Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31377
Hints and Tips by Senf
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BD Rating – Difficulty 1.5* – Enjoyment 4.5*
A very good Thursday morning from Winnipeg where we are enjoying high temperatures of up to 20 degrees! But, it is not going to last.
For me, and I stress for me© (I have to say that for Terence), another not a Dream Team Thursday with Dharma on Toughie duty. But, there is no doubt that this is the very entertaining and friendly work of the Master of Brevity. The usual one word clues and answers in the Quickie, and an appearance from the Queen and Ray T’s swEetheart in the back pager. Nothing to excite the latent third formers among us. Also, like Dada, Ray T still seems to be making occasional use of a personal thesaurus. I hope you have your Crimson Tomes at hand!
Remember that Reading the Hints before commenting can be beneficial!
Candidates for favourite – 12a, 21a, 28a, 5d, 9d, and 24d.
In the hints below, the definitions are underlined. The answers are hidden under the Click here! buttons, so don’t click if you don’t want to see them.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Aimless mass follows organised party (6)
RANDOM: The single letter for Mass is placed after (follows) all of synonyms of organised and party.
5a School is what aids in cultivation? (6)
HARROW: A double definition – the first is the school that Winston Churchill attended.
10a Dimwit embraced by American constituents (5)
UNITS: A three letter synonym of dimwit contained (embraced) by the two letter abbreviation for American.
11a Likely employing craft workers for flat (9)
APARTMENT: A synonym of likely containing (employing) a three letter craft (or skill) and two-legged workers.
12a Crew by ship’s hold (7)
POSSESS: A synonym of crew (which used to be found in the Wild West) and the usual two letters for a (large) ship.
13a Discontented referee back in exercise ground (7)
TERRAIN: The reversal (back) of RefereE with the interior letters removed (discontented) inserted into (in) a synonym of exercise.
14a Show act peels, dancing around clubs (9)
SPECTACLE: An anagram (dancing) of ACT PEELS containing (around) the single letter for Clubs (in a pack of cards).
17a Singular desire to get whip (5)
SWISH: The single letter for Singular and a single word equivalent to desire to get.
18a Regret consumes large Republican leader (5)
RULER: The single letter for Republican follows a three letter synonym of regret which contains (consumes) the single letter for Large.
19a In convulsions, laugh, turning offensive (9)
ONSLAUGHT: A lurker (in) found in three words in the clue.
21a Devout following return of Queen (7)
SINCERE: A synonym of following and the reversal (return) of the regnal letters of two Queens.
23a Support victim being picked up (7)
SUCCOUR: A homophone (being picked up) of a synonym of victim (caught in a con?).
25a A nice pure spread for gourmet (9)
EPICUREAN: An anagram (spread) of A NICE PURE.
26a Training for teachers or pupils here? (5)
INSET: A double definition – the first is an acronym.
27a Depression gets you break from work (6)
RECESS: Another double definition – the first might refer to an alcove.
28a Individual small fireplace (6)
SINGLE: The abbreviation for Small and a type of fireplace (often combined with nook).
Down
2d Improper young lady supporting adult (5)
AMISS: The honorific for a young lady placed after (supporting) the single letter for Adult.
3d Some command is sent eradicating rebel (9)
DISSENTER: A lurker (some) found in four words in the clue.
4d Chap’s going round English capital (5)
MEANS: A synonym of Chap’s (including the contraction ‘s) containing (going round) the single letter for English.
5d Hard sweetheart, plain and cold (9)
HEARTLESS: The single letter for Hard, Ray T’s swEetheart, and a synonym of plain.
6d One moves chopper up and down? (5)
ROTOR: A palindrome (up and down) of what ‘propels’ (moves) an aircraft often referred to using the slang term chopper.
7d Daunting cricket deliveries by a side (9)
OVERAWING: The term for a series of cricket deliveries, A from the clue, and a synonym of side.
8d Confusion of curious cat losing tail (6)
RUMPUS: A synonym of curious and a familiar term for a cat with the last letter deleted (losing tail).
9d Smell from head of sea fish (6)
STENCH: The first letter of Sea and a freshwater fish of the carp family.
15d For example, worker in train plant (9)
EGLANTINE: The two letter Latin based abbreviation of for example and a six legged worker inserted into (in) a synonym of train.
16d Miss head after class’s first friendship (9)
CLOSENESS: A synonym of and a geographical type of head all placed after the initial (‘s first) letter of Class.
17d Post chain’s not loose (9)
STANCHION: An anagram (loose) of CHAIN’S NOT.
18d Sunnier seeing leather finally on willow (6)
ROSIER: The last letter (finally) of leatheR placed before (on) a synonym of willow.
20d Cards Jack’s holding out occasionally (6)
TAROTS: An informal synonym of sailor keeping the ‘S containing alternate letters (occasionally) from OuT.
22d Escape, largely using deceptive evasion, initially (5)
ELUDE: The initial letters of five words in the clue.
23d Beaches in both ends of Seychelles? (5)
SANDS: A (1,3,1) description of the ends of Seychelles.
24d Sitting on lake is river bird (5)
OUSEL: A river, of which there are four so named in England, placed before (sitting on) the single letter for Lake.
Quick Crossword Pun:
SORE + LEA + TEAR = SOLITAIRE
Jane Seymour as Solitaire in James Bond’s Live and Let Die
This was pretty much crossword perfection with a brilliant selection of clues, each concise and direct. All the surfaces were excellent, so selecting a favourite was nigh on impossible, but I particularly enjoyed 7d.
My thanks to Ray T and Senf.
2*/5*. A masterpiece from the master of brevity!
Many thanks to RayT and to Senf.
Another very gentle puzzle from Arty on a friendly grid that flowed from the off.
19a was an excellently concealed lurker, considering the clue’s length.
My flora is definitely improving thanks to crosswords as I knew the willow tree and bird.
My picks are the two very amusing Trump digs (10a & 18a) along with the superb 8d.
MTTTA and Senf.
2*/4*
A relatively gentle RayT puzzle today, which I finished in ** time. Everything fell into place smoothly without the use of Mr Google or even the BRB. LOI was 20d – it was only when all the checkers were in place that the penny dropped! Enjoyment factor was **** to which 11a, 14a, 8d, 15d and 17d contributed. On a different note, I was amused to see AI has attributed this crossword to Senf with his usual trademarks of witty clues and succinct definitions – congratulations Senf! Seriously though, my thanks go to Ray T for a challenging workout and to Senf for his excellent hints.
I was undone by 8d, looked at the hints and felt a right alias. But at least it unlocked the remainder of the NW. Up till then I was doing quite well. I liked the lurker in 19a and the gourmet in 25a, but my cotd is 20d. Thanks to Ray T and Senf.
We used to call 8d a Beercat at school, as in ‘kicking up a beercat’.
Maybe we should have just concentrated on the lessons instead of adapting words…….
As YS & RD rightly say a cracking puzzle. The solve edged just into 2* time so didn’t find it quite as gentle as recent Thursdays. Tough to pick a fav but the curious cat that had lost its tail gets the nod.
2d in yesterday’s Graun cryptic by Imogen was – Money maker a failure? Not entirely (4) so something of a coincidence to see Ray’s clue in that spot today.
Thanks to RT & to Senf.
Ps after two very challenging days over in t’other place Dharma provides a much gentler challenge though frustratingly still 2 letters shy of a grid fill.
A cracking puzzle, I thought, apart from the rather obscure “depression” and US tea break in 27a.
I’ve not heard of 26a, but liked the pong of 9d.
Thanks to setter and hinter.
Hi Clix
27a is a term in parliament when the two houses have a break.