Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 31282
Hints and tips by Mr K
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BD Rating - Difficulty *** - Enjoyment ****
Hello, everyone, and welcome to an entertaining Friday puzzle.
In the hints below most indicators are italicized, and underlining identifies precise definitions and cryptic definitions. Clicking on the answer buttons will reveal the answers. Please leave a comment telling us how you got on.
Across
1a Rage has run wild for aggressive speakers (10)
HARANGUERS: An anagram (wild) of RAGE HAS RUN
6a Name of chap that's sacked - not the first person (4)
FRED: Sacked or dismissed minus (not) a first person pronoun
9a Concern at home, rodent circling middle of duvet (7)
INVOLVE: The usual word for at home is followed by a rodent containing (circling) the middle letter of DUVET
10a Sewers require holes leaving house (7)
NEEDLES: A synonym of require with HOLES minus (leaving) an abbreviation for house
12a Understand rank fish not belonging to anybody, it's said (4,4,5)
KNOW ONES PLACE: The answer could, whimsically, be a homophone (it’s said) of a phrase describing a (type of) fish not belonging to anybody
14a Stealthy type seeing that elite corps is retreating north (8)
ASSASSIN: Join together a word meaning “seeing that”, the abbreviation for an elite corps in the UK military, the reversal (retreating) of IS, and the single letter for north
15a Saw short support to insert into bunk (6)
BEHELD: All but the last letter (short) of support or assist is inserted into a bunk or cot
17a Limit speech, scrapping introduction (6)
RATION: Another word for a speech, minus its first letter (scrapping introduction)
19a Old-fashioned professor died (6,2)
PASSED ON: A French adjective meaning old-fashioned with another word for a university professor
21a Iberian explorers once organised stoic squadron (13)
CONQUISTADORS: An anagram (organised) of STOIC SQUADRON
24a Stretch of river containing vessels (7)
EXPANSE: A usual river containing some vessels used for cooking
25a Outsiders from Egham cross Islamic ruler's land (7)
EMIRATE: The outer letters (outsiders from) of EGHAM with cross or angry
26a Covers opening to be removed from medicines (4)
RUGS: Another word for medicines minus its first letter (opening to be removed)
27a A foreign, vulgar lady disheartened rarely (10)
UNCOMMONLY: Link together “A” in a usual foreign language, another word for vulgar, and the outer letters (disheartened) of LADY
Down
1d Welcome precipitation (4)
HAIL: A straightforward double definition
2d King finished revolutionary opponents and withdraws (7)
REVOKES: The chess abbreviation for king and finished or done are joined and then reversed (revolutionary), and that’s all followed by the abbreviations for two opposing players in bridge
3d Pillar of salt? (7,6)
NELSONS COLUMN: A cryptic definition of a well-known London memorial
4d Regularly taking aunt, niece herds cattle up plain (8)
UNEXOTIC: A string of alternate letters (regularly taking) in AUNT NIECE contains (herds) the reversal (up, in a down clue) of another word for cattle
5d Went fast, say, climbing the Chilterns? (5)
RANGE: Went fast by foot is followed by the reversal (climbing, in a down clue) of the abbreviation for say or for example. The ? indicates that the definition is by example
7d Soldiers pleased to be unconfined and set free (7)
RELEASE: The abbreviation for a usual group of soldiers with PLEASED minus its outer letters (to be unconfined)
8d Son of Daniel coming into some French money (10)
DESCENDANT: An informal contraction for Daniel is inserted in (coming into) some in French and a small monetary unit (used in France and many other countries)
11d Working in six premises changing art style (13)
EXPRESSIONISM: Working or not off is inserted in an anagram (changing) of SIX PREMISES
13d Converted racecourse is Parisian tourist hotspot (5-5)
SACRE-COEUR: An anagram (converted) of RACECOURSE
16d Overturned in alcove, jar aslant somewhere in the Balkans (8)
SARAJEVO: The answer is hidden reversed (overturned) in ALCOVE JAR ASLANT
18d One holds guy, figure trembling in the extremities about exercise class (4,3)
TENT PEG: A figure between nine and eleven is followed by the outer letters (in the extremities) of TREMBLING containing (about) a usual abbreviation for a school exercise class
20d Detective wrong accepting attorney's scorn (7)
DISDAIN: A usual abbreviated detective is followed by a wrong or an immoral act that is containing (accepting) the abbreviation for district attorney
22d Birds moving tail to the front? That's hard (5)
STERN: In a word for more than one of a certain type of seabird, move the last letter (tail) to the front of the word
23d Kiss inside certainly turned sensual (4)
SEXY: The single letter indicating a kiss is inserted in (inside) the reversal (turned) of certainly or OK
Thanks to today’s setter. Which clues did you like best?
The Quick Crossword pun: HOLE + JAWED + RINK = HOLD YOUR DRINK
What a great way to end the cruciverbal week. Another cracking puzzle resulting in ticks all over the paper. The name of the fired chap at 6a, the sewers at 10a and the old fashioned professor at 19a all raised a smile. Initially, I had the wrong spelling for Balkan place, which is inexcusable because the word is right in front of you. My COTD, however, is the pillar of salt at 3d because it had me going down the biblical route for a while.
Thank you, setter for a very enjoyable puzzle. Thank you, Mr. K. for the Hints.
Cracking puzzle, maybe not so difficult for a Friday but great fun nevertheless.
1a is a particularly awkward sounding agent noun, even more so in the plural form, though 15a is a fine old word I shall endeavour to use more often.
My top two are 3d, which raised a smile even if I’ve come across something similar in the past and the clever 4d, which conjours up it’s own diorama whilst keeping a very smooth surface.
The quickie pun is also a good ‘un.
My thanks to our setter and Mr K.
An enjoyable puzzle from Castlemaine that didn’t cause any issues.
3d is absolutely superb; it really is. It must give a setter so much satisfaction when they think of it. I’d be surprised if it’s not an old classic but it deserves to be wheeled out at every given opportunity. Sublime.
13d is a very neat anagram and 16d is a great effort at a rekrul.
I hate seeing the word ‘support’ in a clue (15a) as it has so many synonyms.
My picks are the aforementioned pillar and Parisian hotspot plus 9a.
MTTTA and Mr K.
2*/4*
19a not 9a
I agree with your choices, Tom. 👍
4*/5*. I thought this was an excellent Friday challenge from Mr 4X (it is also a Z-less pangram but I assume that’s a coincidence).
I had ticks aplenty and my favourite was 3d.
Many thanks to proXimal and to Mr K.
A trifle on the easy side for Friday but very enjoyable . I particularly liked the pillar of salt and the son of Daniel but my favourite is 18d . Thanks to all .
On a normal day I start by looking for an anagram or two to get me started…today’s four options put me off that idea and I had to look elsewhere – I needed checkers in place before any of them made sense.
Overall this was a great puzzle to end the weekday offerings with some really interesting clues. The 3d pillar of salt and the stealthy type at 4a were my favourites.
Many thanks to the setter and Mr K
What an absolute cracker for a Frday; not too difficult but jam packed with brilliant clues, humour and nice deception. From a very crowded podium I chose 3d as my favourite.
My thanks to proXimal and Mr K.
A very nice puzzle. I wasn’t going to comment but I thought the anagram at 13d was sheer excellence and warranted an acknowledgement.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K
An excellent and quite tricky puzzle (I needed help with 2 or 3 clues). 3d is absolutely brilliant and there were many other good clues as noted above. 23d made me smile too. Thank you setter and Mr K.
An excellent puzzle but a DNF as I knew what I was looking for but couldn’t find the rising cattle in 4D. I also put the wrong word in the middle of 12A and it was only when I got the checkers that I realised the clue was very clear about which option to use. 6A and 8D had me googling biblical lineages which has increased my knowledge but was no use in solving the clues. 19A was a great clue but my vote for COTD goes to 3D which I thought was inspired. Thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the hints.
Thai corner.
I went to the hardware store today to buy a plug socket to replace a damaged one. Our house in common with most of a similar age is two pin throughout, there is no earth wire. Two pin sockets are no longer sold so a three pin version has to be cobbled together and used with various adaptors to overcome the incompatability of the socket and plug. You don’t need to be an electrician to predict that electrocutions are a common reason for hospital visits here.
That reminds me of my father who was a radio engineer. He didn’t bother with plugs – just stuck the wires into the socket and secured them with matchsticks. 😳
Great story Steve. I guess the question has to be did he srike the matches first or was it a case of double jepoardy.
Reminds me of that old Public Information Film which traumatised me as a child. That and the one with the broken bottle on the beach.
Blimey! That wouldn’t be allowed to be shown today.
My electrician Dad did that too……have never heard of anyone else doing this until today.
We also had a cable that plugged into the ceiling light socket to power the iron. This meant Ironing could not be done at night.
Same here…..and I think he also used rolled up bits of newspaper to keep the wires in the socket when match sticks were unavailable.
Are all electrician’s daft ?
Having said that, we did not have any disasters that I remember……..
My grandfather, rural Herefordshire (d. 1960), did not trust electricity and refused to have it in the house. This fear did not prevent him from taking the wayleave payments for the two poles sited on the farm.
I love it! 🤣
ProXXXXimal on good form today. Not quite as challenging as perhaps a Friday back pager should be but no less enjoyable. 2.5*/4.5*
Candidates for favourite – 10a, 19a, 25a, 27a, 4d, and 22d – and the winner is 25a. I have generally good memories of attending Strode’s Academy for Young Gentlemen, founded in 1704, in the town in the clue, properly known as Strode’s Grammar School (pictured below), before Educational Trusts and Sixth Form Colleges became ‘things.’
Thanks to the 4X-man and Mr K.
What a great puzzle for a Friday, just enough chewiness to keep one on one’s toes, but nothing too onerous. I particularly liked the fishy rank at 12a, the 21a Iberian explorers and like others I thought 3d was brilliant. 4d was last in.
Many thanks to the setter and MrK
2*/4*
An excellent Friday puzzle – thanks to proXimal and Mr K.
I liked 10a, 19a and 16d but, like others, my favourite is 3d which is reminiscent of Rufus’s famous ‘Bar of Soap’.
Presumably the bar (pub) in the ‘soap’ that is approaching 12,000 episodes.
The enumeration was 6,6 if that fits.
That does work for the one I am thinking of.
I found this Friday puzzle out of the norm as it went together pretty easily for me. Quite the surprise.
A couple of head scratchers but overall it was smooth sailing.
2.5*/3.5*
Favourites include 1a, 12a, 24a, 26a & 22d — with winner 12a
Thanks to proXimal & Mr K.
This had so much to like about it, excellent anagrams and a wide range of other clues. It was entertaining from start to finish. 3d was my favourite but it was hard to choose just one.
Many thanks to the setter and to Mr K for the hints
Most enjoyable and clever. It was nice to get off the starting blocks with 3 down and although it was a down clue it raised a smile. DNF because I had just 4 down with plenty of checkers but just had to get on with other stuff this morning. Did not see that “ herds” indicated that the cattle had to be inserted upwards in the answer. Added to which I was feeling lazy . Take a detention for that.
Thank you Mr. K and our setter
A very enjoyable puzzle for me today.
Lots to like, especially 3d and 19a.
Thanks to the setter and to Mr K
Lovely puzzle, with some great clues and plenty of humour. Honours to COTD 3d, 4d, 9a, and 19a, although I detest the phrase – if people have died, they’ve died. At least with “on” added it’s not quite as bad as the mealy-mouthed “passed” on its own! Grump grump grump.
Many thanks to ProXimal and Mr K
Hello from Italy! Currently on a train from Pisa to Florence at the start of 3 weeks off including big birthday coming up. Been a little busy to manage many solved recently. Today’s was done while waiting on the plane for our slightly delayed flight to leave Gatwick.
A gentle Friday puzzle, for which I’m grateful. Pody picks go to fishy 12A, 8D’s Lego son, and my LOI 15A, for which I was grateful to solve it just before take-off ✈️
Thanks to ProXimal and to Mr K ⭐️
Have a great holiday, Simon and Many Happy Returns for the Big Day1 🍺🍺🎂🎂😊
Three weeks in Italy? I’m well jel.
Have a splendid trip, ‘Wriggles’.