Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31262
Hints and Tips by Deansleigh
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BD Rating – Difficulty * Enjoyment ****
Good morning everyone, and welcome to the midweek back-pager blog. I must have been on the compiler’s wavelength this morning, because I found today’s puzzle to be fairly gentle for a Wednesday. Amongst a plethora of excellent clues today, my favourites were 1a, 3d and 11d. Many thanks to our setter.
In the hints below the definition element of each clue has been underlined, anagrams are CAPITALISED and indicator words (e.g. anagram indicators) are in brackets. The answers are concealed under the Click Here buttons.
Across Clues
1a A Bovril, if stirred, source of nutritious vitamin (10)
RIBOFLAVIN: An anagram (stirred) of A BOVRIL IF, and the first letter (source of) ‘nutritious’.
6a Reptile starts to chew really old carrion (4)
CROC: The initial letters (starts to) of the last four words in the clue.
9a Tempt banks about wealth (5)
LUCRE: A synonym of ‘tempt’ goes round (banks) the abbreviation for the Latin word circa (about).
10a Park warden discussed plant (9)
HYDRANGEA: Two homophones (discussed): the first is a homophone of a London park, and the second one is a homophone of a word for a warden of a nature reserve.
12a Silly act with balancer? I’m one getting the hump (8,5)
BACTRIAN CAMEL: An anagram (silly) of ACT BALANCER IM.
14a Famous college backed legal action – there’s money in it (8)
NOTECASE: The name of a famous public school is reversed (backed) and followed by another word for a lawsuit.
15a Area Mafia boss is a good-looking lad (6)
ADONIS: The abbreviation for ‘area’, an informal term for a Mafia boss, and ‘is’ from the clue.
17a Dog star? (6)
LASSIE: A cryptic definition of a famous canine film and TV star.
19a Leg breaking ordeal tormented Italian genius (8)
LEONARDO: The word for the leg side in cricket is inserted into (breaking) an anagram (tormented) of ORDEAL.
21a 10 points: actor turning to phrase from Treasure Island (1,5,3,4)
X MARKS THE SPOT: The Roman numeral for ‘ten’, a synonym of points awarded for merit, an informal word for an actor, and ‘to’ from the clue, reversed (turning).
24a Call tug “Campanile” (4,5)
BELL TOWER: An informal word for a telephone call and a word that could mean a tug (i.e. something that pulls).
25a Doorman when undressed is a unit (5)
OUNCE: An informal term for a doorman at a pub or club, without its first and last letters (undressed).
26a Noble, tragic king left at the back (4)
EARL: A tragic Shakespearian king with the abbreviation for ‘left’ moved to the end.
27a Farewell greatest hits album? (3,3,4)
ALL THE BEST: An informal expression used when saying goodbye could also be the title of a greatest hits collection.
Down Clues
1d Expensive watch missing last part (4)
ROLE: A luxury watch brand without its final letter (missing last).
2d Talked spitefully about support section (7)
BACKBIT: A synonym of ‘support’ and another word for a section or part of something.
3d Continental insect – leg protection is essential here (6,7)
FRENCH CRICKET: An adjective describing someone from our nearest Continental neighbour, and a grasshopper-like insect.
4d Saw leaders in Home Office grabbed by a solid figure (8)
APHORISM: The initial letters (leaders) of Home Office are placed inside (grabbed by) ‘a’ from the clue and a geometric solid, giving us another word for a pithy saying or adage.
5d Test side batting: 501 latest from Kolkata (5)
INDIA: The cricketing term for ‘batting’, 501 expressed in Roman numerals, and the final letter (latest from) of ‘Kolkata’.
7d Government plane, MiG, erratically circles about (7)
REGIMEN: A reverse lurker, hidden in the second, third and fourth words in the clue.
8d The King put on a lot of weight in US city (10)
CHARLESTON: The first name of the King goes in front of (put on, in a down clue) a heavy weight.
11d Clumsy Geordie perhaps collecting papers lying on the floor (8-5)
ACCIDENT-PRONE: A distinctive way of speaking, of which Geordie is an example, is placed round (collecting) the abbreviation for a form of identification, and followed by a word meaning lying flat.
13d Rigid line FBI applied around law (10)
INFLEXIBLE: An anagram (applied) of LINE FBI around the Latin word for ‘law’.
16d We arrest suspect Tube pest (5,3)
SEWER RAT: An anagram (suspect) of WE ARREST.
18d Ryman’s first to carry main item of office equipment (7)
STAPLER: The initial letter of ‘Ryman’ follows (to carry, in a down clue) a word for the main element of something.
20d Engineers can uncouple empty train (7)
RETINUE: The abbreviation for the Royal Engineers, another word for a can, and the outer letters (empty) of ‘uncouple’.
22d Absorbent cloth – keep changing hands (5)
TOWEL: Take another word for the keep or central part of a castle and swap the final letter from R to L (changing hands).
23d Exploit European article in newspaper (4)
FEAT: The abbreviation for ‘European’ and the indefinite article are placed inside the abbreviation for the Financial Times.
Which clues did you like best? Let us know in the comments below.
The Quick Crossword pun: JESS + STICK + ELATION = GESTICULATION
From the off this was a pleasurable solve with clear parsable directions throughout. 10a, 17a 21a and 4d are my picks.
Thanks to the setter and DL
1*/4*
What a cracker of a puzzle. Some really clever clues which prompted broad grins when the Baht dropped, 3D in particular. I enjoy clues where it’s clear what is necessary to solve the problem but putting the parts together requires effort, 24A, 21A and 8D epitomised that for me. Picking a COTD doesn’t seem fair but I’ve settled on 24A. Thanks to the setter and to Deansleigh for the hints.
Thai corner.
A culture shock which I still haven’t got over. The etiquette of giving up your seat on a crowded bus or train is very different here. Quite elderly travellers will give up their seats for not so young children and everyone will give up their seat for a monk.
An enjoyable poser for the midweek with lots to like and ticks all over the paper. Getting 1a, 6a and 12a straight away gave checkers for quite a number of downs but I did struggle with the leaders of the Home Office at 4d. The actor in Treasure Island raised a smile and so did the continental insect at 3d but my COTD goes to the park warden at 10a.
Thank you, setter for the fun. Thank you, Lee Dashing for the hints.
Rather blustery in The Marches today but the sun’s shining at the moment.
One very tired old lady just back after a session at the Cambridge Museum (ex Folk Museum) with a great guide. Firstly I Wordled in TWO (yes, I know capitals are BD shouting) and secondly the sweet peas are not the perpetual ones. I do have those in the front garden and oddly they have long stems and are always mauve. These are proper scented but stunted SP’s. It may well be the dry spell but I watered regularly. Now to the guzzle with a large GnT in 35mins.
Another top notch Wednesday puzzle. I’d agree with our reviewer that it was just the 1* for difficulty (albeit a tad trickier than the previous couple of days) but it gets the full 5*s for enjoyment in my book.
Plenty of great clues – 1,10,12,21&27a + 1,3,4,11&13d will do for my top ten with the clumsy Geordie in at Number 1.
Thanks to the setter (Hudson methinks) & to Deansleigh
Lovely puzzle right from the off, quite gentle for a Wednesday, but super surfaces, plenty of humour and some very well spotted anagrams.
Honours to 1a – because (a) Bovril is indeed a good source of that partcular vitamin and (b) Bovril on hot buttered toast, rather than in a mug, is the food of the gods and utterly unsurpassed, especially by that vile M-word spread! – also 11d and 10a.
Many thanks to the setter (Hudson for my fiver with a couple of quid each way on Twm) and also of course to Deansleigh
I find this compiler difficult to fathom at times and this was one of those puzzles. I finished it through dogged perseverance, despite an unfriendly grid and
some tricky parsing but there was a lot of guesswork . I did,however, like the 1a anagram and the 8d geographical clue. Thanks to Deansleigh for the hints. Thanks Mr compiler but really not my cup of tea
Well, I found today’s offering to be a little trickier than we have been used to on recent mid week days.
Confusion reigned – I felt that 2d was one letter short while 7d had one letter too many and contained a plane that should have been a plan. None of this was true but it took a head scratch or three for reality to dawn.
There were a number of great clues…3d reminded me of sore shins as a youngster, 10a ours have never looked better, 21a’s actor and 13d’s law caused a pause but the COTD was 11d, it had to be an anagram, which of course it wasn’t.
A perfect puzzle that needed thought and a couple of dips into the BRB but overall very satisfying.
Many thanks to the setter and Deansleigh for the hints.
Tremendous fun, with lots of fantastic wordplay, solved quickly enough that it should leave time for having a go at Django’s Toughie as well. Like for Steve, 1a, 6a, and 12a went straight in for me, providing lots of helpful letters.
Highlights included 10 points in 21a, the undressed doorman in 25a, the 27a album, the 5d batters, the Geordie collecting papers in 11d, and the 18d main office equipment.
I thought the 24a tug name and 22d keeping changing hands were both good clues too, but it’s a little unfortunate they cross on a common component.
Thank you the setter for the fun, and to Deansleigh for confirming the 13d law.
I really enjoyed this puzzle. I didn’t know the Latin for law but it couldn’t have been anything else.
Top picks for me were 10a, 17a, 21a and 24a.
Thanks to Deansleigh and the setter.
An absolute delight from start to finish. So many ticks on my page that I’ve chosen 10a as my cotd, but it could have been just about any clue. Thanks to Hudson(?) or whomever and Deansleigh.
This was a bright and sunny puzzle, unlike the current weather here, the heavens have opened yet again. Like others getting the top across clues at the start really helped. 1a was a great clue but my favourite was 10a.
Many thanks to the setter and to Deansleigh for the hints
Jolly good Wednesday fun, although I made slow progress in the N and had to Google camels. 3d was my favourite today, especially as I’d all but forgotten that it existed and it brought back memories of being obsessed with cricket bats and Owzthat fifty odd years ago. Thanks very much to the setter and to Deansleigh.
Owzthat was a great game. Simple but enjoyable. I think most of us carried one around.
Oh yes! What a great memory. How I loved Owzthat 70 years ago!
We used to make our own version in school using pencils which were six sided so an ideal substitute for the real thing!
“Made in Gt. Britain”. Hmm, don’t see those words very much these days.
The only reason I knew the camel is from this poem in a book I’ve had since I was about 10:
from A Fifth Poetry Book (OUP, 1985)
It definitely works: I’ve never forgotten which kind of camel is which since then!
Love it! Thx.
I also like the Ogden Nash version…
The Camel
The camel has a single hump;
The dromedary, two;
Or else the other way around.
I’m never sure. Are you?
Reminds me of the superb Green Wing in which the junior doctor, Martin Dear is verbally thrashed by Guy, the qualified doctor because he can’t recite the mnemonic passage designed to embed the names of a set of bones. Turns out he knows all the bones just not the aide memoire!!!
What a great game Owzthat was, CM! I loved it and played it all the time, very often test matches.
It reminds me of a friend who would score a whole test match while watching it on the TV with a can of beer in his hand. Sad or respect? I think the latter.
I’ve been out of the country for a long time, but I remember playing 3 down on the lawn. Do people still play it?
I think the definition in 1 across is just vitamin. Anagram plus first letter of nutritious. Very enjoyable and particularly liked the clumsy Geordie.
Corrected, thanks Michael.
Straight of the top drawer this one. Excellent clues throughout with a dash of humour and gentle misdirection. I particularly enjoyed 10a.
Many thanks to our setter, (take a bow, please) and to Deansleigh.
What a great midweeker that had it all.
‘Guess the setter’ on a Wednesday has become so hard as Mr T and The Hud have very similar styles. It’s close but my money is on Mr T.
The North West was the last to drop as I didn’t know the vitamin and 1d took longer than it should have. I liked 17a, particularly as the Dog Star Sirius has six letters. I reckon 2d has never been said by anyone.
Isn’t it funny that Michelangelo and Raphael are known solely by their first names but 19a isn’t?
The silverware goes to 10a (love it), 17a and 27a.
MTTTA and Nigel Hades.
3*/5*
Good Wednesday Fun! Completed while a Summer Storm was in progress – thunder, lightning, rain (117mm), hail (up to tennis ball sized), and tornadoes! But, it was much worse in other areas with significant flooding resulting.
Candidates for favourite – 10a, 21a, 27a, and 20d – and the winner is 27a.
Thanks to whomsoever and Deansleigh.
Great entertainment – thanks to our clever setter and Deansleigh.
My printout is festooned with ticks. I’ll just mention 17a, 27a, 1d, 3d and 4d.
2*/4.5*. This was light and fun. Great to be reminded about playing 3d in my primary school playground.
That goes on my podium alongside 17a & 4d.
Many thanks to the setter and to Deansleigh.
A shout out for the Django puzzle over in t’other place. Some great surfaces & by no means tough.
I agree. 👍
Very enjoyable (despite the couple of cricketing references) and a relatively gentle solve.
New word for me at 4d and new game at 5d (solved via check letters), had to look this up .. I’m thinking surely “les bleus” don’t play cricket, far too English for them. 🤣
I liked the camel anagram at 12a but given the nature of the beast in question I’m thinking the clue would have been better “… getting humped”?
Thanks to setter and DL for the hints.
Again, for this Wednesday, this seemed like a pretty approachable puzzle. As always a few head scratchers, but overall a pleasant solve.
2*/4* for me
Favourites include 1a, 10a, 14a, 24a, 1d & 8d — with winner 24a with 10a the runner -up
Thanks to setter & Deansleigh
Some tricky clues. All in all the hardest of the week so far including the Beam toughie yesterday.
2d and 12a were new to me.
Completely forgot the park but the ranger part came to my rescue.
21a and 4d favourites.
Thanks to all.
*** / ***
Well, I just wasn’t at the races today. Stuggled a lot with the whole eastern side. Didn’t help that I biffed ‘ring’ as the first word for 24a until I googled the same picture as in the blog and realised that a Campanile isn’t necessarily round! Also didn’t know the latin for ‘law’ and couldn’t get Sirius out of my mind as the Dog Star! To complete then ‘didn’t knows’, I hadn’t heard of that name for a camel either.
All in all, not a good day for me!
Thanks to She Aligned and the setter.
A good days puzzling today . This and the toughie were both very doable albeit the toughie takes me longer!
Some great clues of which I think 11d and 17a were my favourites- and the winner 17a as it made me smile!!
I did slow down in The middle when I was trying to add an extra a into the first word.
A little tougher than the * star rating but great fun with the park warden getting my COTD vote