. That subtlety passed me by. I was just so pleased to see the detective and veg in my solution I didn’t dig any deeper.
‘How do YOU rate this year’s Emmys gowns? Give your verdict on the frock horrors, the plunging necklines*… and those who got it just right at the TV awards’
I DON’T CARE!
Oh gosh sorry… I became distracted there. Great guzzle; enormous fun to unravel.
Thanks to Mr Perpendicular and Andy On The First Tee (super music choices once again)
*Apologies to Miss Abinger
Another superb Tuesday puzzle. Lots of smiles and a ‘fnar fnar’ at 17d!
Thanks to the compiler and Huntsman for.the blog
Gentle and enjoyable with smooth surfaces throughout.
I suspect that 23a might have earned a tut if it had appeared in a Rookie Corner puzzle because of its ‘definition makes wordplay’ structure.
My ticks went to 1a, 25a and 8d.
Many thanks to our setter and Huntsman.
Another pearler of a crossword, straight out of the top drawer from the prof who is in great form at the moment.
I don’t know if I’m a fan of 8d and 21d, beneath it, having the same last five letters.
The parsing of 17d is brutal! I immediately understood that the s of mistress had to be dropped but thinking of the casual garment was beyond me. I had to biff it.
14d is an absolute nightmare to spell. I remember it by the last three letters having the same as ‘Swiss’ which is naturally linked to it. The rest tends to take care of itself but it may not for others.
23a has had a fine showing in the last few months and could be the most used answer for 2026.
My picks are 1a (an excellent start), 3d and, of course, 17d.
MTTTA and Hoots!
1*/5*
Very good fun on a typical Tuesday.
1a and 17d favourites.
Needed to check 14d as per Tom above.
Thanks to AP and Huntsman
I was just filling saturdays prize puzzle to enter online (on the off chance that Terrence’s threats don’t scoop him the goodies) and noticed that 25a today and 24a then are the same answer and in exactly the same place! Well I thought it was a bit spooky anyway!
Similarly with 27a in both crosswords today!
Just done ‘the other one’ and you are dead right!
** / ****
Another great offering from the Professor. 90% in 1* time with the 10a/5d combo making the second difficulty star! They were last in. I got the casual garment at 17d but even then it took a while to get to the answer. Started ticking so many so then had to narrow down to the 1a so long, 19a superbly hidden lurker and the aforementioned 17d, wonderful.
Many thanks to AP and Huntsman
It’s Tuesday, it’s AP and another crawl across the line from me. Looking back I can only think I’m trying too hard to find meanings that are just not there. I keep telling myself to just read the clue, but no. But I did get there and can admire the setters skill. So thanks to AP and Huntsman. Cotd is 13a, but 1a ran a close second.
No problems today thank you prof and huntsman – so enjoyed listening to the Faces!
Seemed pretty much like a Typical Tuesday puzzle this week. Like Huntsman says, a tad trickier than yesterdays puzzle
1.5*/3.5*
Favourites 11a, 15a, 23a, 5d, 14d & 18d — with winner 15a
Thanks to AP & Huntsman
Daughter and son-in-law have now departed for Greece so It’s back to normal in Steve’s pad. Mind you, it looks like a hurricane charged through the place but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was great to see them. Considering they left Greece during the financial crash and ended up in Melbourne with nothing, they have done very well for themselves with good jobs and an apartment in the city. I am so proud of them but, then, aren’t we all proud of our kids?
I’ve been doing the puzzles while they were here but on and off with no time to comment. I will own up to having Wordled in two on Monday with my first guess giving me only “S” in the wrong place.
Today’s offering from the professor was a gem with, as others have noted, 1a getting things off to a great start. I didn’t find it a Jonathon solve with some periods of thought being needed but it was, as usual, an enjoyable solve. Plenty to like especially, for me, the naughty child in a teepee at 13a and the argumentative daughter at 26a. My COTD is the aforementioned fun run at 1a.
Thank you, Professor for another well crafted teaser. Thanks you, Hintsman for the hunts.
I agree about the Toughie by Shabbo. I do wish he could be given a back pager slot as well.
Hi SC. Where does the term Jonathan come from ? Not heard that before.
I just made my own version of word slang, JM – Jonathan Swift – I didn’t find it a swift solve. 😊
Ha ha 😀 I thought it was one of those old blogging terms I hadn’t heard of that you vets use , like rekrul,Nina etc. Btw is veterans an ok word for those of you who have been doing the puzzles for a long time ? Don’t wish to offend anyone
I actually asked ChatGPT for the opposite of rookies !
“Veterans” is fine by me, Jenny. It has a certain “je ne sais quoi”.
Actually, I sneaked in “Jonathan” to see if anyone would twig it.
I didn’t give it much thought as you sneaked it in so well but clearly now it’s obvious 🙄 – as always with this caper !
😊
A little gem today. Perfect for a wet Tuesday.
Thanks go to the setter and to Huntsman.
Three quarters were OK but NW delayed my finish. Bunged in 17a as boring passed me by likewise touch in 28a. I personally am tired of apparent competition between setters to come up with ever more anagrams and obtuse indicators thereof e.g. 14d. 17d needed a prompt. Thank you AP and Hintsman.
Another gentle puzzle on a par with yesterdays. I had to check the parsing for 25a but otherwise it all flowed. Thanks to Anthony Plumb and Huntsman.
I found this mostly straightforward but had 3 I needed help to parse which is unusual for a Tuesday. As always it was an enjoyable solve.
Many thanks to the setter and to Huntsman for the hints
Another good puzzle and I always enjoy it when I get the NW corner straight-away. It sets one up with such confidence! My only stumbling block was with 17d. I had the checking letters but I’m embarrassed to admit that thirst was not the kind of urge I was thinking of!
Gentle and pleasant as expected for a Tuesday back-pager. 23a was a clear winner for me today.
Thanks to our setter and to Huntsman who has once again defeated my attempts to guess the tunes, although I did get the Quickie Pun
You did better than me then – got none of yours
A speedy post golf solve and totally on AP’s wavelength so the whole puzzle flowed nicely. The island’s birds, the Italian purse, Mark’s exploit and the vegetable eating private eye were all contenders for my COTD, but I’ll opt for the mistress’s urges from the casual garments.
Many thanks to AP and Huntsman
1*/4*
Thanks to AP and Huntsman. Too late in the day for anyone to read this!
COTD 13a. LOI 17d.
Of course it is read!
SW last in not helped by my inability to correctly spell 14d. I only checked it when 25a became unsolvable. As usual I didn’t find it as straightforward as most, it certainly had its moments. A few candidates for favourite but I’ll go with 20d. Thanks to AP and Huntsman.
Solved on and off throughout the day and finished without assistance but afterwards I needed to be reminded of the subtle definition of “touch” in 28a. COTD 1a for the construction, conciseness and wordplay. Thanks to AP and Huntsman. **/****
Pleased to have whirled through this one just now – time is pressed, and it was relaxing 👍🏻
Pody picks – 26A’s Lego race, 14D as I’d read the use of ‘weed’ wrongly 😸 and 3D’s amusing snappy surface, my LOI.
Thanks to AP and to Huntsman, some great music clips once again 👏⭐️
Hi Hoots
I forgot to say that vigorously as an AI works for me.
Does it for you?
1*/4* …
liked 17D “Casual garments mistress finally lowered, producing urges (7)”